International Human Rights Lexicon

by Susan Marks, Andrew Clapham

This book presents a wide-ranging survey of the scope and significance of international human rights law. Arranged thematically in alphabetical format, it side-steps the traditional categories of human rights law, to investigate rights in the specific contexts in which they are invoked, debated, and considered. This book is an informative and accessible guide to key issues confronting international human rights law today. Each entry introduces key concepts, norms, and debates.

Genres: Science

472 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 2005

Reviews

[Iveta Cherneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

A presentation of the most pressing contemporary debates and lines of friction around each major human rights topic as it appears in social and policy debates, organized in alphabetical order (rather than by international convention or human rights "generation"). As such, the book involves a few rights around a particular topic, starting from real life and then relating the topic to a number of legal rights at play, which is a departure from the usual practice of starting from the legally-defined rights and moving towards the real world. I found that to be refreshing and different from the usual presentation of human rights for academic purposes. Such a presentation no doubt will help those interested in human rights who don't necessarily want to start from the law and then move outwards, but are interested in first understanding the topic and debates, which certain rights impact.

The lexicon includes classical human rights issues such as torture, with a new spin. Just when you think you have heard almost everything about the torture in national security pro-, and con-debate, get ready to be surprised by the chapter on torture. The book also includes some new cutting edge hot-potatoes such as development. Have you thought about how the topic of domestic workers in the West might relate to development and human rights? Check out the book.

[Sanni]

Nimestä olisi pitänyt päätellä: kyseessä on todella sanakirja. Eri ihmisoikeusaiheita käsitelty kansainvälisen oikeuden näkökulmasta aakkosjärjestyksessä, sanasta Arms sanaan Work. Aakkosjärjestys ei ole mikään maailman havainnollistavin tapa vetää yhteyksiä ihmisoikeusloukkauksien välille, jotka harvemmin elävät tyhjiössä. Siitä huolimatta toiminee hyvin perushakemistona eri teemoista.