Tthe right to effective judicial protection and disability: the convention on the rights of persons with disabilities

On 13 December 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It is the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century. The Convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. Precisely, the Convention marks a 'paradigm shift' in attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities The Convention contains two articles directly connected with judicial effective protection, one more than the other, but on the other hand, one cannot be understood without the other. Both articles are Article 12 –Equal recognition before the law- and Article 13 –access to justice- As a scholar in Procedural Law, my contribution to the International Scientific Congress on Private Law of the Philippines and Spain aims to enshrine the relevant importance of the both provisions that guarantee effective judicial protection for persons with disabilities in order to analyze, subsequently, the implementation of them in Spanish legislation

Article 260(2) TFEU: An Effective Judicial Procedure for the Enforcement of Judgments?

Article 260(2) TFEU (ex 228(2) EC) enables the European Court of Justice to enforce compliance with its judgements. This article analyses its use in doing so and questions whether it could be applied more effectively. It commences by highlighting the principally economic and environmental context of the case-law, and by examining the initiatives taken to tackle delays in bringing these cases before the Court. The article then critically evaluates the effectiveness of the financial sanctions available to the Court. In doing so, it aims to fill a gap in present research by looking beyond the procedural measures through which the Court and the Commission operate to examine the practical impact of Article 260(2) itself.

An Effective Path Protection Method to Attain the Route Stability in MANET

With the increasing popularity of wireless network and its application, mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETS) emerged recently. MANET topology is highly dynamic in nature and nodes are highly mobile so that the rate of link failure is more in MANET. There is no central control over the nodes and the control is distributed among nodes and they can act as either router or source. MANTEs have been considered as isolated stand-alone network. Node can add or remove at any time and it is not infrastructure dependent. So at any time at any where the network can setup and a trouble free communication is possible. Due to more chances of link failures, collisions and transmission errors in MANET, the maintenance of network became costly. As per the study more frequent link failures became an important aspect of diminishing the performance of the network and also it is not predictable. The main objective of this paper is to study the route instability in AODV protocol and suggest a solution for improvement. This paper proposes a new approach to reduce the route failure by storing the alternate route in the intermediate nodes. In this algorithm intermediate nodes are also involved in the route discovery process. This reduces the route establishment overhead as well as the time to find the reroute when a link failure occurs.

The Court of Justice of the European Union as a fundamental rights tribunal: challenges for the effective delivery of fundamental rights in the area of freedom, security and justice. CEPS Paper in Liberty and Security in Europe No. 49, 29 August 2012

This paper reflects on the challenges facing the effective implementation of the new EU fundamental rights architecture that emerged from the Lisbon Treaty. Particular attention is paid to the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) and its ability to function as a ‘fundamental rights tribunal’. The paper first analyses the praxis of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and its long-standing experience in overseeing the practical implementation of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Against this analysis, it then examines the readiness of the CJEU to live up to its consolidated and strengthened mandate on fundamental rights as one of the prime guarantors of the effective implementation of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. We specifically review the role of ‘third-party interventions’ by non-governmental organisations, international and regional human rights actors as well as ‘interim relief measures’ when ensuring effective judicial protection of vulnerable individuals in cases of alleged violations of fundamental human rights. To flesh out our arguments, we rely on examples within the scope of the relatively new and complex domain of EU legislation, the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ), and its immigration, external border and asylum policies. In view of the fundamental rights-sensitive nature of these domains, which often encounter shifts of accountability and responsibility in their practical application, and the Lisbon Treaty’s expansion of the jurisdiction of the CJEU to interpret and review EU AFSJ legislation, this area can be seen as an excellent test case for the analyses at hand. The final section puts forth a set of policy suggestions that can assist the CJEU in the process of adjusting itself to the new fundamental rights context in a post-Lisbon Treaty setting.

EU membership of the WTO: international trade disputes and judicial protection of individuals by EU Courts

The European Union (EU) is embedded in a pluralistic legal context because of the EU and its Member States’ treaty memberships and domestic laws. Where EU conduct has implications for both the EU’s international trade relations and the legal position of individual traders, it possibly affects EU and its Member States’ obligations under the law of the World Trade Organization (WTO law) as well as the Union’s own multi-layered constitutional legal order. The present paper analyses the way in which the European Court of Justice (ECJ) accommodates WTO and EU law in the context of international trade disputes triggered by the EU. Given the ECJ’s denial of direct effect of WTO law in principle, the paper focuses on the protection of rights and remedies conferred by EU law. It assesses the implications of the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) – which tolerates the acceptance of retaliatory measures constraining traders’ activities in sectors different from those subject to the original trade dispute (Bananas and Hormones cases) – for the protection of ‘retaliation victims’. The paper concludes that governmental discretion conferred by WTO law has not affected the applicability of EU constitutional law but possibly shapes the actual scope of EU rights and remedies where such discretion is exercised in the EU’s general interest.

Enteric coated spheres produced by extrusion/spheronization provide effective gastric protection and efficient release of live therapeutic bacteria

We present a novel but simple enteric coated sphere formulation containing probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus casei). Oral delivery of live bacterial cells (LBC) requires live cells to survive firstly manufacturing processes and secondly GI microbicidal defenses including gastric acid. We incorporated live L. casei directly in the granulation liquid, followed by granulation, extrusion, spheronization, drying and spray coating to produce dried live probiotic spheres. A blend of MCC, calcium-crosslinked alginate, and lactose was developed that gave improved live cell survival during manufacturing, and gave excellent protection from gastric acid plus rapid release in intestinal conditions. No significant loss of viability was observed in all steps except drying, which resulted in approximately 1 log loss of viable cells. Eudragit coating was used to protect dried live cells from acid, and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was combined with sodium alginate to achieve efficient sphere disintegration leading to rapid and complete bacterial cell release in intestinal conditions. Viability and release of L. casei was evaluated in vitro in simulated GI conditions. Uncoated spheres gave partial acid protection, but enteric coated spheres effectively protected dried probiotic LBC from acid for 2 h, and subsequently released all viable cells within 1h of transfer into simulated intestinal fluid.

A acção de condenação à prática de acto devido : conhecimento e prova dos pressupostos de facto do acto

A acção de condenação à prática de acto devido corresponde à concretização, com o Código de Processo nos Tribunais Administrativos, do princípio da tutela jurisdicional efectiva previsto no art. 268º/4 da Constituição da República Portuguesa, assegurando aos particulares a obtenção de uma pronúncia condenatória na prática do acto administrativo que tenha sido recusado ou omitido. Esta pronúncia sofre as limitações decorrentes do princípio da separação de poderes, entre o Administrativo e o Judicial, nos termos expressos no art. 71º/2 do Código de Processo, que determina que quando a emissão do acto pretendido envolva a formulação de valorações próprias do exercício da função administrativa (…) o tribunal não pode determinar o conteúdo do acto a praticar, mas deve explicitar as vinculações a observar (…) na emissão do acto devido. À limitação enunciada acresce outra, sem reflexo no texto do Código mas que se impõe por via do mesmo princípio, e que respeita aos poderes do tribunal no conhecimento e determinação dos pressupostos do acto devido, nos casos em que estes são questionados em juízo. A determinação dos pressupostos de facto do acto devido pelo tribunal está limitada pela natureza da actividade instrutória procedimental, pelo (in)cumprimento do ónus da prova no procedimento pelo interessado, nos casos limitados em que este tem relevância e pelo princípio da decisão prévia administrativa, nos termos do qual é à Administração que compete o conhecimento e decisão das pretensões que lhe são dirigidas e cuja competência que lhe foi determinada pela lei. Os limites enunciados não prejudicam a sindicabilidade, pelos tribunais, dos actos de recolha e valoração das provas pela Administração, que, nos casos em que configurem espaços de margem de livre decisão administrativa, são sindicáveis nos termos em que pode ser controlada a actividade autodeterminada da Administração, sem qualquer limitação quanto aos meios de prova.

La tutela cautelar en lo contencioso-administrativo. El caso de Cuba

El establecimiento de los medios idóneos para asegurar la eficacia práctica de las decisiones judiciales es una exigencia del buen funcionamiento de la Administración de Justicia. En ello juega un rol esencial la tutela cautelar. Durante los últimos años, tanto la doctrina como varios de los ordenamientos jurídicos de Europa y Latinoamérica han avanzado en la construcción de amplios y sólidos regímenes cautelares en el proceso administrativo, superando la visión tradicional del contencioso que limitaba la tutela cautelar a una única medida posible: la suspensión de la ejecución de los actos administrativos. Sin embargo, ello no ocurre así en Cuba, cuyo derecho procesal continúa descansando en la técnica de suspensión del acto y en la exacerbación del privilegio de autotutela ejecutiva de la Administración. El presente trabajo se propone demostrar la necesidad de creación de un nuevo régimen de tutela cautelar en el contencioso administrativo cubano, que sea capaz de garantizar una justicia administrativa eficaz en su misión de proteger los derechos de los ciudadanos y del interés general frente a cualquier comportamiento de la Administración Pública que los vulnere.

Making a difference in child protection: towards an effective education for teachers

The purpose of this paper is to examine recent research about teachers' participation in the child protection system with a view to developing guidelines for effective child protection training. In relation to the conference themes, this paper offers multiple intersections, whether as an example of policy development impacting on the education of teachers, as one of professional practice which has implications for the ongoing education of the teaching workforce, or as a teacher education initiative, per se.

A fase pré-processual: o ônus de preparação da demanda e os filtros legítimos à propositura de ações judiciais

O presente estudo analisa a importância da fase pré-processual, compreendida entre o momento em que surge o conflito de interesses no âmbito da sociedade e aquele em que é deflagrada a ação cível. Desenvolve-se o estudo de institutos do direito comparado, que incutem a noção de elevada utilidade da regulação da conduta pré-processual das partes e advogados como os pre-action protocols e a disclousure do direito inglês e a similar desta no direito estadunidense, a discovery o que evidencia que é a preparação adequada da demanda que permite a superação dos filtros legítimos à propositura de ações. Verifica-se que há procedimentos prévios, preparatórios à ação judicial na legislação vigente, que passam quase despercebidos da doutrina tradicional.A apuração da existência de filtros legítimos à propositura da ação, induz a conclusão de que efetivamente que existe um ônus jurídico de preparação da demanda na fase pré-processual, cuja não observância prejudica o acesso à justiça compreendido o acesso à justiça sob a perspectiva de uma tutela jurídica efetiva, que seja resultado de um processo garantístico além dessa omissão acarretar consequências desfavoráveis para a parte, que vão desde a demora na prestação jurisdicional até a inviabilização da tutela jurisdicional. O magistrado deve exercer um juízo sobre a superação ou não destes filtros pela parte que propõe a demanda, verificando se a mesma é ou não admissível, podendo o processo formar-se e desenvolver-se validamente: este é o juízo de admissibilidade da demanda cível que examina a conduta pré-processual das partes e se o ônus de preparação adequada da demanda foi desempenhado.

'Democratic Transition, Judicial Accountability and Judicialisation of Politics in Africa: The Nigerian Experience'

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the growing incidence of judicialisation of politics in Nigeria’s democratisation experience against the backdrop of questionable judicial accountability. Design/methodology/approach – The article draws on legal and political theory as well as comparative law perspectives. Findings – The judiciary faces a daunting task in deepening democracy and (re) instituting the rule of law. The formidable challenges derive in part from structural problems within the judiciary, deficient accountability credentials and the complexities of a troubled transition. Practical implications – Effective judicial mediation of political transition requires a transformed and accountable judiciary. Originality/value – The article calls attention to the need for judicial accountability as a cardinal and integral part of political transitions. Keywords Democracy, Politics, Law, Nigeria, Africa Paper type Viewpoint