A human rights act is a statute that sets out individual rights and freedoms under the law. Many jurisdictions have bills of rights enshrined into law and called the "Human Rights Act". This naming convention is commonly used in Commonwealth nations. The following nations have human rights acts:
Australia
- ACT Human Rights Act 2004
- Victoria Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2004
Canada
- Canadian Human Rights Act, 1977
- Human Rights Act 2003, an Act of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut
Republic of Ireland
- European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003
New Zealand
- Human Rights Act 1993
United Kingdom
- Human Rights Act 1998
United States
- DC Human Rights Act 1997
Famous quotes containing the words human, rights and/or act:
“For my own part, I commonly attend more to nature than to man, but any affecting human event may blind our eyes to natural objects. I was so absorbed in him as to be surprised whenever I detected the routine of the natural world surviving still, or met persons going about their affairs indifferent.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Whilst the rights of all as persons are equal, in virtue of their access to reason, their rights in property are very unequal. One man owns his clothes, and another owns a country.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The situation is that of him who is helpless, cannot act, in the event cannot paint, since he is obliged to paint. The act is of him who, helpless, unable to act, acts, in the event paints, since he is obliged to paint.”
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)