ABSTRACT
Nearly all countries contain ethnic or cultural minorities whose members make claims on the wider society, whether these be claims to equal treatment or claims for special privileges or exemptions. In recent years it has become common in western societies, following a trend started in the United States, to use the language of rights when discussing such claims. The object of this chapter is to examine the types of rights that are commonly claimed on behalf of minorities and to discuss the circumstances in which such claims may be regarded as reasonable.
