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