The role of human dignity as a constitutional value

Aharon Barak

doi:10.1017/CBO9781316106327.009

6 - The role of human dignity as a constitutional value

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 February 2015

Aharon Barak

Show author details

Aharon Barak: Affiliation:
Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya

Book contents

Get access

Summary

Three roles of human dignity as a constitutional value

The constitutional value of human dignity has a central normative role. Human dignity as a constitutional value is the factor that unites the human rights into one whole. It ensures the normative unity of human rights. This normative unity is expressed in the three ways: first, the value of human dignity serves as a normative basis for constitutional rights set out in the constitution; second, it serves as an interpretative principle for determining the scope of constitutional rights, including the right to human dignity; third, the value of human dignity has an important role in determining the proportionality of a statute limiting a constitutional right. I shall briefly discuss each of these three roles.

Human dignity as a constitutional value that lays a foundation for all of the rights

The first role of human dignity as a constitutional value is expressed in the approach that it comprises the foundation for all of the constitutional rights. Human dignity is the central argument for the existence of human rights. It is the rationale for them all. It is the justification for the existence of rights. According to Christoph Enders, it is the constitutional value that determines that every person has the right to have rights. This does not mean that human dignity is the basic norm (Grundnorm) of the legal system. An important and fundamental constitutional value is one thing; a basic norm is quite another. The basic norm determines the binding nature of the constitution. This is unrelated to human dignity. Furthermore, it should not be automatically concluded that human dignity is the most important value that serves as a key to the solution of all difficult constitutional questions. Human dignity requires study and clarification, and each legal system must ultimately define its own position on this constitutional value.

Type: Chapter
Information: Human Dignity
The Constitutional Value and the Constitutional Right
, pp. 103 - 113

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781316106327.009 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2015

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Sajo, Andras and Uitz, Renata (eds.), Constitutional Topography: Values and Constitutions (Utrecht: Eleven International Publishing, 2010)

Gottlieb, Stephen E. (ed.), Public Values in Constitutional Law (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1993)

Nishihara, Hiroshi, ‘The Significance of Constitutional Values’, in Faculty of Law, Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Constitution and Law IV: Developments in the Contemporary Constitutional State (Johannesburg: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, 2001) 11Google Scholar

Venter, Francois, ‘Utilising Constitutional Values in Constitutional Comparison’, in Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, Faculty of Law, Constitution and Law IV: Developments in the Contemporary Constitutional State (Johannesburg: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, 2001) 33Google Scholar

Goldsworthy, Jeffrey (ed.), Interpreting Constitutions: A Comparative Study (Oxford University Press, 2006)

Allan, T. R. S, ‘Constitutional Justice and the Concept of Law’, in Huscroft, Grant (ed.), Expounding the Constitution: Essays in Constitutional Theory (Cambridge University Press, 2008) 219CrossRef Google Scholar

Walters, Mark, ‘Written Constitutions and Unwritten Constitutionalism’, in Huscroft, Grant (ed.), Expounding the Constitution: Essays in Constitutional Theory (Cambridge University Press, 2008) 245CrossRef Google Scholar

Goldsworthy, Jeffrey, ‘Unwritten Constitutional Principles’, in Huscroft, Grant (ed.), Expounding the Constitution: Essays in Constitutional Theory (Cambridge University Press, 2008) 277CrossRef Google Scholar

Venter, Francois, ‘Human Dignity as a Constitutional Value: A South African Perspective’, in Ipsen, Jörn, Rauschning, Dietrich and Schmidt-Jortzig, Edzard (eds.), Recht, Staat, Gemeinwohl: Festschrift für Dietrich Rauschning (Munich: Heymann, 2001) 341Google Scholar

Kroeze, Irma J., ‘Doing Things with Values: the Role of Constitutional Values in Constitutional Interpretation’ (2001) 12 Stellenbosch Law Review265Google Scholar

Botha, Henk, ‘Human Dignity in Comparative Perspective’ (2009) 2 Stellenbosch Law Review171Google Scholar

Woolman, Stuart, ‘Dignity’, in Woolman, Stuart, Bishop, Michael and Brickhill, Jason (eds.), Constitutional Law of South Africa, 2nd edn, Revision Series 4 (Cape Town, South Africa: Juta, 2012) chapter 36, p. 19Google Scholar

Maritain, Jacques, The Rights of Man and Natural Law (University of Chicago Press, 1951) 65Google Scholar

Gewirth, Alan, ‘Human Dignity as the Basis of Rights’, in Meyer, Michael J. and Parent, William A. (eds.), The Constitution of Rights: Human Dignity and American Values (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press 1992) 10Google Scholar

Giakoumopoulos, Christos, ‘Opening Speech’, in European Commission for Democracy through Law, The Principle of Respect for Human Dignity (Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 1999) 25Google Scholar

Carbonari, Paulo C., ‘Human Dignity as a Basic Concept of Ethics and Human Rights’, in Goldewijk, Berma K., Baspineiro, Adalid C. and Carbonari, Paulo C. (eds.), Dignity and Human Rights: The Implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Antwerp: Intersentia, 2002) 35Google Scholar

Grant, Evadne, ‘Dignity and Equality’ (2007) 7 Human Rights Law Review299CrossRef Google Scholar

McCrudden, Christopher, ‘Human Dignity and Judicial Interpretation of Human Rights’ (2008) 19European Journal of International Law655Google Scholar

Griffin, James, On Human Rights (Oxford University Press, 2008) 5, 21. See also the preamble to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and the preamble to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966). Both preambles state that the rights in them “derive from the inherent dignity of the human person.” For a critical approach to the conception that human dignity underlies all rights, see Jeremy Waldron, ‘Is Human Dignity the Foundation of Human Rights?’, New York University School of Law Research Paper no. 12–73 (2013)CrossRef Google Scholar

Henkin, Louis, Human Dignity and Human Rights (Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1995)Google Scholar

Schroeder, Doris, ‘Human Rights and Human Dignity: An Appeal to Separate the Conjoined Twins’ (2012) 15Ethical Theory Moral Practice323Google Scholar

Buchanan, Allen, ‘The Egalitarianism of Human Rights’ (2010) 120Ethics679Google Scholar

Dworkin, Ronald, Taking Rights Seriously (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978) 199Google Scholar

Bognetti, Giovanni, ‘The Concept of Human Dignity in European and US Constitutionalism’, in Nolte, George (ed.), European and US Constitutionalism (Cambridge University Press, 2005) 85CrossRef Google Scholar

Sadurski, Wojciech, Rights Before Courts: A Study of Constitutional Courts in Postcommunist States of Central and Eastern Europe (Dordrecht: Springer, 2005) 128Google Scholar

Enders, Christoph, Die Menschenwürde in der Verfassungsordnung: zur Dogmatik des Art. 1 GG (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1997) 501Google Scholar

Enders, Christoph, ‘A Right to Have Rights – The German Constitutional Concept of Human Dignity’ (2010) 3 NUJS Law Review253Google Scholar

Helis, John, ‘Hannah Arendt and Human Dignity: Theoretical Foundations and Constitutional Protection of Human Rights’ (2008) 1 Journal of Politics and Law73CrossRef Google Scholar

Besson, Samantha, ‘The Right to Have Rights: From Rights to Citizens and Back’, in Goldoni, Marco and McCorkindale, Christopher (eds.), Hannah Arendt and the Law (Oxford and Portland, OR: Hart, 2012) 335Google Scholar

Kesby, Alison, The Right to Have Rights: Citizenship, Humanity, and International Law (Oxford University Press, 2012)CrossRef Google Scholar

Kelsen, Hans, Pure Theory of Law, 2nd edn, Max Knight trans. (Berkeley: California University Press, 1967)Google Scholar

Ackermann, Laurie, ‘The Soul of Dignity: a reply to Stu Woolman’, in Woolman, Stuart and Bishop, Michael (eds.), Constitutional Conversations (Cape Town: Pretoria University Law Press, 2008) 217Google Scholar

Corder, Hugh, ‘Comment’, in Nolte, George (ed.), European and US Constitutionalism (Cambridge University Press, 2005) 132Google Scholar

Small, Joan and Grant, Evadne, ‘Dignity Discrimination and Context: New Directions in South African and Canadian Human Rights Law’ (2005) 6 Human Rights Review25CrossRef Google Scholar

Liebenberg, Sandra, ‘The Value of Human Dignity in Interpreting Socio-Economic Rights’ (2005) 21 South African Journal on Human Rights1CrossRef Google Scholar

Kommers, Donald P. and Miller, Russell A., The Constitutional Jurisprudence of the Federal Republic of Germany, 3rd edn (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2012) 444)CrossRef Google Scholar

Hennette-Vauchez, Stéphanie, ‘When Ambivalent Principles Prevail: Leads for Explaining Western Legal Orders’ Infatuation with the Human Dignity Principle’ (2007) 10 Legal Ethics193CrossRef Google Scholar

Michalowski, Sabine and Woods, Lorna, German Constitutional Law: The Protection of Civil Liberties (Sudbury, MA: Dartmouth Publishing, 1999)Google Scholar

Jones, Jackie, ‘“Common Constitutional Traditions”: Can the Meaning of Human Dignity Under German Law Guide the European Court of Justice?’ (Spring 2004) Public Law167Google Scholar

Barak, Aharon, Proportionality: Constitutional Rights and their Limitations, Doron Kalir trans. (Cambridge University Press, 2012) 72CrossRef Google Scholar

Hörnle, Tatjana and Kremnitzer, Mordechai, ‘Human Dignity as a Protected Interest in Criminal Law’ (2011) 44 Israel Law Review143CrossRef Google Scholar

Kleinig, John, ‘Humiliation, Degradation and Moral Capacity’ (2011) 44 Israel Law Review169CrossRef Google Scholar

Mahlmann, Matthias, Elemente einer ethischen Grundrechtstheorie (Berlin: Nomos, 2008) 7CrossRef Google Scholar

Weinrib, Lorraine E., ‘Human Dignity as a Rights-Protecting Principle’ (2004) 17 National Journal of Constitutional Law325Google Scholar

Feldman, David, ‘Human Dignity as a Legal Value: Part 1’ (Winter 1999) Public Law682Google Scholar

Feldman, David, ‘Human Dignity as a Legal Value: Part 2’ (Spring 2000) Public Law61Google Scholar

Friedrich, Carl J., ‘The Political Theory of the New Democratic Constitutions’ (1950) 12 Review of Politics215CrossRef Google Scholar

Parent, William A., ‘Constitutional Values and Human Dignity’, in Meyer, Michael J. and Parent, William A. (eds.), The Constitution of Rights: Human Dignity and American Values (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1992) 47Google Scholar

Dworkin, Ronald, Life’s Dominion: An Argument About Abortion, Euthanasia, and Individual Freedom (New York: Vintage Books, 1994) 239Google Scholar

Sachs, Albie, ‘Equality Jurisprudence: The Origin of the Doctrine in the South African Constitutional Court’ (1999) 5 Review of Constitutional Studies76Google Scholar

Kende, Mark S., ‘Stereotypes in South African and American Constitutional Law: Achieving Gender Equality and Transformation’ (2000) 10 Southern California Review of Law and Women’s Studies3Google Scholar

Ackermann, Laurie W. H., ‘Equality and the South African Constitution: The Role of Dignity’ (2000) 63 Heidelberg Journal of International Law537Google Scholar

Cowen, Susie, ‘Can “Dignity” Guide South Africa’s Equality Jurisprudence?’ (2001) 17 South African Journal on Human Rights34CrossRef Google Scholar

Chaskalson, Arthur, ‘Human Dignity as a Constitutional Value’, in Kretzmer, David and Klein, Eckart (eds.), The Concept of Human Dignity in Human Rights Discourse (The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 2002) 133Google Scholar

Ackermann, Laurie, Human Dignity: Lodestar for Equality in South Africa (Cape Town: Juta, 2012) 81Google Scholar

Alexy, Robert, A Theory of Constitutional Rights, Julian Rivers trans. (Oxford University Press, 2002), at 192.Google Scholar

Wright, R. George, ‘Dignity and Conflicts of Constitutional Values: The Case of Free Speech and Equal Protection’ (2006) 43 San Diego Law Review527Google Scholar