Theright to life is the belief that ahuman (or otheranimal) has theright tolive and, in particular, should not be killed by another entity. The concept of a right to life arises in debates on issues including:capital punishment, with some people seeing it asimmoral;abortion, with some considering the killing of a humanembryo orfetus immoral;euthanasia, in which the decision to end one's life outside of natural means is seen as incorrect;meat production and consumption, in which the breeding and killing of animals for their meat is seen by some people as an infringement on their rights; and in killings by law enforcement, which are seen by some as an infringement on those persons' right to live. However, individuals may disagree in which of these areas the principle of a right to life might apply.
The term "right to life" is used in theabortion debate by those who wish to end the practice ofabortion, or at least reduce the frequency of the practice,[1] and in the context ofpregnancy, the termright to life was advanced byPope Pius XII during a 1951papal encyclical:
Every human being, even the child in the womb, has the right to life directly from God and not from his parents, not from any society or human authority. Therefore, there is no man, no society, no human authority, no science, no "indication" at all whether it be medical, eugenic, social, economic, or moral that may offer or give a valid judicial title for a direct deliberate disposal of an innocent human life
- — Pope Pius XII,Address to Midwives on the Nature of Their Profession Papal Encyclical, October 29, 1951.[2]
In 1966 theNational Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) asked Fr.James T. McHugh to begin observing trends in abortion reform within theUnited States.[3] TheNational Right to Life Committee (NRLC) was founded in 1967 as the Right to Life League to coordinate its state campaigns under the auspices of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.[4][5] To appeal to a more broad-based, nonsectarian movement, keyMinnesota leaders proposed an organizational model that would separate the NRLC from the direct oversight of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and by early 1973 NRLC Director Fr. James T. McHugh and his executive assistant, Michael Taylor, proposed a different plan, facilitating the NRLC move toward its independence from theRoman Catholic Church.
Someutilitarianethicists argue that the "right to life", where it exists, depends on conditions other than membership of thehuman species. ThephilosopherPeter Singer is a notable proponent of this argument. For Singer, the right to life is grounded in the ability to plan and anticipate one's future. This extends the concept to non-human animals, such as otherapes, but since the unborn, infants and severelydisabled people lack this, he states that abortion, painless infanticide and euthanasia can be "justified" (but are not obligatory) in certain special circumstances, for instance in the case of a disabled infant whose life would be one of suffering.[6]
Bioethicists associated withdisability rights anddisability studies communities have argued that Singer'sepistemology is based onableist conceptions of disability.[7]
Opponents ofcapital punishment argue that it is a violation of the right to life, while its supporters argue that the death penalty is not a violation of the right to life because the right to life should apply with deference to a sense ofjustice. The opponents believe that capital punishment is the worst violation ofhuman rights, because the right to life is the most important, and capital punishment violates it without necessity and inflicts to thecondemned apsychological torture.Human rights activists oppose the death penalty, calling it "cruel, inhuman, and degrading punishment", andAmnesty International considers it to be "the ultimate, irreversible denial of Human Rights".[8]
TheUnited Nations General Assembly has adopted, in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016[9] non-binding resolutions calling for aglobal moratorium on executions, with a view to eventual abolition.[10]
The International Human Rights Standards for Law Enforcement[11] has created a system whereby it is recognised thatinternational human rights law is binding upon allstate actors, and that said state actors must know and be capable of applying international standards for human rights. The right to life is for the most part an inalienable right granted to every human upon the planet, however, there are certain situations in which state actors are required to take drastic action, which can result in civilians beingkilled bylaw enforcement agents.
Appropriate occasions forkillings by law enforcement are strictly outlined by the International Human Rights Standards for Law Enforcement. Any lethal action taken by law enforcement agents must be taken following a certain set of rules that have been set out in the 'Use of Force' section of the Pocket Book on Human Rights for the Police.[11] The essential tenet of the Pocket Book[11] surrounding the use of lethal force is that all other means of a non-violent nature should be employed initially, followed by proportionately appropriate use of force. Proportionately appropriate use of force can, and will in some circumstances, refer to lethal force if a law enforcement agent genuinely believes that ending the life of one civilian would result in the preservation of his life, or the lives of his fellow civilians, as is outlined in the 'Permissible Circumstances for the Use ofFirearms' section of the Pocket Book.[11] The Pocket Book[11] also outlines in the 'Accountability for the Use of Force and Firearms' section that there are stringent measures of accountability in place to maintain integrity within state law enforcement agencies as regards their right to the use of lethal force.
International institutions have outlined when and where law enforcement agents might have the availability of lethal force at their disposal. TheInternational Association of Chiefs of Police have 'Model Policies' which incorporate various pieces of information from leading sources.[12] One of these model policies states that law enforcement agents will engage in reasonable necessary force to efficiently bring a scenario to a conclusion, giving specific thought to both the safety of themselves and other civilians. Law enforcement officers are given the prerogative to engage in department-approved methods to safely bring a conclusion to a scenario and are also given the ability to use issued equipment to resolve issues in scenarios where they are required to protect themselves or others from damage, to bringresistant individuals under control, or to safely conclude unlawful incidents. There is no mention as to what "reasonably necessary" should be interpreted as meaning, but there is reference made to thereasonable man method of determining how one should approach a scenario.[13] However, it has been highlighted through events such as thekilling of Michael Brown by Darren Wilson inFerguson, Missouri,[14] which resulted inpublic unrest, that there is confusion and debate surrounding the use of firearms and lethal force. The 'Procedure for the Use of Firearms' section provides the process through which law enforcement agents must progress when using firearms. It states that they must identify themselves as alaw enforcement agent, issue a clear warning, and give an adequate amount of time for response (providing that time would not likely result in harm being done to the agent or other civilians) beforedeadly force can be used within the bounds of international law.
While the Pocket Book on Human Rights for the Police outlines the academic circumstances under which law enforcement agents may use lethal force, the literal scenarios in which police killings have occurred are also relevant. Rosenfeld[15] states that there is considerable literature that gives reason to believe that social conditions also have a part to play in how law enforcement killings can occur. Rosenfeld states that there are numerous studies that have been conducted which link law enforcement agents' use of lethal force to the area's rate ofviolent crime, the size of the non-indigenous population and thesocioeconomic position of the community concerned.[16] Appropriating a blanket description of how police killings can occur across the board is difficult given the vast differences in social context from state to state.
Perry, Hall and Hall[17] discuss thephenomena across the United States of America which became highly charged and widely documented in late 2014, referring to the use of lethal force from white police officers on unarmed black male civilians.[18] There is no legal prerogative which gives law enforcement agents the ability to use lethal force based on the race of the person they are dealing with, there is only a legal prerogative to engage in lethal force if there is a reasonable fear for your life or the lives of others. However, thePropublica analysis of federal data onfatal police shootings between 2010 and 2012, showed that young black male civilians were 21 times more likely to be killed by police than young white male civilians.[19] The use of lethal force from law enforcement agents in the United States created widespread feeling amongst UScitizens that they were not being protected by the police. The justice system mostly found that these agents acted within the boundaries of the law because the actions of the people who were shot were judged to be sufficiently questionable in character for the police officer to fear for their own life or the lives of others. Coppolo[20] investigatedConnecticut law and reported that the use of lethal force must be followed by a report that determines whether the law enforcement agent's lethal force was proportionately necessary in the circumstances. Coppolo also stated that a reasonable lethal response must only be made when there is a reasonable belief that the facts you have been presented with could realistically result in a risk of death or grievous bodily harm.[21]
InAnimal Liberation,Peter Singer writes that the killing of animals for the consumption of their meat should be seen as immoral and a violation of their right to life. He holds that rights should be based on sentience, rather than species membership.[22]
Numerous authors have invoked theargument from marginal cases to argue that animals should have similar moral status to human infants, senile people, thecomatose, andcognitively disabled people.[23][24][25][26]
A 2020 survey of around 1800 published English-language philosophers found that 48% said it was permissible to eat animals in ordinary circumstances, while 45% said it was not.[27]
Those who believe a person should be able to make the decision to end their own life througheuthanasia use the argument that persons have aright to choose,[28] while those who oppose the legalization of euthanasia argue so on the grounds that all persons have a right to life,which they interpret as anobligation to live.[failed verification][29] They are commonly referred to asright-to-lifers.[30]
The European Convention on Human Rights defended the possibility of the existence of a "right to die" through the application of euthanasia and granting the individual the right to choose the method of implementing this type of dying, considering that the latter is one of the parts of the right to life.[31]
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.
— Article 6.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Every person has the right to have his life respected. This right shall be protected by law and, in general, from the moment of conception. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.
— Article 4.1 of the American Convention on Human Rights
Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.
— Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The right to life is considered the most important and first right urged by the European Convention on Human Rights, and it is a right granted to all persons, which makes it necessary in the system of basic human rights and freedoms that this Convention works to protect and preserve.[35]
| Subject | Map | Legend |
|---|---|---|
| Abortion |  |
|
| Euthanasia |  |
Passive euthanasia legal (refusal of treatment/withdrawal of life support) Active euthanasia illegal, passive euthanasia not legislated or regulated All forms of euthanasia illegal |
| Capital punishment |  |
|
| Cattle slaughter |  |
22-2023-213498831 was invoked but never defined (see thehelp page).
