This book, which updates and expands the third edition published by Springer in 2015, explains, compares and evaluates the social and legal functions of adoption within a range of selected jurisdictions and on an international basis. From the standpoint of the development of adoption in England & Wales, and the changes currently taking place there, it considers the process as it has evolved in other countries. It also identifies themes of commonality and difference in the experience of adoption in a common law context, comparing and contrasting this with the experience under civil law and in Islamic countries and with that of indigenous people. This book includes new chapters examining adoption in Russia, Korea and Romania. Further, it uses the international conventions and the associated ECtHR case law to benchmark developments in national law, policy and practice and to facilitate a cross-cultural comparative analysis.

The advent of the knowledge economy and society has made it increasingly necessary for law reformers and policy makers to take account of the effects of technology upon the law and upon legal and political processes. This book explores aspects of technology's relationship with law and government, and in particular the effects changing technology has had on constitutional structures and upon business. Part I examines the legal normative influence of constitutional structures and political theories. It focuses on the interrelationship between laws and legal procedure with technology and the effect technology can have on the legal environment. Part II discusses the relationship between government and technology both at the national and international level. The author argues that technology must be contextualized within a constitution and draws on historical and contemporary examples to illustrate how technology has both shaped civilizations and been the product of its political and constitutional environment.

The objective of this book is to examine how the legal order of Malta, the EU's smallest Member State, manages to cope with the obligations of the EU's acquis commu nautaire. As far as the legal obligations are concerned, size does not matter. Smaller Member States have the same obligations as the largest, yet they have to meet these same obligations with very fewer resources. This book examines how the Maltese legal system manages to fulfil its obligations both in terms of the supremacy of EU law, as well as how the substantive EU law is transposed and implemented. It also explores how Maltese courts look at EU law and how they manage, or not manage, to enforce it within the context of national law. It can serve as a model to demonstrate how EU law is being implemented in the small est Member State and can serve as a basis to study the effectiveness of EU law into the domestic law of its Member States in general.

Social networks have created a plethora of problems regarding privacy and the protection of personal data. The use of social networks has become a key concern of legal scholars, policy-makers and the operators as well as users of those social networks. This pathbreaking book highlights the importance of privacy in the context of today's new electronic communication technologies as it presents conflicting claims to protect national and international security, the freedom of the Internet and economic considerations. Using the New Haven School of Jurisprudence's intellectual framework, the author presents the applicable law on privacy and social media in international and comparative perspective, focusing on the United States, the European Union and its General Data Protection Regulation of 2018 as well as Germany, the United Kingdom and Latin America. The book appraises the law in place, discusses alternatives and presents recommendations in pursuit of a public order of human dignity.

During the 1990s, the international system underwent major changes with the end of the ideological divide that was the Cold War. At this time, the international system experienced a major movement with the widespread adoption of democratic systems leading academics to speak of an international victory for democracy, a third wave of democratisation and an emerging right to democratic governance. Within a short period of time, international law went from a position of supposed ideological neutrality to actively supporting the idea and practice of democracy. Concerns for democracy have been expressed in relation to membership to international organisations, international human rights law, trade conditionality, the process of recognition, multiple levels of governance, election monitoring and as a justification for the use of force. The essays in this collection will provide the reader with the key works in the debate about democracy in international law, demonstrating the wide influence democracy has had, the controversies that surround it and its importance for international law and relations.

The information age provides novel tools for case management. While technology plays a crucial role, the way in which courts are structured is still critical in ensuring effective case management. The correlation between court structure and case management is a pivotal topic. The existing debate concentrates predominantly on the micro and case-specific aspects of case management, without further inquiry into the relationship between court structure, court management, and case management. The contributions within this volume fill this gap from a comparative perspective, undertaking a macro/structural and sub-macro perspective of procedure and case management.

This edited volume presents a comprehensive and comparative view of the law of international watercourses with special reference to the issues facing the Ganges River basin. It provides an analysis of the development of international waterways law and outlines the essentials of the UN Convention on non-navigational uses of international watercourses. Focusing on relations between the three riparian states of the River Ganges and the potential for cooperation, the volume also examines the domestic legal regimes of the area and the political dimension to the issues of sharing the waters of the river. The work presents a comparative picture with an analysis of developments in the Rhine and Mekong basins, comparing developments in the legal regimes of these areas with the experience of South Asia. Presenting an up-to-date analysis of the current law and pointing the direction for future developments, this collection will be a valuable resource for academics, researchers and policy makers working in this area.

This book explores the multiple challenges that the global technology shift is posing to the EU. It raises the question of how European societies will mobilize the positive effects of the rapid technological advancement in digitalization, robotization, and artificial intelligence, while mitigating the negative consequences in terms of job losses, cybercrime, and social and political polarization. From the vantage point of experts from economics, law, and political science, this book provides insights into the role that the EU is and ought to be playing in regulating global platform companies, addressing taxation in the digital economy, mitigating job displacements on the labour market, and tackling ethical concerns of artificial intelligence and the prospect of digital democracy. All chapters are based on up-to-date research findings, succinct assessment of the current state of affairs and ongoing debates. They conclude with policy recommendations for policy makers on European and national levels. 'This volume has a solid foundation in the highly topical question of technological change. More importantly, the individual chapters are written by qualified scholars whose analytically advanced contributions are likely to interest a wide audience. I can strongly recommend this book for scholars and students in political science, law, and economics.' -Carl Fredrik Bergstroem, Professor of European Law, Uppsala University, Sweden 'When the Commission took office in 2019, it put forward its vision as to how Europe's digital future could be 'shaped' in a way that makes the digital transition enrich people's lives and make sure that European businesses fully benefit from the opportunities offered by digital technologies. Then COVID drastically accelerated the take up of digital solutions. As the digital transformation affects every single one of us it is important that we have the widest possible debate on its inherent risks and opportunities. This is why I warmly recommend this book. It brings together an inter-disciplinary set of scholars able to analyse the multifaceted implications of the technological shift. And I could not agree more with the book's main takeaway, i.e. that we need to create an adaptive regulatory framework capable of harnessing the positive effects of technological changes while buttressing the negative impact on European society and citizens.' -Ambassador Kim Jorgensen, Head of Cabinet to Commissioner and Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, European Commission

International sentencing has become significant given the numerous events on the world stage which have focused attention on the justifications and adequacy of punishment for heinous crimes such as genocide and crimes against humanity. In addition to providing a detailed evaluation of the philosophical and theoretical difficulties raised by this rapidly developing area of international criminal justice, this book provides an integrated socio-legal analysis of the law and process of international sentencing. It considers the rationale and development of international sentencing structures and processes, the nature and scope of legal and procedural constraints on decision-making, as well as access to justice and rights issues. The book discusses sentencing within the context of international criminal law and examines internationalized trial processes and alternative mechanisms for resolution. In seeking to comprehend the punishment of international crimes through the comparative contextual analysis of trial processes, it challenges our present understanding of how and why particular sentencing outcomes are produced and the perceived legitimacy of international trial justice.

The European Union's security strongly relies on the member states' capabilities of working together, sharing information and cooperating on issues of common interest. Security against transnational threats and challenges is better and more easily protected within a cooperative framework. With Brexit affecting all dimensions of UK and EU public life, this book creates a comprehensive insight into the complex issues facing security in a series of post-Brexit scenarios. Topics discussed include: Legal frameworks Law Enforcement and EUROPOL Internal Security Intelligence Agencies Information Systems and Sharing The Irish Land Border. European Security in a Post-Brexit World is a useful read for any academic researcher, student or practitioner working in the areas of Security, Criminology and Brexit Studies.

This book explores the role of gender in the recognition of an individual's legal capacity. It discusses the meaning of the right to legal capacity and its two core elements - legal personhood and legal agency. It then analyses historical and modern denials of personhood and agency experienced by women, disabled women, and gender minorities - for example, prohibitions from voting, limitations on contracting, loss of personhood upon marriage, and gender binary requirements leading to an inability to exercise legal capacity, among others. Using critical feminist, disability, and queer theory, this book also offers insights into the construction of legal personhood and its role as a predictor of power and privilege. The book identifies patterns of oppression through legal capacity denial in various jurisdictions and discusses situations in which modern law continues to enforce these denials. In addition, the book presents solutions: it identifies practices to learn from in various jurisdictions around the world - including both civil law and common law jurisdictions. It also uses case studies to illustrate the ways in which existing laws, policies and practices could be reformed. As such, the book offers both a novel contribution to the field of legal capacity law and a tool for creating change and helping to realise the right to legal capacity for all.

The book covers contributions from 18 authors from different countries and analyses the recent case law of the ECJ on the external competences of the European Union. It deals with the impact of EU values on its relations with the Eastern neighbouring countries. The first part focuses on the evolution and current challenges of the external actions of the European Union, while the second part presents the EU cooperation with its Eastern neighbourhood and Eurasia. The book addresses the Association Agreements with the countries of the Eastern Partnership with its Eastern neighbourhood and Eurasia, the enhanced Partnership Agreements in the Eastern neighbourhood and post-Soviet area, and the current and future contractual relations with Eurasian Economic Union and its member states.

This book explores three particular strategies in the extractives sector for creating shared wealth, increased labour opportunities and positive social, environmental and economic outcomes from corporate projects, namely: state wealth funds (SWF), local content policies (LCP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Collectively, the chapters explore the associated experiences and challenges in different parts of the world with the view to inform equitable and sustainable development for the communities living adjacent to extractives sites and the wider society and environment. Examples of LCPs, SWFs and CSR practices from 12 jurisdictions with diverse experiences offer usefull insights. The book illuminates challenges and opportunities for sustainable development outcomes of the extractives sector. It reflects the need to take on board the lessons of these global experiences in order to improve outcomes for poverty reduction, inequality reduction and sustainable development.

Global finance is in the middle of a radical transformation fueled by innovative financial technologies. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the digitization of retail financial services in Europe. Institutional interest and digital asset markets are also growing blurring the boundaries between the token economy and traditional finance. Blockchain, AI, quantum computing and decentralised finance (DeFI) are setting the stage for a global battle of business models and philosophies. The post-Brexit EU cannot afford to ignore the promise of digital finance. But the Union is struggling to keep pace with global innovation hubs, particularly when it comes to experimenting with new digital forms of capital raising. Calibrating the EU digital finance strategy is a balancing act that requires a deep understanding of the factors driving the transformation, be they legal, cultural, political or economic, as well as their many implications. The same FinTech inventions that use AI, machine learning and big data to facilitate access to credit may also establish invisible barriers that further social, racial and religious exclusion. The way digital finance actors source, use, and record information presents countless consumer protection concerns. The EU's strategic response has been years in the making and, finally, in September 2020 the Commission released a Digital Finance Package. This special issue collects contributions from leading scholars who scrutinize the challenges digital finance presents for the EU internal market and financial market regulation from multiple public policy perspectives. Author contributions adopt a critical yet constructive and solutions-oriented approach. They aim to provide policy-relevant research and ideas shedding light on the complexities of the digital finance promise. They also offer solid proposals for reform of EU financial services law.

International Law and the Cold War is the first book dedicated to examining the relationship between the Cold War and International Law. The authors adopt a variety of creative approaches - in relation to events and fields such as nuclear war, environmental protection, the Suez crisis and the Lumumba assassination - in order to demonstrate the many ways in which international law acted upon the Cold War and in turn show how contemporary international law is an inheritance of the Cold War. Their innovative research traces the connections between the Cold War and contemporary legal constructions of the nation-state, the environment, the third world, and the refugee; and between law, technology, science, history, literature, art, and politics.

Drawing on theories of legal pluralism, this book tests whether and to what extent claims of the modern nation-state laws to exclusive dominance over other spheres are tenable, and reassesses the operation of law in society. Incorporating a combination of legal theory, post-modern critique and socio-legal analysis of three current jurisdictions in which Muslims play an important role, the volume identifies Muslims' current socio-legal situation and attitudes from different perspectives and reconciles them with modern legal systems in three key countries. It analyzes the conflict between the assumptions of modern legal systems and plural legal realities, and also examines attempts by modern legal systems to impose official laws in the face of resistance from unofficial Muslim laws and discusses possible responses to the challenge of dynamic Muslim legal pluralism. A valuable resource for students, researchers and academics with an interest in the areas of Islamic law and politics, and the interplay between secular law and religious/cultural traditions.

Examining international law through the lens of the Middle East, this insightful study demonstrates the qualitatively different manner in which international law is applied in this region of the world. Law is intended to produce a just society, but as it is ultimately a social construct that has travelled through a political process, it cannot be divorced from its relationship to power. The study demonstrates that this understanding shapes the notion, strongly held in the Middle East, that law is little more than a tool of the powerful, used for coercion and oppression. The author considers a number of formative events to demonstrate how the Middle East has become an underclass of the international system wherein law is applied and interpreted selectively, used coercively and, in noticeable situations, simply disregarded. International Law in the Middle East brings various narratives of history to the fore to create a wider arena in which international law can be considered and critiqued.

The EU's interest in and engagement with North East Asia has grown massively over the last three decades, the shaping and implementation of its policy influenced heavily by the UK and its historical links with East Asia. Brexit therefore raises questions about the future of this engagement and comes against a background of wider threats to the liberal world order, especially rising tensions between the USA and China. Worried that they may be forced to choose sides in their hitherto carefully managed relationships with the two, China's neighbours are therefore watching with interest to see how the EU and the UK respond and manage their future relations with the region. This book goes beyond the traditional trade links to consider diplomatic and security perspectives, as well as wider issues such as the possible impact on educational and research links. It will be of interest to diplomats, scholars, and economists.

This book presents an in-depth discussion on two concepts from the field of philosophy and law, in order to improve our understanding of the relation between "fact" and "evidence" in judicial process. Since fact-finding is a difficult task for judges, proof by evidence has been devised to help them access the truth. However, in the process of judicial fact-finding, there is always a gap between fact and truth. This book covers a wide range of topics, from reflections on the concept of "fact," "evidence" and "fact-finding" in the field of philosophy and law to individual case studies. As such it is a useful reference resource on the continuing research on the judicial proof process for students and scholars.

Public stock markets are too small. This book is an effort to rescue public stock markets in the EU and the US. There should be more companies with publicly-traded shares and more direct share ownership. Anchored in a broad historical study of the regulation of stock markets and companies in Europe and the US, the book proposes ways to create a new regulatory regime designed to help firms and facilitate people's capitalism. Through its comparative and historical study of regulation and legal practices, the book helps to understand the evolution of public stock markets from the nineteenth century to the present day. The book identifies design principles that reflect prior regulation. While continental European company law has produced many enduring design principles, the recent regulation of stock markets in the EU and the US has failed to serve the needs of both firms and retail investors. The book therefore proposes a new set of design principles to serve contemporary societal needs.

This book builds on the success of the First International Conference on Facts and Evidence: A Dialogue between Law and Philosophy (Shanghai, China, May 2016), which was co-hosted by the Collaborative Innovation Center of Judicial Civilization (CICJC) and East China Normal University. The Second International Conference on Facts and Evidence: A Dialogue between Law and History was jointly organized by the CICJC, the Institute of Evidence Law and Forensic Science (ELFS) at China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL), and Peking University School of Transnational Law (STL) in Shenzhen, China, on November 16-17, 2019. Historians, legal scholars and legal practitioners share the same interest in ascertaining the "truth" in their respective professional endeavors. It is generally recognized that any historical study without truthful narration of historical events is fiction and that any judicial trial without accurate fact-finding is a miscarriage of justice. In both historical research and the judicial process, practitioners are invariably called upon, before making any arguments, to prove the underlying facts using evidence, regardless of how the concept is defined or employed in different academic or practical contexts. Thus, historians and legal professionals have respectively developed theories and methodological tools to inform and explain the process of gathering evidentiary proof. When lawyers and judges reconsider the facts of cases, "questions of law" are actually a subset of "questions of fact," and thus, the legal interpretation process also involves questions of "historical fact." The book brings together more than twenty leading history and legal scholars from around the world to explore a range of issues concerning the role of facts as evidence in both disciplines. As such, the book is of enduring value to historians, legal scholars and everyone interested in truth-seeking.

International law and the nature of the global order is regularly examined and debated among specialists. This volume brings together in one place twenty-four articles addressing these subjects, written by some of America's leading academics, lawyers, and policymakers, and originally published in The National Interest, a leading realist journal of international affairs.

Prominent jurists, lawyers, and practitioners debate the role that international law should play in the formulation of policy in the first section, and whether "international law" really exists. Authors explore such questions as the enforceable norms of global behavior, and if American foreign policy should conform to such regulations. A second section looks at the viability and utility of international institutions in advancing U.S. interests. Included are debates over the role and purpose of the United Nations and the International Criminal Court. A third Section deals with the intersection of law enforcement and foreign policy. It explores such questions as whether primary responsibility for combating global terrorism and the international drug trade should be vested with law enforcement agencies or whether it should fall under the purview of foreign policy.

The final portion of the book is devoted to the question of human rights, particularly the tripartite debate between Robin Fox, Francis Fukuyama, and William F. Schulz over the nature and origins of human rights. Among the questions considered are whether human rights are an outgrowth of natural law, or are natural imperatives at odds with protecting individual dignities and freedoms. Is there a universal standard of rights, or are human rights norms derived from majority consensus?

The list of distinguished contributors to this volume include John Bolton, Robert Bork, Lee Casey, Douglas Feith, Owen Harries, Senator Jesse Helms, Alan Keyes, Irving Kristol, Joseph Nye, Jeremy Rabkin, David Rivkin, Alfred P. Rubin, and Abrahama Sofaer. This volume will be of interest to legal scholars, political scientists, and students of diplomacy and international relations.

International developments within the last twenty years have demonstrated controversial shifts in treatment for people with mental illnesses and the care of persons with intellectual disabilities. These shifts have been apparent in an emphasis on deinstitutionalization, increased scrutiny of detention and discharge decisions and, in some countries, in enforced treatment and care in the community. As we become increasingly conscious of the political and moral dimensions of civil commitment, these concerns are reflected in the professional literature, but this does not often enough focus on issues of clinical and legal principle, nor is it in a form which encourages comparative analysis. This collection draws on contributors from the UK, the USA, Australia, the Netherlands, Canada and New Zealand, who share a commitment to evaluating whether the civil detention processes protect the liberty, dignity and justice interests of those with mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities. The book is written from a therapeutic jurisprudence perspective and poses a number of questions with international application, such as: Are more categories of people being detained? Is involuntary detention serving new purposes? Are different forms of detention gaining credence and being more widely utilized? And, are admission decisions and review of detention decisions transparent, consistent, and just?