Alternative Approaches to Human Rights
The Disparate Historical Paths of the European, Inter-American and African Regional Human Rights Systems

This book explores the comparative evolution and varying approaches of the European, Inter-American and African human rights systems.

Christopher Roberts (Author)

9781316512753, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 November 2022

258 pages
23.5 x 15.8 x 1.9 cm, 0.53 kg

'For lawyers interested in comparative international human rights law, [this book] offers a novel perspective by tracing the “disparate historical paths” of human rights treaty systems across the three continents. … this monograph should also provide many insights with researchers in other fields such as sociology and anthropology who are interested in the plural histories of human rights.' Yota Negishi, Nordic Journal of Human Rights

This book explores the comparative historical evolution of the European, Inter-American and African regional human rights systems. The book devotes attention to various factors that have shaped the systems: the different circumstances in which they were founded; the influence of major states and inter-state politics within their respective regions; gradual processes of institutional evolution; and the impact of human rights advocates and claimants. Throughout, the book devotes careful attention to the impact of institutional and procedural choices on the functioning of human rights systems. Overarchingly, the book explores the contextually-generated differences between the three systems, suggesting that human rights practice is less unitary than it might at times appear. Prescriptively, the book proposes that, contrary to the received wisdom in some quarters, the Inter-American system's dual-track approach may provide the most promising model in regards to future human rights system design.

1. Introduction
2. Foundational Moments
3. Struggles
4. Comparisons
5. Conclusion
Index.

Subject Areas: Human rights & civil liberties law [LNDC], International human rights law [LBBR], Comparative law [LAM], Human rights [JPVH]