- Information
- AI Chat
Development - BSW open course
B.A English Language and Literature
Mahatma Gandhi University
Recommended for you
Preview text
DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
LANDMARKS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
The important landmarks in the progress of human rights are as follows:
The Magna Carta, 1215.
The Magna Carta, also known as the Great Charter, of 1215 is the most significant constitutional document of all human history. The main theme of it was protection against the arbitrary acts by the king. The 63 clauses of the Charter guaranteed basic civic and legal rights to citizens, and protected the barons from unjust taxes. The English Church too gained freedom from royal interferences. King John of England granted the Magna Carta to the English barons on 15th June 1215. The king was compelled to grant the Charter, because the barons refused to pay heavy taxes unless the king signed the Charter.
The English Bill of Rights, 1689.
The next source and avenue of the development of the philosophy of human rights is the English Bill of Rights, enacted on December 16, 1689, by the British Parliament. The British Parliament declared its supremacy over the Crown in clear terms. The English Bill of Rights declared that the king has no overriding authority. The Bill of Rights codified the customary laws, and clarified the rights and liberties of the citizens. It lays down the twin foundations, viz., the supremacy of the law, and the sovereignty of the nation, upon which, the English constitution rests.
American Declaration of Independence, 1776.
The first colonies to revolt against England were the thirteen States of America. These states declared their independence from their mother country on 4th July 1776. The declaration charges the king with tyranny and affirms the independence of the American colonies. The declaration of independence has great significance in the history of mankind as it justified the right to revolt against a government that no longer guaranteed the man’s natural and inalienable rights.
The U. Bill of Rights, 1791.
The U. Constitution was enacted on 17th September 1787. The most conspicuous defect of the original constitution was the omission of a Bill of Rights concerning private rights and personal liberties. Madison, therefore proposed as many as twelve amendments in the form of Bill of Rights. Ten of these were ratified by the State legislatures. These ten constitutional amendments came to be known as the Bill of Rights. The overall theme of the Bill of Rights is that the citizen be protected against the abuse of power by the officials of the States. (James Madison (1751-1836) was a founding father of the United States and the fourth American president, serving in office from 1809 to 1817. An advocate for a strong federal government, the Virginia-born Madison composed the first drafts of the U. Constitution and the Bill of Rights and earned the nickname “Father of the Constitution.)
The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, 1789
The fall of Bastille and the abolition of feudalism, serfdom and class privileges by the National Assembly ushered France into a new era. On 4th August 1789, the National Assembly proclaimed the Rights of Man and of the Citizens. The Rights were formulated in 17 Articles. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen has far reaching importance not only in the history of France but also in the history of Europe and mankind. The declaration served as the death warrant for the old regime and introduced a new social and political order, founded on the noble and glittering principles. Further the declaration served as the basis for many Constitutions, framed in different countries, where the framers gave top priority to human rights. ( On July 14, 1789, a Parisian mob broke down the gates of the ancient fortress known as the Bastille, marking a flashpoint at the beginning of the French Revolution.)
Declaration of International Rights of Man, 1929.
After World War I, questions about human rights and fundamental freedoms began to be raised. In 1929, the Institute of International Law adopted the Declaration of International rights of Man. The Declaration declared that fundamental rights of citizen, recognized and guaranteed by several domestic constitutions, especially those of the French and the U.S constitutions, were in reality meant not only for citizens of the states but for all men all over the world, without any consideration.
The UN Charter, 1945.
The United Nations Charter was drafted, approved and unanimously adopted by all the delegates of the 51 states, who attended the United Nations Conference at San Francisco. The UN Charter contains provisions for the promotion and protection of human rights. The importance of the Charter lies in the fact that it is the first official document in which the use of ‘human rights’ is, for the first time traceable and which also recognized the respect for fundamental freedom.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10th December, 1948. The Declaration consists of thirty Articles and covers civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights for all men, women and children. The declaration however is not a legally binding document. It is an ideal for all mankind.
International Covenants on Human Rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 was not a legally binding document. It lacked enforcements. This deficiency was sought to be removed by the U. General Assembly by adopting in December, 1966, the two Covenants, viz,
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The two International Covenants, together with the Universal Declaration and the Optional Protocols, comprise the International Bill of Human Rights. The International Bill of Human Rights represents a milestone in the history of human rights. It is a modern Magna Carta of human rights.
Development - BSW open course
Course: B.A English Language and Literature
University: Mahatma Gandhi University
This is a preview
Access to all documents
Get Unlimited Downloads
Improve your grades
