Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

David B Kopel

2008

Firearms

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Law

The Human Right Of Self-Defense, David B. Kopel, Paul Gallant, Joanne D. Eisen Jan 2008

The Human Right Of Self-Defense, David B. Kopel, Paul Gallant, Joanne D. Eisen

David B Kopel

The United Nations Human Rights Council has declared that there is no human right to self-defense. Moreover, the Council has ordered all governments to enact very restrictive gun laws (more severe than those of Washington, D.C., or New York City, for example), and has declared that failure to enact such laws constitutes a human rights violation. Further, the HRC states that it is a human rights violation for a government to allow person to use a firearm in self-defense against a rapist or other criminal who is not attempting homicide.

This Article critically examines the HRC's claims by analyzing the …