Human Rights, Justice, and Constitutional Empowerment

Concern for human rights is deeply rooted in the Indian constitutional system as a legacy of the country’s struggle for independence. This remarkable book is a multi-dimensional examination of the contemporary state of human rights in India, the unresolved issues, and the challenges ahead. The contributors are a distinguished cross-generational selection of scholars and legal practitioners, specialists in the fields of human rights, criminal justice, and constitutional law. As the title suggests, the essays in this volume analyse a wide range of themes and show the integral connections between human rights, constitutionalism, justice, and good governance. While retaining the primary focus on India, the book also provides a wider perspective by making judicious use of international and comparative experience. The subjects analysed in individual essays include constitutionalization and the realization of human rights, the freedom of the press and the rights discourse, compensatory discrimination, corruption and its impact on the rule of law, the right to development, social rights jurisprudence, environmental degradation and its effect on rights, justice for victims of crime, and sexual harassment. This comprehensive and multi-faceted volume will be of interest to scholars and students of human rights, criminal law, constitutional law, the constitution of India, media law, sociology of law, and jurisprudence, as also policymakers and journalists.