civil liberties

Broken Liberty: Istanbul Archaeology Museum.

Civil liberties is the name given to freedoms that completely protect the individual from government. Civil liberties set limits for government so that it can not abuse its power and interfere with the lives of its citizens.

Common civil liberties includes freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, and additionally, to due process, to a fair trial, to bear arms (as in the USA), and to privacy.

The formal concept of civil liberties dates back to the Magna Carta of 1215 which in turn was based on pre-existing documents.

Republics or democracies such as the United States have a Constitution, a bill of rights and similar constitutional documents that enumerate and seek to guarantee civil liberties. Other states have enacted similar laws through a variety of legal means, including signing and ratifying or otherwise giving effect to key conventions such as the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

It might be said that the protection of civil liberties is a key responsibility of all citizens of democratic states, as distinct from authoritarian states.

The existence of some claimed civil liberties is a matter of dispute, as are the extent of most civil liberties. Controversial examples include reproductive rights, same-sex marriage, possession of guns/arms, and the use of certain drugs. Another matter of debate is the suspension or alteration of certain civil liberties in times of war or state of emergency, including whether and to what extent this should occur.

Civil liberties by country

The European Convention on Human Rights, to which most European countries, including all of the European Union, belong, enumerates a number of civil liberties and is of varying constitutional force in different European states. France's 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen listed many civil liberties and is of constitutional force.

The Constitution of Canada includes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees many of the same rights as the U.S. constitution, with the notable exceptions of protection against establishment of religion. However, the Charter does protect freedom of religion. The Charter also omits any mention of, or protection for, property.

The Constitution of Russian Federation guarantees many of the same rights and civil liberties as U.S. except to bear arms, i.e.: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of association and assembly, freedom to choose language, to due process, to a fair trial, privacy, freedom to vote, right for education, etc.

The Constitution of People's Republic of China (apply to mainland China only, not to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) , especially its Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens, claims to protect many civil liberties. See Civil liberties in the People's Republic of China

While the United Kingdom has no codified constitution, relying on a number of legal conventions and pieces of legislation, it is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights which covers both human rights and civil liberties. The Human Rights Act 1998 incorporates the great majority of Convention rights directly into UK law.

The United States Constitution, especially its Bill of Rights, protects many civil liberties. See Civil liberties in the United States

See also

• American Civil Liberties Union
• Bill of Rights Defense Committee
• Rutherford Institute
• Civil
• Privacy
• Teaching for social justice

References

• Dershowitz, Alan. "Preserving Civil Liberties." Reflections on the Fractured Landscape, spec. sec. of Chronicle of Higher Education, Chronicle Review, September 28, 2001. Accessed August 11, 2006.
• Smith, Jean Edward, and Herbert M. Levine. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Debated. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1988.

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Civil Liberties

• About.com: Civil Liberties
• American Civil Liberties Union
• Bill of Rights Defense Committee
• The Cato Institute: Civil Liberties
• USDOJ: Privacy and Civil Liberties Office
• Canadian Muslim Civil Liberties Association
• British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
• Rights, Civil Liberties and Freedoms in Russia
• Liberty: a UK based Civil Rights organisation
• Equality and Human Rights Commission: A UK Quango promoting Human and Civil Rights
• Statewatch watches the European Union on Civil Liberties

Donate to Wikimedia