Description
Book SynopsisHuman dignity is now a central feature of many modern constitutions and international documents. As a constitutional value, human dignity involves a person's free will, autonomy, and ability to write a life story within the framework of society. As a constitutional right, it gives full expression to the value of human dignity, subject to the specific demands of constitutional architecture. This analytical study of human dignity as both a constitutional value and a constitutional right adopts a legal-interpretive perspective. It explores the sources of human dignity as a legal concept, its role in constitutional documents, its content, and its scope. The analysis is augmented by examples from comparative legal experience, including chapters devoted to the role of human dignity in American, Canadian, German, South African, and Israeli constitutional law.
Trade Review'An engaging explication of a legal value whose time has come. The twenty-first century will be the century of dignity.' Human Rights Law Review
Table of ContentsIntroduction; Part I. Fundamental Concepts and History: 1. The various aspects of human dignity; 2. The intellectual history of the social value of human dignity; 3. Human dignity as a value and as a right in international documents; 4. Human dignity as a value and as a right in constitutions; Part II. Human Dignity as a Constitutional Value: 5. Purposive constitutional interpretation; 6. The role of human dignity as a constitutional value; 7. Three types of models for determining the content of the constitutional value of human dignity; Part III. Human Dignity as a Constitutional Right: 8. Recognition of the constitutional right to human dignity and its content; 9. Human dignity as a framework right (mother-right); 10. The area covered by the right to human dignity; Part IV. Human Dignity in Comparative Law: 11. Human dignity in American constitutional law; 12. Human dignity in Canadian constitutional law; 13. Human dignity in German constitutional law; 14. Human dignity in South African constitutional law; 15. Human dignity in Israeli constitutional law.
