655. Human dignity.

Human dignity is the first 'foundational value' of the EU¹, and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights² provides that human dignity is inviolable, and that it must be respected and protected³. Although neither the domestic courts nor the ECJ have adopted a fixed legal definition of 'dignity', it has been described by the ECJ as entailing the recognition of the equal worth of all individuals⁴ and recognised as a general principle of EU law⁵. 'Dignity' has also been described by the United Kingdom Supreme Court in terms of being inextricably linked with equality and democracy⁶. The European Convention on