At the same time, there are some major rights that are taken as the basic ones. They became an integral part of life that plays a key role in the existence of society and influences the vector of its development. In fact, if these rights did not exist, then the very concept of humanity would have no meaning. While some of these rights are obvious, they have taken a long time to develop.

If we check the historical facts, this concept appeared together with the first political institutions. One of the priority areas of their work was to provide people with the opportunity to live a dignified life, respect for equality, freedom of religion, and so on.

However, both at the dawn of the formation of a legal society and now, humanity is clashing with various issues facing problems. In particular, when it comes to minorities (religious, sexual, racial, etc.). At the present time, the trends of digitalization and globalization of society have also influenced this phenomenon. Therefore, the topic of key human rights is still relevant and requires attention and deep study.

Classification of Key Freedoms

As it was mentioned below, the concept and list of key freedoms constantly changed in different historical periods. However, below, you can see a list of the most important freedoms and rights with a short overview.

Right to equality

Here, we are talking about the equality of any member of society before the law. The result of this right was the erasure of distinctions and the prohibition of discrimination against people based on caste, gender, skin color, religion, and so on.

Any member of society is equal to another, and he is provided with the same opportunities to move up the career ladder, to get a job in any public service, etc. It does not matter the color of your skin or the god you believe in – you can take part in the competition for senior positions in both private and public companies.

Rights to freedom

In itself, the concept of freedom is inextricably linked with many human rights and values. This category includes freedom of speech, the ability to openly express one’s opinion, create alliances and associations, the ability to choose any place on the planet for travel, and much more.

The financial side of freedom is especially important. As is known, the more financially independent a person is, the higher his quality of life. In a modern democratic society, any citizen of a free country has every right to buy, sell and own property. The government of democratic countries does not restrict your freedom of business if you do not violate the basic legal norms.

Speaking about freedom, it is important to note the legal side of the issue. A striking example of this is the impossibility of condemning a person twice for the same crime. In addition, you cannot force a person to testify against himself.

Right against exploitation

Throughout the history of human development, there have been many precedents for forced labor in one form or another. Unfortunately, modern realities show that some autocratic countries still use this practice in relation to their population.

If we consider democratic countries, then there is currently a ban on any form of forced labor. According to the letter of the law, no person has the right to exploit another person in any way whatsoever. After the introduction of such norms, in fact, human trafficking was officially banned, and begging became illegal.

Freedom of religion

Any member of society has the right to choose a religion, regardless of race, origin, color, etc. People can freely adopt, practice, and propagate (without violating the rights and freedoms of other people) the religion of their choice. The state, in turn, should not interfere in any way with people in any religious affairs. Regardless of the type of religious organization, they have the right to create and maintain an institution for meetings, sacraments, charity events, and so on.

Cultural and educational rights

This right is one of the priorities for any person. According to cultural law, any nation can count on help in preserving its historical heritage. Under this right, everyone is free to develop the culture of their choice. This right is closely intertwined with the issue of conversion: any person can enter any educational institution, regardless of their origin, skin color, religion, etc. As for minorities, the state protects and guarantees them the right to create their own educational institution in which cultural specifics will be taken into account.

Right to constitutional remedy

This right is also guaranteed to every person and is the crowning achievement of all of the above. According to it, any person can go to court to protect any of the aforementioned basic freedoms. In turn, the court stands guard over the rights and freedoms of people, regardless of their skin color, religion, and so on. Also, it stands against the violation of these rights and reacts adequately to anyone who tries to violate them. Thus, if you think that any person or organization has violated your basic rights, you can apply to the court for constitutional help and justice.

Final Thoughts

Basic rights are the cornerstone of human existence. Modern democratic civilization and progress are based on them. These rights can protect us in times of hardship and help us become good people.

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Before moving directly to the differences, it is worth saying that both terms, in practice, can only be used in a state with a democratic way of life. So, equality means that any person in society or a group can expect to receive the same resources and opportunities to achieve a particular task.

If we are talking about equity, then some nuances take into account the particularities and circumstances of each individual. Based on these nuances, the distribution of opportunities and resources takes place in such a way that all members of society achieve the ultimate goal equally.

The current topic has already been described in multiple reputable resources. However, the article by Martha Minow in the American Journal of Law and Equality is one of the best examples you should check.

Why Equality and Equity are not Synonyms?

The topic of “equality” and “equity” is often raised at various levels. You can find these concepts in politics, economics, law, etc. Even in gambling, the concepts of fairness play a key role. For example, any online casino provides equal opportunities for any category of people to win, receive identical preferences, bonuses, opportunities to participate in loyalty programs, and so on. If you are interested in this subject, this page has more information.

Often these terms you can meet in the description of certain actions, laws, or rules that are aimed at abolishing the unfair treatment of people. At the same time, people often make fundamental mistakes in identifying these concepts.

As a rule, the reason is a misinterpretation and insufficient clear highlighting of the difference. At the same time, as mentioned above, equity and equality are not synonyms since the methods to achieve them may differ significantly.

If we talk about equality, then this concept is easy to imagine. For example, you have two buckets, each containing ten pears. You can take buckets and get the same number of pears in this case. If we are talking about “equity, ” this concept is defined as the quality of fairness or impartiality. Here the situation is more difficult.

The main catch is that people often have no consensus on what is fair. It is often due to personal experience, various expectations, emotional coloring, etc. In other words, for many, this is a subjective concept. As a result, laws, and policies that purport to achieve equity are often challenged in court or cause a lively public debate.

Recently, you can notice the intensification of the use of the concept of equity. It is due to the natural development processes of social justice and the desire for equality for minorities, historically oppressed groups, and so on. According to international law, all types of minorities have the same rights and freedoms as the founding group of society.

However, in practice, there are often situations when these rules do not apply in real life. That is why this issue is fairly acute in modern society and causes an intense discussion.

How are Both Terms Used in Practice?

Even though various analogies from practice can be given, these concepts may look blurry. Therefore, the best way to explain this case is a maximally simple example, which can reflect the whole essence of the problem.

For example, let’s see the gambling industry as an example of equality. As you know, all reputable casinos offer their players equal opportunities to win prizes, take advantage of the common set of bonuses, and so on. For example, you proceed to the playfortunefor.fun free spins add card page and decide to use the same-named reward. As a result, you will receive a set of free spins for registering with a bank card, regardless of the region of your residence, the currency used, or the type of card.

The next example perfectly matches the description of the equality concept. Let’s imagine that we have two people in front of us: one of them is rich, and the second is poor. If you give both the first and the second person $200 each, then we can talk about equality since the sum of both is identical. However, how fair would such a situation be?

If we find out the features and nuances of both people and, having understood them, we will give the first all the same $ 200 and the second person – $ 600? In this case, we can talk about the intention to achieve justice by providing a large amount of help to those who need it most.

If we consider the ideal situation, we could achieve equality and equity. It might work with such a simple example, but in practice, too many nuances get in the way of achieving a balance. Law and society also bring many adjustments that make it difficult to bring both equity and equality simultaneously.

Conclusions

Both concepts highlighted in this review are key to a democratic society. Currently, they still cause active discussions, contradictions, and even conflicts. The events of recent years are a clear example of this.

It is no exaggeration to say that equity and equality can change the course of history. Unfortunately, for various reasons, many do not fully realize their importance or misunderstand both concepts, which causes many problems.

A deeper understanding of the issue can help improve the living conditions of many people and act as a safeguard against social disasters. It explains the importance of the topic and the need to study it in the context of the political structure of the state, the economic model, and so on.

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This means you were born with these privileges and that you cannot lose them because they are connected to the very fact of your existence. There are times and situations when we may disagree about their definition, but there is no misunderstanding when we see them violated. Under certain circumstances, the effect of some of them, although not all, may be suspended or limited. For example, if someone is found guilty of a crime, he/she may be imprisoned. Human rights (or H.R.) are the object of international legal regulation and protection. In the UK, the tools for this are provided by the Human Rights Act, which helps to fight for the fundamental rights and freedoms that should be protected. 

What rights do the Human Rights Act protect?   

The Act helps us to ensure some fundamental rights and freedoms, among which are:

• the right to life
• the prohibition of torture and inhumane treatment
• protection against slavery and forced labour
• the right to liberty and freedom
• the right to a fair trial and no punishment without law
• respect for privacy, family life and the right to marry
• freedom of thought, religion and belief
• freedom of expression
• freedom of assembly and association
• protection from discrimination 

The concept and benefit of human rights

As you can see, the concept of H.R. is based on two main values: human dignity and They can be understood as something that defines the basic norms necessary to live with a sense of dignity, and their universality follows from the fact that at least from this perspective, all people are equal. We do not have and cannot single out anyone here. Absolutely everyone has human rights: criminals, children, women and men, social workers, politicians, teachers, unemployed persons, refugees, and everyone without exception. In fact, to accept this concept, it is enough to accept these two beliefs or values, and hardly anyone would argue with this. This is why the idea of H.R. is supported by all world cultures, all civilized governments, and all major religions. It is almost universally recognized that the power of the state cannot be unlimited or arbitrary, it must be limited by the need to provide at least minimal conditions to all those under its jurisdiction so that they can live with a sense of human dignity.  

The main benefit of the Human Rights Act is that our rights are protected by law, otherwise, they would always be at risk. The Act creates rules, order, standards and a system. Helps us to maintain a society where everybody has equal rights, and they will be protected by the law and public authorities if endangered or violated. This is how we can live in a society where we are all free: to love and marry who we choose, where our family life and personal privacy are protected, where we can apply for a job and cannot be denied such an opportunity based on our skin colour or orientation, we cannot be abused, tortured, forced to labour or forced to believe in God. This is how we ensure that everybody gets a fair go, and we do not gamble our rights on a slot machine in online casino to see if we are lucky enough to win. Our winning is ensured with strict rules and laws instead.

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Ridiculous laws abound in every country. Some of them arise in special historical circumstances or because of legal precedents. Time passes, the situation changes – but what is written in the penal code, you can’t knock out with an axe. Lawmakers are usually too lazy to change anything! One thing that saves the day is that as a rule, the most stupid and absurd ones are not enforced.

On the other hand, there are also various fake laws, about which people often write on the Internet, but in reality they do not exist. For example, the ban on kissing at railway stations is attributed to England and France – supposedly in this way the authorities guarantee that passengers will take a seat on time and the train will move according to schedule.

Australia

One of the funniest bans in Australia says that you have no right to appear in the street in pink shorts on Sundays. In second place, the ban on screwing in a light bulb yourself is always recalled – supposedly only a qualified electrician has this privilege. In fact, no Australian police officer will not fine you for all these “transgressions”.

But you can actually pay money if you store, buy or sell more than 50 kilos of potatoes in Western Australia. This law has been enforced since the food wars with the British metropolis. In the same region, you’ll pay a $1,000 fine if you try to crumple a can of beer between your bare breasts. And in South Australia, you’ll be charged $10,000 for disrupting a wedding ceremony. 

England

Britain is also full of weird laws that, thankfully, no one enforces. On paper you’re not allowed to clean carpets in the street between 8am and 10pm, drive cattle around town during daytime without proper permission, or turn a stamp depicting the king or queen upside down. The only place where it’s really dangerous to make jokes with banknotes is in Asia: in Thailand you’ll get a fine if you step on a banknote with the image of a monarch, and in India it’s forbidden to take rupees out of the country.

But if you feed seagulls in the Suffolk coastal county, you should probably take about €3.000 out of your pocket – local authorities don’t like these birds so much. And tourists in London should remember the fine for cycling on the sidewalk will cost you £100 and if you park your car and leave it running for over three minutes you’ll pay £120.

The stupidest law in Britain according to the locals is the law against dying inside the Houses of Parliament. The law was passed in 1313 and the explanation is simple: if you die in Parliament, the state must bury you at its own expense. So if you’re going on a tour of Parliament – hang on!

Belgium

If you are in Belgium in the cold season – remember the ridiculous law that prohibits residents to throw snowballs at each other. Five years ago Belgium decided by law that a snowball and a stone are the same thing. And if you value your €100, find something more fun to do – better roll down a snow slide or make a snowman. Not everywhere will you be able to do it with impunity!

Canada

Yes, it is prohibited to make snowmen over 75 centimeters in the Canadian town of Souris. In the town of Petrolia in Ontario it is forbidden to whistle, shout, or make any loud noises 24 hours a day at any time of the year, even if you have won the jackpot at an online casino. The local community is extremely negative to noisy tourists, which warns in advance on its official website. But that’s nothing compared to the absurd ban on publishing, distributing and storing crime-related comics! I wonder how that line even made its way into Canadian law. Fortunately, no one has issued any real fines for reading comic books yet.

Egypt

If you’re thinking of admiring birds through binoculars near the airport, you’d better not. You could end up under arrest and even go to jail for trying to spy on government aviation.

Italy

Another country is the leader in ridiculous bans. One of the most famous of them is the ban on feeding pigeons in St. Mark’s Square. The reason is simple: the birds deface monuments and spread disease. The penalty is about $600. In Venice and Florence is also better not to pamper the pigeons with bread, as local authorities take care of the historical facades.

Interestingly, in other Italian cities lawmaking is also in full swing. In Eraklia it is forbidden to build sand castles – allegedly it disturbs those walking along the promenade. On Venetian beaches it is forbidden to collect seashells (fines from €25 to €250). In Capri you are not allowed to wear wooden shoes, because they make a loud noise. And in Eboli you have to pay €500 if you get caught kissing in the car.

(However, this is nothing compared to kissing in Dubai and Indonesia: there you can pay not only a fine, but also your own freedom.)

Germany

This country has a strange law according to which you are not allowed to brake on the autobahn. Even if you have a flat tire or run out of fuel. You might manage to somehow persuade the cops to take your side but you’ll probably have to say goodbye to a hundred euros.

Switzerland

Most different publications write that in this country it is forbidden to flush the toilet after 10 pm – allegedly to respect the rules of silence. In fact, no one will fine you for it. But you can easily shell out $109 for a walk in the Alps naked! This law has been in place since 2010.

Singapore

You can pay as much as $500 if you don’t flush a public toilet. You can’t bring chewing gum into Singapore, let alone chew it, which will cost you $400. Oh, and speaking of birds, the local government took a toll on them too. You will have to pay up to $1000 if you want to feed the birds.

THE USA

And the list of countries with stupid and absurd laws is closed, of course, by the United States. Some states have dozens of ridiculous legislative initiatives. Sometimes they only make the locals smile. And sometimes they threaten with real fines. For example, in Illinois, you can be charged $1,000 if you hit rats with a baseball bat. In Minnesota, up to $2,000 if you drive through town with dirty tires. Colorado state authorities will fine you $500 for killing a dog (though if you steal it from a neighbor, you could go to jail for 10 years).

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The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the Charter) brings together the fundamental rights of everyone living in the European Union (EU). It was introduced to bring consistency and clarity to the rights established at different times and in different ways in individual EU Member States.

The Charter sets out the full range of civil, political, economic and social rights based on:

• the fundamental rights and freedoms recognised by the European Convention on Human Rights
• the constitutional traditions of the EU Member States, for example, longstanding protections of rights which exist in the common law and constitutional law of the UK and other EU Member States
• the Council of Europe’s Social Charter
• the Community Charter of Fundamental Social Rights of Workers, and
• other international conventions to which the EU or its Member States are parties.

The Charter became legally binding on EU Member States when the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force in December 2009.

How is the Charter different from the European Convention on Human Rights?

The Charter is sometimes confused with the European Convention on Human Rights. Although containing overlapping human rights provisions, the two operate within separate legal frameworks:

• The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union was drafted by the EU and is interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
• The European Convention on Human Rights, on the other hand, was drafted by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and is interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights.

The Charter can be seen as the overarching framework for human rights in the EU, of which the European Convention on Human Rights forms only one part, albeit an important one.

Unlike the European Convention, which has been incorporated into UK law by the Human Rights Act, the Charter of Fundamental Rights only applies to matters concerning EU Law but it can be raised in courts in the United Kingdom on such matters.

What does the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights do?

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) provides independent advice to EU institutions and Member States on the rights set out in the Charter. FRA also engages in legal and social science research to identify areas in the EU where further work needs to be done to meet international standards. 

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Set up in 1959, the Court ensures that Member States of the Council of Europe respect the rights and guarantees set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Court is made up of 47 elected judges, one from each Member State. It examines complaints (known as ‘applications’) alleging violations of human rights. These applications can be made by individuals, or sometimes by Member States.

When the Court finds that a Member State has violated one or more of the Convention’s rights and guarantees, it explains why in a written judgment. Judgments are binding; the countries concerned must comply with them.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s involvement

The Equality and Human Rights Commission sometimes intervenes in cases before the European Court of Human Rights as part of our enforcement role. Cases we have intervened in so far cover issues such as housing, immigration, family law, employment issues and the right to a fair trial.

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The Act did not create human rights for British people. The rights and freedoms it covers were set out in the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty that has been in force since 1953. The Act makes it easier to protect these rights by applying them to our own domestic law. It also means you can take complaints about human rights breaches to a British court rather than having to go to Strasbourg in France.

What rights are protected?

There are 16 basic rights protected by the Human Rights Act. As you would expect, they concern issues such as life, liberty and freedom from slavery and inhuman treatment. But they also cover rights that apply to everyday life, like what we can say and do, our beliefs and the right to marry and raise a family.

Who has to comply with the Human Rights Act?

The Act applies to:

• all public authorities (such as central government departments, local authorities and NHS Trusts), and
• all other bodies whether public or private, performing public functions such as delivering publicly funded care and operating prisons.

Public authorities must follow the Human Rights Act in everything they do. They must respect and protect your human rights when they make individual decisions about you. They must also follow the Human Rights Act when they plan services and make policies.

The duty to comply with the Act does not apply directly to private individuals or companies that are not carrying out public functions. But there are situations where a public authority has a duty to stop abuse of human rights by an individual or company. For example, a public authority aware of child abuse has a duty to protect the child from inhuman or degrading treatment.

The rights in the Act are legally enforceable. This means that if an individual thinks their rights have been breached, they can take the organisation concerned to court.

Can human rights ever be restricted?

Some human rights – like the right not to be tortured – are absolute. These ‘absolute’ rights can never be interfered with in any circumstances.

But most human rights are not absolute. Some are described as ‘limited’ which means they can be restricted in certain circumstances as specified in the relevant Article of the European Convention on Human Rights. For example, the right to liberty can be limited if a person is convicted and sentenced to prison.

Other rights are described as ‘qualified’. Which means they can only be restricted in order to protect the rights of other people or if it’s in the public interest for specific reasons such as the prevention of crime. For example, the Government may  restrict the right to freedom of expression if a person is encouraging racial hatred.

The Human Rights Act 1998 does not cover all of your human rights. Others are contained in the international human rights treaties which the United Kingdom has signed and ratified. Those treaty rights are binding on the UK in international law, which means that the UK has agreed to them and the Government must comply with them. However, the method for holding the Government to account for its compliance with treaty rights is different from the enforcement method for the Human Rights Act. To find out how these other human rights are protected, see our section on Monitoring and promoting UN treaties.

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All 47 Member States of the Council, including the UK, have signed the Convention. Its full title is the ‘Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms’.

What is the Council of Europe?

Formed in 1949, the Council of Europe is completely separate from the European Union and much larger, with 47 members compared to the EU’s 28. The UK became a Council member 24 years before it joined the EU. The UK’s membership of the Council would be unaffected if it left the EU.

The Convention consists of numbered ‘articles’ protecting basic human rights. The UK made these rights part of its domestic law through the Human Rights Act 1998.

How did the Convention come about?

The Council of Europe was founded after the Second World War to protect human rights and the rule of law, and to promote democracy. The Member States’ first task was to draw up a treaty to secure basic rights for anyone within their borders, including their own citizens and people of other nationalities.

Originally proposed by Winston Churchill and drafted mainly by British lawyers, the Convention was based on the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was signed in Rome in 1950 and came into force in 1953.

What rights and freedoms does the Convention protect?

The Convention guarantees specific rights and freedoms and prohibits unfair and harmful practices.

The Convention secures:

• the right to life (Article 2)
• freedom from torture (Article 3)
• freedom from slavery (Article 4)
• the right to liberty (Article 5)
• the right to a fair trial (Article 6)
• the right not to be punished for something that wasn’t against the law at the time (Article 7)
• the right to respect for family and private life (Article 8)
• freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 9)
• freedom of expression (Article 10)
• freedom of assembly (Article 11)
• the right to marry and start a family (Article 12)
• the right not to be discriminated against in respect of these rights (Article 14)
• the right to protection of property (Protocol 1, Article 1)
• the right to education (Protocol 1, Article 2)
• the right to participate in free elections (Protocol 1, Article 3)
• the abolition of the death penalty (Protocol 13)

The European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights applies and protects the rights and guarantees set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.

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It was the first international agreement on the basic principles of human rights. 

It laid the foundation for the human rights protections that we have in the UK today. 

It formed the basis of the European Convention on Human Rights, which in turn was incorporated in UK law by the Human Rights Act 1998.

Worldwide influence

Nearly every state in the world has accepted the Declaration.

It has inspired more than 80 international conventions and treaties, as well as numerous regional conventions and domestic laws.

It has been the catalyst for improving human rights protections for groups such as disabled people, indigenous peoples and women.

It has been translated into more than 360 languages.

International Bill of Human Rights

The International Bill of Human Rights is an informal name given to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights along with the following UN human rights treaties:

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

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They apply regardless of where you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your life.

They can never be taken away, although they can sometimes be restricted – for example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security.

These basic rights are based on shared values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence. 

These values are defined and protected by law.

In Britain our human rights are protected by the Human Rights Act 1998.

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