Advanced Introduction to Human Dignity and Law

This thought-provoking introduction provides an incisive overview of dignity law, a field of law emerging in every region of the globe that touches all significant aspects of the human experience. Through an examination of the burgeoning case law in this area, James R. May and Erin Daly reveal a strong overlapping consensus surrounding the meaning of human dignity as a legal right and a fundamental value of nations large and small, and how this global jurisprudence is redefining the relationship between individuals and the state.

Key features include:

• Analyses of cases from a range of jurisdictions all over the world
• A history of the shift of the concept of dignity from a philosophical idea to a legally enforceable right
• Discussion of dignity as a value and a right in different major legal contexts, and its roots in African, Asian, European and Islamic traditions.

This Advanced Introduction will be invaluable to scholars and students of law, particularly those interested in human rights, looking to understand this emerging area of law. It will inform lawyers, judges, policymakers and other advocates interested in how dignity and the law can be used to protect everyone, including the most vulnerable among us.