WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS? 3 DISCOVER THE FACTS Are human rights protected by the law?


Yes. There are a number of laws and other legal frameworks that protect and enforce human rights. Some are part of Irish law and others are international laws. The three types of law we will look at in this chapter are:


1. Human rights under the Irish Constitution (Bunreacht na hÉireann); 2. Human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR); and 3. Human rights under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).


There are also special rules around the rights of children, both in Ireland and internationally. We will look at those in chapter 5.


What human rights are protected in the Irish Constitution?


The Irish Constitution was created in 1937 and is the basis for all laws in Ireland. Its name in Irish is Bunreacht na hÉireann. It includes a list of the fundamental (basic) rights of every Irish citizen. Changes to the Constitution can only be made through a referendum. The main human rights included in the Irish Constitution are:


• the right to equality before the law (laws apply to everyone equally)


• the right to life (your life may not be taken and you are entitled to a natural death)


• the right to personal freedom (you may not be confined, unless by law)


• the right to freedom of travel


• the right to freedom of expression (free speech)


• the right to freedom of assembly (freedom to hold meetings)


• the right to freedom of association (freedom to meet whoever you want)


• the right to fair procedures (rules should be clear and applied fairly)


• the right to bodily integrity (nobody may interfere with your body or health, including the State)


• the right to trial by jury


• the right to religious freedom (to practise your religion; the State cannot discriminate on this basis)


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• the right to privacy • the right to earn a livelihood • the right to protection in your home • the right to own, transfer and inherit property • the rights of the family • the rights of children (signed into law in 2015)


referendum: in Ireland, a yes/no vote open to all citizens over 18, to change the Constitution or on an equally important issue


confined: prevented from leaving or moving about freely


the State: the area ruled by a centralised government (here, the Republic of Ireland) and including its branches (for example, the courts and Gardaí, Fáilte Ireland, the Irish Sports Council and many more)


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