Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. This thought-provoking introduction provides an incisive overview of dignity law, a field of law emerging in every region of the globe that touches all significant aspects of the human experience. Through an examination of the burgeoning case law in this area, James R. May and Erin Daly reveal a strong overlapping consensus surrounding the meaning of human dignity as a legal right and a fundamental value of nations large and small, and how this global jurisprudence is redefining the relationship between individuals and the state. Key features include: Analyses of cases from a range of jurisdictions all over the world A history of the shift of the concept of dignity from a philosophical idea to a legally enforceable right Discussion of dignity as a value and a right in different major legal contexts, and its roots in African, Asian, European and Islamic traditions. This Advanced Introduction will be invaluable to scholars and students of law, particularly those interested in human rights, looking to understand this emerging area of law. It will inform lawyers, judges, policymakers and other advocates interested in how dignity and the law can be used to protect everyone, including the most vulnerable among us.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. This thought-provoking introduction provides an incisive overview of dignity law, a field of law emerging in every region of the globe that touches all significant aspects of the human experience. Through an examination of the burgeoning case law in this area, James R. May and Erin Daly reveal a strong overlapping consensus surrounding the meaning of human dignity as a legal right and a fundamental value of nations large and small, and how this global jurisprudence is redefining the relationship between individuals and the state. Key features include: Analyses of cases from a range of jurisdictions all over the world A history of the shift of the concept of dignity from a philosophical idea to a legally enforceable right Discussion of dignity as a value and a right in different major legal contexts, and its roots in African, Asian, European and Islamic traditions. This Advanced Introduction will be invaluable to scholars and students of law, particularly those interested in human rights, looking to understand this emerging area of law. It will inform lawyers, judges, policymakers and other advocates interested in how dignity and the law can be used to protect everyone, including the most vulnerable among us.

'James R. May and Erin Daly, household names in global environmental constitutionalism, have produced a magnum opus on human rights and the environment. An encyclopedia studded with precious research, analysis and wisdom from eminent voices from all over the world. The timing of the publication is auspicious. It coincides with the first ever Report of the UN Secretary General on International Environmental Law towards a Global Pact for the Environment. The encyclopedia is a must have for all students and scholars of human dignity and sustainable development, and particularly for those that will, hopefully, craft the Global Pact for the Environment into hard law on the model of the International Covenants on Human Rights.' - Parvez Hassan, IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law and Pakistan Environmental Law Association 'Is the Environment about the birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees? Or is It about the vital organs of Life on Earth - the Land, Air, and Waters? (LAW). This marvelous work by James R. May and Erin Daly, and the contributors, world champions of the human right to Life and to the Sources of Life, could not be more timely. When we finally understand that the Environment is Life itself, then we will truly care for the LAW of Life that Human Rights and the Environment envelops.' - Antonio Oposa, Jr., Litigator, Educator, Organizer and Activist Much has been written, discussed, advocated and litigated about human rights and the environment over the last two decades. With 45 structured entries from a global collection of expert scholars, this volume of the Elgar Encyclopedia of Environmental Law provides an authoritative source of reference and features new commentary on the role of the rule of law in responding to the variegated impacts of environmental challenges on the human condition. This comprehensive volume offers fresh perspectives to the conversation by focusing especially on four subjects that shed new light on the subject of environmental human rights: the challenges of identifying the fundamental legal sources for the protection of human rights and the environment, the recognition of the indivisibility of human rights and environmental law, the centrality of the right to human dignity as the lodestar of human rights law, and the uniqueness of geographic particularities. Fundamentally, the entries demonstrate that there is much to do, learn and share on this vital topic. Offering thoughtful critical perspectives on a timely subject, this volume will be an essential resource for academics and students, as well as policymakers and practitioners. Contributors include: S. Adelman, N. Ahuja, C. Anant Malviya, A. Awal Khan, L. Benjamin, D. Bonilla Maldonado, R. Bratspies, C. Bruch, M. Burger, C. Butler, A. Carlson, C. Cournil, P. Coventry, E. Daly, K. Davies, R. Dhingra, R.J. Donato Quan, E. Gebre, C. Guneratne, A.M. Hammadeen, B. Hudson, C. Iorns Magallanes, V. Karageorgou, A. Kariuki, A. Kenmogne Simo, J.H. Knox, G.J. Kounga, A. Kreilhuber, S. Lamdan, R. Libel Waldman, K.E. Makuch, S.-J.-T. Manga, P. Martin, J.R. May, A. Mboya, S.O. McKenzie, M.A. Mekouar, D. Misiedjan, E. Mrema, R. Mwanza, D.S. Olawuyi, N. Osborne, O.W. Pedersen, J. Pendergrass, M.-C. Petersmann, M. Prieur, S.R. Rajan, L. Reins, J.M. Rivero Godoy, D.N. Scott, A. Solntsev, M. Stevenson, D.B. Suagee, A. Thomas, S.J. Turner, G. Van Hoorick, L. Vandenhende, J. Wentz, W. Yun Santoso

The right to dignity is now recognized in most of the world's constitutions, and hardly a new constitution is adopted without it. Over the last sixty years, courts in Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and North America have developed a robust jurisprudence of dignity on subjects as diverse as health care, imprisonment, privacy, education, culture, the environment, sexuality, and death. As the range and growing number of cases about dignity attest, it is invoked and recognized by courts far more frequently than other constitutional guarantees. Dignity Rights is the first book to explore the constitutional law of dignity around the world. Erin Daly shows how dignity has come not only to define specific interests like the right to humane treatment or to earn a living wage, but also to protect the basic rights of a person to control his or her own life and to live in society with others. Daly argues that, through the right to dignity, courts are redefining what it means to be human in the modern world. As described by the courts, the scope of dignity rights marks the outer boundaries of state power, limiting state authority to meet the demands of human dignity. As a result, these cases force us to reexamine the relationship between the individual and the state and, in turn, contribute to a new and richer understanding of the role of the citizen in modern democracies.

Environmental constitutionalism is a new concept for protecting local and global environmental conditions by invoking national and subnational constitutional law. As constitution-drafters in all legal traditions commit to environmental stewardship, protection and sustainability, courts are increasingly called upon to vindicate protected environmental rights in both their substantive and their procedural aspects. Designed for judges, advocates, and policy-makers as well as scholars in the field, this research review discusses key writings on environmental constitutionalism from around the world, drawing attention to its contours, its challenges, and its potential for enhancing both environmental protection and constitutional governance in theory and context.

The right to dignity is now recognized in most of the world's constitutions, and hardly a new constitution is adopted without it. Over the last sixty years, courts in Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and North America have developed a robust jurisprudence of dignity on subjects as diverse as health care, imprisonment, privacy, education, culture, the environment, sexuality, and death. As the range and growing number of cases about dignity attest, it is invoked and recognized by courts far more frequently than other constitutional guarantees."Dignity Rights" is the first book to explore the constitutional law of dignity around the world. Erin Daly shows how dignity has come not only to define specific interests like the right to humane treatment or to earn a living wage, but also to protect the basic rights of a person to control his or her own life and to live in society with others. Daly argues that, through the right to dignity, courts are redefining what it means to be human in the modern world. As described by the courts, the scope of dignity rights marks the outer boundaries of state power, limiting state authority to meet the demands of human dignity. As a result, these cases force us to reexamine the relationship between the individual and the state and, in turn, contribute to a new and richer understanding of the role of the citizen in modern democracies.

Reconciliation in Divided Societies Finding Common Ground Erin Daly and Jeremy Sarkin "Erin Daly and Jeremy Sarkin . . . offer a breath-taking "tour de force" of the theory and practice of reconciliation. Their work is integrated and interdisciplinary. It moves effortlessly from law to literature, seamlessly from philosophy to psychology, and inclusively from art to history."--"International Journal of Transitional Justice" "An invaluable contribution to our understanding of conflict and reconciliation."--"Negotiation Journal" "As nations struggling to heal wounds of civil war and atrocity turn toward the model of reconciliation, "Reconciliation in Divided Societies" takes a systematic look at the political dimensions of this international phenomenon. . . . The book shows us how this transformation happens so that we can all gain a better understanding of how, and why, reconciliation really works. It is an almost indispensable tool for those who want to engage in reconciliation"--from the foreword by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu As societies emerge from oppression, war, or genocide, their most important task is to create a civil society strong and stable enough to support democratic governance. More and more conflict-torn countries throughout the world are promoting reconciliation as central to their new social order as they move toward peace and stability. Scores of truth and reconciliation commissions are helping bring people together and heal the wounds of deeply divided societies. Since the South African transition, countries as diverse as Timor Leste, Sierra Leone, Fiji, Morocco, and Peru, among others, have placed reconciliation at the center of their reconstruction and development programs. Other efforts to promote reconciliation--including trials and governmental programs--are also becoming more prominent in transitional times. But until now there has been no real effort to understand exactly what reconciliation could mean in these different situations. What does true reconciliation entail? How can it be achieved? How can its achievement be assessed? This book digs beneath the surface to answer these questions and explain what the concepts of truth, justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation really involve in societies that are recovering from internecine strife. Erin Daly is Professor of Law at Widener University in Wilmington, Delaware, specializing in American and comparative constitutional law. She is a member of the American Society of International Law and the U.S. Association of Constitutional Law. Jeremy Sarkin is Senior Professor of Law at the University of Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. A former acting judge in the Cape High Court, his recent books include "Carrots and Sticks: The TRC and the South African Amnesty Process" and "The Administration of Justice: Comparative Perspectives." Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights 2006 344 pages 6 x 9 ISBN 978-0-8122-3976-8 Cloth $65.00s 42.50 ISBN 978-0-8122-2124-4 Paper $26.50s 17.50 World Rights Political Science, Anthropology Short copy: As nations struggling to heal wounds of civil war and atrocity turn toward the model of reconciliation, "Reconciliation in Divided Societies" takes a systematic look at the political dimensions of this international phenomenon.

Constitutions can play a central role in responding to environmental challenges, such as pollution, biodiversity loss, lack of drinking water, and climate change. The vast majority of people on earth live under constitutional systems that protect the environment or recognize environmental rights. Such environmental constitutionalism, however, falls short without effective implementation by policymakers, advocates and jurists. Implementing Environmental Constitutionalism: Current Global Challenges explains and explores this 'implementation gap'. This collection is both broad and deep. While some of the essays analyze crosscutting themes, such as climate change and the need for rule of law that affect the implementation of environmental constitutionalism throughout the world, others delve deeply into geographically contextual experiences for lessons about how constitutional environmental law might be more effectively implemented. This volume informs global conversations about whether and how environmental constitutionalism can be made more effective to protect the natural environment.

Reflecting a global trend, scores of countries have affirmed that their citizens are entitled to healthy air, water and land, and that their constitution should guarantee certain environmental rights. This book examines the increasing recognition that the environment is a proper subject for protection in constitutional texts and for vindication by constitutional courts. This phenomenon, which the authors call environmental constitutionalism, represents the confluence of constitutional law, international law, human rights and environmental law. National apex and constitutional courts are exhibiting a growing interest in environmental rights, and as courts become more aware of what their peers are doing, this momentum is likely to increase. This book explains why such provisions came into being, how they are expressed, and the extent to which they have been, and might be, enforced judicially. It is a singular resource for evaluating the content of and hope for constitutional environmental rights.

Reflecting a global trend, scores of countries have affirmed that their citizens are entitled to healthy air, water and land, and that their constitution should guarantee certain environmental rights. This book examines the increasing recognition that the environment is a proper subject for protection in constitutional texts and for vindication by constitutional courts. This phenomenon, which the authors call environmental constitutionalism, represents the confluence of constitutional law, international law, human rights and environmental law. National apex and constitutional courts are exhibiting a growing interest in environmental rights, and as courts become more aware of what their peers are doing, this momentum is likely to increase. This book explains why such provisions came into being, how they are expressed, and the extent to which they have been, and might be, enforced judicially. It is a singular resource for evaluating the content of and hope for constitutional environmental rights.