Overview The right to life and security is a fundamental human right available to all individuals under international human rights law irrespective of whether the individual is a citizen or not. Although non-derogable, the right to life is not absolute, so deprivation of life must be in accordance with law and non-arbitrary. Protections extended…
International Human Rights Safeguards and Standards International law has established a comprehensive framework setting standards for the protection of children against abuse, neglect and exploitation. It also the lays down essential standards for the juvenile justice system in order to protect the rights of children in the administration of justice. Though the primary framework…
Protection of the Rights of Women International Human Rights Safeguards and Standards The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1979 and Pakistan ratified the Convention in 1996. Among all the international human rights treaties, CEDAW is the…
Constituent Rights It is important that in order for the full realization of the right to fair trial, the interests of the accused, victim and society at large need to be balanced, without prejudice to one another.[1] There are a number of rights that constitute the wider right to a fair trial. These…
The Prohibition on Torture and Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment is found in all major international human rights treaties and numerous human rights instruments. International law has introduced strict rules in relation to the prohibition on torture or cruel,…
Arrest The deprivation of liberty and the right to liberty and security of person is dealt with under several international instruments. The term arrest has been defined by the Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment as the “act of apprehending a person for the…
Universal Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is the fundamental starting point in the area of human rights protection. The UDHR was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948. Although aspirational in nature, the UDHR holds weight with regard to the universality of…
International Law Defined International law as it is used in this Guide refers specifically to public international law i.e., the set of legal rules that govern international relations between public bodies that include states (i.e. Pakistan) and international organizations (i.e. the United Nations).[1] The narrowest understanding of international law thus reflects a set of obligations…