Fundamentals of a law degree: UK and International Human Rights law

When we start to consider Human Rights law and how it is taught within the UK university system, we must first consider what human rights are in the first place. The United Nations defines human rights as, “rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, or religion. Human Rights in almost all modern-day societies is a pillar of democracy and a tool for all people in the face of possible oppression”.

Human rights apply to all people, and everybody should be able to have access to these rights. It’s important that we study the uses and limits within a modern-day world. Studying this topic will allow us as lawyers to understand these rights which will come into effect in every day legal work. Having at the very least a basic understanding of human rights law is vital no matter what area you specialise in as issues pertaining to human rights can be found in almost every area of the law.

Human rights Law in the UK is normally taught in the second or third year. However, you will come across issues pertaining to human rights from a very early point in your legal academic journey. For instance, there are human rights arguments to be made in criminal law and this module you will most likely come across in your first few semesters at university.

At university, you will be taught the basics of how applicable the human rights laws are to UK law and how these rules affect how UK lawmakers work. Currently, the European Convention on Human Rights has a large control over the human rights laws in the UK and this charter will take up a large part of your studies as even though the UK has left the EU the charter has been transposed onto UK law. This is important as it allows us to discuss how other countries apply human rights and whether the views of other states align with our own.

After studying how the UK sees and works with human rights you will move to an international perspective. The international perspective may be a mandatory module, or it could be a module of your choice in the later parts of your degree. Studying the international perspective on human rights can help to critique UK law as well as understanding where and why the UK upholds values that other states may not.

The study of human rights law is a crucial element of any lawyer’s education and knowing certain rules and laws within the area can be a good tool to have at your disposal when it comes to working in any legal field. The area of human rights law is constantly changing and adapting to the fast-paced nature of the modern era. It’s important that our views and decision-making matches this approach. If we fall short in protecting the rights of those who need us the most, we and our legal system will struggle to move forward.

Human rights law and its application has been at the forefront of media attention since the end of the second World War. More recently attention has turned to the conflict in Ukraine and acts that have been carried out by Russia within the territory. In the coming months and years, it will be down to international human rights lawyers to bring anyone found guilty of crimes concerning human rights to justice.

With human rights law being ever present in our work it’s important that we as a collective must understand how to protect said rules and laws going forward. This area of law is not only fulfilling but can lead to better circumstances for those vulnerable in the community. To add to this, this module allows you to express your skills in a way that is different from most modules and gives you a real-world international perspective on how the cogs of the law work together.

We hope you find this blog useful, and we would love to hear all about your experiences with human rights Law and how you felt the module went for you.

Until the next time, we have been The Almost Lawyers and we thank you for your continued support.