The Importance of Rights

Rights matter for several connected reasons. First, they are necessary for a

person's own development: rights to expression, to movement, to practising a profession, and to

an adequate standard of living all create the conditions a person needs to grow, to think freely,

and to make choices about their own life. Without such protections, a person's ability to develop

their talents and personality is at the mercy of whoever holds power over them.

Second, rights protect individuals against arbitrary use of power -- not only by the government,

but sometimes by other powerful individuals or groups in society. Machal Lalung's decades in

custody without trial shows what happens when the right to a fair, speedy legal process is not

actually enforced. Third, rights are the foundation on which democracy itself rests: a meaningful

vote, free debate, and the ability to criticise the government are all impossible unless rights …