Human rights, taxes, driving, and your role in the community

The closing sections of Chapter 5 cover the legal rights every person in the UK has, the obligations that come with residency (taxes, driving, the law), and the opportunities to take part in community life as a citizen. The most-tested items are the roots of British rights in earlier law, the age and procedural rules around tax and driving, and the specific civic activities the handbook lists.

The roots of British rights

The handbook draws a direct line from the constitutional history covered in Chapter 3 to modern rights:

Magna Carta (1215)
Habeas Corpus Act (1679)
Bill of Rights (1689)

These three documents are described as the roots of British rights and freedoms — the same arc the chapter-3 explainers describe as the “limiting of royal power.”

British diplomats and lawyers had an important role in drafting the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and the UK was one of the first countries to sign the Convention, in 1950.

The European Convention on Human Rights — the principles

The handbook lists seven principles you should be able to recognise as rights protected by the Convention:

Right to life
Prohibition of torture
Prohibition of slavery and forced labour
Right to liberty and security
Right to a fair trial
Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion
Freedom of expression (speech)

The Human Rights Act 1998 incorporated the European Convention into UK law. The government, public bodies, and courts must follow its principles.

Equal opportunities

UK laws prevent unfair treatment because of:

Age, disability, sex, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sexuality, or marital status.

If you face discrimination problems, the bodies the handbook names are:

Equality and Human Rights Commission (England and Wales).
Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland plus the Scottish Human Rights Commission.
Equality Commission for Northern Ireland plus the NI Human Rights Commission.

Domestic violence

Brutality and violence in the home is a serious crime.
Anyone who is violent towards a partner — male or female, married or living together — can be prosecuted.
Any man who forces a woman to have sex, including a husband, can be charged with rape.
Refuges or shelters offer safe places to stay.
24-hour National Domestic Violence Freephone Helpline: 0808 2000 247.

Female genital mutilation

FGM is illegal in the UK. Practising FGM or taking a girl/woman abroad for FGM is a criminal offence.

Forced marriage

The handbook draws a hard distinction:

Arranged marriages — both parties agree — are acceptable.
Forced marriages — where one or both do not or cannot consent — are a criminal offence.

Forced Marriage Protection Orders were introduced in 2008 for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland under the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007. Similar orders in Scotland from November 2011. Breach: up to two years in jail for contempt of court.

Income tax and National Insurance

Income tax

You pay tax on:

Wages from employment
Profits from self-employment
Taxable benefits
Pensions
Income from property, savings, and dividends

Money raised pays for government services — roads, education, police, armed forces.

Two systems:

PAYE (Pay As You Earn) — for most employees. Employer deducts tax automatically.
Self-assessment — for the self-employed and others. You complete a tax return.

Tax is collected by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

National Insurance

Almost everyone in paid work must pay National Insurance Contributions, including the self-employed.

Pays for state benefits and services such as the state retirement pension and the NHS.
For employees: deducted by the employer.
For the self-employed: paid yourself.
If you don’t pay enough, you may not qualify for Jobseeker’s Allowance or a full state retirement pension.

A National Insurance number is your unique personal account number for tax and NI. All UK young people are sent one just before their 16th birthday.

A non-UK national who has permission to work in the UK needs to call the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to arrange a number, possibly attending an interview. You can start work without one — but a National Insurance number alone does not prove you have the right to work in the UK.

Driving

Vehicle	Minimum age
Car or motorcycle	17
Moped	16

To drive on public roads you need a driving licence. To get one, you must pass a driving test (knowledge + practical).

Two timing rules:

Drivers can use a UK licence until age 70, after which it is valid for three years at a time.
In Northern Ireland, a newly qualified driver must display an “R” plate (restricted driver) for one year after passing the test.

Visiting and foreign-licence rules:

A licence from an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, or Norway — valid in the UK for as long as the licence is valid.
A licence from any other country — valid in the UK for up to 12 months, after which you need a UK licence.

Resident-vehicle obligations:

The vehicle must be registered with the DVLA.
Pay annual road tax and display the tax disc on the windscreen.
Have valid motor insurance (driving without insurance is a serious criminal offence).
Vehicles over three years old must take an MOT test every year.

Values and responsibilities

The handbook lists shared values and responsibilities every citizen should agree with:

Obey and respect the law
Be aware of and respect the rights of others
Treat others with fairness
Behave responsibly
Help and protect your family
Respect and preserve the environment
Treat everyone equally regardless of sex, race, religion, age, disability, class, or sexual orientation
Work to provide for yourself and your family
Help others
Vote in local and national elections

Being a good neighbour

Practical advice the handbook calls out: introduce yourself when you move in, respect privacy, limit noise, keep your garden tidy, and don’t put refuse out unless it is collection day.

Civic participation

The handbook lists specific ways to take part:

Jury service

Anyone on the electoral register aged 18 to 70 can be summoned.

Helping in schools

Helping in classrooms.
Raising money for extra equipment.
Joining the parent-teacher association (PTA).

School governors / school boards

Members from the local community who help set school direction.
Must be 18 or over at election or appointment.
No upper age limit.
Three roles: strategic direction, accountability, monitoring and evaluating performance.
Apply via your local school or, in England, the School Governors’ One-Stop Shop.
In England, parents and other community groups can apply to open a free school.

Political parties

Members can join debates, contribute funds, and help at elections.
“Canvassing” is going door-to-door asking for votes.
You don’t have to tell a canvasser how you intend to vote.
British, Irish, eligible Commonwealth, and (except for MP) other EU citizens can stand for office as councillors, MPs, devolved-body members, or MEPs.

Local services

Volunteer with the police as a special constable or lay representative.
Apply to become a magistrate.
Volunteer with hospitals, youth projects, universities, housing associations, museums, arts councils.

Blood and organ donation

Donating blood takes about an hour.
Country-specific donation services: NHS Blood and Transplant (England and North Wales), Welsh Blood Service (rest of Wales), Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service.
Organ donation — register at www.organdonation.nhs.uk. Living donors can give a kidney.

Volunteering — examples the handbook gives

Animal shelters
Youth groups
Litter pickups
Homelessness shelters
Mentoring (e.g. ex-prisoners)
Hospital information desks
Care homes for older people

Charities the handbook names by example: British Red Cross, Age UK, NSPCC, Crisis, Shelter, Cancer Research UK, National Trust, Friends of the Earth, PDSA.

The National Citizen Service programme is for 16- and 17-year-olds — outdoor activities plus a community project.

Looking after the environment

The handbook explicitly calls out:

Recycling — reduces energy use and landfill.
Shopping locally — supports local businesses, reduces carbon footprint.
Walking and public transport — less pollution than driving.

What to take from this section

Roots of British rights: Magna Carta, Habeas Corpus, Bill of Rights — leading to the European Convention on Human Rights (UK signed 1950) and the Human Rights Act 1998.
FGM and forced marriage are criminal offences. Forced Marriage Protection Orders: 2008 (E&W, NI), 2011 (Scotland).
PAYE for employees, self-assessment for self-employed. HMRC collects.
NI number sent automatically before a UK teenager’s 16th birthday. Non-UK nationals: contact DWP.
Driving: car/motorcycle from 17, moped from 16. R-plate in NI for one year. Licence valid to 70, then three-year renewals. MOT yearly for vehicles over three years old.
Jury service: electoral register, 18–70.
School governors: 18+ minimum, no upper age limit, three roles.