Human Rights and Justice

A series of international human rights treaties and other instruments adopted since 1945 have conferred legal status on inherent human rights and developed the body of international human rights law. However, human rights violations are a fact of life in all countries, though to differing degrees. These violations involve all kinds of rights: civil, cultural, social, economic, and political. Access to justice is a basic human right, as well as an indispensable means of combating poverty and preventing and resolving conflict. Access to justice means much more than improving an individual's access to courts. It is about ensuring that legal and judicial outcomes are just and equitable and that systems work in practice for the poor and disadvantaged, who tend to get victimized by corrupt or indifferent officials, without having a reasonable chance to seek legal remedies for their grievances. This book contains 62 international documents dealing with human rights and the administration of justice under one cover. The chapters have been so organized as to provide easy reference based on the status of the victim. This handy reference is a must for members of the armed forces and police, legal fraternity, NGOs, human rights activists, academicians and researchers.