Human Dignity in the Case Law of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Abstract

In its judgements, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (ICHR) seeks to guarantee the necessary conditions for a dignified life worthy of the human person as an individual or as a member of vulnerable social groups. The ICHR sees dignity as the cornerstone of the rights that protect the person against the State. However, the Court also uses dignity to provide protection against violations by private individuals. An overview of the decisions made by the ICHR shows that, with the underlying aim to prevent the commodification of the person, the principle of dignity provides for three major types of protection: (1) the recognition of legal personality, (2) the respect for physical integrity and a dignified life, and (3) the possibility to recognize the violation of human rights by authoritarian regimes.