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The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 separate articles each addressing a specific right. This blog post focuses on Articles 6-11 which are all related to law and order. Law and order are necessary to keep a civilization running smoothly. This is similar to a game where each person needs to know and follow the rules or there really is no game, only chaos.
These six articles read as follows:
Article 6: “Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law¹.”
Article 7: “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination³ to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement⁴ to such discrimination.”
Article 8: “Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals⁵ for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.”
Article 9: “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary⁶ arrest, detention or exile⁷.”
Article 10: “Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.”
Article 11: “(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence. (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.”
It is important in any society that citizens know what is considered acceptable behavior. Laws communicate that. A good justice system ensures laws are followed by everyone. No one, including those in charge, is above the law. And if the laws are broken, a working justice system administers the appropriate penalty for the violation.
As stated above, a game with no rules or people not following the rules is chaos and if it is not fixed, will eventually result in no game at all. Hence the need for law and order in society without which will result in no society or civilization at all. It is so important that the writers of the Declaration included six articles on this topic.
Definitions from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/
¹Law
1 : a binding custom or practice of a community : a rule of conduct or action prescribed or formally recognized as binding or enforced by a controlling authority
²Law and Order
1 : the enactment of laws and their strict enforcement by police and the courts
³Discrimination
- : prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment
: the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually
- : the quality or power of finely distinguishing
3 : the act of making or perceiving a difference : the act of discriminating
⁴Incite
: to move to action : stir up : spur on : urge on
⁵Tribunals
- : a court or forum of justice
- : something that decides or determines
⁶Arbitrary
- : existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a capricious and unreasonable act of will
- : not restrained or limited in the exercise of power : ruling by absolute authority
: marked by or resulting from the unrestrained and often tyrannical exercise of power
- law : depending on individual discretion (as of a judge) and not fixed by law
⁷Exile
- : to banish or expel from one’s country or home