Duties, Equalities & Freedoms of Citizens (AQA GCSE Citizenship Studies): Revision Note

Duties of citizens

• Citizens have duties that come with being part of a society

  • These duties help keep society fair, safe and well-organised

• Unlike rights, duties are not optional and many are protected by law

Key duties of citizens

• These duties help ensure that the justice system, public services and democracy function properly

Equalities

• Equality is about ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and has the same opportunities, regardless of gender, race, religion, disability or sexuality

• When discrimination occurs, the state can intervene through policies or laws

• Historical examples include:

  • Women’s rights: from women gaining the right to vote in 1928 to modern equality legislation

  • Race Relations Acts (from 1965): introduced to challenge and reduce racial discrimination

  • The Equality Act (2010) later brought many equality laws together under one framework

• The aim of equality laws is to protect individuals, reduce discrimination and promote fairness in society.

Freedoms of citizens

• Citizens have a range of freedoms, but every freedom is limited by the need to protect others and maintain public order

• People are free to act as they choose as long as it is within the law

Key freedoms of citizens

• However, freedoms have clear limits, for example:

  • You may protest peacefully, but violence would break the law

  • You may express your opinions, but not in a way that threatens or harms others

• These limits help balance individual liberty with the safety and rights of the wider community