Homepage > Citizenship > Rights and Responsibilities
- Legal and moral responsibilities
- Balancing rights and responsibilities
- Examples of your rights
- Human Rights
Legal and moral responsibilities
We all have rights but it's important to remember that we all have responsibilities too. Responsibilities can be legal (for example, to pay taxes and obey laws) or they can be moral. Something that is moral is the right or correct thing to do, even though we are not forced to do it by law. For example, dropping litter or spitting in the street is unlikely to get you arrested, but the street would look a lot better if you didn't.
Balancing rights and responsibilities
If someone has the right to free speech, then you have the responsibility not to shut them up (and so take away their right). If you have the right to an education, someone has the responsibility to provide it for you and you have the responsibility not to disrupt lessons and prevent your classmates from their right to education. Wherever there are rights, responsibilities also exist otherwise no one would be able to receive their rights.
If you are in employed in work, even if it is part-time, temporary or fixed term you are entitled to certain rights. This includes a right:
- to the National Minimum Wage
- for your health and safety to be protected
- to be treated fairly - free from discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, disability and age
When you purchase goods or services you have a right as consumer to complain if you are unhappy. The vendor has a responsibility to make sure that the product or services are fit for sale.
In the UK the Human Rights Act came into effect in 2000. The Act is designed to protect all citizens of the United Kingdom. It includes the right to:
- life
- freedom from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment
- freedom from forced labour
- liberty
- a fair trial
- privacy
- freedom from discrimination
Directgov – Rights & Responsibilities
Find out your rights depending on your situation in life - parent, worker, disabled person and more.
Unicef – Children’s Rights & Responsibilities Leaflet
This leaflet contains a summary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child.
Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
A workers guide to their rights and responsibilities.
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