Know your rights and entitlements

There’s a perception in some sectors of society that people have become a culture obsessed with their entitlements, following the introduction of the Human Rights Act in 1998. However, almost everyone will only ever enjoy ‘human rights’ in a passive way, to the extent that these make the society fairer.

What rights are needed everyday?

Unless you’re charged with or convicted of a crime, or involved in some kind of protest, it is unlikely that you’ll ever have to demand that your human rights be respected. However other legal rights, such as consumer rights, workers’ rights, welfare and tenant’s rights and what to do if you’re injured, are of far more relevance to the experience of the average citizen. Even lawyers who train for years in the law, don’t know all the legal rights which protect members of society. They tend only to know about their area of specialism. So, don’t expect that you’ll ever get to grips with everything – like lawyers, the important thing is to know where to look, and find out what the law is, when you need to.

Where to look

Work If your workplace is unionised, then your first port of call should always be the union – most publish guides will provide extensive information, both in paper and increasingly on their websites. You could also seek advice or guidance from ACAS, the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service, which provides advice on various workplace issues. If the issue relates to discrimination, don’t forget that you can seek guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which does extensive work in this area.
Consumer rights
Which one? The one that provides extensive information about consumer rights in the UK, as does Consumer Direct. Consumer rights covers anything from what you need to know when buying a car, what to do, when you've bought faulty goods online, to recovering your money if your travel agency goes under, taking your holiday with it.
Housing and tenancy rights

Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, provides a free advice helpline that offering support and advice on anything relating to housing and tenancies.
General For general matters, and particularly if you want to see someone face to face or need help completing forms, don’t forget your Citizen’s Advice Bureau (CAB). This service has been cut back in the last few years, but CAB’s can still be found in most town centres. Extensive advice and guidance on various issues is published on the website.

What about fundamental human rights?

If you still feel that you want to know more about your civil liberties, Liberty, an aptly named organisation of human rights lawyers, publishes a guide called
"Your Rights", which can be accessed via a link on their website.