Procedural Guarantees Research Articles

Physical integrity and latest legislative changes in Albania

In 2016 Albania went through a major justice reform which provided legislative changes to the already existing institutions, established new ones and sought to improve the procedural guarantees of the accused in criminal trials. While the Albanian Code of Criminal Procedure prior to the changes did not provide for biological evidence or a medical intervention in the course of a criminal investigation, the new legislative changes introduced the concepts of biological evidence and the compulsory physical examination as part of tools in search of the evidence. Even though the draft amendments to the previous Albanian Code of Criminal procedure recognized the problems encountered in practice during the collection of biological evidence vis à vis individual’s rights to personal integrity and dignity, the application of newly introduced and enacted provisions remains still unclear and raises concerns, not only regarding the possible arbitrary use of such tools by law enforcement authorities, but also on the possible conflicts that can arise from the application of such procedures by medical examiners and physicians and the fundamental rights of the person under examination or undergoing the medical procedure/intervention.

ПРАВОВА ОХОРОНА БАНКІВСЬКОЇ ТАЄМНИЦІ: БАЛАНСУВАННЯ ПРИВАТНОГО І ПУБЛІЧНОГО ІНТЕРЕСІВ

Банківська таємниця — це інформація, яка стає відомою банкові у зв’язку з обслуговуванням клієнта. Для забезпечення належного ступеня довіри у відносинах «клієнт — банк» клієнт повинен бути впевнений, що інформація про нього не буде розголошена стороннім особам. Таким чином, забезпечення конфіденційності інформації щодо клієнта становить одну із важливих передумов функціонування банківської системи. Окрім того, інформація, що міститься в банківських документах особи, перебуває під правовою охороною як елемент природного права людини на повагу до приватного життя й таємницю особистої кореспонденції. Водночас режим таємності може бути використаний з метою приховання незаконного руху капіталів, пов’язаного із корупцією, відмиванням доходів, ухиленням від сплати податків тощо. Відтак забезпечення абсолютної секретності інформації щодо клієнта може стимулювати розвиток злочинної активності. Таким чином, визначення меж правової охорони банківської таємниці потребує ретельного зважування приватного і публічного інтересів: на одній шальці терезів — право клієнта банку на приватність, на другій — загальносуспільні інтереси, пов’язані, зокрема, але не виключно, із попередженням і розслідуванням злочинної діяльності. При цьому варто розуміти, що переслідування суспільно значимої мети не виправдовує розголошення банківської таємниці автоматично і в кожному разі; натомість до врахування підлягають й інші обставини. По-перше, можливість розкриття банківської таємниці повинна бути передбачена законом. По-друге, цей закон має відповідати вимогам правової визначеності: він має бути чітким, зрозумілим, недвозначним, так, щоб наслідки його застосування були передбачуваними. По-третє, особа, щодо якої порушується питання про розкриття банківської таємниці, повинна бути забезпечена необхідними процедурними гарантіями, які б давали їй змогу попередити або усунути свавілля у застосуванні до неї відповідного заходу.

Wybrane zagadnienia dotyczące zwalczania terroryzmu w kontekście prawa do rzetelnego procesu

Terrorism is nowadays one of the biggest threats to international peace and security. Nevertheless, its combatting must be compatible with the requirements of human rights protection, including the right to a fair trial. First the article discusses procedural guarantees of suspects of terrorist crimes in criminal proceedings. Then the article deliberates the aspects of judicial control of targeted sanctions. The next part will constitute the exploration of the legal professional privilege in the discussed area. Finally, the article will discuss the judicial control of targeted killing. The aim of the article is to prove that actually the right to a fair trial and the procedural guarantees enshrined therein constitute a guarantee to other human rights.

Procedural and material aspects of the protection of the rights of a person subject to proceedings for legal incapacitation - Part II.

The aim and effect of the procedure for legal incapacitation is to ensure the widest possible social integration and the widest possible autonomy of the incapacitated person; the procedure should provide the disabled person with full procedural guarantees enabling him or her to have a fair hearing and to make an equitable decision, not only regarding the issue of incapacitation, but also on the revocation of the incapacitation or on a change in the type of incapacitation. In the first part of the paper, we presented the problem of legal incapacitation, answered questions about who could initiate the proceedings for legal incapacitation, who could be a participant of such proceedings, whether issuing a certificate of health condition is a necessity, and we presented the procedural aspect of protecting the rights of a person against whom proceedings for incapacitation are pending. In the second part of the manuscript, we described the characteristics of the institution of temporary advisor and guardian ad litem as well as the material aspect of protecting the rights of a person against whom proceedings for incapacitation are pending.

Procedural and material aspects of the protection of the rights of a person subject to proceedings for legal incapacitation - Part I.

The aim and effect of the procedure for legal incapacitation is to ensure the widest possible social integration and the widest possible autonomy of the incapacitated person; the procedure should provide the disabled person with full procedural guarantees enabling him or her to have a fair hearing and to make an equitable decision, not only regarding the issue of incapacitation, but also on the revocation of the incapacitation or on a change in the type of incapacitation. In the first part of the paper, we presented the problem of legal incapacitation, answered questions about who could initiate the proceedings for legal incapacitation, who could be a participant of such proceedings, whether issuing a certificate of health condition is a necessity, and we presented the procedural aspect of protecting the rights of a person against whom proceedings for incapacitation are pending.

Working in tandem: Proportionality and procedural guarantees in EU immigration law

AbstractThis Article aims at highlighting theoretical and practical issues around the application of the general principle of proportionality in EU immigration. It focuses on the application procedure foreseen by the Single Permit Directive by proposing an argument that combines proportionality and procedural guarantees. This Article has two main objectives: First, it explains why and how the general principle of proportionality is applicable to first admission applications. In this context, the Single Permit Directive—adopted as an important piece of the emerging EU legal regime on immigration—will represent a common theme for our reflections and a timely example on the practical implications of the argument presented in this Article. Second, it explores an important dimension of the legal-philosophical relevance of proportionality as applied to immigration. This specific Article might be apprehended from the point of view of a larger debate on the meaning of discretion in immigration law. It connects to the field of immigration ethics, a field in which legal scholars should become more active. As will be shown, ethical and legal considerations on immigration should work closely together, thereby improving current regulations and their implementation.

Procedural guarantees for public participation in environmental protection.

This article analyses the principles and the procedure related to public participation in environmental protection within the meaning of the Act of 3 October 2008 on the Provision of Information about the Environment and its Protection, Public Participation in Environmental Protection and Environmental Impact Assessment. This Act provides for a division of public participation into: public participation in decision making (Art. 33-38) and public participation in the preparation of documents (Art. 39-43). The author describes one by one the solutions that ensure public participation in procedures in individual matters settled by way of administrative decisions, and the solutions that ensure public participation in the process of preparing documents for which this participation is obligatory. In conclusion, the author presents specific rights of environmental organisations related to public participation, as environmental organisations, by referring to their statutory objectives and declaring their willingness to participate in procedures requiring public participation, participate in these procedures as a party.

Az Alkotmánybíróság fontosabb döntései 2019. július 1-je és december 31-e között

The Constitutional Court (hereinafter: CC) made 253 decisions in the second semester of 2019. From these, 65 decisions were on the merits. In the competences of norm control the CC has declared the unconstitutionality of four legal regulations, it declared three constitutional requirements and four legislative omissions. The mostly practiced competence of the CC is still the constitutional complaint procedure, mainly the one against judicial decisions.In its competence, the Court annulled sixteen judicial decisions in the second semester of 2019.The Article summarises six significant decisions of the CC from the second semester of the year. The CC has established certain principles that are important from the viewpoint of the freedom of press and the protection of images [CC decision 23/2019. (VII. 18.) AB]. Also CC decision 26/2019. (VII. 23.) protects the freedom of press, and extends the measure used for the public persons also to the people who do not bear public power but still have some influence on political life. In CC decision 20/2019. (VI. 26.) the CC declared a legislative omission and called upon the lawmaker to ensure a criminal law procedural guarantee under the rule of law. CC decision 29/2019. (XI. 4.) has made an important decision protecting free speech and the criticism of public figures. CC decision 3294/2019. (XI. 18.) annulled a decision of the Curia (Supreme Court) which applied a legal regulation in a discriminatory manner in case of an officer whose disciplinary procedure was ceased. CC decision 34/2019. (XI. 29.) declared the unconstitutionality of a provision of the Act on Revenues as it violated the prohibition of discrimination.

Impact of Directives of European Parliament and of Council on Development of Latvian Criminal Procedure Law: General Overview and Procedural Protection of Victims with Specific Protection Needs

The article is dedicated to the impact of the EU law on development of Latvian criminal procedural law norms. It provides a general insight into importance of the EU criminal procedure law in the development of the Criminal Procedure Law norms, the directives of the European Council and the Parliament, the norms of which have been transposed into the Criminal Procedure Law, and the system of procedural guarantees for the participants of proceedings in need of protection, with particular focus on victims with specific protection needs.

Az ügyfél jogorvoslathoz való jogának biztosítása mint a közszolgálati tisztviselők kötelezettsége

The study deals with the right to redress, and thus the procedural guarantees of the lawful functioning of public administration, from a particular point of view of the enforcement of client rights. The author, in the general context of the study, begins by discussing the requirement of the lawfulness of public administration, then the content of the right of appeal and its requirements for procedural law. Thereafter, the system of redress of the administrative procedure under the new regulations will be introduced through the processing of the laws on general administrative order and administrative litigation. At the end of the study, conclusions will be drawn that will address both the relationship between appeal and administrative litigation and the new administrative judicial system.

The New Impartial Jury Mandate

Impartiality is the cornerstone of the Constitution’s jury trial protections. Courts have historically treated impartiality as procedural in nature, meaning that the Constitution requires certain prophylactic procedures that secure a jury that is more likely to reach verdicts impartially. But in Peña- Rodriguez v. Colorado, 137 S. Ct. 855 (2017), the Supreme Court recognized for the first time an enforceable, substantive component to the mandate. There, the Court held that criminal litigants have a Sixth Amendment right to jury decisions made without reliance on extreme bias, specifically on the basis of race or national origin. The Court did not provide a standard for determining when evidence of partiality is sufficient to set aside a verdict but made clear that an otherwise procedurally adequate decision may fall to substantive deficiencies. This Article advances a structural theory of the Constitution’s impartial jury mandate, focusing on the interplay between its ex ante procedural and ex post substantive components. The Article argues that the mandate has traditionally taken shape as a collection of procedural guarantees because of a common law prohibition on reviewing the substance of jury deliberations. Peña-Rodriguez tosses this constraint, allowing judges for the first time to review the rationales upon which jurors base their verdicts. The Article then offers a novel approach for applying substantive impartiality more broadly by looking to the Equal Protection Clause’s tiers of scrutiny. It concludes that ex ante procedural rules and ex post substantive review can operate in conjunction to tease out undesirable, impermissible forms of jury bias, while still allowing for desirable, permissible forms of jury bias.

Zasady postępowania w sprawach z zakresu działalności gospodarczej unormowane w ustawie Prawo przedsiębiorców

Ustawa z 6 marca 2018 r. Prawo przedsiębiorców (u.p.p.) normuje zasady związane z podejmowaniem i wykonywaniem działalności gospodarczej zdecydowanie inaczej, niż czyniła to poprzednio obowiązująca ustawa z 2 lipca 2004 r. o swobodzie działalności gospodarczej. Przepisy dotyczące postępowania w relacjach między administracją a przedsiębiorcami stanowią w dużej mierze nową materię publicznego prawa gospodarczego. Zasady procesowe zamieszczone są w rozdz. I: Przepisy ogólne i w rozdz. III: Załatwianie spraw z zakresu działalności gospodarczej. Niektóre z zasad powtarzają zasady ogólne postępowania administracyjnego unormowane w k.p.a. (por. art. 28 u.p.p. i art. 7b k.p.a.). W ten sposób Prawo przedsiębiorców przenosi na płaszczyznę publicznego prawa gospodarczego podstawowe zasady (wartości, idee) Konstytucji RP (np. art. 12). Ustawa ta normuje też szereg nowych zasad, w tym takie, które wyrażają idee ujęte po raz pierwszy w formę obowiązujących norm prawnych. Szczególnym przykładem jest zasada zaufania do przedsiębiorcy (art. 10 ust. 1); wyraża ona nowy standard w relacjach administracja publiczna– przedsiębiorca. Unormowanie tej zasady wzmacnia gwarancje procesowe dla przedsiębiorców. Mimo że zasady postępowania unormowane w Prawie przedsiębiorców nie stanowią spójnego zbioru, to – z uwagi na ich uniwersalny charakter oraz rangę i miejsce tej ustawy w obszarze publicznego prawa gospodarczego – mogą służyć za bazę normatywną proceduralnego publicznego prawa gospodarczego.

Discrepancies Between the Application of the Right of Defence and the Culture of the Criminal Process

The importance of ethical boundaries in the exercise of the right of defence has been written about for a long time. The defendants’ use of the entitlement granted to them by the legislator (Article 6 of the Code of Criminal Procedure) should harmonise with respecting the culture of criminal proceedings. Meanwhile, as practice has demonstrated, the culture of ongoing proceedings often remains outside the required standards of the process. The use of so-called “evasive defence”, assessment of participants to the proceedings through the prism of stereotypes, demonstrating offensive behaviour towards representatives of procedural bodies, or a superficial analysis of the evidence collected reinforce the negative perception of the course of proceedings, thus promoting inappropriate procedural patterns. Furthermore, these situations form the basis for the emergence of judicial mistakes, which usually leave a lasting mark on the further fate of the plaintiff in court. In accordance with theoretical assumptions, effectiveness in the exercise of rights of defence (Article 6 of the CCP) should correlate not only with the fundamental objectives of criminal proceedings (Article 2 of the CCP) but also with well-established assumptions that comply with the standards of diligence as broadly understood, along with the fulfilment of the procedural guarantees of the parties to the proceedings. This paper focuses on crucial issues related to the ethical boundaries of the exercise of the rights of defence. The issues discussed herein are supported by conclusions drawn from the analysis of the outcomes of case studies.

Italian Practice in the Implementation of International Targeted Sanctions: Enhanced Protection or Additional Complexities?

The proliferation of UN and EU targeted sanctions and their potential impact on individual rights and private interests require constantly monitoring how Member States implement such restrictive measures within their own domestic legal systems. This article focuses specifically on Italian practice in the implementation of UN and EU-mandated targeted sanctions. In so doing, it first dissects the relevant legal framework currently in place at the domestic level, taking into particular account the main novelties brought about by legislative decree (D. Lgs.) No. 90/2017. It then underscores some critical issues and shortcomings potentially stemming from its practical application. Finally, this article purports to examine the recent institution of a “domestic sanctions regime” and questions whether it might, in practice, end up rising additional grounds of concern, other then those already emerging from the implementation of UN and EU-mandated targeted sanctions, especially in terms of lack of adequate procedural guarantees for alleged human rights violations.

Jurisdição criminal brasileira e as Cortes Internacionais de Direitos Humanos: diálogos necessários

O diálogo necessário entre as Cortes, no plano vertical e também horizontal permite o estabelecimento de standards protetivos das garantias processuais criminais, inseridas no âmbito do justo processo penal. A transposição da normatividade e da jurisdicionalidade domésticas, na perspectiva da superação do monólogo doméstico, são exigências de uma tutela jurisdicional efetiva. A efetividade das garantias processuais penais exige aderência legal, constitucional e, sobretudo, convencional pro homine.

El escribano y la burra: sobre un proceso por delito de bestialidad en el siglo XVIII

Las conductas tipificadas como delitos contra natura fueron duramente reprimidas por la legislación del Antiguo Régimen, en virtud al rechazo de que eran objeto por la sociedad y la religión. Tal proceder, sustentado por la doctrina jurídica y la teología moral, llegó, incluso, a afectar negativamente a las garantías procesales de los reos, como se constata al desmenuzar un procedimiento instruido por un delito de bestialidad.

The Right of Defence in the Decentralized System of EU Competition Law Enforcement: A Call for Harmonization from Central and Eastern Europe

The article compares the application of the right of defence in competition law proceedings by seven National Competition Authorities (NCAs) of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). In particular, the article focuses on four sub-rights that are part of the right of defence: right to be informed; right to access the file; privilege against self-incrimination (PASI) and legal professional privilege (LPP). The article shows that the NCAs selected as case studies generally provide lower procedural guarantees in comparison to DG Competition of the European Commission. The findings of the article are relevant in view of the Directive aiming at harmonizing the powers of NCAs (‘ECN Directive’). The legislation aims at strengthening the investigatory tools of NCAs, while it pays limited attention to the procedural guarantees followed by NCAs. In view of the diverging application of the right of defence by the NCAs selected as case studies, the article challenges such policy choice, claiming that stronger investigative powers should be counterbalanced by a more homogenous application of the right of defence by NCAs of the EU Member States.

Guarantees of Juveniles in the Penal Proceedings in Albania Seen through the Principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Albanian Legislation on juveniles was compiled based on the basic principles that affirm the fundamental international acts. Therefore, it seems that the guarantee of the basic rights and freedom of the juveniles is in very satisfactory levels. Special attention was given to the importance of legal intervention in the legal system for the juveniles. The Criminal Code, as the most important corpus in the protection of the right of juveniles in the legal proceeding, was compiled in such a way as to regulate the phases through which a suspect juvenile of a delinquency goes. Considering the main problematics of this field, a range of procedural guarantees for the juveniles’ protection were agreed upon. This leads to the Albanian State creating a Codification of the Criminal Law on the Juveniles based on the basic principles of the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of the Child. All the new approaches of the new legislation, as well as the principles of the Convention regarding the procedural guarantee of the juveniles in the legal proceeding, will be treated in this article.

Nowe procedury publicznego prawa gospodarczego. Problem gwarancji procesowych dla podmiotów działalności gospodarczej

NEW PROCEDURES OF PUBLIC ECONOMIC LAW. THE PROBLEM OF PROCEDURAL GUARANTEES FOR BUSINESS ENTITIESThe basic subject of research within the article are new procedures, regulated by the provisions of public economic law, and the main purpose of the article is to determine their legal nature, with reference to the general administrative procedure. The procedures used in the sphere of the economy that regulate relations between public administration and entrepreneurs are very different. Some of them are based on the model of jurisdictional proceedings, regulated by the provisions of the Code of Administrative Procedure. Ther should also be distinguished proceedings whose main function is the implementation of specifi c public interests — these proceedings do not constitute a uniform category, and the relations between the public administration entity and the entrepreneur are regulated in different ways.

El derecho de la niñez y la adolescencia a ser escuchada en la justicia de familia en Nicaragua

Este trabajo hace un abordaje doctrinario, jurisprudencial, normativo supranacional, de derecho comparado y del ordenamiento jurídico nicaragüense, sobre el derecho del niño, niña o adolescente a ser escuchado, en particular; sobre su manifestación en el proceso jurisdiccional familiar. Luego se examina la práctica jurisdiccional familiar, de judicaturas de primera instancia, en distintos polos geográficos y de un Tribunal de segunda instancia de la capital, en Nicaragua. Dicho análisis ha permitido identificar vacíos legales, aciertos y desaciertos en la puesta en práctica del referido derecho, por ello; se ofrecen algunas pautas de actuación para la homogenización en su implementación, por constituir una garantía procesal para niños, niñas o adolescentes en la justicia de familia nicaragüense.