Today it is usually not long before a problem gets expressed as a human rights issue Indeed human rights law continues to gain increasing attention internationally & must move quickly in order to keep up with a social world that changes so rapidly This Very Short Introduction in its second edition brings the issue of human rights up to date considering the current controversies surrounding the movement Discussing torture & arbitrary detention in the context of counter terrorism Andrew Clapham also considers new challenges to human rights in the context of privacy equality & the right to health Looking at the philosophical justification for rights the historical origins of human rights & how they are formed in law Clapham explains what our human rights actually are what they might be & where the human rights movement is heading ABOUT THE SERIES The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly Our expert authors combine facts analysis perspective new ideas & enthusiasm to make interesting & challenging topics highly readable