Human Rights: The Case for the Defence

by Shami Chakrabarti

A powerful and urgent explanation and vindication of our human rights and freedoms

After the devastation of World War Two, the international community came together to enshrine fundamental rights to refuge, health, education and living standards, for privacy, fair trials and free speech, and outlawing torture, slavery and discrimination. Their goal was greater global justice, equality, and peace. That settlement is now in danger, attacked by opponents from across the political spectrum and populist and authoritarian movements worldwide. We are threatened by wars, inequality, new technologies and climate catastrophe, and we need our human rights now more than ever. In this powerful, accessible book, Shami Chakrabarti, lawyer, parliamentarian and leading British human rights defender, shows us why human rights are essential for our future.

Outlining the historic national and international struggles for human rights, from the fall of Babylon, to the present day, Chakrabarti is an indispensable guide to the law and logic underpinning human dignity and universal freedoms. Her intervention will engage both sceptics and supporters, equipping believers in the battle of ideas and persuading doubters to think again. For human rights to survive, they must be far better understood by everyone.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Law

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2024

Reviews

[Julia Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I’ll start with what I liked - I feel like if you want a good intro to human rights law and you don’t come from an IR or legal background, this is a GREAT place to start. it’s readable, timely, and succinct enough for a layperson who’s mildly interested in the subject matter. What frustrated me was that I didn’t feel like I got to the “defense” part of the argument. She mentions cases where human rights are useful, but doesn’t further that argument; something along the lines of “here’s why the international liberal rules-based order is the BEST system, and why other systems wouldn’t work in its place.” Maybe she wanted to avoid sounding like a Fukuyaman, which I completely understand, but based on the introduction and the summary, that’s what I thought I was getting. I would have marketed the book differently, but I think it’s an important read and I’d recommend it to non-IR people easily.

[Lara Mewett · Rating 4 out of 5]

May’s book recommendation is human rights themed. Shami Chakrabarti, a leading British human rights lawyer, discusses the worrying prospect that human rights are endangered.

It reassured me to affirm my understanding of the ECHR Articles and the delicate balance of rights. I also learned a lot, which is something everyone should always aim to do.

Without spoiling the book, here are some highlights:

- Viewing humanity as a collective
- The legendary women’s suffrage movement
- Detailed analysis of the Articles
- Developments beyond the Articles like the right to education, adequate living standards, and health
- The Human Rights Act 1998
- Abolition of the Death Penalty
- There isn’t a “right to not be offended” – rights will always clash
- Absolute prohibition of torture, but overlooking “inhumane” aspects in rape trials
- Employment debates on marriage registrars objecting to same-sex marriage – Chakrabarti says they shouldn’t apply if they object!
- Churchill’s 1947 speech stating trade unions are essential to national life
- Einstein’s regret over the atomic bomb
- AI as a new human rights challenege and the impact of discriminatory data
- AI used for horrific imagery, including involving children, violence and deepfakes
- AI use in sentencing and prisoner categorisation in UK and US
- Contradictions between laws of War and Human Rights, with language used to dehumanise decisions (Gaza, Russia/Ukraine, Northern Ireland, Iraq)
- Importance of the 1945 UN Charter and Security Council, with ‘big 5’ voting flaws
- Trial of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević
- UK’s Overseas Operations Act shielding armed forces from prosecution
- New offences in the Public Order Act, like going equipped for locking on
- Use of drones, biological weapons, cluster bombs
- The Paris Agreement 2015’s global support, but geopolitical limits highlighted by Professor Rajamani.
- Ethical concerns over undercover police (CHIS) relationships
And many more points!

Her final message: human rights “exist to keep us free,” a reminder to protect them. Echoing Eleanor Roosevelt, human rights begin “in small places, close to home.”
#lawteacher #bookrecommendation #humanrights

[Dominic Ellison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading before anyone votes

[David Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a Covid lockdown project for the author, but I think she must have been poised to write this book anyway because the arguments she puts forward are clear, logical, and for the most part delivered without drama. I appreciate that she’s prepared to acknowledge that there may be political differences of opinion within some members of her audience, and she does a (mostly) admirable job of referencing those differences without belittling their point of view.
Quite often, Chakrabarti uses “the right” or “right wing” as a shorthand for totalitarian or authoritarian government. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this, since the author is a Labour Peer, so proudly left wing and thereby sees the world through that lens. Given that most republicans, conservatives and other right-leaning parties tend to lean more towards small government libertarianism, it strikes me as a caricature that says more about the writer than the world.
An interesting example of this bias can be seen in one of the last chapters, covering the right to protest, in which the author makes rational and convincing arguments for the right of Extinction Rebellion protesters to exercise their free speech without fear of prosecution or persecution.
A few days ago, the author made herself available to reporters to criticise Palestine Action being declared a terrorist organisation and on behalf of the 500+ people who were arrested in recent protests. Counterpoint this with her absolute silence around the matter of Lucy Connolly (a woman jailed for an ill advised and irresponsible tweet), Southport protestors “fast tracked” into custodial sentences through overnight courts, women being arrested for praying outside abortion clinics; not to mention her silence relating to the 12,000 arrests per year that UK police make over “offensive online messages” and you start to see how one-sided her supposedly universal concerns are.

[graceful · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who remembers the players in their favourite sports team, actors in their preferred soap opera, or ingredients in their grandmother’s recipe should have at least some familiarity with their basic human rights.

This was an incredibly informative and important book, a crucial read for anyone, as its contents apply to everyone.