Sibylle van der Walt
Compared to the rest of Europe, the UK has developed a strong tradition of human rights scepticism. The article argues that this difference has its origins not so much in systemic differences between Anglo-British and continental European Law, but rather in the different socio-historical experiences that fed the belief or lack of belief in human rights following World War II. The article concludes with a comparison between the Anglo-British tradition and German law. The former is based on the idea of civil liberties. The latter, especially its Basic Law jurisprudence, is focused on the notion of human dignity. The article concludes that civil liberties cannot be equated with human rights without a serious loss of meaning.