Editing Dignity (section)

===Germany===
Human dignity is the fundamental principle of the [[Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany|German constitution]]. Article 1, paragraph 1 reads: "Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority." Human dignity is thus mentioned even before the [[right to life]]. This has a significant impact on German law-making and jurisdiction in both serious and trivial items:

*Human dignity is the basis of § 131 of the [[Strafgesetzbuch|German criminal code]], which prohibits the depiction of cruelty against humans in an approving way. §&nbsp;131 has been used to confiscate [[horror movies]] and to ban [[video game]]s like ''[[Manhunt (video game)|Manhunt]]'' and the ''[[Mortal Kombat (series)|Mortal Kombat]]'' series.
*A decision<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.servat.unibe.ch/dfr/bv045187.html|title=DFR – BVerfGE 45, 187 – Lebenslange Freiheitsstrafe|work=unibe.ch}}</ref> by the [[Bundesverfassungsgericht|German Federal Constitutional Court]] in 1977 said [[life imprisonment]] without the possibility of [[Parole#Criminal justice|parole]] is unconstitutional as a violation of human dignity (and the ''[[Rechtsstaat]]'' principle). Today, a prisoner serving a life term can be granted parole on good behavior as early as 15 years after being incarcerated, provided that his release is held to constitute little danger to the public. Persons deemed still dangerous can be incarcerated indefinitely on a life term, if this judgment is regularly reaffirmed.
*§&nbsp;14(3) of the [[Luftsicherheitsgesetz]], which would have allowed the [[Bundeswehr]] to shoot down airliners if they are used as weapons by terrorists, was declared unconstitutional mainly on the grounds of human dignity: killing a small number of innocent people to save a large number cannot be legalized since it treats dignity as if it were a measurable and limited quantity.
*A [[Benetton Group|Benetton]] advertisement showing human buttocks with an "[[H.I.V.]] positive" stamp was declared a violation of human dignity by some courts, but in the end found legal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bverfg.de/entscheidungen/rs20030311_1bvr042602.html|title=Bundesverfassungsgericht|work=bverfg.de|date=11 March 2003}}</ref><ref>[http://www.stern.de/presse/stern/:25.03.2003-Benetton-Werbung:/505780.html Stern.de] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202172716/http://www.stern.de/presse/stern/%3A25.03.2003-Benetton-Werbung%3A/505780.html |date=2009-02-02 }}</ref>
*The first German law legalizing [[abortion]] in 1975 was declared unconstitutional because the court held that [[embryo]]s had human dignity.<ref>[http://www.gkpn.de/singer2.htm German law about abortion.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202111015/http://www.gkpn.de/singer2.htm |date=2009-02-02 }}</ref> A new law on abortion was developed in the 1990s. This law makes all abortions ''de jure'' illegal, except if preceded by counseling (§&nbsp;219(1) of the German criminal code).
*In a decision from 1981, the [[Federal Administrative Court (Germany)|German Federal Administrative Court]] declared that [[peep show]]s violated the human dignity of the performer, regardless of their feelings. The decision was later revised. Peep shows where the performer cannot see the persons who are watching them remain prohibited as a matter of dignity.