Human rights in social work: what we cannot not want – a response to Whelan and Flynn

Abstract

In 2019, the removal of ‘human rights’ from Ireland’s CORU Code of Professional Conduct and Ethics ignited much opposition and campaigns for reinstatement. This short article responds to Whelan and Flynn’s assertion that alternatives to human rights should be sought, characterising the oppositional response and campaigns as lacking in sophistication. It is argued that human rights have much potential for critical and radical social work and must therefore be defended.