Human rights lawyers work incredibly hard to defend the basic rights and freedoms that as humans we are all entitled to.
By defending those who have seen their rights breached, regardless of their gender, race, age, or occupation, human rights lawyers play an invaluable role in promoting equality within society and ensuring that social justice is served.
This article will look at all the ways in which human rights law firms do just that on a day-to-day basis as well as some of the key characteristics of a great human rights lawyer that you should look for if you ever find yourself in a situation where you believe your rights or freedoms have been breached.
What is social justice?
Social justice refers to efforts made to create a society that is as fair and equal as possible. In order to so this, social barriers must be broken down, and the basic human rights that we all possess must be defending ferociously.
Human rights lawyers are the soldiers in this fight, working tirelessly to uphold the rights of their clients and protecting them from discrimination and oppression at all times.
Human rights lawyers work for everyone, not only the rich and famous, earning significantly less than other types of lawyer and regularly taking pro bono cases. They defend those in poverty, refugees, immigrants, and other groups that see a higher than average number of human rights breaches against them.
Some of the most common rights defended by human rights lawyers in the UK include the right to healthcare, education, and freedom of speech, but the range of issues they are experts in is vast and far-reaching.
How do human rights lawyers promote social justice
Besides representing their clients in human rights violation cases, and holding institutions to account when it comes to protecting the rights and freedoms of every human, human rights lawyers help to promote social justice in a number of different ways.
They don’t only defend the law, they help to create it, holding the Government and other law creating entities to account by ensuring laws and policies do not threaten to put human rights in jeopardy.
Should Government actions fall outside the International standard for human rights, they will challenge them, keeping all those in positions of power accountable for their actions.
No one is above the law, and everyone must be subject to the same rules when it comes to human rights. Human rights lawyers are there to ensure that this is the case.
They also work to highlight and address inequalities within society including systemic issues that regularly threaten human rights. This may include challenging policies that companies or organisations put in place that are in conflict with the human rights of those they affect and use their platform to be an advocate for social change.
Human rights lawyers have already made a huge impact on the society that we live in today and without them there would be a huge amount more systemic discrimination that their already is.
How do human rights lawyers represent their clients?
The main duty of a human rights lawyer, besides their social impact, is to represent those who have experienced human rights violations. They will represent them in court if things go that far but also in negotiations outside of court, working to ensure that they have access to the justice that they deserve and can seek redress for damage caused.
They will also draft legal documents on behalf of their clients, many of whom may not originally be from the country and may be unaware of the legal process and unable to seek justice without professional expert assistance.
Human rights lawyers will use their extensive experience in the field to provide the most appropriate legal advice at any time, advocating for the action that will result in the best possible chance of their client receiving the justice that they deserve.
Being a human rights lawyer requires a person to have a real drive for justice and be able to work in highly charged emotional circumstances, not to mention having an extensive and ever growing knowledge of the law and human rights legislation.
If you are seeking a human rights lawyer, or know someone who is, these are just some of the qualities that you should look for.
The importance of human rights lawyers
Overall, human rights lawyers play a critical role in creating a fairer society and ensuring the fundamental rights of their clients and the public at large are defended in the strongest possible way.
They hold Governments and other major institutions to account and represent those who have had their rights violated in any way. Without them, there would be fair fewer advocates for change and systemic causes of discrimination would be far more widespread.