Judicial Comparativism and Human Rights

Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No. 29/2007

COMPARATIVE LAW: A HANDBOOK, Esin Örücü, David Nelken, eds., pp. 371-398, 2007

29 Pages Posted: 9 Nov 2007

See all articles by Christopher McCrudden

Christopher McCrudden

Queen's University Belfast - School of Law; University of Michigan Law School; University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law

Abstract

This paper critically examines recent debates about the appropriate relationship between human rights interpretation and comparative legal methods. These debates have increased significantly in the past decade, and are by no means exhausted. This has occurred in part because of the increased citation by judges of 'foreign' legal materials, in particular judicial opinions, from jurisdictions that have no legal authority in the 'receiving' jurisdiction. Courts are playing an impressive role in the creation of what some see as a 'common law of human rights' or, in the context of Europe, 'a ius commune of human rights'. How human rights interpretation develops by making extensive use of comparative law is an intriguing example of the utilisation of comparative law by courts. Debates about the appropriateness of this have proven useful in illuminating aspects of both comparative law and human rights interpretation.

Keywords: comparative law, human rights, judicial interpretation, constitutional rights

Suggested Citation

McCrudden, Christopher, Judicial Comparativism and Human Rights. Oxford Legal Studies Research Paper No. 29/2007, COMPARATIVE LAW: A HANDBOOK, Esin Örücü, David Nelken, eds., pp. 371-398, 2007, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1028703

Christopher McCrudden (Contact Author)

Queen's University Belfast - School of Law ( email )

School of Law
Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland BT7 1NN
United Kingdom

University of Michigan Law School ( email )

625 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1215
United States

University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law

Boalt Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-7200
United States

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