A ‘right to have rights’ in the EU public sphere? An Arendtian justification for the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

This paper discusses the Court’s reasoning in interpreting the EU Charter, using recent case law on horizontal effect as a case study. It identifies two possible means of interpreting the provisions of the Charter: firstly, an approach based on common values (e.g. equality or solidarity) and, secondly, an approach based on access to the public sphere. It argues in favour of the latter. Whereas an approach based on common values is more consonant with the development of the case law so far, it is conceptually problematic: it involves subjective assessments of the importance and degree of ‘sharedness’ of the value in question, which can undermine the equal constitutional status of different Charter provisions. Furthermore, it marginalises the Charter’s overall politically constructional character, which distinguishes it from other sources of rights protection listed in Art 6 TEU. The paper argues that, as the Charter’s provisions concretise the notion of political status in the EU, they have a primarily constitutional, rather than ethical, basis. Interpreting the Charter based on the very commitment to a process of sharing, drawing on Hannah Arendt’s idea of the ‘right to have rights’ (a right to access a political community on equal terms), is therefore preferable. This approach retains the pluralistic, post-national fabric of the EU polity, as it accommodates multiple narratives about its underlying values, while also having an inclusionary impact on previously underrepresented groups (e.g. non-market-active citizens or the sans-papiers) by recognising their equal political disposition.

An analysis of state crime: negotiating multiple insecurities around the U.S. Mexico Border

This research looks into forms of state crime taking place around the U.S.-Mexico border. On the Mexican side of the border violent corruption and criminal activities stemming from state actors complicity with drug trafficking organisations has produced widespread violence and human casualty while forcing many to cross the border legally or illegally in fear for their lives. Upon their arrival on the U.S. side of the border, these individuals are treated as criminal suspects. They are held in immigration detention facilities, interrogated and categorised as inadmissible ‘economic migrants’ or ‘drug offenders’ only to be denied asylum status and deported to dangerous and violent zones in Mexico. These individuals have been persecuted and victimised by the state during the 2007-2012 counter narcotic operations on one side of the border while criminalised and punished by a categorizing anti-immigration regime on the other side of the border. This thesis examines this border crisis as injurious actions against border residents have been executed by the states under legal and illegal formats in violation of criminal law and human rights conventions. The ethnographic research uses data to develop a nuanced understanding of individuals’ experiences of state victimisation on both sides of the border. In contributing to state crime scholarship it presents a multidimensional theoretical lens by using organised crime theoretical models and critical criminology concepts to explain the role of the state in producing multiple insecurities that exclude citizens and non-citizens through criminalisation processes.

Privity of Contract and Third Party Rights in European Construction Projects

Privity of contract has lately been criticized in several European jurisdictions, particu-larly due to the onerous consequences it gives rise to in arrangements typical for the modern exchange such as chains of contracts. Privity of contract is a classical premise of contract law, which prohibits a third party to acquire or enforce rights under a contract to which he is not a party. Such a premise is usually seen to be manifested in the doctrine of privity of contract developed under common law, however, the jurisdictions of continental Europe do recognize a corresponding starting point in contract law. One of the traditional industry sectors affected by this premise is the construction industry. A typical large construction project includes a contractual chain comprised of an employer, a main contractor and a subcontractor. The employer is usually dependent on the subcontractor's performance, however, no contractual nexus exists between the two. Accordingly, the employer might want to circumvent the privity of contract in order to reach the subcontractor and to mitigate any risks imposed by such a chain of contracts. From this starting point, the study endeavors to examine the concept of privity of con-tract in European jurisdictions and particularly the methods used to circumvent the rule in the construction industry practice. For this purpose, the study employs both a com-parative and a legal dogmatic method. The principal aim is to discover general principles not just from a theoretical perspective, but from a practical angle as well. Consequently, a considerable amount of legal praxis as well as international industry forms have been used as references. The most important include inter alia the model forms produced by FIDIC as well as Olli Norros' doctoral thesis "Vastuu sopimusketjussa". According to the conclusions of this study, the four principal ways to circumvent privity of contract in European construction projects include liability in a chain of contracts, collateral contracts, assignment of rights as well as security instruments. The contempo-rary European jurisdictions recognize these concepts and the references suggest that they are an integral part of the current market practice. Despite the fact that such means of circumventing privity of contract raise a number of legal questions and affect the risk position of particularly a subcontractor considerably, it seems that the impairment of the premise of privity of contract is an increasing trend in the construction industry.

Federative dynamics in the EU under the influence of EU citizenship rights in times of crisis

The federative debate has been tied to the history of the EU integration from the start. Even though the EU is a polity in formation, the comparison with the state model has limited usefulness in assessing the evolution of federative dynamics in the EU. In the context of the EU, federalism should not be regarded as a static arrangement, but rather as a process that has been unfolding despite or because of EU integration setbacks. By the same token, EU citizenship is necessarily distinct from national citizenship. Our purpose in this article is to understand the federative dynamics of the EU in relation to the emergence of a “community of rights”. We also aim to establish if, and how, the on-going crisis has triggered a change in the EU federative process as a result of the weakening/strengthening of citizenship rights.

Cosmic distance duality relation and the shape of galaxy clusters

Context. Observations in the cosmological domain are heavily dependent on the validity of the cosmic distance-duality (DD) relation, eta = D(L)(z)(1+ z)(2)/D(A)(z) = 1, an exact result required by the Etherington reciprocity theorem where D(L)(z) and D(A)(z) are, respectively, the luminosity and angular diameter distances. In the limit of very small redshifts D(A)(z) = D(L)(z) and this ratio is trivially satisfied. Measurements of Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect (SZE) and X-rays combined with the DD relation have been used to determine D(A)(z) from galaxy clusters. This combination offers the possibility of testing the validity of the DD relation, as well as determining which physical processes occur in galaxy clusters via their shapes. Aims. We use WMAP (7 years) results by fixing the conventional Lambda CDM model to verify the consistence between the validity of DD relation and different assumptions about galaxy cluster geometries usually adopted in the literature. Methods. We assume that. is a function of the redshift parametrized by two different relations: eta(z) = 1+eta(0)z, and eta(z) = 1+eta(0)z/(1+z), where eta(0) is a constant parameter quantifying the possible departure from the strict validity of the DD relation. In order to determine the probability density function (PDF) of eta(0), we consider the angular diameter distances from galaxy clusters recently studied by two different groups by assuming elliptical (isothermal) and spherical (non-isothermal) beta models. The strict validity of the DD relation will occur only if the maximum value of eta(0) PDF is centered on eta(0) = 0. Results. It was found that the elliptical beta model is in good agreement with the data, showing no violation of the DD relation (PDF peaked close to eta(0) = 0 at 1 sigma), while the spherical (non-isothermal) one is only marginally compatible at 3 sigma. Conclusions. The present results derived by combining the SZE and X-ray surface brightness data from galaxy clusters with the latest WMAP results (7-years) favors the elliptical geometry for galaxy clusters. It is remarkable that a local property like the geometry of galaxy clusters might be constrained by a global argument provided by the cosmic DD relation.

On compliance of business processes with business contracts

This paper addresses the problem of ensuring compliance of business processes, implemented within and across organisational boundaries, with the constraints stated in related business contracts. In order to deal with the complexity of this problem we propose two solutions that allow for a systematic and increasingly automated support for addressing two specific compliance issues. One solution provides a set of guidelines for progressively transforming contract conditions into business processes that are consistent with contract conditions thus avoiding violation of the rules in contract. Another solution compares rules in business contracts and rules in business processes to check for possible inconsistencies. Both approaches rely on a computer interpretable representation of contract conditions that embodies contract semantics. This semantics is described in terms of a logic based formalism allowing for the description of obligations, prohibitions, permissions and violations conditions in contracts. This semantics was based on an analysis of typical building blocks of many commercial, financial and government contracts. The study proved that our contract formalism provides a good foundation for describing key types of conditions in contracts, and has also given several insights into valuable transformation techniques and formalisms needed to establish better alignment between these two, traditionally separate areas of research and endeavour. The study also revealed a number of new areas of research, some of which we intend to address in near future.

Confucianism and the idea of equality

It is often supposed that Confucianism is opposed to the idea of equality insofar as the key ideals to which it is committed, such as meritocracy and li , are incompatible with equality. Sympathetic commentators typically defend Confucianism by saying that (a) the Confucian person is not a free-standing individual but a social being embedded in a social structure with different and unequal roles, and (b) social inequality has to be traded in for other values. This paper argues that in advocating meritocracy, Confucianism does not abandon the idea of equality. Indeed, invoking Aristotle's account of equality in the Nicomachean Ethics , it can be argued that the unequal distribution of rights and benefits reflects one aspect of equality, namely the vertical aspect, or the unequal treatment of unequals.

Anotação sintética, numa perspectiva de Direito Público-penal e Direito Privado-civil, ao Acórdão do Supremo Tribunal de Justiça Português, de 19 de Abril de 2012-- A poluição sonora e o direito humano ao descanso e à saúde, sem descurar a necessidade duma adequada política tributária.

Resumo: 1 – Sumário do Acórdão do Supremo Tribunal de Justiça, de 19 de Abril de 2012; 2 – Texto completo do Acórdão do Supremo Tribunal de Justiça, de 19 de Abril de 2012: cfr. http://www.dgsi.pt/jstj.nsf/954f0ce6ad9dd8b980256b5f003fa814/fc664c231f3e73cf802579ea003d91d2?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,polui%C3%A7%C3%A3o , 2 de Junho de 2012; 3 – Anotação sintética; 3.1 – Introdução à anotação sintética e suas características neste caso concreto; 4 – Algumas referências constitucionais centrais em relação a Direitos humanos e, nomeadamente, a um Direito humano a um meio-ambiente sadio, saudável em todas as suas vertentes e sentidos – o exemplo central do artigo 9.º da CRP; 4.1 – Algumas referências constitucionais centrais em relação a Direitos humanos e, nomeadamente, a um Direito humano a um meio-ambiente sadio, saudável em todas as suas vertentes e sentidos – o exemplo central do artigo 66.º da CRP e o Regime Geral do Ruído; 5 – O direito humano ao descanso e à saúde, rectius o direito ao ambiente sadio vs o direito ao lazer e/ou exploração económica de indústrias de diversão, rectius o direito à liberdade de iniciativa económica privada; 6 – A violação do direito humano, de personalidade, ao descanso e à saúde, rectius o direito a um ambiente sadio, numa perspectiva de Direito privado e Direito civil; 7 – A criminalização da poluição, designadamente a criminalização da poluição sonora – uma perspectiva de Direito público e Direito penal; 8 - A necessidade duma adequada política tributária que compatibilize desenvolvimento sustentado com a protecção dum meio ambiente sadio e com qualidade de vida; 9 – Conclusões. § Abstract: 1 - Summary of the Judgment of the Supreme Court of April 19, 2012, 2 - Complete text of the Judgment of the Supreme Court of April 19, 2012: cf. http://www.dgsi.pt/jstj.nsf/954f0ce6ad9dd8b980256b5f003fa814/fc664c231f3e73cf802579ea003d91d2?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,polui%C3%A7%C3%A3o , June 2, 2012, 3 - Synthetic Note: 3.1 - Introduction to synthetic annotation and its characteristics in this case 4 - Some references constitutional power over human rights and in particular to a human right to a healthy environment, healthy in all its forms and meanings - the central example of Article 9. of CRP; 4.1 - Some references constitutional power over human rights and in particular to a human right to a healthy environment, healthy in all its forms and meanings - the central example of Article 66. No of CRP and the General Noise; 5 - the human right to rest and health, rectius the right to healthy environment vs. the right to leisure and / or economic exploitation of industries fun, rectius the right to freedom of private economic initiative; 6 - the violation of human personality, to rest and health, rectius the right to a healthy environment, a perspective of private law and civil law; 7 - criminalization of pollution, including the criminalization of noise - a perspective of public law and criminal law; 8 - the need for appropriate tax policy that reconciles sustainable development with the protection of a healthy environment and quality of life; 9 - Conclusions.

“Enriquecimento Injustificado”: simples ignorância ou disparatada incompetência?

Pelos fundamentos expostos no Acórdão nº 377/2015, de 27/7, o T.C. decidiu pronunciar-se pela inconstitucionalidade das normas constantes do n.º 1 do artigo 1º e do artigo 2º do Decreto da Assembleia da República nº 369/XII, por violação dos artigos 18º/2 (necessidade, adequação, proporcionalidade e intervenção mínima do Direito Criminal/Penal), 29º/1 (Princípio da Legalidade Criminal) e 32º/2 (Presunção da Inocência) da Constituição. Imagine-se que depois de se ser condenado pela Comunicação Social, ainda temos que provar a nossa inocência! § On those grounds in Judgment No 377/2015 of 27/7, the Constitutional Court decided to rule the unconstitutionality of the rules in paragraph 1 of Article 1 and Article 2 of Decree of the National Assembly No. 369 / XII, for violation of articles 18/2 (necessity, appropriateness, proportionality and minimum intervention of Criminal Law / Criminal), 29/1 (Principle of Criminal Legality) and 32/2 (Presumption of Innocence) of the Constitution. Imagine that after being convicted by the Social Communication, we still have to prove our innocence!

As representações sociais das mulheres migrantes brasileiras vítimas de violência doméstica

O tema a que se refere este estudo foi escolhido dada a atualidade e a pertinência da temática da violência doméstica na nossa sociedade, sendo reconhecida e assumida como um crime público e uma forma grave de violação dos direitos humanos. Este estudo tem como objetivo analisar, identificar e compreender as representações sociais de um grupo de mulheres migrantes brasileiras vítimas de violência doméstica. Do ponto de vista metodológico o estudo é qualitativo recorrendo aos testemunhos pessoais através de uma amostra de 10 participantes no qual foi aplicada a técnica de recolha de dados, a entrevista. Os conteúdos das entrevistas foram analisados através dos softwares Textstat 2.9 e do Freemind 1.1. Os resultados demonstraram que o tipo de violência doméstica preponderante é a violência física e as causas da violência doméstica foram, essencialmente, o álcool e as drogas. O agressor foi representado pelas mulheres através de objetivações negativas e afetivas, sendo que a maioria das mulheres acreditam na mudança do comportamento violento do agressor. No que tange às representações acerca do futuro, observaram-se representações ancoradas na resiliência e na falta de perspetivas de futuro. Os resultados são indicadores que as representações sociais que as mulheres brasileiras têm dos brasileiros são positivas e dos portugueses negativas, sendo o suporte social sustentado na família, nos amigos e nas instituições de apoio à vítima. Os resultados demonstram que as mulheres possuem a representação de que os portugueses e os brasileiros são ambos violentos, e constatou-se que as representações sociais que as mulheres possuem em relação à tolerância são objetivações positivas. Verificou-se também que a violência contra a mulher reflete um fenómeno complexo e multifacetado.

Geografias de exclusão e inclusão : políticas migratórias e de deportação dos Estados Unidos da América e os cidadãos deportados em São Miguel (Açores)

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ciências Sociais, especialidade em Migrações e Sociedade.

Boas práticas de igualdade de género e sua relação nos domínios da satisfação laboral e clima organizacional

A Igualdade entre Homens e Mulheres e a não discriminação constituem princípios fundamentais da Constituição da Republica Portuguesa e do Tratado que institui a União Europeia – Tratado de Lisboa. A desigualdade entre Homens e Mulheres constitui uma violação dos direitos fundamentais, e impõe um pesado custo à economia na medida em que se desaproveitam talentos em função do género. A promoção de uma efetiva igualdade entre Homens e Mulheres constitui um dever fundamental do Estado. A promoção da participação ativa de Homens e Mulheres na vida política, ao nível da administração central, regional e local, é também um forte indicador da qualidade da democracia de um estado. Tomando por base a temática da Igualdade de Género, o Roteiro para a Igualdade entre Homens e Mulheres (2006-2010), o pacto Europeu para a Igualdade entre os Sexos (2006), a Estratégia para a Igualdade entre Homens e Mulheres 2010-2015 que elencam ações consideradas prioritárias – igualdade na independência económica; igualdade na remuneração por trabalho igual e por trabalho de igual valor; igualdade na tomada de decisões; promoção da dignidade e a integridade, pôr fim à violência de género; e questões horizontais – papéis desempenhados por Homens e Mulheres, legislação, governação e instrumentos no domínio da igualdade entre Homens e Mulheres, o objeto deste estudo centra-se na atividade do Estado Português, mais concretamente ao nível local. Procurou-se enquadrar esta temática na Gestão dos Recursos Humanos, na busca de um conhecimento mais aprofundado sobre a implementação de Boas Práticas de Igualdade de Género e a sua relação nos domínios da Satisfação Laboral assim como no Clima Organizacional. O presente estudo expõe uma abordagem quantitativa, de carácter descritivo, exploratório, correlacional e preditivo. O tratamento estatístico realizou-se com recurso ao programa IBM SPSS Statistics, versão 21. Os resultados encontrados apontam para uma associação positiva entre a existência de boas práticas de igualdade de género e a satisfação laboral dos trabalhadores, assim como do clima organizacional. São apresentadas pistas para a intervenção no domínio da função da gestão e desenvolvimento dos recursos humanos.

Patterns of Associational Life in Western Europe, 1800-2000

Thesis submitted for assessment with a view to obtaining the degree of Doctor of Political and Social Science of the European University Institute

O Tratamento da Violência na Informação de Serviço Público: o Caso da RTP

Dissertação apresentada à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Audiovisual e Multimédia.

Da valoração de gravações e fotografias obtidas por particulares no processo penal

Recordings and photographs obtained by private individuals can be two of the most relevant evidences in helping finding the truth; however, they can also conflict with fundamental rights such as privacy, spoken word or image of the targets. It is not enough that only the violation of the right to privacy is withdrawn because rights to spoken word or image, unattached from the first one, show up independently as the main violated rights and are criminally protected in article 199º of the criminal code. Its use as evidence is, on a first moment, dependent on the private's conduct lawfulness, as it is stated in article 167º of the criminal procedure code. In order to consider its lawfulness, and accept its use as evidence, portuguese higher courts have been defending constructions mostly based on legal causes of defense. Although agreeing with a more flexible position of weighing all the interests at stake instead of denying its use as evidence, we believe notwithstanding that some of these solutions are misleading and shall not be spared from critics. Lastly, even if we reach a positive conclusion about the lawfulness of obtaining and using recordings and photogtaphs carried out to court by private individuals, they must not be however automatically admitted as evidence, still being necessary to proceed to a separate weighting, within the criminal procedure and its own legal rules, about their real purposes in the case.