They are shared by all the religions of the Book but how resonant are the Ten Commandments in our lives today? Even such apparently obvious ones like thou shalt not kill are being questioned by the supporters of euthanasia.

Our glittering panel of writers discussed the relevance of the Ten Commandments today, proposed their own commandments and questioned the need for a common ethical backbone for the 21st century.

Two cult figures in the fight for justice, looked back on Albie Sachs’ life-long devotion to the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. For this he paid a high price – losing both an arm and the sight in one eye in a car bomb. The role he played in drawing up the new country’s Constitution was unique and he has only just retired from its Constitutional Court.

Francesca Klug, Helena Kennedy and Susan Neiman invite us to consider what is distinctive about the ethics and practice of human rights, exploring such topics as Enlightenment values and what constitutes a just and fair society.