ABSTRACT
Human rights are international and national, universal and local. While they pertain to all humans, the lived experience of each human is different and the challenges that confront the implementation of human rights instruments are diverse. In order to understand these complexities we need insights into how different legal systems work, how localism impacts on human rights, and how common problems might give rise to shared solutions. There is also, however, a need for caution. Comparisons need to be made carefully and assumptions avoided – what seems familiar is not always similar. This chapter introduces the reader to the comparative method and illustrates its application through selected examples.
