Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Laws focuses on human rights and social justice and seeks to consider to what extent law generally and more specifically human rights, can address societal inequality. There is a growing body of literature on social justice, especially at a time when states are under economic pressures and evidence in some developed states, such as the UK, suggests poverty is increasing at a time when “austerity” measures have reduced welfare provision. Concerns about access to justice have arisen where states have decreased or removed legal aid or limited access to a court. Human Rights have been seen as a tool to achieve social justice. However, what “types of rights” can be utilised is debated and the ability of economic, social and cultural rights to achieve social justice is questioned. Papers in this Special Issue may address, among other topics, the following questions: What do we mean by social justice? How can human rights discourse be used to measure social justice/injustice? Can human rights be an effective tool to achieve social justice? Should economic, social and cultural rights be legally enforceable? Does human rights discourse inhibit social justice? Has the development of human rights and equality protections provided greater social justice for various groups such as ethnic minorities, gender, disability, LGBTI, religious groups, asylum seekers and refugees, children, etc.?

Dr. Bernadette Rainey
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• Human rights
• Social justice
• Welfare provision
• equality
• inequality
• discrimination
• access to justice
• poverty
• gender
• disability
• minorities
• LGBTI