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In Babylon King Hammurabi draws up the ‘Code of Hammurabi’, an early legal document that promises to ‘make justice reign in the Kingdom and promote the good of the people’
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In India, Gautama Buddha advocates morality, reverence for life, non-violence and right conduct
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Confucian teaching develops based on 'jen' or benevolence and respect for other people
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Roman Empire develops the concepts of natural law and the rights of citizens
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In Saudi Arabia, Prophet Mohammed teaches the principles of equality, justice and compassion revealed in the Qur’ān
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Britain's King John is forced by his lords to sign the Magna Carta, acknowledging that free men are entitled to judgment by their peers and that even a King is not above the law. It also stated that taxes could not be demanded without first obtaining the consent of ‘the realm’.
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In England, Parliament adopts the Bill of Rights that curtails the power of the monarch and includes freedom from torture and from punishment without trial. The Bill sets out that it is the job of government to represent the people and their rights.
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US Declaration of Independence proclaims that 'all men are created equal' and endowed with certain inalienable rights.
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The British Parliament abolishes slavery through the Slavery Abolition Act
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The United Nations is created ‘to affirm the dignity and worth of every human person’
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The United Nations adopts the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
