UK Politics:Democracy & participation - Rights in context

Question 1

What is the contract citizens enter into with the state in a democracy?

Answer 1

Citizens are guaranteed certain rights in return for fulfilling obligations, which include legal obligations like obeying the law and moral responsibilities like voting.

Question 2

What are some examples of legal obligations in a democracy?

Answer 2

Obeying the law, paying taxes, and performing jury service.

Question 3

What are moral responsibilities of citizens in a democracy?

Answer 3

Voting in elections and participating in environmental protection, such as recycling.

Question 4

What does ‘active citizenship’ entail?

Answer 4

Offering voluntary service to help the community.

Question 5

What are ‘rights’ in the context of democracy?

Answer 5

Legally protected freedoms, also known as civil liberties.

Question 6

What act guarantees rights in the UK?

Answer 6

The 1998 Human Rights Act.

Question 7

What are some rights guaranteed by the Human Rights Act?

Answer 7

Fair treatment under the law, freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, voting rights, and freedom of movement.

Question 8

What are ‘social rights’?

Answer 8

Rights including education, employment, health care, and welfare provision.

Question 9

What is the significance of the Magna Carta?

Answer 9

Regarded as the oldest statement of rights in the UK, it aimed to limit royal power and established the right to trial by jury and habeas corpus.

Question 10

What is habeas corpus?

Answer 10

A court order to produce a person before a court to determine if they have been lawfully detained.

Question 11

What is the European Convention on Human Rights?

Answer 11

A treaty drawn up in 1950 that outlines human rights, with the UK as a signatory.

Question 12

What did the Human Rights Act (1998) do?

Answer 12

Incorporated the European Convention into UK law, allowing rights to be defended in UK courts.

Question 13

What are the nine ‘protected characteristics’ identified by the Equality Act (2010)?

Answer 13

Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Question 14

What is parliamentary sovereignty?

Answer 14

The principle that parliament is the supreme legal authority and can create or end any law.

Question 15

What has been the trend in judicial reviews since the Human Rights Act?

Answer 15

The number of judicial reviews increased significantly, from around 4240 in 2000 to around 15,600 by 2013.

Question 16

What are control orders?

Answer 16

Measures that enable close monitoring of terror suspects, introduced after legal challenges to indefinite detention.

Question 17

What was the outcome of the Abu Qatada deportation case?

Answer 17

After an 8-year legal battle, he was deported to Jordan in 2013 after a treaty was signed to ensure no evidence obtained under torture would be used.

Question 18

What is the Freedom of Information Act (2000)?

Answer 18

Legislation that gives the public the right to access data held by public authorities.

Question 19

What conflict arose regarding the Freedom of Information Act?

Answer 19

A group of MPs attempted to exclude parliament from the act, arguing for confidentiality in correspondence with constituents.

Question 20

What was the outcome of the campaign for the ‘right to roam’?

Answer 20

Legal force was given to the right to roam in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000).

Question 21

What was the public response to the proposal to extend detention without charge after the 9/11 attacks?

Answer 21

The proposal was defeated in the Commons, leading to a compromise of a 28-day detention period.

Question 22

What is the Investigatory Powers Bill?

Answer 22

Legislation that increases the power of intelligence agencies by requiring internet companies to store customer browsing history.