There has been a considerable focus in the last few years on the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998 and its real and potential impact on judges and lawyers. Much has been written on the implications of the new legislation for a variety of areas of law. With the rising level of case-law the emphasis is now turning to the impact of the legislation on specific areas of social life. In this volume the focus is on the practice of human rights and how they are enforced in reality. There is much discussion in the literature of a human rights culture but how precisely is such a culture to be created,and how do we make sense of human rights? In order to address these questions this volume is in two parts. Part I examines general issues surrounding the full and effective implementation of human rights. Part II explores the implications of human rights standards in particular areas in order to test whether a human rights culture has emerged.

Colin Harvey is Professor of Law and Director of the Human Rights Centre at the Queen's University, Belfast.