LLM Socio Economic Rights

Socio-economic rights play an important role in many societies. Demands for jobs, food, water, housing/shelter, education, health care or more generally dignified living conditions are as important as classical liberal ( first generation ) rights to equality, free speech, assembly, political participation or religion in countries like South Africa or India and continue to influence the human rights debate across large parts of South America. The Arab Spring is the most recent battleground over constitutionally entrenched socio-economic demands and greatly expanded the scope of such entitlements in systems like Iraq or Egypt. Other societies, including the United States and many countries in Europe, provide assistance for citizens in need but take a much more cautious stance on the constitutional protection of the socio-economic sphere. This course identifies different approaches to the protection of socio-economic entitlements.