Human Dignity Rights Under Law

Course Catalog Number:
5151
Course Credits:
1
Course Type:
Lecture
Course Priority:
General Enrollment Course
Full Year Course:
No

Course Description

This class is an introduction to the substantive law of dignity rights, a new and important emerging field of law in the U.S. and throughout the world. Dignity is the root idea that every person, everywhere has human dignity and the human right to have their dignity respected and protected under law. Dignity is a foundational value and a legal right in international law (e.g. as reflected by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights), regional law (e.g., the American Declaration of Human Rights), in nearly 160 domestic constitutions throughout the world, and in thousands of juridical opinions spanning the globe. Dignity is also an emerging constitutional value in the United States, reflected in jurisprudence regarding equality, same sex marriage, reproductive rights, capital punishment, substantive and procedural due process, and climate crisis. Moreover, in August 2019 the 400,000-member American Bar Association adopted the advancement of human dignity as a core function and ingredient of the rule of law in the U.S. and around the globe. This course would be a rare opportunity to learn more about this important new area of law.