ABSTRACT
Human rights have become a major concern of modern society, with violent oppression being used as a form of social control to prevent democratic participation. Many people around the world are deprived of an equal opportunity based on gender, race, religion and ethnicity. A lack of distributive justice denies adequate access to the goods and services available in society. The concept of human rights has been expanded to encompass the concerns of the oppressed and exploited. The denial of freedom and other rights to self-realisation constitutes social injustice. Despite the existence of universally acceptable legal norms and principles, human rights have not been enforced across national boundaries because of a sovereign state’s resistance.
