- Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
The right to life is one of the most fundamental rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every human being has the right to be alive and furthermore, every human being has the right to liberty. This means that everyone can live freely within the laws of their country. The Right to Security of Person is often used and seen in topics of prisoners’ rights because this article is meant to guard one’s person. This means that all humans are protected from unlawful and unjust confinement and imprisonment and that in such cases, everyone has the right to report it and have their case reviewed.
In 28 out of 50 states in The United States of America, along with many other countries, the death penalty is still legal and practiced. The Right to Security of Person is also a right to be alive. Therefore the death penalty is argued to be in direct conflict with this article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The right to liberty and security of a person should also be understood as the right to independent choices regarding oneself. This should be understood as both the physical and psychological integrity of an individual. Many topics such as the right to abortion, assisted suicide, forced medicinal treatment are subjects of great discussion regarding whether or not they are violations of this human right or not. The argument for them being violations could be that they limit the individual’s liberty of personal choice regarding physical and psychological integrity. A clear example of violation against one’s right to liberty and security of person is the practice of female genitalia mutilation. There are today over 200 million girls and women who have been victims of this crime around the world. This practice is mostly done in countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. It is a practice that is condemned by the World Health Organization.
Written by Nanna Orloff Mortensen