Right To Human Dignity

By Ubong S. Ebong Esq. -
Today let's talk about your right to dignity, in other words, your right to be respected and treated accordingly as a human being. 

Today's short post is meant to address the very common social media stories of brutality and oppression. For instance, you read stories of house helps maltreating their boss' children, or teachers maltreating students, or employers manhandling their employees especially maids, or security agencies brutalizing civilians, or acts of jungle justice or public executions/lynching, or sometimes unrelated persons inflicting brutal punishments on each other because of disagreements. In the eyes of the law such conducts are unjust, unlawful and punishable. 

You will be liable for violating this right if you carry out these unlawful acts yourself or even if you get someone else to do it for you for example using the police or army or 'boys' to 'deal' with someone you are having issues with. 

Please note that under the law, the use of force is greatly restricted to only particular authorized persons (usually security enforcement operatives), and even they have rules and regulations which they must strictly follow before they can use force. 

Also note that no matter what a person has done, you do not have the right to kill, torture, maim or otherwise injure a person even if you catch him or her committing an offence. Our security agencies are meant to handle such issues and they are laws in place to punish criminals so if you catch a criminal, hand him or her over to the nearest security agent and the law will adequately deal with him or her. If you take the laws into your hands you will be arrested, prosecuted and punished so please desist from such unlawful conduct.

Having said these, the Constitution prohibits all forms of:
1. Torture,
2. Inhuman or degrading treatment,
3. Slavery or servitude,
4. Forced or compulsory labour.
Please be minded that the interpretation of these 4 prohibited acts are not narrowed to only direct physical acts but could include indirect acts as well as mental/psychological torture

However, the Constitution permits the following kinds of forced or compulsory labour as exceptions:
1. Labour imposed by a court order or sentence,
2. Labour imposed on members of the armed forces as part of their job,
3. Where applicable, labour imposed in lieu of armed service on those who object to such armed services,
4. Labour that is necessary in cases of emergency or calamity which threatens the life and well-being of the community,
5. Labour imposed as part of normal communal or civic obligations of citizens e.g compulsory sanitation exercises,
6. Compulsory national service imposed as part of education or training of citizens e.g National Youth Service Corps,
7. Compulsory national service imposed on members of the armed forces.

Please be guided. Consult your lawyer.

Have a great day.
#KYR



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