LSSA HUMAN RIGHTS & CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE

Ensures the general interest of the public is on the main agenda of the profession. Advises on the content of human rights training at universities. The committee is involved with both PLT and CLE. Also guides legal practitioners on the equality legislation.

The LSSA is committed to ensure human rights are respected and enforced. Many people are confused as to what constitutes "human rights" see below for definition of human rights as provided by the LSSA.

Important sites to visit:

• The United Nations
• Copy of the South African Constitution
• LSSA Legal Links

Simple Definition of Human Rights

Human rights, the rights to which all humans are held to be entitled. The human rights guaranteed by international codes fall into three broad classes:

Individual civil and political liberties
E.G. freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention without trial, and torture or other maltreatment; freedom of movement, association, and expression; religious, conscientious, and philosophical liberty;

Social and economic rights and freedoms
Rights to education, health care, work, fair conditions of employment, and maintenance of at least a minimum standard of living.

Collective rights
The rights of peoples, designed to advance and protect the position of minorities and ensure equality as well as to control the capacity of richer nations to use their resources to exploit poor ones. Various international codes that set out these rights include the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966); the African Charter on Human and People's Rights (1981); and the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). These treaties bind countries, which are parties to them in international law. To be effective they require states to ensure that citizens have adequate legal redress for breaches of the guaranteed rights. (These are usually defined in a country's Bill of Rights. The South African Bill of Rights which is enshrined in chapter 2 of the South African constitution, is universally recognised as the most progressive and inclusive of it's kind in the world. View the Law Society of South Africa's publication on "Your Fundamental Rights" which includes the entire South African Bill of Rights as well as an overview and brief synopsis as provided by the LSSA

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MEMBERS DETAILS

Mr V Saldanha - Chairperson
Legal Resources Centre

P O Box 5227
Cape Town, 8000

Email: lrcct@lrc.org.za

Mr D Burman
Burman Katz

P O Box 12546
Centrahil, 6006

Email: burkat@iafrica.com

Mr K Govender
State Attorney

Private Bag X54301
Durban, 4000

Mr G Mthembu
Mthembu Mohammed

P O Box 978
Bloemfontein

Mr A H Trikamjee
Garlicke Bousfield

P O Box 223
Durban, 4000