Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Belonging The Right to Equal Belonging in a Democratic Society Routledge Research in Human Rights Law Series

While every constitution includes a provision over the right to equal protection of the laws, perhaps with different terminology, this book interprets this right in a new way. Theories of the right to equal protection of the laws as the right to anti-subordination are the most influential theories on the theory suggested by Drymiotou. Elena Drymiotou suggests understanding the right to equal protection of the laws in terms of belonging. She goes on to identify certain criteria and she offers a general theory of the Right to Democratic Belonging. This book uses political theory, constitutional provisions and case law to suggest this new theory of the right to equal protection of the laws; the theory of the Right to Equal Belonging in a Democratic Society or in other words, the Right to Democratic Belonging.

Human Rights and Equal Belonging in a Democratic Society is the starting point of a more comprehensive theory of the right to democratic belonging. It will be of interest both to students at an advanced level, academics and reflective practitioners. It addresses the topics with regard to human rights and equality and will be of interest to researchers, academics, policymakers and students in the fields of human rights law, constitutional law and legal theory.

List of figures

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Introduction

PART I

Introduction to Equal Belonging in a Democratic Society

1 An Introduction to an Interpretation of Equal Protection of the Laws and Integration in Terms of Belonging 3

2 Democratic Society

PART II

The Scope of the Right to Democratic Belonging; the Right to Equal Belonging

3 The Right to Secure Belonging in a Community of Equals

4 The Right to "Free-Identity" Belonging in a Community of Equals

5 The Right to a Minimum Comfortable Belonging in a Community of Equals

6 Grounds of Unequal Belonging

PART III

Justification

7 The Minimum Content of the Right to Equal Belonging in Democratic Society

PART IV

Conclusions

8 Conclusions on the General Theory

Executive Summary of the General Theory

Glossary of basic terminology of the general Theory of the Right to Democratic Belonging

Bibliography

Index

Elena Drymiotou teaches constitutional law and human rights, is a PhD holder from the University of Athens and a member at the Bar Association in Nicosia, Cyprus.