Appeal Procedures Research Articles

Z problematyki racjonalizacji ograniczeń swobody kontraktowej w zamówieniach publicznych

Swoboda kontraktowa obowiązuje w zamówieniach publicznych pomimo licznych ograniczeń. Dominują ograniczenia ustawowe, charakterystyczne dla parametrycznego sterowa-nia gospodarką, natomiast indywidualna ingerencja administracyjna ma znaczenie drugoplanowe. W zakresie wyboru typu umowy ograniczenia są sporadyczne, ponieważ ustawa nie przesądza o tym, kiedy i jakich zamówień mogą udzielać jednostki sektora publicznego. Także przedsiębiorcy ubiegają się o poszczególne zamówienia na zasadzie dobrowolności. Zakaz transakcji bezpośred-nich uzasadnia jednak dotkliwą pod względem biurokratycznym reglamentację procedur udzielania zamówień publicznych, choć wola stron ma tu znaczenie podstawowe, zwłaszcza przy konstru-owaniu warunków proceduralnych, a ustawa działa jedynie uzupełniająco. Równie uciążliwe są ograniczenia swobodnego kształtowania treści umowy. Wzrasta zastosowanie klauzul obligatoryj-nych, wymuszonych ustawowo, coraz bardziej rygorystyczne są normatywne zasady wykonywania zamówień publicznych, uzasadnione potrzebą wzmożonej ochrony interesu publicznego. Panująca w pozostałym zakresie swoboda nierzadko bywa nadużywana przez zamawiającego, który zawcza-su projektuje postanowienia umowy. Dlatego istotne znaczenie praktyczne ma unormowana ostat-nio możność zwalczania klauzul abuzywnych w trybie odwoławczym. Jednocześnie, wzmacniając zasadę realnego wykonania zamówienia wykluczającą możnością obchodzenia wyników przetar-gu, wprowadzono zakaz dokonywania istotnych zmian w umowach o zamówienia publiczne oraz przedwczesnego ich rozwiązywania. Niedogodności formalne i biurokratyczne łagodzić ma postę-pująca informatyzacja zamówień publicznych.

FEATURES OF THE APPEAL PROCEDURE FOR APPEALING DECISIONS OF COURTS WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF JURORS

The article is devoted to the consideration of features of appeal in the appeal procedure of decisions of courts with participation of jurors. The trial by jury is a special form of legal proceedings, which involves the presence of increased guarantees of respect for the rights of citizens, as well as a fair sentence. Proceedings before the court of appeal also carry democratic principles of justice. However, the combination of a jury trial and an appellate procedure for appealing its decisions is causing heated debate in science and in practice. This procedure involves a full review of the criminal case by the court of appeal, but it does not provide for the participation of citizens, so the positive effect of such a procedure is rather doubtful. Moreover, interested participants in criminal proceedings are significantly limited in their legal capacity to appeal decisions of courts with the participation of jurors. It is obvious that it is necessary to make significant adjustments to the legislation to optimize the procedure for reviewing decisions of courts with the participation of jurors.

Quality and Safety in Healthcare, Part LXXII: Credentialing and Privileging.

Healthcare credentialing is the methodology used by an organization to obtain and validate a practitioner's credentials, typically to participate in patient care. Privileging is the process by which the designated individuals in the healthcare organization evaluate the credentials, as well as the performance of the individual to determine that the provider is worthy to have certain privileges in the institution to contribute to the care of patients. The healthcare institution must have appropriate processes to ensure that providers continue to give excellent care in order to maintain privileges. There must also be procedures in place for remediation and revocation of privileges when necessary, as well as an appeals procedure. In addition, there should be provisions for privileging of temporary workers and for privileging in emergency situations.

ПРОБЛЕМИ ТА ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ РОЗВИТКУ КОНСУЛЬТАЦІЙНОЇ РОБОТИ КОНТАКТНОГО ЦЕНТРУ ДЕРЖАВНОЇ ПРИКОРДОННОЇ СЛУЖБИ УКРАЇНИ

У сучасному інформаційному суспільстві важливу роль відіграє дієвий взаємозв’язок між державою і громадянином. Доступними для відкритого діалогу є прямі консультації за допомогою телефонного, електронного та письмового звернення громадян до органу влади.
 У діяльності Державної прикордонної служби України, як і в інших органах публічної адміністрації, забезпечений двосторонній дієвий зв’язок у формі електронних консультацій та «гарячої» телефонної лінії. Такі форми є досить ефективними та зручними, що зумовлено доступністю для громадян і відсутністю обмежень часовими рамками та місцем проведення. Для них характерний оперативний зворотний зв’язок, дотримання анонімності, зменшення матеріальних витрат і кількості організаційних заходів.
 Спеціальним підрозділом, що забезпечує такий постійний зв’язок громадян з органами і підрозділами Державної прикордонної служби України, є робота Контактного центру Державної прикордонної служби України, який забезпечує оперативне реагування на проблемні питання громадян і своєчасний розгляд звернень, які надходять на «гарячу лінію» Державної прикордонної служби України або електронну пошту Контактного центру Державної прикордонної служби України.
 Поряд зі значними позитивними аспектами у функціонуванні Контактного центру є й такі, що варто покращити для удосконалення діяльності Контактного центру, покращання консультаційної роботи й підвищення довіри громадян до Державної прикордонної служби України. Зазначено, що основні проблемні питання, які виникають у діяльності Контактного центру, знаходяться в нормативно-правовій та організаційній площині.
 Проаналізоване дозволило авторам сформулювати, що важливим питанням у роботі Контактного центру є узгодження та вироблення чіткого механізму надання інформації, а також формування і дотримання єдиної позиції у роботі зі зверненнями громадян усіх посадових осіб Державної прикордонної служби України. Досягнення реалізації цього можливе через узгодження норм чинного законодавства, що врегульовують порядок і підстави звернень; затвердження Положення про Контактний центр Державної прикордонної служби України, Методичних рекомендацій у роботі зі зверненнями громадян у Державній прикордонній службі України.

Petitions for review of the EPO Appeal Board decisions by the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal: part IV

... In three earlier articles in this journal, and a post in its blog,1 I have commented on the Petition for review procedure2 established by the 2000 revision of the European Patent Convention (EPC). My interest in the procedure arose as I hoped it might be a way of delaying a final decision against my clients in one of my cases. Reviewing the early cases decided by the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBoA) of the European Patent Office (EPO) made it clear that I should choose an alternative strategy, which I did, ultimately successfully. Nonetheless, I remained interested in what appeared to be a pale imitation of a legitimate appeal procedure in the European (but not European Union) structure of the EPO. With the possible arrival of the Unified Patent Court (UPC)3 within the next year or so, there seems to be a possibility that the EPO Petition procedure will lose what little popularity it has, at least with patent opponents. Therefore, it is time to review what has been happening with the EPO Petitions over the last few years.

Resources and activities of occupational health service units in Poland. An analysis of the mandatory medical reporting for 2014-2018

The number and activities of occupational medicine physicians and occupational health service (OHS) units can be determined on the basis of obligatory medical reporting. The paper covers an analysis of the MZ-35 and MZ-35A statistical forms dated 2014-2018. In order to assess the scope of medical reporting, an online questionnaire survey among occupational medicine experts was performed. the scope of medical reporting, an online questionnaire survey among occupational medicine experts was performed. Results: There were 6685 occupational medicine physicians, 6005 basic OHS units and 20 regional occupational health centers (ROHC) registered in Poland in 2018. Certain regional differences in access to OHS can be noticed. On average, there were 3481 persons of productive age per 1 occupational medicine physician. On average, in 2014-2018, 5 223 000 prophylactic examinations of workers were performed annually, along with 322 000 examinations (also annually) related to the practical vocational training of pupils, students, participants in qualification vocational training and Ph.D. candidates. For the first time in history, in 2018 more preliminary than periodic examinations were performed. Every year, approximately 0.03% of the medical certificates regarding the existence or lack of medical contraindications to perform work, which are issued by basic OHS units, are being questioned by either employees or employers. In 58% of such cases, the initial decision was changed as a result of an appeal procedure in ROHC. The duty to submit an annual report regarding prophylactic praactivities has been obeyed by <60% of the obliged physicians in the recent 2 years. Among the most important reasons for such a situation, the implementation of online reporting, a lack of real consequences for not submitting the report, and a poor knowledge of said reporting among physicians were mentioned. It is necessary to monitor, on the regional level, the availability of prophylactic care provided by OHS physicians, both for all employers obliged to provide such care and for all employees obliged to undergo medical examinations. The scope of obligatory public statistics reporting regarding OHS activities needs updates. Due to a relatively stable situation in relation to the types of issued certificates, it should be less detailed. Med Pr. 2020;71(4):429-40.

The ECJ as the EU Court of Appeal: some evidence from the appeal case-law on the non-contractual liability of the EU

Legal scholarship has devoted limited attention to the appeal procedure before the Court of Justice of the European Union. However, appeal judgments have assumed renewed importance following the recent EU judicial reform in 2015. Firstly, the centralisation of the appeal procedure in the hands of the General Court (GC) and the Court of Justice (ECJ) has further strengthened the ECJ's role as a court of appeal of the EU legal order. Secondly, the number of appeal judgments delivered by the ECJ has drastically increased.&lt;br/&gt; The scope of this article is twofold: it presents findings on how the ECJ exercises its role as court of appeal; it also seeks to initiate an academic debate on how the appeal procedure shapes the judicial dialogue between the GC and the ECJ in the interpretation of EU law. For this purpose, the article firstly investigates how the ECJ interprets the notion of 'pleas of law' and 'complex factual assessment'. Since appeals may cover only questions of law, these notions are pivotal in determining the limits of the ECJ jurisdiction when reviewing the decisions of the GC. Secondly, it analyses the interpretative methods used by the ECJ on appeal, and the divergent judicial interpretations of EU law followed by the GC at first instance. Thirdly, it analyses the balancing of individual rights and general interest in the context of this procedure, and the instances in which the ECJ has reviewed the balance struck by the GC. Far from being merely doctrinal research, this analysis offers evidence of how the ECJ interprets EU law on appeal, and provides guidance to practitioners and academics as to procedural and substantive aspects of this procedure. As a case study, the paper focuses on the EU case-law issued on appeals concerning the non-contractual liability of EU institutions.

Making small firms happy? The heterogeneous effect of trade facilitation measures

AbstractThe different facets of trade facilitation may impact heterogeneously exporters of different size and productivity. Using the cross‐sectional variation in procedures at the border, we identify how red tape affects trade through the extensive and/or the intensive margin and show that small and large exporters are affected differently. We observe that while information availability benefits both small and large exporters, other measures like advance ruling, appeal procedures and the automation of border formalities tend to favor large exporters. This result suggests that trade facilitation policies affect exporters through channels other than simply the fixed or variable cost component of the red tape barriers. Beyond affecting the size and composition of trade flows, uncertainty about the conditions of crossing borders plays an important role in shaping the demography of exporters across different destinations.

Ways of possible optimization of the appeal procedure in criminal proceedings

Ways of possible optimization of the appeal procedure in criminal proceedings

Судебное обжалование решений и действий должностных лиц органов, осуществляющих оперативно-розыскную деятельность: проблемы регламентации и перспективы совершенствования правовой процедуры

The article deals with the issues of legal regulation and the actual implementation of the procedures for appealing against the actions of officials carrying out operative-investigative activity. It is noted that there is uncertainty in the choice of the type of legal proceedings (criminal or administrative) also as a level of the court for such complaints (court of the subject of the Russian Federation or district court). Another problem is related to the actual assignment responsibility for the plaintiffs to substantiate complaints about covert operative-investigative measures which, as a rule, leads to a refusal to consider them. The authors are invited to introduce a universal appeal procedure in the framework of administrative proceedings. The secret nature of the operative-investigative activity does not allow the plaintiff to fully substantiate the essence of his claims, so this task may be performed by the court. In order to preserve information constituting a state secret, it is necessary to introduce a closed procedure for dealing with such complaints.

Ухилення від сплати єдиного внеску на загальнообов’язкове державне соціальне страхування та страхових внесків на загальнообов’язкове державне пенсійне страхування в системі злочинів у фіскальній сфері

The purpose of the publication is a criminal analysis of tax evasion of a single contribution to compulsory state social insurance and insurance contributions to compulsory state pension insurance as fiscal crimes. Methodology. The article used a complex of scientific methods, namely: terminological, historical and legal, system-structural, formal-logical, comparative legal. Scientific novelty. Based on a legal analysis of Article 212-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, objective and subjective signs of a crime are revealed, highlighting the main characteristics of this act for the proper qualification of the offense and ensuring proper evidence on the relevant criminal proceedings. When establishing the objective side of the crime under Art. 212-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the act itself, its socially dangerous consequences, as well as the causal relationship between this act and the consequences are subject to proof. Attention is drawn to regulatory documents in the field of taxation, pensions, wages, which disclose in detail the subject of tax evasion of single contributions and insurance contributions, methods of committing and concealing a crime, as well as signs of the subject of the corresponding criminal offense. Conclusions. The main purpose of the punishment for a crime under Art. 212-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, is the return of contributions not received by the budget due to illegal activities. The norms of this article have a preventive effect. Criminal prosecution under such conditions is not effective, especially taking into account the time and labor, financial resources for appeal procedures against decisions of fiscal and law enforcement agencies in the criminal proceedings on evasion of payment of a single contribution for compulsory state social insurance and insurance premiums for compulsory state pension insurance. Keywords: single contribution; insurance fee; tax crime; evasion; single contribution to compulsory state social insurance; insurance premiums for compulsory state pension insurance.

Effectiveness and Efficiency of Administrative Appeal Procedures: a Case Study on Tax Disputes in Romania

The aim of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of (internal) administrative appeal in tax or fiscal matters in Romania, in comparison to the more time and resource consuming court action against an administrative decision imposing fiscal obligations. In order to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of administrative appeals, we analysed data from the reports and documents issued by the Romanian National Agency for Fiscal Administration (NAFA) regarding efficiency related indicators, as well as dispute settlements and the amount of collected tax as effectiveness criteria. Furthermore, data regarding the results of the administrative procedure is compared to the results of the judicial procedure in terms of the number of admitted legal actions that annulled fiscal obligations. The results show that at least in the 2013–2017 period, the administrative procedure was both inefficient and ineffective since, on average, less than 7% of fiscal disputes were solved/settled in favour of the appellant. Moreover, the procedure was rather time consuming – although the disputes should have been settled in 45 days, the answer was provided after 70 days. Hence, the administrative procedure is often seen as a mere stepping stone toward subsequent legal/court actions, with no possibility to provide a satisfactory solution and thus lessen the workload of the court. Surprisingly, the taxpayers seem to consider the courts as a more favourable/efficient means as more than half of legal actions brought against fiscal administrative acts were settled in favour of the taxpayer, i.e. the fiscal obligations were annulled. The effectiveness of the preliminary administrative procedure was further analysed from multiple perspectives pertaining to the players that have a direct or indirect legitimate interest in this procedure. These are (i) the courts, which should/could benefit from a reduced workload if the procedure was effective, (ii) the taxpayers filing administrative appeals, which could have a feasible alternative to the time and resource consuming judicial means, and (iii) the fiscal bodies that issued fiscal administrative acts or that must respond to the appeals. The fact that this procedure is a mandatory predecessor of the judicial one and not an alternative means of dispute resolution seems to significantly impede its efficiency and effectiveness. The results can serve as a basis to analyse and compare the respective data in other countries with similar legal and tax systems.

УПРАВЛІННЯ ПРОЦЕСАМИ ОСКАРЖЕНЬ В ПУБЛІЧНИХ ЗАКУПІВЛЯХ

Introduction. The main purpose of the public procurement system is determined by the need to ensure efficient use of budget funds in the development of competition, transparency and openness of the procurement process organization. The purpose of the research is to conduct the process analysis of contesting the public procurement procedure by tenderers. Results. The authors argue that evaluating the dispute resolution effectiveness between the complainant and the customer on the basis of the balance of rights, interests, and objectives of the procurement law is, in practice, an extremely difficult issue that must be resolved in each individual case. The specifics of determining the procurement subject by the customer are highlighted in such a way as to preserve the right to choose the product that suits him best and not to buy the cheapest existing product on the market, such as paper according to certain parameters of density and level of linen. But if the customer has already defined in the tender documentation technical and the qualitative characteristics of the procurement subject, he has no right to further deviate from them when selecting the winner. It is proved that the appeal procedure is created specifically to ensure a quick and professional settlement of conflicts between the participant or potential participant of the procurement procedure and the customer regarding the actions of the customer, which violate the right of such participant in the procurement procedure and the conclusion of the contract with the customer. Attention is drawn to the appeal terms of the tender documentation claim being challenged and the possible addition of justification for the need to amend the conditions of the tender documentation with the opportunity to give additional evidence. Conclusions. From the moment of the procurement contract conclusion between the state customer and the successful tenderer, classic private legal relations emerge, and consequently, after the conclusion of the procurement contract for public funds, which is the final stage of the procurement procedures, civil rights and obligations arise between the parties, and consequently civil rights and obligations arise to appeal the procurement procedure. Keywords: public procurement; body of appeal; tender documentation; the subject of the appeal; legislation on public procurement.

When Expert Opinion Evidence Goes Wrong

This paper combines three computational argumentation systems to model the sequence of argumentation in a famous murder trial and the appeal procedure that followed. The paper shows how the argumentation scheme for argument from expert opinion can be built into a testing procedure whereby an argument graph is used to interpret, analyze and evaluate evidence-based natural language argumentation of the kind found in a trial. It is shown how a computational argumentation system can do this by combining argument schemes with argumentation graphs. Frighteningly, it is also shown by this example that when there are potentially confusing conflicting arguments from expert opinion, a jury can only too easily accept a conclusion prematurely before considering critical questions that need to be asked.

Zarządzenie o zgodzie na widzenie z osobą tymczasowo aresztowaną

Visiting order for a person held on remandA particularly severe restriction of the right of individuals held on remand comes with the normative regulations concerning visit entitlements. As a rule, in the Polish legal order an individual held on remand may be allowed a visit after the authority under whose charge he or she is detained has issued a visiting order. A refusal to issue a visiting order for an individual held on remand to see a close relative is a decision taken in the course of enforcement proceedings for which there is a separate appeal procedure, different from the basic form of control. Special grounds are also provided for such a refusal.

The Income Tax Compliance Costs of Private Households: Empirical Evidence from Germany

Using a survey of more than 18,000 taxpayers in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), we estimate the income tax compliance costs of German households and study the determinants of these costs. We find that taxpayers need between 9.13 and 10.23 hours and spend €106 to meet their income tax obligations. The average total burden is between €228 (lower bound estimate) and €321 (upper bound estimate). The aggregate cost burden ranges between 2.03 percent and 2.92 percent of the German income tax revenues of tax year 2015. Although these costs have decreased significantly over recent years (mainly for self-preparers without self-employment income), international comparisons illustrate that the German burden is still located in the upper middle. The five most important cost drivers that increase individual costs are the use of tax advice, the appeal procedure, income, return complexity, and education. We cannot confirm that e-filing reduces taxpayers’ compliance costs.

Regulation of health professions in Ontario: self-regulation with statutory- based public accountability

The paper explores the model of regulation of health professionals in Ontario, Canada; a self-regulation model built around a detailed statutory scheme. The core of the paper consists of a discussion of Ontario’s Regulated Health Professions Act and of the key components of 26 specific health profession acts that have been enacted under its umbrella. The paper explores the role of the regulatory colleges, the role of the Ministry of Health in determining scope of practice and other components of medical practice, and the disciplinary and appeal procedures. Some other specific issues are also briefly touched upon, such as the integration into the profession of internationally trained physicians, and the government’s role in ensuring access to specialists across the province. A final section looks at the challenges and the limitations of the Ontario model, through a number of health professions-related controversies that reveal gaps in self-regulation, including: failure to set and enforce proper educational and practice standards in specific areas; failure to conduct timely investigations into potential misconduct by professionals; and failure to question professionals in a position of power. The paper also discusses briefly the implications of recognizing through legal regulation some alternative and complementary medical practices, and the challenge of regulating indigenous health care practitioners. It concludes that the primary limitations of the regulatory model arise on account of professional self-interest and power-relations impacting procedural issues, and the complexity of the regulatory model that may potentially undermine quality control.

When expert opinion evidence goes wrong

This paper combines three computational argumentation systems to model the sequence of argumentation in a famous murder trial and the appeal procedure that followed. The paper shows how the argumentation scheme for argument from expert opinion can be built into a testing procedure whereby an argument graph is used to interpret, analyze and evaluate evidence-based natural language argumentation of the kind found in a trial. It is shown how a computational argumentation system can do this by combining argument schemes with argumentation graphs. Frighteningly, it is also shown by this example that when there are potentially confusing conflicting arguments from expert opinion, a jury can only too easily accept a conclusion prematurely before considering critical questions that need to be asked.

Implementation of international standards of regulation of appeal procedures in current Civil Procedure Code and Economic Procedure Code

Implementation of international standards of regulation of appeal procedures in current Civil Procedure Code and Economic Procedure Code

ABOUT HARMONIZATION OF NORMS REGULATING EXAMINATION OF EVIDENCES BY THE COURT OF APPEAL IN RUSSIA’S PROCEDURAL LAW

Abstract:Тhe article views the issues of harmonization of the norms and explanations of the RF Supreme Court Plenum, regulating the examination of evidences by the second instance court in the procedural law of Russia. A proper evidence examination is to a great extent an indicative of the appeal procedure efficiency. The methodological basis of the research is a complex of the scientific cognition methods, with the dialectical method as the leading one. In the article, the general scientific methods (dialectics, analysis and synthesis, abstracting and concretism) and specific scientific methods (comparative legal and technical legal) were used. The author demonstrates the gradation of the types of evidences that can be used in the second instance court. The prominence is given to the explanations of the RF Supreme Court Plenum that are common for all the forms of the court procedures; the proposals are formulated on improving the procedural legislation to increase theefficiency of the evidence examination by the appeal court. The reasons are justified for setting the rules of the appeal exhaustion in the RF Criminal Procedural Code, that are established for the decisions which are yet not effective in law, with the exhaustion fixed in one form or another in the RF Civil Procedural Code, Arbitration Procedure Code, Administrative Procedure Code. The proposed recommendations should be implemented through a concurrence in the positions of the legislators representing the four forms of the court procedures covering the legislative fixation of the common (similar) norms and rules given in different procedural codes and proved to be effective.