This is the 15937th most frequent Russian word.
противоречащей
"Contradicting" or "conflicting."
Here, "противоречащего" is used to denote a description of the opinion that is in conflict or contradiction with another opinion, showcasing its adjective form functioning as a participle.
Он придерживается мнения, противоречащего нашему.
He holds an opinion that contradicts ours.
"Противоречащий" explains the characteristic of the law being in opposition to human rights, here used as a descriptive participle modifying the noun "law".
Закон, противоречащий правам человека, должен быть изменён.
A law contradicting human rights must be changed.
The word "противоречащая" helps to specify the scientific idea as one that challenges or is in conflict with conventional theories, again showing adjective particle usage.