10. The Future of the English Legal System

Author(s):  
Mark Thomas ◽  
Claire McGourlay

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. This concluding chapter assesses the future of the English legal system (ELS). It argues that the ELS will continue to grow and develop in order to move with the times. Each development may individually not have such significant impact on the ELS; however, when coupled with the other development, it is more likely that the development may significantly alter people's understanding of the ELS. Change in the ELS may come from political, economic, legal, social, and international factors. The chapter then considers some of the key debates, events, and activities that may shape the future of the ELS. These issues include the UK's membership in the EU, signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights, and transformation of the justice system.

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
James Marson ◽  
Katy Ferris

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter discusses the English legal system. It provides an overview of the courts in the civil and criminal divisions, and their hierarchy. It discusses the source of law, delegated legislation, the impact of membership in the EU and the Human Rights Act 1998, and alternative forms of dispute resolution (ADR). The implications of ADR are increasingly important in civil disputes and essential between businesses where traditional court action can destroy commercial relationships.


2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-35
Author(s):  
Lee J. Curley ◽  
Rory MacLean ◽  
Jennifer Murray ◽  
Phyllis Laybourn ◽  
David Brown

The Scottish legal system is a unique jurisdiction, as jurors are able to give not proven verdicts in addition to the well-known Anglo-American verdicts (guilty and not guilty). The not proven verdict has never been legally defined, meaning that currently legal practitioners can only estimate why a not proven verdict has been given. The main aim of this study was to investigate if jurors violate the regularity principle, which is commonly incorporated in many rational choice models, by testing if the introduction of the not proven verdict has an impact on the outcomes given by jurors. In addition, this study aimed to test if the introduction of the not proven verdict has an impact upon how the not guilty verdict is perceived by jurors. In this study, 128 participants listened to two vignettes centred on homicide trials. Jurors could give one of two verdicts in one of the vignettes and one of three verdicts in the other vignette. The vignettes were counterbalanced in regard to how many verdicts could be given at the end of them. It was found that jurors in a three-verdict system were less likely to give a not guilty verdict in comparison to jurors in a two-verdict system, showing that jurors violate the regularity principle and that the not proven verdict may change how the not guilty verdict is perceived. The findings of this research have implications in relation to juror communication, article 6 of the European Convention of Human Rights and juror rationality.


Author(s):  
Bernadette Rainey

Each Concentrate revision guide is packed with essential information, key cases, revision tips, exam Q&As, and more. Concentrates show you what to expect in a law exam, what examiners are looking for, and how to achieve extra marks. This chapter focuses on the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA), which was introduced to allow individuals to argue cases involving rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) directly before a UK court. It first explains the background and rationale underlying the HRA, focusing on the arguments for and against a Human Rights Act, as well as the human rights that are covered and not covered by the HRA. The chapter then discusses the judicial powers/duties and remedies under the HRA, along with powers of derogation and reservation, with an emphasis on ECtHR case law, the interpretation clause, and declarations of incompatibility with the Convention rights. In addition, it examines the HRA’s use of proportionality and judicial deference doctrines when deciding whether an act by a public authority is incompatible with a Convention right. The chapter concludes by assessing the future of the HRA.


Author(s):  
Jens Peter Christensen

The Constitutional Act of Denmark from 1953 provides the framework for democracy and the constitutional state. Denmark is a monarchy; however, the Queen’s role is mostly ceremonial. Compared to the constitutions of other nations, the Danish Constitution is brief, containing simple guidelines for the interaction between government and Parliament. These rules have allowed ample room for parliamentary life to evolve with the times. The few rules about the legislative process include a number of minority guaranties, for example, with respect to referendums. Such referendums have played a significant role in the transfer of power to the EU. The courts rule in all cases, both criminal and civil, as well as cases involving the legality of administrative decisions and cases concerning the constitutionality of legislation. Denmark does not have special administrative or constitutional courts. The Danish constitutional catalogue of rights is less comprehensive than in many European countries, with rules based on the original Constitutional Act of 1849. These have only been minimally expanded since. In praxis, constitutional rights are supplemented by the European Convention on Human Rights whose provisions are implemented legislatively. The Constitutional Act is difficult to amend, and there are currently no imminent amendments.


Author(s):  
Jan Wouters ◽  
Michal Ovádek

This chapter evaluates the language and concepts surrounding human rights in the EU. It begins by investigating the dichotomous language of ‘human’ and ‘fundamental’ rights. Even a brief look at the EU Treaties makes immediately clear that both ‘human’ and ‘fundamental’ rights are mentioned in various parts of the text, most often as part of references to, on the one hand, the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, on the other. What is less obvious from reading the Treaties is whether there is in fact a difference between the two terms or whether they are synonymous. The chapter then highlights the human rights narratives the EU tells about itself. It also looks at the close relationship of human rights with the associated concepts of the rule of law and democracy, both generally and in the EU context.


Author(s):  
Guido Raimondi

This article comments on four important judgments given by the European Court of Human Rights in 2016. Al-Dulimi v. Switzerland addresses the issue of how, in the context of sanctions regimes created by the UN Security Council, European states should reconcile their obligations under the UN Charter with their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights to respect the fundamentals of European public order. Baka v. Hungary concerns the separation of powers and judicial independence, in particular the need for procedural safeguards to protect judges against unjustified removal from office and to protect their legitimate exercise of freedom of expression. Magyar Helsinki Bizottság v. Hungary is a judgment on the interpretation of the Convention, featuring a review of the “living instrument” approach. Avotiņš v. Latvia addresses the principle of mutual trust within the EU legal order and the right to a fair trial under Article 6 of the Convention.


Author(s):  
Julio Baquero Cruz

This chapter analyses another area of Union law that is highly controversial and relevant in structural terms—the protection of fundamental rights. It discusses the scope and standard of the protection offered at Union level, the consequences for national law, and the implications of the future accession of the Union to the European Convention on Human Rights. These issues are of fundamental importance for the integrity of Union law and of wider significance for the political understanding of the Union.


Author(s):  
Henning Grosse Ruse-Khan

This chapter examines the human rights system and the way it deals with human creations and innovations that are the traditional core subject matter of intellectual property (IP) rights. It begins by reviewing the scope for protection under Article 27 (2) Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 15 (1) (c) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The chapter moves on to the protection of property in human rights law, especially on the regional, European level. It examines how IP can be protected as property under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (EU Charter). Finally, the chapter looks at some of the overlaps with international IP rules and the conflict norms in the human rights system to address such overlaps.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document