Fundamental Rights

Fundamental rights - also known as human rights or civil rights - are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of their age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background. Examples of human rights are the prohibition of inhumane treatment, the right to freedom of expression, the right to respect for family and private life, the right to health and other economic and social rights, children's rights and the prohibition of discrimination.

All human beings are equally entitled to their human rights without discrimination. Human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by national law and national constitutions, as well as in international treaties and other sources of international law. International human rights law lays down obligations of governments to act or to refrain from certain acts, in order to protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals and groups.

Fundamental rights often play an important role in legal proceedings before national courts and in cases before international tribunals, such as the European Court of Human Rights, the European Court of Justice, the Human Rights Committee and the European Committee of Social Rights.

Our lawyers specialize in fundamental and human rights cases before Dutch as well as European and international tribunals.