Human Rights - classified

Modern constitutions, as a rule, protect certain body of fundamental individual rights and liberties. Some of them are rights of citizens (for example, suffrage rights), and some are attached to every human being, regardless of his/her citizenship status (for example, right to life). However, the real issue is whether these rights are implemented and judicially enforced in everyday life.

From the historical perspective, one might trace several generations of human rights:

•  First generation is usually referred to as negative , liberal rights ( status negativus ), such as right to life, freedom of movement, right to privacy, property rights, freedom of speech, conscience and worship, rights against unlawful imprisonment (habeas corpus), rights to fair trial etc.

•  Second generation of rights is also called active or democratic rights ( status activus ), such as active and passive rights voting rights, right to assemble, freedom of association, right to petition or criticize, freedom of press etc.

•  Third generation is known as positive , or social and cultural rights ( status positivus ), such as social and health protection and insurance, right to limited working hours, right to strike and lock out, right to culture and education etc.

•  The emerging and developing generation of liberties is the one that concerns ecological and environmental human rights.   [UP]