Sacralità del testo costituzionale ed eresia interpretativa: la sentenza della corte suprema brasiliana sulle unioni civili omosessuali

The paper provides a close lecture of the arguments and methods of legal construction, employed in the extensive individual opinions written by the Justices of the Brazilian Supreme Court in the case which authorized the same sex civil union. After tracing an outline of the legal problem and his possible solutions, we analyze the individual opinions, showing their methodological syncretism, the use of legal methods and arguments in a contradictory way as well the defciencies in the reasoning. The Justices use legal arguments, but do not meet the requirements of rationality in the decision-making. We have a rhetorical attempt that aims to satisfy the public opinion rather than to ofer a comprehensive and coherent solution according the normative elements of the Brazilian Federal Constitution of 1988.

Liberdade de imprensa no Supremo Tribunal Federal: análise comparativa com a Suprema Corte dos Estados Unidos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A liberdade de imprensa vista pelo Supremo Tribunal Federal: análise da ADPF n. 130

The present study aims to present and analyze the ruling of the Brazilian Supreme Court in ADPF 130 (Concentrated constitutional review action, Fundamental Precept Infringement, Argüição de Descumprimento de Preceito Fundamental), proposed by Partido Democrático Trabalhista (PDT), which contests the compatibility of statute 5.250/67 with the Federal Constitution of 1988. This work considers that the judicial ruling is different than the approach taken by the Legislative and Executive powers, arguing that there is, in the Judiciary, a peculiar way for ruling, surrounded by mysteries, rites, secrets, pomp and circunstances unintelligible to layman. To reach the proposed goal, Justice Carlos Brito´s report and opinion on ADPF 130 are analyzed. The choice of giving special attention to this opinion, which favors the declaration of unconstitutionality of the 5.250/67 statute, is justified in that it represents agreement with the allegation of disrespect to the constitutional text, as suggested by the Partido Democrático Trabalhista. The arguments put forth by the presiding Justice on his ruling will also be the object of consideration, as well as some possible consequences of the ruling.

A regulação constitucional da Comunicação Social e a efetivação de suas normas

The media received from Brazilian Constitution an extensive regulatory role, however, despite the constitutional requirement, until these days, over twenty years after its promulgation, the Brazilian Congress hasn’t regulated all constitutional rules for the sector. In addition, some rules related to the media that were produced before and after the Constitution were expurgated by Brazilian Supreme Court decisions. This text is part of ongoing research that aims to present the constitutional regulation of the media and the development/implementation of these legal standards through decisions of the Supreme Court.

Judiciary as the last resort to protect children and adolescents: intersectoral actions, investment in human resources, and structuring of services

This study aimed to identify the work developed by the Judiciary to prevent sexual violence against children and adolescents within the family. The approach to social representations in a cultural perspective was used. The field study consisted in the 1st and 2nd Court of Crimes against Children and Adolescents, at the State Supreme Court of Pernambuco, Brazil. Participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and focus group with 17 subjects were the techniques for data collection, analyzed through the interpretation of meanings, allowing the identification of the category "The Judiciary as the ultimate level" and the following subcategories: "The public policies to prevent violence" and "The structure and dynamics of Courts". This study allows the visualization of the Judiciary's limitations with regard to the full protection and absolute priority, and that the work along with the victims demands investments in structure and human resources.

A cátedra UNESCO de direito à educação da Faculdade de Direito: democracia, cidadania e direito à educação

Regimes democráticos se consolidam na medida de sua aceitação pela maioria, o que supõe conhecimento e confiança nas instituições políticas e jurídicas. A educação de qualidade é relevante para a governança democrática e para a formação da cidadania, posto propiciar o acesso a ferramentas cognitivas necessárias para a participação política relevante. As interações entre a democracia, o direito à educação e as políticas públicas de educação são analisadas pela Cátedra UNESCO no projeto de pesquisa “Brasil 25 anos de democracia” sob o ângulo da função promocional do Direito à Educação da FD, em parceria com o Núcleo de Políticas Públicas da USP, com. O foco da pesquisa é a atividade do Supremo Tribunal Federal (STF), a do Superior Tribunal de Justiça (STJ) e a do Congresso Nacional, no período compreendido entre os anos 2000 e 2010.

Previdenza complementare: evoluzione e tendenze

La tesi si articola in tre capitoli. Il primo dà conto del dibattito sorto attorno alla problematica dell’inquadramento della previdenza complementare nel sistema costituzionale dell’art. 38 Cost. che ha diviso la dottrina tra quanti hanno voluto ricondurre tale fenomeno al principio di libertà della previdenza privata di cui all’ art. 38, comma 5, Cost. e quanti lo hanno invece collocato al 2° comma della stessa norma, sulla base di una ritenuta identità di funzioni tra previdenza pubblica e previdenza complementare. Tale ultima ricostruzione in particolare dopo la c.d. Riforma “Amato” è culminata nella giurisprudenza della Corte Costituzionale, che ha avuto modo di pronunciarsi sulla questione con una serie di pronunce sulla vicenda del c.d. “contributo sul contributo” e su quella della subordinazione dei requisiti di accesso alle prestazioni pensionistiche complementari alla maturazione dei requisiti previsti dal sistema obbligatorio. Il capitolo successivo si occupa della verifica della attualità e della coerenza dell’impostazione della Corte Costituzionale alla luce dell’evoluzione della disciplina dei fondi pensione. Nel terzo capitolo, infine, vengono affrontate alcune questioni aperte in relazione ai c.d. fondi pensione “preesistenti” suscettibili di sollevare preoccupazioni circa la necessità di garantire le aspettative e i diritti dei soggetti iscritti.

Quantifying the Economics of Medical Malpractice - A View from a Civil Law Perspective

Life is full of uncertainties. Legal rules should have a clear intention, motivation and purpose in order to diminish daily uncertainties. However, practice shows that their consequences are complex and hard to predict. For instance, tort law has the general objectives of deterring future negligent behavior and compensating the victims of someone else's negligence. Achieving these goals are particularly difficult in medical malpractice cases. To start with, when patients search for medical care they are typically sick in the first place. In case harm materializes during the treatment, it might be very hard to assess if it was due to substandard medical care or to the patient's poor health conditions. Moreover, the practice of medicine has a positive externality on the society, meaning that the design of legal rules is crucial: for instance, it should not result in physicians avoiding practicing their activity just because they are afraid of being sued even when they acted according to the standard level of care. The empirical literature on medical malpractice has been developing substantially in the past two decades, with the American case being the most studied one. Evidence from civil law tradition countries is more difficult to find. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the empirical literature on medical malpractice, using two civil law countries as a case-study: Spain and Italy. The goal of this thesis is to investigate, in the first place, some of the consequences of having two separate sub-systems (administrative and civil) coexisting within the same legal system, which is common in civil law tradition countries with a public national health system (such as Spain, France and Portugal). When this holds, different procedures might apply depending on the type of hospital where the injury took place (essentially whether it is a public hospital or a private hospital). Therefore, a patient injured in a public hospital should file a claim in administrative courts while a patient suffering an identical medical accident should file a claim in civil courts. A natural question that the reader might pose is why should both administrative and civil courts decide medical malpractice cases? Moreover, can this specialization of courts influence how judges decide medical malpractice cases? In the past few years, there was a general concern with patient safety, which is currently on the agenda of several national governments. Some initiatives have been taken at the international level, with the aim of preventing harm to patients during treatment and care. A negligently injured patient might present a claim against the health care provider with the aim of being compensated for the economic loss and for pain and suffering. In several European countries, health care is mainly provided by a public national health system, which means that if a patient harmed in a public hospital succeeds in a claim against the hospital, public expenditures increase because the State takes part in the litigation process. This poses a problem in a context of increasing national health expenditures and public debt. In Italy, with the aim of increasing patient safety, some regions implemented a monitoring system on medical malpractice claims. However, if properly implemented, this reform shall also allow for a reduction in medical malpractice insurance costs. This thesis is organized as follows. Chapter 1 provides a review of the empirical literature on medical malpractice, where studies on outcomes and merit of claims, costs and defensive medicine are presented. Chapter 2 presents an empirical analysis of medical malpractice claims arriving to the Spanish Supreme Court. The focus is on reversal rates for civil and administrative decisions. Administrative decisions appealed by the plaintiff have the highest reversal rates. The results show a bias in lower administrative courts, which tend to focus on the State side. We provide a detailed explanation for these results, which can rely on the organization of administrative judges career. Chapter 3 assesses predictors of compensation in medical malpractice cases appealed to the Spanish Supreme Court and investigates the amount of damages attributed to patients. The results show horizontal equity between administrative and civil decisions (controlling for observable case characteristics) and vertical inequity (patients suffering more severe injuries tend to receive higher payouts). In order to execute these analyses, a database of medical malpractice decisions appealed to the Administrative and Civil Chambers of the Spanish Supreme Court from 2006 until 2009 (designated by the Spanish Supreme Court Medical Malpractice Dataset (SSCMMD)) has been created. A description of how the SSCMMD was built and of the Spanish legal system is presented as well. Chapter 4 includes an empirical investigation of the effect of a monitoring system for medical malpractice claims on insurance premiums. In Italy, some regions adopted this policy in different years, while others did not. The study uses data on insurance premiums from Italian public hospitals for the years 2001-2008. This is a significant difference as most of the studies use the insurance company as unit of analysis. Although insurance premiums have risen from 2001 to 2008, the increase was lower for regions adopting a monitoring system for medical claims. Possible implications of this system are also provided. Finally, Chapter 5 discusses the main findings, describes possible future research and concludes.

Violenze in famiglia e molestie sul lavoro: aspetti socio-criminologici e giuridici nell'ordinamento italiano e francese.

L'elaborato si pone l'obiettivo di indagare il complesso quadro delle molestie in famiglia e sul lavoro nell'ordinamento italiano e di effettuare una comparazione con un ordinamento appartenente alla stessa tradizione giuridica, l'ordinamento francese. Nel corso dell'esposizione saranno ricostruiti gli aspetti socio-criminologici e giuridici delle molestie in famiglia verso i soggetti deboli, donne, minori, anziani o portatori di handicap, le molestie sul luogo di lavoro quali molestie sessuali e mobbing, le molestie a distanza o stalking, che per molti aspetti rappresentano un fenomeno sommerso e poco conosciuto. La tesi intende analizzare soprattutto le forme di molestie psicologiche e meno conosciute. La ricostruzione teorico-normativa degli argomenti trattati è integrata con i risultati di una ricerca quantitativa e qualitativa tratta dalla giurisprudenza dei due paesi. Il lavoro, quindi, è organizzato in due parti: la prima è incentrata sugli aspetti teorici, socio-criminologici e giuridici e la seconda è dedicata alla ricerca empirica, che è stata condotta utilizzando quali fonti di dati le sentenze della Suprema Corte di Cassazione italiana e francese.

La responsabilità civile da prodotto farmaceutico

Il tema della ricerca ha riguardato preliminarmente la definizione di farmaco descritta nel d.lgs. n. 219 del 2006 (Codice dei farmaci per uso umano). Oltre al danno prodotto da farmaci, la ricerca ha approfondito anche la tutela ex ante ed ex post riguardante la produzione di dispositivi medici (Direttiva della Comunità Economica Europea n. 42 del 1993 e Direttiva della Comunità Economica Europea n. 374 del 1985). E’ stato necessario soffermarsi sull’analisi del concetto di precauzione per il quale nell’ambito di attività produttive, come quelle che cagionano inquinamento ambientale, o “pericolose per la salute umana” come quelle riguardanti la produzione di alimenti e farmaci, è necessario eliminare i rischi non conosciuti nella produzione di questi ultimi al fine di garantire una tutela completa della salute. L’analisi della Direttiva della Comunità Economica Europea n. 374 del 1985 nei suoi aspetti innovativi ha riguardato l’esame dei casi di danno da farmaco (Trib. Roma, 20 Giugno 2002, Trib. Roma 27 Giugno 1987, Trib. Milano 19 Novembre 1987, Cassazione Civile n. 6241 del 1987): profilo critico è quello riguardante la prova liberatoria, mentre l'art. 2050 prevede che «si debbano adottare tutte le misure necessarie per evitare il danno», l'art. 118, lett. e), c. cons.) prevede una serie di casi di esonero di responsabilità del produttore (tra cui il rischio di sviluppo). Dall'analisi emerge poi la necessità da parte del produttore di continuo utilizzo del duty to warn (Art. 117 del Codice del Consumo lett. A e B ): esso consiste nel dovere continuo di informazione del produttore tramite i suoi rappresentanti e il bugiardino presente nelle confezioni dei farmaci. Tale dovere è ancor più importante nel caso della farmacogenetica, infatti, al fine di evitare reazioni avverse nel bugiardino di alcuni farmaci verrà prescritta la necessità di effettuare un test genetico prima dell’assunzione.

Il giudicato implicito: profili teorici e questioni pratiche

La tesi intende offrire una disamina approfondita dell’istituto del giudicato implicito, di rito e di merito, sotto il duplice profilo dei recenti orientamenti della giurisprudenza di legittimità, da un lato, e dei rilievi critici della dottrina, dall’altro. Il candidato si sofferma, preliminarmente, sulla ratio delle recenti sentenze delle sezioni unite della Cassazione, le quali promuovono un’interpretazione restrittiva e residuale dell’art. 37 c.p.c. alla luce del principio costituzionale della ragionevole durata. Si pone, quindi, il problema del rapporto tra il giudicato implicito sulla giurisdizione e i principi processuali costituzionali, dedicando ampio spazio e rilievo alle riflessioni critiche della dottrina sulla teoria del giudicato implicito. Il candidato passa così all’esame del giudicato implicito sulle questioni preliminari di merito, dopo aver trattato il tema dell’ordine logico-giuridico delle questioni e della struttura della decisione. Nel corso di questa analisi, ravvisa nel principio della ragione più liquida la negazione dell’idea di giudicato implicito, sviluppando così alcune riflessioni critiche sul giudicato di merito implicito. A questo punto, il piano dell’indagine si incentra su un aspetto specifico dell’istituto in esame, particolarmente importante sotto il profilo dei risvolti applicativi: le implicazioni del giudicato implicito in sede di impugnazione. Segue, quindi, la parte conclusiva della tesi dedicata ai profili di criticità del recente orientamento delle sezioni unite, con particolare riguardo all’onere di appello incidentale della parte vittoriosa nel merito. La tesi mette in luce come la struttura degli istituti venga in qualche misura piegata ad esigenze di deflazione, che andrebbero però perseguite con altri e più coerenti strumenti.

L’autotutela collettiva tra ipotesi di revisione della disciplina nazionale e prospettive europee

Nel presente lavoro viene trattato il delicato tema dell’autotutela collettiva, nell’intersezione tra ipotesi di revisione nazionale e prospettive europee. Dapprima viene ricostruita l’evoluzione della valutazione del conflitto collettivo nell’ordinamento giuridico italiano ed effettuata una ricognizione delle diverse manifestazioni del conflitto collettivo ivi riscontrabili. Il tentativo è quello di superare i limiti di una trattazione ristretta allo sciopero e di verificare la perdurante validità della tradizionale nozione di sciopero, intesa esclusivamente come astensione collettiva dalle prestazioni di lavoro. In un secondo capitolo vengono esaminati i disegni di legge di riforma in materia di conflitto collettivo, presentati nel corso della XVI legislatura e le clausole, incidenti sulla medesima materia, rinvenibili nell’Accordo interconfederale del 28 giugno 2011 e negli accordi FIAT del 2010, relativi agli stabilimenti di Pomigliano D’Arco e Mirafiori. Alla luce di tali materiali, si riesaminano le tematiche della titolarità individuale del diritto di sciopero, delle clausole di tregua e delle procedure arbitrali e conciliative. Successivamente, viene esaminata la produzione legislativa e giurisprudenziale comunitaria in tema di conflitto collettivo. Il confronto con l’ordinamento nazionale consente di mettere criticamente in luce il diverso rapporto tra mercato e diritti d’azione collettiva e di rilevare che nell’ordinamento comunitario la giurisprudenza della Corte di giustizia abbia introdotto limiti eccessivi al dispiegarsi dei diritti sociali in esame. Da ultimo, vengono formulate alcune considerazioni conclusive. Criticamente viene rilevato come, in tempi di globalizzazione, non viene prestata sufficiente attenzione alla valorizzazione del conflitto collettivo, come motore dell’emancipazione e del progresso sociale.

Inadempimento e ripartizione dell'onere probatorio

L'interesse per il tema dell'onere della prova nell'inadempimento contrattuale è giustificato dalla circostanza che il noto intervento delle Sezioni Unite in materia, al quale originariamente si è pensato di attribuire una portata indifferenziata e assoluta, non ha avuto l'effetto di porre fine ai numerosi contrasti interpretativi. Al contrario, lo stesso ha determinato il sorgere di nuove incertezze e profili problematici, subendo, peraltro, continue smentite in diversi settori della responsabilità civile. Lo scopo della presente indagine è stato quello di verificare in quali contesti la regola fissata dalla Cassazione venisse applicata e in quali disattesa, procedendo, quindi, ad accertare la modulazione dell'onere della prova in alcuni settori considerati emblematici. Si è, così, tentato di individuare le ragioni della limitazione dell'indirizzo in parola, nonché i criteri in base ai quali determinare l'allocazione dell'onere della prova.

Does Israel Follow the Law? A Critical Analysis of Israel's Application of the International Law of Belligerent Occupation in the Occupied Territories

Israel's occupation of territories it captured in 1967 has become one of the longest and most controversial occupations of the last fifty years. Eschewing the traditional political analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, this paper aims to explore whether Israel has adequately applied international law in the occupied territories, in particular, the law of belligerent occupation. The two actors under assessment are the Israeli government, particularly its military which enforces and maintains the law in the territories, and the Supreme Court of Israel, which has the power of review over military actions in the territories. The particular issues of the occupation that are critically analyzed are the general legal framework that Israel established in the territories, Israel's civilian settlement policy in territories, and Israel's construction of a barrier in the West Bank. This paper concludes that Israel has incorrectly applied the legal framework of belligerent occupation by refusing to apply the Fourth Geneva Convention; it has wrongly concluded that the establishment of civilian settlements in the territories conform with international law; yet it has rightly concluded that the construction of the barrier in the West Bank is permissible under international law, in contrast to the conclusion of the much publicized International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion on the 'Wall.' Along with these general assessments, the author will also provide some historical and political insight into why the Israeli government and the Supreme Court may have applied the law in the way that they did.

Firing Up the Crucible with Senator Lee Metcalf & Governor Forrest Anderson -- Judge Gordon Bennett in “The Crucible of Change”

During the lead-up to Montana second progressive era, Lee Metcalf and Forrest Anderson, along with others, kept the progressive flame lit in Montana. Metcalf’s political history is replete with close electoral wins because of his commitment to progressive ideals when the times were not always politically favorable for that. As State Legislator, MT Supreme Court Justice, Congressman and eventually as US Senator, Lee won races by as little as 55 votes because he stuck to his guns as a progressive. In Forrest Anderson’s career as a County Attorney, State Legislator, MT Supreme Court Justice and 12 years as MT Attorney General he was respected as a pragmatic practitioner of politics. But during that entire career leading up to his election as Governor, Forrest Anderson was also a stalwart supporter of the progressive agenda exemplified by FDR and the New Deal, which brought folks out of the Great Depression that was brought on by the bad policies of the GOP and big business. As MT’s second progressive period began in 1965, the first important election was Senator Metcalf’s successful re-election battle in 1966 with the sitting MT Governor, Tim Babcock. And the progressive express was really ignited by the election of Forrest Anderson as Governor in 1968 after 16 years of Republican Governors in MT. Gordon Bennett played a rather unique role, being a confidant of Metcalf and Anderson, both who respected his wide and varied experience, his intellect, and his roots in progressivism beginning with his formative years in the Red Corner of NE Montana. Working with Senator Metcalf and his team, including Brit Englund, Vic Reinemer, Peggy McLaughlin, Betty Davis and Jack Condon among others, Bennett helped shape the progressive message both in Washington DC and MT. Progressive labor and farm organizations, part of the progressive coalition, benefitted from Bennett’s advice and counsel and aided the Senator in his career including the huge challenge of having a sitting popular governor run against him for the Senate in 1966. Metcalf’s noted intern program produced a cadre of progressive leaders in Montana over the years. Most notably, Ron Richards transitioned from Metcalf Intern to Executive Secretary of the Montana Democratic Party (MDP) and assisted, along with Bennett, in the 1966 Metcalf-Babcock race in a big way. As Executive Secretary Richards was critical to the success of the MDP as a platform for Forrest Anderson’s general election run and win in 1968. After Forrest’s gubernatorial election, Richards became Executive Assistant (now called Chief of Staff) for Governor Anderson and also for Governor Thomas Judge. The Metcalf progressive strain, exemplified by many including Richards and Bennett, permeated Democratic politics during the second progressive era. So, too, did the coalition that supported Metcalf and his policies. The progressivism of the period of “In the Crucible of Change” was fired up by Lee Metcalf, Forrest Anderson and their supporters and coalitions, and Gordon Bennett was in the center of all of that, helping fire up the crucible, setting the stage for many policy advancements in both Washington DC and Montana. Gordon Bennett’s important role in the 1966 re-election of Senator Lee Metcalf and the 1968 election of Governor Forrest Anderson, as well as his wide experience in government and politics of that time allows him to provide us with an insider’s personal perspective of those races and other events at the beginning of the period of progressive change being documented “In the Crucible of Change,” as well as his personal insights into the larger political/policy picture of Montana. Gordon Bennett, a major and formative player “In the Crucible of Change,” was born in the far northeast town of Scobey, MT in 1922. He attended school in Scobey through the eighth grade and graduated from Helena High School. After attending Carroll College for two years, he received his BA in economics from Carleton College in Northfield, MN. During a brief stint on the east coast, his daily reading of the New York Times (“best newspaper in the world at that time … and now”) inspired him to pursue a career in journalism. He received his MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri and entered the field. As a reporter for the Great Falls Tribune under the ownership and management of the Warden Family, he observed and competed with the rigid control of Montana’s press by the Anaconda Company (the Great Falls Tribune was the only large newspaper in Montana NOT owned by ACM). Following his intellectual curiosity and his philosophical bend, he attended a number of Farm-Labor Institutes which he credits with motivating him to pursue solutions to economic and social woes through the law. In 1956, at the age of 34, he received his Juris Doctorate degree from the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. Bennett’s varied career included eighteen years as a farmer, four years in the US Army during WWII (1942-46), two years as Assistant MT Attorney General (1957-59) with Forrest Anderson, three years in private practice in Glasgow (1959-61), two years as Associate Solicitor in the Department of Interior in Washington, DC (1961-62), and private law practice in Helena from 1962 to 1969. While in Helena he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Montana Supreme Court (1962) and cemented his previous relationships with Attorney General Forrest Anderson and US Senator Lee Metcalf. Bennett modestly refuses to accept the title of Campaign Manager for either Lee Metcalf (1966 re-election over the challenger, MT Republican Governor Tim Babcock) or Forrest Anderson (his 1968 election as Governor), saying that “they ran their campaigns … we were only there to help.” But he has been generally recognized as having filled that critical role in both of those critical elections. After Governor Anderson’s election in 1968, Bennett was appointed Director of the MT Unemployment Compensation Commission, a position from where he could be a close advisor and confidant of the new Governor. In 1971, Governor Anderson appointed him Judge in the most important jurisdiction in Montana, the 1st Judicial District in Helena, a position he held for seventeen years (1971-88). Upon stepping down from his judgeship, for twenty years (1988-2008) he was a law instructor, mediator and arbitrator. He currently resides in Helena with his wife, Norma Tirrell, former newspaper reporter and researcher/writer. Bennett has two adult children and four grandchildren.