Download or read book European Democratic Institutions and Administrations written by Francesco Merloni and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-09-03 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents the results of extensive international comparative research into the effects of the economic and financial crisis on democratic institutions and social cohesion policies. The collected studies describe and analyse the measures (often referred to as "reforms") adopted to counter the crisis and the effects of these measures.It investigates three areas: the impact on the functioning of institutions, with respect to the relationship between representative institutions and governments, and the organisational structure of administrations at national and local levels; the impact that the austerity policies on public spending have on social rights; and the impact on traditional instruments of public action (administrative simplification, public services delivering, the use of common assets).The general findings highlight the effect of reducing the administrative and government capacity of the democratic institutions: the public sector, rather than being innovative and made more effective, declines, offering increasingly poor public services and making bad decisions, fuelling substantive or formal privatisation solutions, which in turn cause further weakening.

Download or read book Normative Pluralism and Human Rights written by Kyriaki Topidi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-06-13 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The complex legal situations arising from the coexistence of international law, state law, and social and religious norms in different parts of the world often include scenarios of conflict between them. These conflicting norms issued from different categories of ‘laws’ result in difficulties in describing, identifying and analysing human rights in plural environments. This volume studies how normative conflicts unfold when trapped in the aspirations of human rights and their local realizations. It reflects on how such tensions can be eased, while observing how and why they occur. The authors examine how obedience or resistance to the official law is generated through the interaction of a multiplicity of conflicting norms, interpretations and practices. Emphasis is placed on the actors involved in raising or decreasing the tension surrounding the conflict and the implications that the conflict carries, whether resolved or not, in conditions of asymmetric power movements. It is argued that legal responsiveness to state law depends on how people with different identities deal with it, narrate it and build expectations from it, bearing in mind that normative pluralism may also operate as an instrument towards the exclusion of certain communities from the public sphere. The chapters look particularly to expose the dialogue between parallel normative spheres in order for law to become more effective, while investigating the types of socio-legal variables that affect the functioning of law, leading to conflicts between rights, values and entire cultural frames.

Download or read book Populism and Contemporary Democracy in Europe written by Josep Maria Castellà Andreu and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-04-12 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the impact of populism on the European democratic polity. In the last two decades, European democracies have come under strain amid growing populism. By asserting the superiority of the majority over the law, of direct democracy over representation, and claiming the necessity to defend national sovereignty against foreign interferences, the populist conception of democracy is in stark contrast with the longstanding Western notion of liberal democracy. This volume investigates populist attempts to radically change what Bobbio called the “rules of the game” of democracy from an eminently legal perspective. Weaving together normative and empirical analysis, the contributions focus on the institutions that have suffered the most from the rise of populism as well as those that have better resisted the populist tide. Special attention will be paid to the Venice Commission’s opinions and documents, as they represent the best European standards to evaluate the extent to which populism deviates from constitutional democracy requirements. The book also considers the responses of European States to the explosion of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed been an accelerator of known and studied trends in most constitutional systems, such as the concentration of powers in the executive hands and the consequential loss of parliament's centrality. Various forms of populism across Europe have thus found an ideal breeding ground to implement their agenda of granting the executive broad regulatory and decision-making powers while loosening parliamentary and judicial checks. Against this backdrop, the book analyses how European democracies should adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic, as this reflection can help respond to populist threats and propose a way forward for liberal democracy.

Download or read book Secession from a Member State and Withdrawal from the European Union written by Carlos Closa and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-09-07 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book to jointly analyse withdrawal of a member state from the EU (i.e. Brexit) and territorial secession.

Download or read book New Challenges to the Separation of Powers written by Antonia Baraggia and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2020-11-27 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This insightful book guides readers through the transformation of, and theoretical challenges posed by, the separation of powers in national contexts. Building on the notion that the traditional tripartite structure of the separation of powers has undergone a significant process of fragmentation and expansion, this book identifies and illustrates the most pressing and intriguing aspects of the separation of powers in contemporary constitutional systems.

Download or read book Law Responsibility and Vulnerability written by James Gallen and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-09-30 with total page 267 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses how law and public policy cause or exacerbate vulnerability in individuals and groups. Bringing together scholars, judges and practitioners, it identifies how individuals and groups can become vulnerabilised through the operation of law, and examines how the State can acknowledge and remedy that impact. The book offers not only a theoretical, ethical and normative conception of vulnerability in law, but also an evaluation of the diverse practices of responding to vulnerability in law through accountability mechanisms and public campaigns. The analysis of vulnerability contained in this volume is enhanced by the common use of Ireland as a case study. Despite the robust rights protections available at national, regional and international level, Ireland remains a State where at risk people have experienced vulnerability across a range of thematic areas, such as criminal law, migration and asylum, historical abuse, LGBTI rights and austerity. Drawing on comparative analyses and a consideration of the role of international law in domestic settings, this book offers a comparison of diverse national and transnational attempts to ensure State accountability and responsiveness to legally created vulnerabilities. The book demonstrates lessons learned from theory and practice regarding how vulnerability can be experienced by individuals and groups, structured by law and addressed through legal and political action. This book will be of considerable interest to socio-legal and "law and society" scholars, as well as others working in international human rights, jurisprudence, philosophy, legal theory, political theory, feminist theory, and ethics.

Download or read book Extraordinary Rendition written by Elspeth Guild and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The US led programme of extraordinary rendition created profound challenges for the international system of human rights protection and rule of law. This book examines the efforts of authorities in Europe and the US to re-establish rule of law and respect for human rights through the investigation of the program and its outcomes. The contributions to this volume examine the supranational and national inquiries into the US CIA-led extraordinary rendition and secret detention programme in Europe. The book takes as a starting point two recent and far-reaching developments in delivering accountability and establishing the truth: First, the publication of the executive summary of the US Senate Intelligence Committee (Feinstein) Report, and second, various European Court of Human Rights judgments regarding the complicity of several state parties and the incompatibility of those actions with the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR). The collective volume provides the first stock-taking review of the state of affairs in the quest for accountability, and identifies significant obstacles in going even further -- as international law demands. It will be vital reading for students and scholars in a wide range of areas, including international relations, international law, public policy and counter-terrorism studies.

Download or read book Regional Governance in the EU written by Gabriele Abels and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2019 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The role of regions in the European Union has been frequently debated since the 1980s. This comprehensive book provides a thorough overview of the issue from a variety of perspectives, analysing regional governance and territorial dynamics in the EU and its member states. Focusing on the implications of the democratisation–regionalisation nexus, it argues that a ‘Europe with the regions’ may promote good governance and ameliorate the democratic deficits of the EU.

Download or read book The Constitutional Framework for Enhanced Cooperation in EU Law written by Robert Böttner and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-02-15 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Constitutional Framework for Enhanced Cooperation in EU Law analyses the primary-law framework of the flexibility tool of “enhanced cooperation”. Against the background of recent Member State practice, Robert Böttner redefines its constitutional rules and draws conclusions on its potential for European integration.

Download or read book Law and Gender in Modern Ireland written by Lynsey Black and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-02-21 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Law and Gender in Modern Ireland: Critique and Reform is the first generalist text to tackle the intersection of law and gender in this jurisdiction for over two decades. As such, it could hardly have come at a more opportune moment. The topic of law and gender, perhaps more so than at any other time in Irish history, has assumed a dominant place in political and academic debate. Among scholars and policy-makers alike, the regulation of gendered bodies, and the legal status of sexual and gendered identities, is now a highly visible fault line in public discourse. Debates over reproductive justice (exemplified by the recent referendum to remove the '8th Amendment'), increased rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons (including the public-sanctioned introduction of same-sex marriage) and the historic mistreatment of women and young girls have re-shaped Irish public and political life, and encouraged Irish society to re-examine long-unchallenged gender norms. While many traditional flashpoints remain such as abortion and prostitution/sex work, there are also new questions, including surrogacy and the gendered experience of asylum frameworks, which have emerged. As policy-makers seek to enact reforms, they face a population with increasingly polarised perceptions of gender and a legal structure ill-equipped for modern realities. This edited volume directly addresses modern Irish debates on law and gender. Providing an overview of the existing rules and standards, as well as exploring possible options for reform, the collection stands as an important statement on the law in this jurisdiction, and as an invaluable resource for pursuing gendered social change. While the edited collection applies a doctrinal methodology to explain current statutes, case law and administrative practices, the contributors also invoke critical gender, queer and race perspectives to identify and problematise existing (and potential) challenges. This edited collection is essential reading for all who are interested in law, gender and processes of social change in modern Ireland.

Download or read book Delegation of Powers in the EU Legal System written by Annalisa Volpato and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2022-03-29 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The majority of rules adopted at the EU level are not issued by democratically elected institutions, but rather by administrative bodies which are empowered to exercise rule-making powers by legislative acts. This book analyses the legal mechanism through which these powers are conferred on the most relevant bodies in the EU institutional landscape, namely the European Commission, the Council, the ECB and EU agencies, and the democratic controls in place to limit and oversee the exercise of these powers. Providing an overarching perspective of the delegation of powers, this book reflects on the notion of delegation and on the commonalities between the different forms of delegation identified. It focuses on the legal requirements and limits for the delegating act, the procedures for the exercise of such powers, the position of the acts in the hierarchy of norms, and their judicial review. Overcoming the fragmentation which characterized the development of the different forms of delegation in the EU, this analysis provides a clear, structured, and coherent picture of the legal framework for the delegation of powers in the light of the constitutional principles of this legal system. Academics and practitioners will equally appreciate this highly accessible addition to the current debate in legal scholarship of the delegation of powers in the EU, as well as its explanations on comitology and the empowerment of EU agencies.

Download or read book Kelly The Irish Constitution written by Gerard Hogan and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-12-13 with total page 3184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This seminal work, recognised as the authoritative and definitive commentary on Ireland's fundamental law, provides a detailed guide to the structure of the Irish Constitution. Each Article is set out in full, in English and Irish, and examined in detail, with reference to all the leading Irish and international case law. It is essential reading for all who require knowledge of the Irish legal system and will prove a vital resource to legal professionals, students and scholars of constitutional and comparative law. This new edition is fully revised and reflects the substantive changes that have occurred in the 15 years since its last edition and includes expansion and major revision to cover the many constitutional amendments, significant constitutional cases, and developing trends in constitutional adjudication. The recent constitutional changes covered in this new edition include: * The 27th Amendment abolished the constitutional jus soli right to Irish Nationality. * The 28th Amendment allowed the State to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. * The 29th Amendment relaxed the prohibition on the reduction of the salaries of Irish judges. * The 30th Amendment allowed the State to ratify the European Fiscal Compact. * The 31st Amendment was a general statement of children's rights and a provision intended to secure the power of the State to take children into care. * The 33rd Amendment mandated a new Court of Appeal * The 34th Amendment prohibited restriction on civil marriage based on sex. * The 36th Amendment allowed the Oireachtas to legislate for abortion. New sections include a look at the impact of the Constitution on substantive criminal law, and a detailed treatment of the impact of Article 40.5, protecting the inviolability of the dwelling, on both criminal procedure and civil law. Other sections have been expanded with in-depth analysis of referendums, challenges to campaigns and results, coverage of Oireachtas privilege, changes in constitutional interpretation, private property rights, and judicial independence. In particular extensive rewriting has taken place on the section dealing with the provisions relating to the courts contained in Article 34 following the establishment of the Court of Appeal and the far-reaching changes to the appellate structure from the 33rd Amendment of the Constitution Act 2013.

Download or read book Climate Constitutionalism Momentum written by Pasquale Viola and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-03-29 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While civil society and social movements claim for more effective measures to cope with anthropogenic climate change, legal scholars are witnessing the “aurora” of climate change law. What is quite relevant in this double-process of recognition/establishment is the interdisciplinary nature of such a field of studies, which goes beyond formalistic legal aspects. Based on the need to rethink legal paradigms, “Climate Constitutionalism Momentum: Adaptive Legal Systems” deals with three major means to combat anthropogenic climate change—namely science, politics and law—further addressing the thesis regarding a supposed adaptiveness of legal systems and proposing new pathways for further inquiries on the current climate constitutionalism momentum. The book introduces the international efforts in acknowledging the need for concrete measures to achieve ambitious results, addressing the comparative public law debate, merging theoretical appraisals and quantitative insights under a top-down approach and a civil-law methodology. Furthermore, the book combines theoretical and empirical viewpoints in reference to climate justice and litigation. The last part of the argumentative pattern merges the aforementioned key elements and grounds of investigation, providing an overall account of the current climate constitutionalism momentum. Academic researchers are the book’s primary audience, but it is also targeted for undergraduate and postgraduate students of specific courses. For the numerous insights and the contemporary relevance of the topic, the book is also addressed to political stakeholders and legal practitioners. Given the transnational development of this area of law, the expected audience of the book is global.

Download or read book Intercultural Constitutionalism written by Salvatore Bonfiglio and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-10-03 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book argues that the effective protection of fundamental rights in a contemporary, multicultural society requires not only tolerance and respect for others, but also an ethics of reciprocity and a pursuit of dialogue between different cultures of human rights. Nowadays, all cultures tend to claim an equitable arrangement that can be articulated in the terms of fundamental rights and in the multicultural organization of the State. Starting from the premise that every culture is and always was intercultural, this book elaborates a new, and more fundamentally, pluralist view of the relationship between rights and cultural identity. No culture is pure; from the perspective of an irreducible cultural contamination, this book argues, it is possible to formulate constitutional idea of diversity that is properly intercultural. This concept of intercultural constitutionalism is not, then, based on abstract principles, but nor is it bound to any particular cultural norm. Rather, intercultural constitutionalism allows the interpretation of rights, rules and legal principles, which are established in different contexts.

Download or read book The Enforcement of EU Law and Values written by András Jakab and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-07 with total page 715 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is clear that the current crisis of the EU is not confined to the Eurozone and the EMU, evidenced in its inability to ensure the compliance of Member States to follow the principles and values underlying the integration project in Europe (including the protection of democracy, the Rule of Law, and human rights). This defiance has affected the Union profoundly, and in a multi-faceted assessment of this phenomenon, The Enforcement of EU Law and Values: Ensuring Member States' Compliance, dissects the essence of this crisis, examining its history and offering coping methods for the years to come. Defiance is not a new concept and this volume explores the richness of EU-level and national-level examples of historical defiance – the French Empty Chair policy–, the Luxembourg compromise, and the FPÖ crisis in Austria - and draws on the experience of the US legal system and that of the integration projects on other continents. Building on this legal-political context, the book focuses on the assessment of the adequacy of the enforcement mechanisms whilst learning from EU integration history. Structured in four parts, the volume studies (1) theoretical issues on defiance in the context of multi-layered legal orders, (2) EU mechanisms of acquis and values' enforcement, (3) comparative perspective on law-enforcement in multi-layered legal systems, and (4) case-studies of defiance in the EU.

Download or read book Business and Human Rights written by Dalia Palombo and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-06 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book analyses the accountability of European home States for their failure to secure the human rights of victims from host States against transnational enterprises. It argues for a reconfiguration of the relationship between multinational enterprises and individuals, both of which have been profoundly changed by globalisation. Enterprises are now supranational entities with numerous affiliates all over the world. Likewise, individuals are increasingly part of a global community. Despite this, the relationship between the two is deregulated. Addressing this gap, this study proposes an innovative business and human rights litigation strategy. Human rights advocates could file a test case against a European home State, at the European Court of Human Rights, for its failure to secure the rights of victims vis-à-vis European multinational enterprises. The book illustrates why such a strategy is needed, and points to the lack of effective legal remedies against European multinationals. The goal is to empower victims from developing countries against European States which are failing to hold multinational enterprises accountable for human rights abuses.

Download or read book Legal Geography written by Matteo Nicolini and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-12-05 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book invites readers to critically rethink the interrelations between geography and the law. Traditionally, legal-geographical interrelations have been dominated by scholars with backgrounds in geopolitics, economics, or geography. More recently, a new interdisciplinary approach has been developed with the aim of offering a fresh perspective on how law and geography intersect. There has been a steady growth in cross-disciplinary research in this field; how legal-geographical taxonomies interrelate has attracted attention from scholars and academics with a diverse range of backgrounds – namely, law, anthropology, and human/physical geography –, thus giving rise to several publications. Against this backdrop, the book adopts a legal comparative perspective and assesses ‘normative spatialities’, which are the outcomes of processes of legal-spatial production. In addition, the comparative analysis offers readers new insights on some traditional geographic features which are essential to legal studies (territorial identity, regional demarcation, territorial alternation, and place-name policy). Examples are drawn from several jurisdictions (both from the Global North and the Global South) and partly employ a diachronic perspective. As its subversive character is ideally suited to revealing policies and agendas, comparative law is used to identify the ethnocentric and colonial biases underpinning the use (and misuse) of legal geographic devices by policymakers and academics. In sum, the book presents legal geography as an interdisciplinary undertaking in which geographers and legal scholars can jointly examine common concepts in the historical, cultural, political and social contexts in which law is practised. The book transcends the boundaries between disciplines to engage in a fruitful dialogue on how the law can help to address the current socio-geographic and ecological crises.