on commercial law issues may not often address human rights concerns and cannot automatically be described as HRDs. They can nevertheless act as defenders on some occasions by working on cases through which they contribute to the promotion or protection of human rights. Similarly, leaders of trades unions undertake numerous tasks, many of which bear no relation to human rights, but when they are working specifically to promote or protect the human rights of workers they can be described as HRDs. In the same way, journalists have a broad mandate to gather information and disseminate it to the public through print or broadcast media. In their general role, journalists are not HRDs. However, many journalists do act as defenders, for example when they report on human rights abuses and bear witness to acts that they have seen. Teachers who instruct their pupils on basic principles of human rights fulfill a similar role. Doctors and other medical professionals who treat and rehabilitate victims of human rights violations can also be viewed as HRDs in the context of such work; and doctors have special obligations by virtue of Hippocratic oath. Those who contribute to ensuring justice – judges, police, lawyers and other key actors – often have a particular role to play and may come under considerable pressure to make decisions that are favorable to the state or other powerful interests, such as the leaders of organized crime. Where these actors in the judicial process make a special effort to ensure access to fair and impartial justice, and thereby to guarantee the related human rights of victims, they can be said to be acting as HRDs. A similar “special effort” qualification can be applied to other professions or forms of employment that bear no obvious relation to human rights. The individuals who hold these jobs may sometimes choose to conduct their work in a way that offers specific support to human rights. For example, some architects choose to design their construction projects in a way that takes into consideration relevant human rights, such as the right to adequate (temporary) housing for the people who will work on the project, or the rights of children to be consulted on the design, if the building is of particular relevance to them. 2. inha the c was a sta defe certa pros info tribu cont acco are i Whe upho inju to lo see w whic to he equa trem C. Dec righ defe have Acc Defending human rights in a non-professional context Many people act as HRDs outside any professional or employment context. For example, a student who organizes other students to campaign for an end to torture in prisons could be described as a human rights defender. An 6 Univ righ