The Passage of Human Rights Act 1998 has led to much public debate as to the scope of citizen's rights and obligations in a new "rights culture". This text focuses upon the relationship between human rights and nursing at this changing time. The text attempts to provide a clear exposition and a critical evaluation of the devloping human rights law and the way in which nursing practice reflects respects for the the human rights of nurses and patients alike. It draws on comparisons with human rights-based approaches and their impact on nursing practice and other jurisdictions in Europe and North America which already have experience in a legal process rooted in a human rights tradition.