The optional matrimonial property regime of the community of accrued gains was created to address legal difficulties that may arise from marriages between persons of different nationalities or persons not living in their country of origin. It is the result of a treaty between France and Germany and entered into force in 2013. As it approaches cross-border conflicts using substantive legal rules, it has a unique character and is considered to be the first step towards the harmonisation of European family law. It is of interest beyond the borders of France and Germany because other Member States of the European Union can accede to the treaty. Further, the optional matrimonial property regime is open not only to marriages between French and German nationals but also to French or German couples living abroad or foreign couples living in France or Germany. To make the Franco-German treaty more accessible to the lawyer in Europe, this book contains the optional matrimonial property regime in five languages, namely German and French - the official languages - and English, Italian and Spanish. Each article of the optional matrimonial property regime is accompanied by a short commentary. Moreover, to provide the reader with additional background information, translations of the memoranda and explanatory reports are also included. With an introduction by Professor Maria Giovanna Cubeddu Wiedemann (University of Trieste) and Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Dieter Henrich (University of Regensburg) and translations by Professor Marella Magris (University of Trieste) and Professor Helena Lozano (University of Trieste).

Although the protection of individuals' interests against administrative actions is still primarily the domain of the judiciary, most legal systems nowadays also assign this task to ombudsmen. This can potentially lead to tension between the two institutions and can affect their relations, and therefore needs coordination. This book investigates whether relations between the judiciary and ombudsmen exist at all, how their respective tasks and competences influence one another and how they are coordinated. It contains a comprehensive and comparative study on the coordination of the relations between ombudsmen and the judiciary in three considerably different legal systems, namely the Netherlands, England and the European Union. The author identifies three levels of possible coordination: institutional coordination, case coordination and normative coordination. He explores and compares the statutory rules, the case law of the judiciary and ombudsprudence. In addition, he draws from experiences shared through interviews with ombudsmen, judges and employees of ombudsman offices. In doing so, he demonstrates that several improvements to the ombudsmen-judiciary relations are required

We live in an era in which privacy and data protection are daily news items. This tendency demonstrates that privacy and data protection are taken seriously in wide circles of our society. Most of the time, however, issues relating to privacy and data protection are not newsworthy because these rights have been so well protected. It is the scandals that make the news, the latest example being the NSA affair which has dominated the news for months. These news stories create a feeling of discomfort and lead to diminishing trust - diminishing trust of citizens in companies they deal with, in their governments, in supranational entities such as the European Union, in the law, and diminishing trust between countries. This book defines the restoration of this trust in relation to privacy and data protection as the most pressing challenge. It reflects on the state of play in the area of privacy and personal data protection in Europe and the United States at the start of 2014. The authors discuss the issues from different perspectives, such as constitutional values and the role of the judiciary, the role of the legislator and independent control, and transatlantic relations. This volume collects contributions of a large number of outstanding academic scholars, legal practitioners, regulators and politicians from Europe as well as the United States. All contributions are written in honour of Peter Hustinx, the first European Data Protection Supervisor who will step down in 2014, after ten successful years in office and after a long and impressive career in the area of privacy and data protection. A recommended read for everyone interested in privacy and data protection and more generally in the complex relations between law and the information society.

In this book Hannah Kruimer analyses the application of the legal principle of non-discrimination in the context of energy network operation. Since the early 1990s the duty not to discriminate has applied to energy network operators, in order to achieve a liberalised European energy market, in which European consumers have a free and real choice of energy supplier. This book provides guidance to those working in the context of the non-discrimination obligation, such as energy network operators, regulatory authorities, national courts and other energy market players, as well as those studying the rules for (academic) research purposes. The book's conclusions serve as a tool for critical consideration and offer suggestions for improvements to the legal framework and its application on a European as well as a national level. It is thus of practical as well as academic relevance. Several questions are answered in this book, including why energy network operators have a non-discrimination obligation in the context of energy market liberalisation, how European law has tried to remove and control the discrimination problem since the early 1990s and when different treatment of energy network users amounts to 'forbidden' discrimination? The book's conclusions are underpinned by comparisons with competition law, public procurement law and telecommunications law, as well as a case-study on how energy network operators and regulators in several Member States currently interpret and apply the non-discrimination obligation.

This Training Framework is based on the empirical study of the procedural rights of suspects in four European Union (EU) jurisdictions - England and Wales, France, the Netherlands and Scotland - conducted in the period 2011-2013. The study focused on three of the procedural rights set out in the EU Roadmap for strengthening the procedural rights of suspected and accused persons in criminal proceedings: the right to interpretation and translation; the right to information and the letter of rights; and the right of access to a lawyer before and during police interrogation, as well as the right to silence. The results were published in the book Inside Police Custody: An Empirical Account of Suspects' Rights in Four Jurisdictions, Ius Commune Europaeum No. 113. The objective of the training framework is to enhance the knowledge, understanding and skills of criminal justice practitioners - police officers and defence lawyers - in respect of the procedural rights of suspects in police detention. It seeks to do this by orientating the framework around the requirements of EU law on procedural rights, as set out in the EU Directives referred to above, and by suggesting appropriate training strategies. The framework incorporates best-practice identified during the observational stage of the research study, and is designed to be applicable across EU Member States. Since training courses for police officers and lawyers rarely focus exclusively on the procedural rights of suspects, the training framework is not intended to provide a model for stand-alone training. Building on the findings of the research, and the pilot training programme carried out as part of the research project, the training framework is designed as a tool to be used in the planning of training programmes on the procedural aspects of police custody, for both police officers and lawyers. In this regard, it highlights the procedural rights to be addressed through training, and the training methods that may be suitable for ensuring their effective delivery in practice. The research study and development of the training framework was carried out by the Universities of Maastricht, Warwick and the West of England, together with JUSTICE. Avon and Somerset Police and the Open Society Justice Initiative were also collaborators on the project.

This book focuses on ecological damage: the damage to private natural resources which have an ecological value in excess of their market value and the damage to public natural resources. Its aim is to design a compensation system, taking into account the interaction between regulation, liability rules and compensation mechanisms (such as liability insurance, direct insurance, risk-sharing agreements, environmental funds, other guarantees and capital markets), to both prevent and compensate for ecological damage. Three new compensation models are proposed in this research, mainly based on the desirability and feasibility of a mandatory financial security system. In addition to briefly exploring the existing experience in the US, the EU and international regimes, this book also provides both theoretical and empirical research on the Chinese compensation system, which the existing literature has largely neglected. This book will be of interest to legal scholars, environmental agencies and insurers, and students.

The process of the transformation, reconciliation, development and reconstruction of South African society had not been finalised when the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the Amnesty Committee reached the end of their mandates in 1998 and 2003 respectively. The reality is that apart from those people whose applications for amnesty have failed, there are also those who simply choose not to participate in the proceedings, as well as those who could not participate due to the limitations in the scope of the TRC. It is therefore imperative to implement measures to address "unfinished business," which should be approached in such a manner that they complement and build upon the work of the TRC. This book focuses on successive measures in the form of prosecutions and on the implementation of additional measures in the form of Presidential pardons in the aftermath of the TRC's amnesty scheme. The main objective of this book is to examine the manner in which the post-TRC phase in South Africa has unfolded and to answer the question of whether or not South Africa's post-TRC initiatives are in compliance with both national and international law. The aim of presenting the South African model, although context specific, is to contribute to a better understanding of legal challenges a society in transition faces in the aftermath of initial measures in the form of amnesty. This will provide guidance to future societies in transition and reduce the likelihood of repeating avoidable errors - errors that transitional societies can hardly afford to make.

It is now unquestionable that corruption has become an issue of international concern. A complex set of substantive and procedural rules has emerged concerning the prevention and repression of corruption, representing the international legal framework against corruption. The present study begins by tracing the emergence of this framework and engages in a systematic analysis of its content, highlighting weaknesses and innovative aspects. What does international law require States to do in relation to corruption? What happens if States do not meet their international obligations? The responses to these questions constitute the core of this study.

In response to increasing mobility and migration in Europe, the European Directive 2010/64/EU on strengthening the rights to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings has highlighted the importance of quality in legal translation and interpreting. At the same time, the economic situation is putting pressure on public services and translation/interpreting service providers alike, jeopardizing quality standards and fair access to justice. With regard to interpreting, the use of videoconference technology is now being widely considered as a potential solution for gaining cost-effective and timely access to qualified legal interpreters. However, this gives rise to many questions, including: how technological mediation through videoconferencing affects the quality of interpreting; how this is related to the actual videoconference setting and the distribution of participants; and ultimately whether the different forms of video-mediated interpreting are sufficiently reliable for legal communication. It is against this backdrop that the AVIDICUS Project (2008-11), co-funded by the European Commission's Directorate-General Justice, set out to research the quality and viability of video-mediated interpreting in criminal proceedings. This volume, which is based on the final AVIDICUS Symposium in 2011, presents a cross-section of the findings from AVIDICUS and complementary research initiatives, as well as recommendations for judicial services, legal practitioners and police officers, and legal interpreters.

In November 2010, the Ius Commune Research School devoted the Liability and Insurance workshop on its annual conference to 'the Power of Punitive Damages'. In their search for better ways to enforce private and public legal rules, prevent damage, and compensate victims of grave wrongdoing, European legal scholars and policy makers show an increased interest in this particular private law remedy. The twenty-two authors of this book reflect on the pros and cons, applicability, aims and limitations of punitive damages in terms of different legal themes. Some of the authors are, because of their legal background, familiar with punitive damages, whereas others are not. Likewise, some take an enthusiastic stance, whereas others remain prudent. The result is a unique collection of thoughts, suggestions and critical questions which takes the European punitive damages debate to the next level. It improves perception of the private law sanction, which is often feared by Europeans, and its common law background, but also gives new insights as regards the question whether European societies are missing out by not adding this powerful penal incentive to the already existing array of private law remedies.

This book seeks to define a contemporary disability human rights approach for the field of employment. Based on an analysis of the newly-adopted UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and present-day interpretations of international and European human rights instruments, it identifies four main requirements as characterising the contemporary disability human rights approach on the labour market: - substantive equality founded on inclusive general structures, - a definition of disability which recognises that disability results from the interaction between impairment and social structures and that all persons may at one time or another of their lives be disabled, - involvement of organisations of disabled persons in law and policy-making, and - a rights-based approach. It examines Danish and Swedish employment law and policy as well as their compliance with contemporary disability human rights. In addition, EU law and policy in the field of disability employment law and policy are examined in relation to the contemporary disability human rights approach. The analysis and comparison of Danish and Swedish law and policy, which is done on the basis both of legal sources and statistical information on the use and effects of different laws and policies, concentrates on four different areas of employment law and policy: disability equality, employers' obligations towards employees with disabilities and / or reduced working capacity, employment promotion for unemployed persons with disabilities and income-replacement for persons with disabilities outside the labour market. The comparison shows that the main difference between Danish and Swedish disability employment law lies in level of employers' obligations under employment protection law and health and safety law. It is argued that this difference leads to more inclusive general structures on the labour market in Sweden and constitutes the main explanation for the extreme difference in employment rates for persons with disabilities and reduced working capacity in Denmark and Sweden.

This book covers five areas of family property law in Europe: matrimonial property law, family contracts (issues of autonomy), the legal protection of older people, the freedom of testation and protection of family members, and the unification of private international law. All of these issues are highly relevant as Europe is at a key stage in its development with all societies experiencing broadly similar demographic trends and facing the social and legal policy challenges that accompany them. The increase in international mobility and multi-jurisdiction couples poses increased pressure to provide private international law solutions and prompts calls for substantive harmonization. The high divorce rate in many jurisdictions means that matrimonial property and maintenance issues affect more families. Other social changes - such as an increased maternal labor market attachment - invite reconsideration of the basis for financial relief between spouses in divorce. All jurisdictions are also experiencing growth in cohabitation and extra-marital births. In short, family structures are becoming more complex. This raises questions concerning the division of property, both on separation or following death, where the appropriate priority among the diverse range of surviving family members needs to be resolved. Moreover, as fertility rates decline and populations age, increasing numbers of older people require costly personal and medical care, prompting a new set of questions for law and society to resolve. These issues are discussed throughout the book. (Series: European Family Law - Vol. 29)

This book makes a valuable contribution to the current discussion regarding the private enforcement of competition law, particularly through the use of group litigation. Forms of group litigation are debated not only at the European level, but in countries worldwide. Policy makers, practitioners, and academics alike can draw relevant insights about the potentials and pitfalls of group litigation mechanisms. The framework developed allows for the evaluation of existing forms of group litigation, such as those already being used in the US, the UK, and Germany. Moreover, through the analysis, a picture of the optimal form of group litigation in any context emerges. The analysis highlights the necessary trade-offs and choices any society contemplating the introduction of group litigation into their legal system - not only in the area of competition law - will have to face.

The need for more stringent regulation of multinational corporations (MNCs) is discernible in the adverse human rights impact of business activities in conflict-prone regions of the world. Domestic jurisdictions appear reluctant to vigorously pursue mandatory enforcement of human rights standards vis-a-vis the private sector for violations committed abroad. The international system, in turn, has not yet put in place any effective compliance mechanism beyond regulatory supervision. The difficulties of prosecution by home and host states, and the propensity of MNCs to exploit the principles of separate legal personality and limited liability, pose certain challenges. Seeking to address the problem of corporate involvement in grave human rights abuse (i.e. genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes), this study explores the desirability and feasibility of subjecting business enterprises to regulation through international criminal law. It draws upon holistic methods for uncovering organizational fault, suggesting the necessity to align the culpability of legal persons with the peculiarities of institutional form and dynamics. The book discusses the instrumentality of existing Rome Statute provisions with regard to both corporations and corporate agents, and puts forward a sui generis model for constructing the criminal liability of MNCs.

The interaction between labor market regulation and the EU's internal market poses increasing challenges for both lawyers and policy makers throughout the EU. From a policy point of view, the Lisbon Agenda and the reality of globalization have driven the EU towards a reformative approach to labor law in the context of its employment strategy. In the legal arena, the mixture of different national labor standards and free economic exchange has turned explosive in the wake of EU enlargement. This book explores the intricate, complex, and sometimes contentious relationship between the EU's agenda for a free internal market and the protection of labor standards within the EU. Its immediate focus is on recent legal developments, both in case law and in legislation. But these developments are addressed in a more general approach that seeks to give an overall background and context. European Union Internal Market and Labour Law: Friends or Foes? the result of a conference held in the aftermath of the instantly famous cases of Laval and Viking also reports on a panel discussion between stakeholders.

This volume contains articles on three areas of family law that, at the dawn of the 21st century, have provoked passionate discussion. The topics of concern include: (compulsory) arrangements regarding children, registration schemes for same-sex couples (new jurisdictions), and the effectiveness of the pater est rule. The book's contributions are preceded by two introductory articles. The historical introduction addresses the 'cultural constraints argument' which, according to a few legal scholars, prevents both spontaneous and deliberate harmonization of family law. Is family law indeed embedded in unique national (legal) culture? What lessons can be learned from the past? The methodological introduction proffers some general ideas as to how comparative family law is perceived and what it should entail whereby a comparison is made between more recent developments in Europe and the United States.

During September 16-21, 2007, the XIIIth World Congress on Procedural Law was held in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. The Congress was dedicated to the theme 'New Trends in Procedural Law' and was organized by the International Association of Procedural Law. This book contains the Congress reports regarding the following themes: information technology in litigation new trends in pre-action new trends in standing and res iudicata in collective suits new trends in illegal evidence in criminal procedure civil case management the Belgian debate and reforms the European small claims procedure presumptions in Dutch private law (19th and 20th centuries) within a European context.

This book contains contributions from the third Commission on European Family Law (CEFL) conference which took place in Oslo in June 2007. The general topic, 'European Challenges in Contemporary Family Law, ' has been divided into five themes: The Harmonization of Family Law --- Children and Their Parents --- Irregular Marriages and the Influence of Multiculturalism --- (Property) Relations between Spouses and Cohabitants --- Cross-Border Family Relationships. These issues are, in different ways, related to the remarkable change in family life that has taken place in Europe in the last three or four decades. European family law has experienced, in a profound and deep way, social and demographic changes in this short period of time. Just a few of the important recent developments include: an explosion in the divorce rates and extramarital cohabitation and the resulting increase in the number of children born out of wedlock --- women joining the paid work force en masse, influencing, among other things, parental roles and property relations among partners --- new techniques in artificial insemination --- the growing social acceptance of same-sex relationships

This volume contains the written versions of presentations given at the international conference Convergence and Divergence of Family Law in Europe, organised in Amsterdam in September 2006. The main objective of this conference was to instigate an in-depth discussion regarding various facets of the convergence/divergence discord. Another objective was to give scholars the opportunity to present their respective views in the ongoing debate surrounding convergence, divergence and deliberate harmonisation activities in the field of family law. In the first part of this book the historical and theoretical issues of the convergence/divergence debate and the controversy surrounding the cultural constraints argument are discussed. The second part gives a picture of the contemporary role of convergence/divergence tendencies on a regional level in various parts of Europe. It starts with an overview of the recent trends in the renowned Nordic co-operation in the approximation of family laws, which is generally considered to be the most successful example of regional harmonisation of family laws in Europe. The next article deals with convergence/divergence tendencies in the development of the family law of the Spanish autonomous communities. The following two contributions offer a summary of the convergence and divergence trends in Eastern Europe against the background of such sweeping events as the fall of the Soviet Union, the disintegration of the Eastern block and the accession of a majority of the Central European countries to the EU. The third part of this volume deals with the convergence and divergence tendencies in the following particular fields of family law: marriage, divorce, same-sex relationships, establishment of parenthood and matrimonial property law.

The Commission on European Family Law published its Principles of European Family Law Regarding Divorce and Maintenance Between Former Spouses in 2004 as a contribution towards the establishment of a European Family Law. Only by empirical testing of the Principles in a number of legal systems can one demonstrate whether they are acceptable and/or are regarded as an improvement on existing national laws. This edited volume seeks to test the Principles in a range of legal systems, some already considered by the CEFL: France, Scandinavia, England, Scotland; some untested: Malta, Estonia, Lithuania and Turkey; and in so doing to assess these legal systems in view of the Principles, and the Principles in view of these legal systems. The final part of the volume is a comparative assessment of the findings, looking at the Principles first as harmonious ideals, and then as shortfalls in these ideals and at the obstacles to harmonisation

Health Promotion in Midwifery explores the principles of health promotion within the practical context of midwifery. It clearly outlines and discusses the midwife's role in health promotion, making it essential reading for all student and practising midwives, as well as clinical practitioners. Emphasizing the link between theory and practice, the second edition incorporates chapters on domestic violence, sexual health, breastfeeding, and mental health promotion. Text boxes make the text accessible and user-friendly and case studies and summaries put the material in practical context. Additional readings encourage readers to further research and reflection on their own practice. Throughout the book, the importance of the role of the midwife in health promotion is emphasized. This second edition brings together contributions from a variety of experienced practitioners.

Equality is without any doubt one of the central principles of human rights law. Non-discrimination and equality feature prominently in most of the UN core human rights treaties. But do the human rights treaty bodies understand these principles by and large in a similar way? Do they recognize the same grounds of discrimination? Have largely similar obligations been derived from the principles of equality and non-discrimination? How is gender-based discrimination treated? These and many other questions are addressed in this work. For the first time, all UN Committees decisions on non-discrimination and equality general comments/recommendations, concluding comments/observations, as well as views/opinions in individual complaints procedures are comprehensively and comparatively reviewed. Each Committee is thoroughly examined. Also, convergence and divergence, communality and particularity among the Committees is scrutinized. This book may be useful for scholars and practioners who need detailed information on how non-discrimination and equality are interpreted by the UN human rights treaty bodies. Decision-makers in the current reform process of the UN human rights reporting procedure too may benefit from the insights gained in this book. Wouter Vandenhole holds an LL.M. in Law in Development from the University of Warwick (UK) and a PhD. from the K.U.Leuven (Belgium). He was a senior teaching assistant at the European Master s Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation (Venice, Italy), and a researcher at the Institute for Human Rights of the Law Faculty of the K.U.Leuven. He currently is a senior researcher at the Center for Transboundary Legal Development of Tilburg University (The Netherlands).

Private Law in a Changing World honours the work of Professor Danie Visser and celebrates his return to research after almost a decade as Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town. It considers the ways in which the law of obligations has evolved in response to external forces in both the recent and remote past – or, to switch perspectives, the high degree of internal coherence and continuity which it has maintained over time despite the operation of such forces.

Leading scholars of legal history and private law from six jurisdictions consider topics drawn from across the law of contract, delict/tort and unjust/unjustified enrichment.

Their insights shed light on contemporary debates around the world regarding the value of doctrinal scholarship, and on the debates regarding the decolonisation of private law currently unfolding in South Africa.

Charles Oertel bevind hom in ’n netelige posisie. Hy is ’n skatryk Vrystaatse boer en het sentimente jeens beide magte wat tydens die Anglo-Boereoorlog slaags raak. Bothma se noukeurige navorsing oor hierdie invloedryke man en sy nasate se lotgevalle tydens en na die oorlog bevestig geboekstaafde kennis maar bied ook nuwe inligting. Daarbenewens is dit ’n boeiende menslike verhaal wat die leser tot nadenke stem. Sou dit anders verloop het as dit nie vir die oorlog was nie? Keer die mens nie die punt van die punt van die swaard self op sy hart nie? Punt van die swaard was in 2005 op die kortlys vir die Louis Hiemstra-prys vir niefiksie.