Basic Human Rights
Human Rights
Right to Equality
Freedom from Discrimination
Right to Life, Liberty, Personal Section 1. No person shall Article 3. Everyone has the
Security
Freedom from Slavery
Bill of Rights
be deprived of life, liberty, or right to life, liberty and security
property without due process of person.
of law, nor shall any person
be denied the equal
protection of the laws.
Section 9. Private property
shall not be taken for public
use without just
compensation.
Section 18. (1) No person
shall be detained solely by
reason of his political beliefs
and aspirations.
(2) No involuntary servitude
in any form shall exist except
as a punishment for a crime
whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted.
Universal Declaration of
Article I: All human beings are
born free and equal in dignity
and rights. They are endowed
with reason and conscience
and should act towards one
another in a spirit of
brotherhood.
Article 2. Everyone is entitled
to all the rights and freedoms
set forth in this Declaration,
without distinction of any kind,
such as race, colour, sex,
language, religion, political or
other opinion, national or social
origin, property, birth or other
status. Furthermore, no
distinction shall be made on
the basis of the political,
jurisdictional or international
status of the country or territory
to which a person belongs,
whether it be independent,
trust, non-self governing or
under any other limitation of
sovereignty.
Article 4. No one shall be held
in slavery or servitude; slavery
and the slave trade shall be
prohibited in all their forms.
Freedom from Torture and Section 12. (1) Any person
Degrading Treatment
Article 5. No one shall be
under investigation for the subjected to torture or to cruel,
commission of an offense inhuman or degrading
shall have the right to be treatment or punishment.
informed of his right to
remain silent and to have
competent and independent
counsel preferably of his
own choice. If the person
cannot afford the services of
counsel, he must be
provided with one. These
rights cannot be waived
except in writing and in the
presence of counsel.

(2) No torture, force,

violence, threat, intimidation,
or any other means which
vitiate the free will shall be
used against him. Secret
detention places, solitary,
incommunicado, or other
similar forms of detention
are prohibited.

(3) Any confession or

admission obtained in
violation of this or Section 17
hereof shall be inadmissible
in evidence against him.

(4) The law shall provide for

penal and civil sanctions for
violations of this section as
well as compensation to the
rehabilitation of victims of
torture or similar practices,
and their families.
Right to Recognition as a Section 1. Supra
Person before the Law
Right to Equality before the Section 1. Supra
Law
Article 6. Everyone has the
right to recognition everywhere
as a person before the law.
Article 7. All are equal before
the law and are entitled without
any discrimination to equal
protection of the law. All are
entitled to equal protection
against any discrimination in
violation of this Declaration and
against any incitement to such
discrimination.
Right to Remedy by Section 11. Free access to the Article 8. Everyone has the
Competent Tribunal courts and quasi-judicial right to an effective remedy by
bodies and adequate legal the competent national
assistance shall not be denied tribunals for acts violating the
to any person by reason of fundamental rights granted
poverty. him by the constitution or by
law.
Section 16. All persons shall
have the right to a speedy
disposition of their cases
before all judicial, quasi-
judicial, or administrative
bodies.
Freedom from Arbitrary Arrest Section 12. Paragraph 2. Infra Article 9. No one shall be
and Exile subjected to arbitrary arrest,
detention or exile
Right to Fair Public Hearing Section 12. (1) Any person Article 10. Everyone is entitled
under investigation for the in full equality to a fair and
commission of an offense public hearing by an
shall have the right to be independent and impartial
informed of his right to remain tribunal, in the determination
silent and to have competent of his rights and obligations
and independent counsel and of any criminal charge
preferably of his own choice. If against him.
the person cannot afford the
services of counsel, he must
be provided with one. These
rights cannot be waived
except in writing and in the
presence of counsel.

(2) No torture, force, violence,

threat, intimidation, or any
other means which vitiate the
free will shall be used against
him. Secret detention places,
solitary, incommunicado, or
other similar forms of
detention are prohibited.

(3) Any confession or

admission obtained in
violation of this or Section 17
hereof shall be inadmissible in
evidence against him.

(4) The law shall provide for

penal and civil sanctions for
 violations of this section as
well as compensation to the
rehabilitation of victims of
torture or similar practices,
and their families.

Section 14. (1) No person

shall be held to answer for a
criminal offense without due
process of law.

(2) In all criminal

prosecutions, the accused
shall be presumed innocent
until the contrary is proved,
and shall enjoy the right to be
heard by himself and counsel,
to be informed of the nature
and cause of the accusation
against him, to have a
speedy, impartial, and public
trial, to meet the witnesses
face to face, and to have
compulsory process to secure
the attendance of witnesses
and the production of
evidence in his behalf.
However, after arraignment,
trial may proceed
notwithstanding the absence
of the accused: Provided, that
he has been duly notified and
his failure to appear is
unjustifiable.

Section 17. No person shall

be compelled to be a witness
against himself.

Section 21. No person shall

be twice put in jeopardy of
punishment for the same
offense. If an act is punished
by a law and an ordinance,
conviction or acquittal under
either shall constitute a bar to
another prosecution for the
same act.
Right to be Considered Section 14. Paragraph 2. Article 11. (1) Everyone
Innocent until Proven Guilty Supra charged with a penal offence
has the right to be presumed
 Section 15. The privilege of
the writ of habeas corpus shall
not be suspended except in
cases of invasion or rebellion,
when the public safety
requires it.
Section 22. No ex post facto
law or bill of attainder shall be
enacted.
Freedom from Interference Section 2. The right of the
with Privacy, Family, Home people to be secure in their
and Correspondence persons, houses, papers, and
effects against unreasonable
searches and seizures of
whatever nature and for any
purpose shall be inviolable,
and no search warrant or
warrant of arrest shall issue
except upon probable cause
to be determined personally
by the judge after examination
under oath or affirmation of
the complainant and the
witnesses he may produce,
and particularly describing the
place to be searched and the
persons or things to be
seized.
innocent until proved guilty
according to law in a public
trial at which he has had all
the guarantees necessary for
his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty
of any penal offence on
account of any act or omission
which did not constitute a
penal offence, under national
or international law, at the
time when it was committed.
Nor shall a heavier penalty be
imposed than the one that
was applicable at the time the
penal offence was committed.
Article 12. No one shall be
subjected to arbitrary
interference with his privacy,
family, home or
correspondence, nor to
attacks upon his honour and
reputation. Everyone has the
right to the protection of the
law against such interference
or attacks.

Section 3. (1) The privacy of

communication and
correspondence shall be
inviolable except upon lawful
order of the court, or when
public safety or order requires
otherwise, as prescribed by
law.

(2) Any evidence obtained in

violation of this or the
preceding section shall be
inadmissible for any purpose
in any proceeding.
Right to Free Movement in Section 6. The liberty of Article 13. (1) Everyone has
and out of the Country
Right to Asylum in other
Countries from Persecution
Right to a Nationality and the
Freedom to Change It
Right to Marriage and Family
Right to Own Property
abode and of changing the
same within the limits
prescribed by law shall not be
impaired except upon lawful
order of the court. Neither
shall the right to travel be
impaired except in the interest
of national security, public
safety, or public health, as
may be provided by law.
Section 9. Supra
the right to freedom of
movement and residence
within the border of each
State.
(2) Everyone has the right to
leave any country, including
his own, and to return to his
country.
Article 14. (1) Everyone has
the right to seek and to enjoy
in other countries asylum from
persecution.
(2) This right may not be
invoked in the case of
prosecutions genuinely arising
from non-political crimes or
from acts contrary to the
purposes and principles of the
United Nations.
Article 15. (1) Everyone has
the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily
deprived of his nationality nor
denied the right to change his
personality.
Article 16. (1) Men and
women of full age, without any
limitation due to race,
nationality or religion, have
the right to marry and to found
a family. They are entitled to
equal rights as to marriage,
during marriage and at its
dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered
into only with the free and full
consent of the intending
spouses.
(3) The family is the natural
and fundamental group unit of
society and is entitled to
protection by society and the
State.
Article 17. (1) Everyone has
 the right to own property alone
as well as in association with
others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily

deprived of his property.
Freedom of Belief and Section 5. No law shall be Article 18. Everyone has the
Religion made respecting an right to freedom of thought,
establishment of religion, or conscience and religion; this
prohibiting the free exercise right includes freedom to
thereof. The free exercise and change his religion or belief,
enjoyment of religious and freedom, either alone or
profession and worship, in community with others and
without discrimination or in public or private, to
preference, shall forever be manifest his religion or belief
allowed. No religious test shall in teaching, practice, worship
be required for the exercise of and observance.
civil or political rights.
Freedom of Opinion and Section 7. The right of the Article 19. Everyone has the
Information people to information on right to freedom of opinion
matters of public concern shall and expression; this right
be recognized. Access to includes freedom to hold
official records, and to opinions without interference
documents and papers and to seek, receive and
pertaining to official acts, impart information and ideas
transactions, or decisions, as through any media and
well as to government regardless of frontiers.
research data used as basis
for policy development, shall
be afforded the citizen,
subject to such limitations as
may be provided by law.

Section 18. (1) Supra

Right of Peaceful Assembly Section 4. No law shall be Article 20. (1) Everyone has
and Association passed abridging the freedom the right to freedom of
of speech, of expression, or of peaceful assembly and
the press, or the right of the association.
people peaceably to assemble (2) No one may be compelled
and petition the government to belong to an association.
for redress of grievances.
Right to Participate in Section 4. Supra Article 21. (1) Everyone has
Government and in Free the right to take part in the
Elections government of his country,
directly or through freely
chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right to
equal access to public service
in his country.
 (3) The will of the people shall
be the basis of the authority of
government; this will shall be
expressed in periodic and
genuine elections which shall
be by universal and equal
suffrage and shall be held by
secret vote or by equivalent
free voting procedures.
Right to Social Security Article 22. Everyone, as a
member of society, has the
right to social security and is
entitled to realization, through
national effort and
international co-operation and
in accordance with the
organization and resources of
each State, of the economic,
social and cultural rights
indispensable for his dignity
and the free development of
his personality.
Right to Desirable Work and Section 8. The right of the Article 23. (1) Everyone has
to Join Trade Unions people, including those the right to work, to free
employed in the public and choice of employment, to just
private sectors, to form and favourable conditions of
unions, associations, or work and to protection against
societies for purposes not unemployment.
contrary to law shall not be (2) Everyone, without any
abridged. discrimination, has the right to
equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has
the right to just and favourable
remuneration ensuring for
himself and his family an
existence worthy of human
dignity, and supplemented, if
necessary, by other means of
social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to
form and to join trade unions
for the protection of his
interests.
Right to Rest and Leisure Article 24. Everyone has the
right to rest and leisure,
including reasonable limitation
of working hours and periodic
holidays with pay.
Right to Adequate Living Article 25. (1) Everyone has
Standard the right to a standard of living

Right to Education
Right to Participate in the
Cultural Life of Community
adequate for the health and
well-being of himself and of
his family, including food,
clothing, housing and medical
care and necessary social
services, and the right to
security in the event of
unemployment, sickness,
disability, widowhood, old age
or other lack of livelihood in
circumstances beyond his
control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood
are entitled to special care
and assistance. All children,
whether born in or out of
wedlock, shall enjoy the same
social protection.
Article 26. (1) Everyone has
the right to education.
Education shall be free, at
least in the elementary and
fundamental stages.
Elementary education shall be
compulsory. Technical and
professional education shall
be made generally available
and higher education shall be
equally accessible to all on
the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed
to the full development of the
human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for
human rights and fundamental
freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and
friendship among all nations,
racial or religious groups, and
shall further the activities of
the United Nations for the
maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right
to choose the kind of
education that shall be given
to their children.
Article 27. (1) Everyone has
the right freely to participate in
the cultural life of the
community, to enjoy the arts
and to share in scientific

Right to a Social Order that
Articulates this Document
Community Duties Essential
to Free and Full Development
Freedom from State or
Personal Interference in the
above Rights
advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to
the protection of the moral
and material interests
resulting from any scientific,
literary or artistic production of
which he is the author.
Article 28. Everyone is entitled
to a social and international
order in which the rights and
freedoms set forth in this
Declaration can be fully
realized.
Article 29. (1) Everyone has
duties to the community in
which alone the free and full
development of his personality
is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights
and freedoms, everyone shall
be subject only to such
limitations as are determined
by law solely for the purpose
of securing due recognition
and respect for the rights and
freedoms of others and of
meeting the just requirements
of morality, public order and
the general welfare in a
democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms
may in no case be exercised
contrary to the purposes and
principles of the United
Nations.
Section 10. No law impairing Article 30. Nothing in this
the obligation of contracts Declaration may be
shall be passed. interpreted as implying for any
State, group or person any
right to engage in any activity
or to perform any act aimed at
the destruction of any of the
rights and freedoms set forth
herein.