Human Rights Education A Manual for National Human Rights Institutions c. 1750 BC: The Code of Hammurabi, Babylonia, drafted by the first king of the Babylonian Empire, is one of the first known written codes of law in recorded history. It included the idea of the presumption of innocence and suggested that the accused and accuser should be given the opportunity to provide evidence. c. 1200–100 BC: The Old Testament, also called the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, is an account of God’s dealings with the Hebrews. Along with the Ten Commandments, Old Testament laws include respect for life and property rights (for example, the obligation not to kill), the asylum tradition of synagogues and the principle of the presumption of innocence. 1142: Iroquois Great League of Peace, which united five nations into a League of Nations, or the Iroquois Confederacy, and became the basis for the Iroquois Confederacy Constitution. Each nation maintained its own leadership, but they all agreed that common causes would be decided in the Grand Council of Chiefs. Franklin referenced the Iroquois model as he presented his Plan of Union at the Albany Congress in 1754, attended by representatives of the Iroquois. 1215: The Magna Carta is the “charter of liberties” signed by John I of England after pressure from his nobles and the clergy. It introduced the concepts of habeas corpus (due process of law) and “no taxation without representation”, which became a central component of the Constitution of the United States.5 1400s: The Code of Nezahualcoyotl, a respected and influential king of Texcoco (now Mexico), brought the rule of law, scholarship and artistry to his kingdom. He established a code of law, based on a division of power and administered through councils of finance, war, justice and culture. 1648: The Treaty of Westphalia was the agreement that ended the Thirty and Eighty Years Wars between Protestants and Catholics. It gave rise to the modern notion of national sovereignty by allowing rulers to determine the religion of their realms. It also gave some freedom of worship to religious minorities. 1689: The English Bill of Rights was passed by the Parliament following the overthrow of the monarchist, James II. It prevented royalty from suspending laws or levying taxes without parliamentary consent and from interfering with elections. It also guaranteed the right to freedom of speech within the Parliament. 1776: The United States Declaration of Independence was adopted after the beginning of the American Revolution. The Declaration became a central statement of human rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. 1789: The French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen was part of the transition from an absolute monarchy to a more democratic form of government. It listed the natural rights of “liberty, property, security and the rights to resist oppression”. It also replaced aristocratic privilege with the principle of equality before the law. 1863: The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, declaring the freedom of slaves. 1893: New Zealand became the first nation to grant women the right to vote. 1919: The League of Nations Covenant, drawn up in the aftermath of World War I, sought to prevent conflicts and to promote international cooperation. League members agreed not to go to war until all possible means of peaceful settlement had been explored. This was weakened by the absence of the United States and the withdrawal of Japan, Italy and Germany. 5 4 Australian Human Rights Commission (2015) Magna Carta – Story of our freedom. Available online at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=gA-y8uOJs9k&t=181s.