Year of entry into force: 1993
Region: Africa
Human rights: Freedom from discrimination, Freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, Right to a clean environment, Right to education, Right to family life, Right to favorable working conditions, Right to health, Right to liberty and security of person, Right to life, Right to privacy, Right to the benefits of culture, Right to work
Excerpts
4. Fundamental human rights and freedoms
(1) Whereas every person in Lesotho is entitled, whatever his race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status to fundamental human rights and freedoms, that is to say, to each and all of the following –
(a) the right to life;
(b) the right to personal liberty;
(d) freedom from inhuman treatment;
(g) the right to respect for private and family life;
(n) freedom from discrimination;
(o) the right to equality before the law and the equal protection of the law;
5. Right to life
(1) Every human being has an inherent right to life. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life.
6. Right to personal liberty
(1) Every person shall be entitled to personal liberty
8. Freedom from inhuman treatment
(1) No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading punishment or other treatment.
11. Right to respect for private and family life
(1) Every person shall be entitled to respect for his private and family life and his home.
18. Freedom from discrimination
(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (6), no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.
(3) In this section, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.
19. Right to equality before the law and the equal protection of the law
Every person shall be entitled to equality before the law and to the equal protection of the law.
27. Protection of health
(1) Lesotho shall adopt policies aimed at ensuring the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health for its citizens, including policies designed to –
(a) provide for the reduction of stillbirth rate and of infant mortality and for the healthy development of the child;
(b) improve environmental and industrial hygiene;
(c) provide for the prevention, treatment and control of epidemic, endemic, occupational and other diseases;
(d) create conditions which would assure to all, medical service and medical attention in the event of sickness; and
(e) improve public health.
28. Provision for education
Lesotho shall endeavour to make education available to all and shall adopt policies aimed at
securing that –
(a) education is directed to the full development of the human personality and sense of dignity and strengthening the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
29. Opportunity to work
(1) Lesotho shall endeavour to ensure that every person has the opportunity to gain his living by work which he freely chooses or accepts.
30. Just and favourable conditions of work
Lesotho shall adopt policies aimed at securing just and favourable conditions of work and in particular policies directed to achieving –
(a) remuneration which provides all workers, as a minimum with –
(i) fair wages and equal remuneration for work of equal value without distinction of any kind, and in particular, women being guaranteed conditions of work, including pension or retirement benefits, not inferior to those enjoyed by men, with equal pay for equal work; and
(ii) a decent living for themselves and their families;
(b) safe and healthy working conditions;
(c) equal opportunity for men and women to be promoted in their employment to an appropriate higher level, subject to no considerations other than those of seniority and competence;
(d) the protection of women who are in employment during a reasonable period before and after childbirth; and
(e) rest, leisure and reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay, as well as remuneration for public holidays.
32. Protection of children and young persons
Lesotho shall adopt policies designed to provide that –
(a) protection and assistance is given to all children and young persons without any discrimination for reasons of parentage or other conditions;
(b) children and young persons are protected from economic and social exploitation;
(c) the employment of children and young persons in work harmful to their morals or health or dangerous to life or likely to hamper their normal development is punishable by law; and
(d) there are age limits below which the paid employment of children and young persons is prohibited and punishable by law.
33. Rehabilitation, training and social resettlement of disabled persons
With a view to ensuring the rehabilitation, training and social resettlement of disabled persons, Lesotho shall adopt policies designed to –
(a) provide for training facilities, including specialised institutions, public or private; and
(b) place disabled persons in employment and encourage employers to admit disabled persons to employment.
35. Participation in cultural activities
(1) Lesotho shall endeavour to ensure that every citizen has an opportunity to freely participate in the cultural life of the community and to share in the benefits of scientific advancement and its application.
36. Protection of the environment
Lesotho shall adopt policies designed to protect and enhance the natural and cultural environment of Lesotho for the benefit of both present and future generations and shall endeavour to assure to all citizens a sound and safe environment adequate for their health and well-being.