Human Rights Literacy (HRL) to Promote and Sustain Attitudes and Behaviours Supportive of Social Justice

This chapter explores what Human Rights Literacy (HRL) involves and how it establishes and develops improved rights of the citizens supportive to social justice in the society. People with different cultural backgrounds have the fundamental right to be literate members of society. However, due to various cultural influences, this right is somewhat restricted to certain individuals. For example, girls' education has become controversial in some lands. There are still instances in some cultures where people of all walks of life, such as LGBTI, Blacks, Indigenous people, migrants, etc., are helpless in the face of their rights. Thus, legal literacy and its unique component of human rights literacy are essential to ensure the protection of human rights. A theoretical framework is eventually drawn up by summarising the findings of the study.

Some features of legal consiousness and legal literacy in Russia and abroad

The purpose of the research. The research is aimed at identifying characteristic features, types and components of legal consciousness, the elements of its structure and its functions which help to realize legal attitudes in different legal situations from the point of view of Russian and Anglo-American law. The authors point out the influence of legal stereotypes and attitudes on the formation of an individual’s legal consciousness. Another element closely connected with the concept of legal consciousness is legal literacy, which helps an individual to socialize. Having analyzed the differences between the approaches to the concepts of legal literacy in Russian and Anglo-American legal culture the authors hold an opinion that legal literacy directly depends on the possibilities an individual has to obtain information about his legal rights and duties. Lack of such knowledge leads to negative legal consequences. Conclusions: The results of the study showed that in order to increase legal literacy it is necessary to form «positive» legal stereotypes and attitudes. One of the ways to succeed in it may be studying, analysis and discussion of legal texts in a foreign language. Such approach is used at Moscow State Linguistic University for the training of law students. Methodology and technique of the study. During the study of the concepts of «legal awareness» and «legal literacy», their formation and application by members of the legal profession and non-lawyers, the authors of the study used such generally recognized methods as general philosophical (dialectic, system method, analysis). In addition, a comparative analysis was made of the concepts studied in the Russian and Anglo-American legal culture. The article also presents the results of a survey of undergraduate students, which made it possible to assess the impact of the study of legal texts in a foreign language on the formation of legal stereotypes and attitudes.

Legal enlightenment in Russia: modern problems of theory and practice

The article examines the history of the development of legal enlightenment in Russia, its modern legal regulation, as well as the theoretical basis associated with its implementation. Revealing the paramount importance of legal enlightenment for the formation of civil society and state of law, the authors point out the need to create a unified system of normative legal acts regulating this activity. Currently, the legal regulation of the activities of various subjects of legal enlightenment is unsystematic, since at different levels there are a large number of unrelated legal acts, which makes it difficult to achieve the goals of legal enlightenment. Among other things, the study carried out a comprehensive theoretical analysis of activities in legal enlightenment, on the basis of which the authors, on the one hand, conclude about the unity of rational and irrational moments in this activity, on the other, about the primary impact on the emotional-volitional side of a person in the process of legal enlightenment. Linking the structure of legal enlightenment with elements of legal awareness legal ideology and legal psychology, the authors point to the unity of legal training and legal literacy with in the framework of legal enlightenment, offering their definition of the concept of legal enlightenment.

Legal functional literacy: the concept and levels

The purpose of the article is to determine the essence of such a socio-legal phenomenon as functional legal literacy, as well as to identify and characterize its levels. The main methods on which the research has been based are the dialectical method of cognition, which allows studying socio-legal phenomena in their development and interaction, as well as a systematic approach that makes it possible to consider legal functional literacy as a set of interrelated elements. The authors conclude that legal functional literacy is a universal socio-legal phenomenon peculiar to any society. However, it always has specific content, depending on historical and geopolitical conditions, belonging to a certain legal family and other circumstances. The article substantiates the position that legal functional literacy is a structural component of functional literacy, which is a complex personal and group education, which is based on a system of theoretical knowledge and practical skills focused on the effective implementation of legal relations in society.

Legal Education and Upbringing of Order

A great importance to a democratic society is the creation of legal literacy education on rule. Such a breeding seems to be primarily present in the consciousness of every citizen. The principles of a democratic state should be installed, first to society. These principles embodied in the individual consciousness in the form of legal and institutional consciousness. Moreover every man should know that c `demands of an institution, and should make it impossible to solve the institutional and democratic way, even when he finds the office door closed, even by officials when a problem exists as insoluble. An individual should not be equated with the passivity that is generally characterized by officials, but must use every means to protect the right and dignity. Methodology: First, quantitative analysis was used to see why the number of citizens dissatisfied with the exercise of their rights is increasing. Secondly, qualitative analysis was used by analyzing the social and objective causes that lead to a lack of legal education of the public. Expected results: the consequent link between the lack of information on the law and non-exercise of the right. This scientific paper seeks to give concretely what are some of the strategies that should be used to have a well-informed public and satisfied with the exercise of law.

Legal Literacy for Muslim Converts in Malaysia

Many Muslim converts in Malaysia are not well-informed of their rights and the legal implications of conversion to Islam. Implementing legal pluralism, particularly the different sets of personal laws that apply to Muslims and non-Muslims, sends the converts, their non-Muslim families, and the religious authorities into bitter legal battles whenever an individual converts to Islam. Furthermore, as religious institutions currently offer no legal literacy program, some Muslim converts are unclear regarding the course of action they should take whenever legal issues are involved, especially from the aspects of identity change; civil marriage dissolution; matrimonial properties distribution; child custody and guardianship; determination of child’s and the deceased’s religion; and inheritance and derivative pension distribution. Therefore, this research explores Muslim converts’ perspectives on the need for and development of legal literacy regarding rights and legal implications of conversion to Islam. This study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews with 9 participants who were all Muslim converts. Each interview was transcribed verbatim, and the data were analysed with NVIVO software based on a thematic approach. The research found that all participants unanimously agreed to empower Muslim converts with legal literacy, considering many are not well-informed of the legal implications of conversion to Islam, despite it directly affecting their personal lives, family dynamic, and the multicultural society in Malaysia.

The procedure for moving goods purchased in foreign online stores

This article discusses possible ways to improve the system of comprehensive prevention of violations of customs legislation, provided for by the Development Strategy of the customs service of the Russian Federation until 2030. Ways to improve the system of comprehensive prevention of violations of customs legislation are qualitative increase in the level of legal literacy of all participants in customs legal relations; development of interactive services for interaction of customs authorities with participants in customs legal relations to clarify issues related to compliance with mandatory requirements and resolve complex legal situations; ensuring information openness and electronic accessibility of mechanisms for pre-trial (out-of-court) dispute settlement. The author considers the possible implementation of each element aimed at improving the comprehensive prevention of violations of mandatory requirements using digital technologies. The article notes that prevention in general and prevention of violations of the requirements of customs legislation in particular is of great importance in the normal functioning of the state and society. The author comes to the conclusion that it is advisable to provide for the remote possibility of consulting in electronic form. It would be especially relevant to conduct remote consultation in the context of a pandemic. A remote method of obtaining advice on customs matters and other issues related to the competence of customs authorities in electronic form would have a number of advantages, such as saving time, efficiency, convenience for foreign trade participants. The article notes that a number of state bodies provide consulting services in electronic form. As an example, we can cite the tax authorities. Currently, digital technologies are widely implemented in the activities of customs authorities, which made it possible to transfer the interaction of customs and business into electronic form, automate a number of customs operations, and reduce the costs of participants in foreign economic activity.

Majority rights and minority responsibilities: young people’s negotiations with human rights

This paper is a case study of student discussions of rights and responsibilities, which contributes to filling the existing knowledge gap on the topic. Tenth grade majority students who participated in three group discussions on inclusive citizenship spoke of rights as belonging to the majority or to the minoritised Other. In line with earlier research findings, students referenced human rights as national rights or values, while making explicit connections between majority rights and minority responsibilities and implicit references to the responsibility of the majority to protect minority rights. This analysis indicates a need in human rights education (HRE) for both legal literacy and a deeper discussion of human rights. This can, for example, be achieved through a focus on the local context so that young people may better understand minority barriers to rights, as well as the role of the majority in issues of social justice.