Citizenship Introduction Citizenship is the legal relationship between an individual and a State. It...
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Transcript of Citizenship Introduction Citizenship is the legal relationship between an individual and a State. It...
Citizenship
Introduction
• Citizenship is the legal relationship between an individual and a State. It is a relationship that includes both rights and obligations. The balance of these varies from State to State and over time.
Rights and Obligations
• Rights might include:– The right to vote– The right to freedom of
speech– The right to a free education
• Obligations might include:– The obligation to obey laws– The obligation to pay taxes– The obligation to fight for
the State
Where do rights come from?
• Natural Rights?• Problems?
– What is meant by ‘the State of Nature’?– What is a ‘natural right’?
• Positive Rights?– Why give rights?– Which rights should be given?– Can these rights be taken away?
Development of Rights in the UK
• Sources? (Problem of an uncodified constitution?)– Convention– Acts of Parliament
• Habeas Corpus Act• Human Rights Act
– International agreements• UN Declaration on Human Rights
– Membership of the European Union• European Convention on Human Rights• European Court of Justice• Maastricht Extract from the US Constitution
Active Citizenship
• What is meant by ‘Active Citizenship’?
• Why was active citizenship introduced?
• What does active citizenship mean in practice?
• Citizens Charter?
Liberties under Attack
• Problems posed by an unwritten/ uncodified constitution? (UK vs. USA?)
• 1994 Criminal Justice Act– Motives?– Provisions?– Right of people to
practise ‘unpopular’ rights?
Police controlling a crowd
Labour and Citizenship• Labour reforms to citizenship
– Bill of Rights– Social Chapter– Trade Unions– Devolution– Freedom of Information
• Obligations under Labour– Welfare to Work
• Citizenship education