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Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): Articles 3-12: Personal Rights Summary

Things They Can't Do to You

  • Article 3: kind of a shout-out to the Declaration of Independence, with everyone assured of the right to life, liberty, and security of person.
  • Article 4: no slavery or slave trade allowed.
  • Article 5: no torture or degrading punishment. Can someone please inform all the gym teachers of America?
  • Article 6: everyone is recognized by the law.
  • Article 7: everyone is entitled to protection by the law—no discrimination and no applying the law differently to different people because of their religion, race, or Netflix list.
  • Article 8: everyone has the right to bring violations of his or her rights to court.
  • Article 9: no "arbitrary," or unreasonable, arrest, imprisonment, or exile (that is, getting kicked out of your own country). In order to be punished by the law, you have to have actually done something wrong.
  • Article 10: someone accused of a crime has the right to a fair and public trial.
  • Article 11: in court, you're innocent until proven guilty.
  • You can't be tried for something that wasn't a crime when you did it. The courts can't add a harsher punishment than the one that was applicable at the time.
  • Article 12: everyone has a right to privacy.
  • Everyone is protected against "attacks upon his honour and reputation" (12.1). Does not apply to diss tracks.
  • (This is all starting to sound pretty utopian.)