Human Rights on the Workshop on Justiciability of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
stated that there was wide support for the decisions of the CESCR to include a legal finding as
well as recommendations for remedial action and changes in law, policy and practice.151
However, the Optional Protocol is not intended to be a panacea, but to act as a safety net and
a forum for identifying areas where States need practical assistance.152
Innovative mechanisms used by the courts to enforce the right to education absent
specific legislation
One of the most important forums for strengthening the right to education is the judicial
forum. The judiciary play a crucial role in ensuring the justiciability of the right to education
via judicial innovation.153 Some of these innovative practices are discussed below.
In some jurisdictions, the right to education has been mined from the bedrock of other rights.
The Supreme Court of India, for example, held that the right to education is implicit in the
right to life because of its inherent fundamental importance.154 Economic, social and cultural
rights in India are not enforceable as stand-alone rights, but are enforceable when they are
projected as supplying the content of a fundamental right.155 This innovation has been noted
by the United Nations and the members of the Colloquium and Workshop for Judges and
Lawyers on the Justiciability of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the Pacific Region as
Meeting on National Human Rights Education in the Asia-Pacific Region (Bangkok, 20-22 October
2005) and the subregional workshop for judges and lawyers on the justiciability of economic, social
and cultural rights in South-East Asia (Manila, 3-5 November 2004), E/CN.4/2006/100/Add.1, 13
December 2006 http://www.ohchr.org/english/bodies/chr/sessions/62/listdocs.htm (last accessed 27
March 2007) at 8 para 6.
151
UN Economic and Social Council, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Report of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights Addendum, Report on the Workshop on Justiciability of Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, with particular reference to the draft optional protocol to the ICESCR 57th
session, E/CN.4/2001/62/Add.2, 22 March 2001 http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/0/9715
c4f1d48ad8c2c1256a1e004e5288/$FILE/G0112109.pdf (last accessed 26 March 2007) at para 43.
152
UN Economic and Social Council, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Report of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights Addendum, Report on the Workshop on Justiciability of Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights, with particular reference to the draft optional protocol to the ICESCR 57th
session, E/CN.4/2001/62/Add.2, 22 March 2001 http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/0/9715
c4f1d48ad8c2c1256a1e004e5288/$FILE/G0112109.pdf (last accessed 26 March 2007) at para 44.
153
Workshop for Judges on the Justiciability of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in South Asia,
New Delhi, 17 - 18 November 2001, Statement of Conclusions http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/hurican
e.nsf/(Symbol)/OHCHR.STM.01.77.En?OpenDocument (last accessed 25 March 2007).
154
Unni Krishnan JP v State of Andhra Pradesh (1993) 1 SCC 645, at para 183, page 738 and Mohini
Jain v State of Karnatak (1992) Supreme Court Cases 666.
155
Circle of Rights Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Activism: A Training Resource
“Justiciability of ESC Rights - The Indian experience”, available at http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/ed
umat/IHRIP/circle/justiciability.htm (last accessed 12 March 2007), at page 9. See similarly,
Soobramoney v Minister of Health (KwaZulu-Natal) [1997] ICHRL 118 (27 November 1997) where it
was held by the South African Constitutional Court that where there was no emergency situation, the
72