Dmitry Lopukhov

Constitutional rights, freedoms and duties of Russian citizens Dmitry Lopukhov

The rule of law is not conceivable without full recognition of human and civil rights and freedoms. They are recognised as fundamental values of the modern world, and the principle of their supremacy is enshrined in the basic laws of many states. The fact that the international community has adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has fundamentally changed the idea of human legal personality. Following international law, the Constitution of the Russian Federation establishes that the individual, his rights and freedoms are of supreme value. The recognition, observance and protection of human and civil rights and freedoms is the responsibility of the state. This is the only supreme value; all other social values (including human responsibilities) have not received such an assessment by the Constitution and, consequently, are on a lower level in relation to it and cannot contradict it. However, human and civil rights and freedoms are translated into reality only if they are inseparably linked to the fulfilment of the duties established by law for the individual and the citizen.