Hodge Jones And Allen Solicitors Celebrates Human Rights Day
It is easy to forget in the current political environment that Human rights are universal, applying to every human, irrespective of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. This core principle is threatened by a raft of recent laws and political announcements which risk restricting full enjoyment of those rights only to certain members of society.
Human Rights Day, an international campaign run by the United Nations (UN) which is celebrated every year on the 10th December, offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the nature and importance of universal Human Rights, and to refocus attention on celebrating and protecting them.
The purpose of Human Rights Day is to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10th December 1948. This was the first time that human rights were recognised on an international level, setting out core principles and freedoms that should apply to every person regardless of their origins and circumstances. Although not a legally binding document, the UDHR was a milestone achievement that inspired the development of modern international human rights law.
Today, human rights in the UK are protected by the Human Rights Act 1998. This is a parliamentary Act that makes the rights and freedoms in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) directly enforceable in the UK. This means that you as an individual can hold public bodies accountable for their actions and protect your rights through the UK courts.
The theme of this year’s Human Rights Day is ‘Everyday Essentials.’ For many people, human rights are seen as an abstract concept which, although important, does not have a direct impact on their lives. It is usually only when those rights are threatened that we start to become aware of them, and the difficulties that can arise when trying to uphold them. This campaign aims to campaign is to strengthen people’s understanding of human rights and remind everyone of their relevance, by showing how human rights shape our daily lives.
This campaign is incredibly relevant in today’s social climate. In 2025, we experienced a number of political and legal changes that threaten our existing human rights protections. With the introduction of the Police Act 2025 in February, we saw an increase in police powers and restrictions on peaceful protests, making it increasingly difficult for people to exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly. In April, the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of ‘woman’ in the Equality Act was defined by biological sex. This has led to significant ramifications in terms of the number of public and private facilities and services that can be access by the transgender community, including use of toilets, women’s football teams and Girlguiding groups. Just last month, the Government proposed to scrap jury trials in some criminal cases (potentially threatening your right to a fair trial under Article 6 of the ECHR), and to reinterpret the scope of Article 3 ECHR (which prohibits torture and “inhuman or degrading treatment”) and Article 8 ECHR (which protects right to family life) when dealing with asylum cases.
This year’s campaign reminds us that human rights are Positive, Essential, Attainable. They should also not be taken for granted. We can all be advocates for human rights through the everyday choices we make:
“They begin with us, with the small, everyday choices we make from treating others with respect, speaking up against unfairness, and listening to those whose voices are often ignored. Everyday choices and voices matter more than you may realize; they build a culture of dignity and fairness around us. But human rights also depend on collective action, when communities, movements, and nations come together to demand justice and equality.”