Business increasingly recognises the importance of human rights. Over 5,000 companies across 130 countries are signatories to the UN Global Compact and have committed themselves to the Global Compact’s ten principles, including six that address human rights and labour standards. A 2006 survey of Global Fortune 500 companies found that nine out of ten companies...

This is the text of a recent speech by Paul Hunt, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, in which he asks: what does the right to health mean?

The common law assumes that private individuals only take court action to protect their private interests. The common law also assumes that the only party who approaches the courts to uphold the public interest is the Attorney-General. Both these assumptions are now outdated and wrong, argues Brian Walters in this overview of recent legal battles...

In a paper to be published by the University of San Francisco Law Review, Professor Mirko Bagaric and Julie Clarke of Deakin University make a case for legalising torture. Their argument fails morally and practically, write Sarah Joseph and Marius Smith.

In this public lecture Ambassador Mike Smith, chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights, describes the work of the commission, his role as chair, and options for reform of the committee and its procedures.