Civil Rights

Definition of Civil Rights

Note: See a more comprehensive approach to the Civil Rights legal concept in the American Law Encyclopedia

An affirmative act of government intended to protect citizens from unlawful conduct by government agencies or private parties. Civil rights are different from civil liberties. Civil liberties are prohibitions on certain government conduct. They define areas where government cannot interfere with individual activity. Civil rights, on the other hand, are initiatives of government designed to implement its social contract obligations to protect citizens' basic rights to “life, liberty and property.” People are entitled, among other things, to vote and to own property. Government can protect these interests by adopting laws and regulations that prohibit arbitrary or discriminatory interference with these rights. For example, people cannot be “singled out” for arbitrary treatment because of certain characteristics such as race or gender. Thus, government may enact civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in the conveyance of property or participation in the electoral process.

See Also

Affirmative Action (Law of the United States), 290; Civil Liberties (Law of the United States) Equal Protection (Law of the United States).

Resources

Civil Rights Related Resources

• Civil Rights in the United States Legal Encyclopedia
• Judicial Effects and Policies Keywords in the United States Legal Encyclopedia
• Judicial Policies Keywords in the International Legal Dictionary

Notes

• “Civil Rights”, The American Law Dictionary, 1991, California

Civil Rights (Judicial Policies)

Civil Rights

There is an additional definition in the world law dictionary.

Resources

See Also

• Civil liberties