These doctrines define what must be protected.

1. Human Dignity Doctrine – All public policy must preserve inherent dignity (no instrumentalization of persons).

2. Universality & Inalienability Doctrine – Rights apply to all persons, including detainees, migrants, minorities, and political opponents.

3. Equality & Non-Discrimination Doctrine – Policies must include affirmative safeguards against structural exclusion.

4. Indivisibility & Interdependence Doctrine – Civil-political and socio-economic rights must be addressed together.

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➡ Policy Effect: Prevents narrow “security-only” or “economic-only” legislation.

These doctrines govern limits on state power.

1. Legality, Necessity & Proportionality Doctrine – Rights restrictions strictly controlled.

2. Non-Refoulement Doctrine – Absolute protection against return to harm.

3. Human Rights Defenders Doctrine – Legal and physical protection for advocates.

4. Jus Cogens Doctrine – Absolute prohibitions (torture, slavery, enforced disappearance).

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➡ Policy Effect: Prevents abusive emergency laws, detention regimes, and security excesses.

These doctrines define who is responsible and how.

1. Respect–Protect–Fulfill Doctrine – Binding tripartite duty of the State.

2. Due Diligence Doctrine – Failure to prevent, investigate, or punish = state responsibility.

3. Effective Remedy Doctrine – Laws must provide access to justice, reparations, and non-recurrence.

4. Non-Regression Doctrine – Existing protections cannot be rolled back.

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➡ Policy Effect: Converts political commitments into justiciable obligations.

These doctrines activate international pressure and alignment.

1. State Responsibility Doctrine – Breach triggers international consequences.

2. Complementarity Doctrine – International mechanisms intervene if domestic systems fail.

3. Progressive Realization Doctrine – Budgeting and planning must show continuous advancement.

4. Responsibility to Protect (R2P) – Mass-atrocity prevention obligations.

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➡ Policy Effect: Makes domestic policy donor-, treaty-, and court-compliant.

These doctrines shape how policy is made and enforced.

1. Accountability Doctrine – Independent oversight, judicial review, sanctions.

2. Transparency & Access to Information Doctrine – Open data, reasoned decisions, public reporting.

3. Participation & Empowerment Doctrine – Affected populations must participate meaningfully.

4. Subsidiarity Doctrine – Decisions taken closest to rights-holders where possible.

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➡ Policy Effect: Embeds HRBA into legislative process, not just outcomes.

Distinctive to OHRA’s identity.

1. Moral Leadership Doctrine – Law without ethics is insufficient.

2. Divine Justice Doctrine – Justice as a moral and spiritual obligation, not merely legal.

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➡ Policy Effect: Strengthens legitimacy in faith-based, traditional, and community contexts.

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