Human rights were always an important part of the daily life of a citizen, regardless of nationality,

religion, language, race and so on. But despite this, minorities were, in a lot of situations, neglected in
terms of granting rights. However, the introduction of official documents regarding these rights among
the state's laws changed the attiude of the nations for the better, encouraging tolerance towards
cultural and social differences.

1215: the Magna Carta

This English Charter acknowledged for the first time that subjects of the crown had legal rights and that
laws could apply to kings and queens too. The Magna Carta was also the first step in givingthe right to a
trial by a jury.

1679: Habeas Corpus Act

Another crucial step towards the right to a fair trial, this law protected and extended the right of a
detained person to go before a judge to determine whether the detention was legal.

1689: English Bill of Rights

The Bill was a landmark moment in the political history of Britain because it limited the powers of the
monarch and set out the rights of Parliament. It included the freedom to petition the monarch (a step
towards political protest rights); the freedom from cruel and unusual punishments and the freedom
from being fined without trial.

1948: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the foundation for modern human rights. After the Second
World War, the international community recognised the need for a collective expression of human rights.
Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948, the declaration sets out a range of
rights and freedoms to which everyone, everywhere in the world, is entitled.

1966: UK signs up to the European Court of Human Rights

Six years after the European Court of Human Rights was created, the UK granted what is known as
‘individual petition’ - the right for people to take their cases directly to the court in Strasbourg.

1989: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

Governments worldwide promised all children the same rights by adopting the Convention on the Rights
of the Child. The basic premise is that children (under the age of 18) are born with the same
fundamental freedoms and inherent rights as all human beings, but with specific additional needs
because of their vulnerability.

1998: Human Rights Act

In force since October 2000, the Human Rights Act incorporated into domestic law the rights and
liberties enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. People in the UK no longer had to take
complaints about human rights breaches to the European Court in Strasbourg – British courts could now
hear these cases.

2010: the Equality Act

The Equality Act brought together more than 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single act - a
new, streamlined legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of
opportunity for all.