scholarly journals The legal nature of soft law acts of the Council of Europe

2021 ◽  
pp. 397-402
Author(s):  
H.Yu. Yamelska
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Soft Law ◽  
Legal Systems ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Member States ◽  
Legal Ideology ◽  
Venice Commission ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact

The article examines the effectiveness of soft law as a regulator of legal relations between the member states of the Council of Europe. Existing approaches to the definition of soft law are analyzed.Author proposes to separate from the traditional conception of international law as a system of universally binding norms developed by states, taking into account postmodern trends in the transformation of national legal systems. Soft law is recognized as a real form of modern international law that has legal consequences. The article appoints the sources that make up the soft law within the legal system of the Council of Europe.The influence of soft law acts of the Council of Europe bodies on the legislation of Ukraine is investigated. Pros-pects for the development of soft law in the research area are determined.The role of “soft law” acts is presented on the example of the acts of the Venice Commission (European Com-mission for Strengthening Democracy through Law) and the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which are specialized agencies of the Council of Europe.Examples of the impact of soft law acts of the Council of Europe on the national legal systems of the partici-pating countries are analyzed. Their axiological influence on the democratization of national legal systems and the formation of human-centered legal ideology in Europe has been determined. The article determines the orientation of the parliaments and governments of the member states of the Council of Europe on the acts of soft law of its bodies in the legislation. The place of soft law acts of the bodies of the Council of Europe in the system of sources of international and national law is considered through the prism of the sociological school of law.

scholarly journals Theoretical Approaches of the European Commission for Democracy Through Law (the Venice Commission) to the Assessment of Anti-Terrorism Legislation: international Legal Discourse and Implementation Problems

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-422
Author(s):  
Anna Kashirkina ◽  
Andrey Morozov
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
European Commission ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Member States ◽  
Counter Terrorism ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Legislative Regulation ◽  
Venice Commission ◽  
Law Regulation

The topic of the article is highly relevant due to the importance of basing the legislative regulation of counter-terrorism activities on international treaties in this sphere. Besides, the legislative regulation of counteracting terrorism should be developed in accordance with the current international law acts and should take into account international obligations that they entail. The authors believe that the improvement of counter-terrorism legislation is facilitated by the work of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission), which conducts an expert evaluation of the national legislations of member states. The goal of this research is to analyze the current international law regulation in the sphere of counteracting terrorism and in identifying the specifics of its application by the Venice Commission in its assessment of national counter-terrorism legislations. The authors examine some issues connected with the work of the Venice Commission on preparing conclusions and recommendations that contain its assessment of the counter-terrorism legislation of a number of countries (the Republic of Moldova, the French Republic). They note the specifics of the work of the Venice Commission as a special auxiliary body of the Council of Europe that analyzes and assesses the legislative acts of member states based on the poly-functional guidelines of the Council of Europe. While assessing national legislations, the Venice Commission uses international law acts that contain, among other things, universally recognized principles and norms of international law, so the authors of the article show the significance of the international law regulation of counteracting terrorism through international treaties both between different countries and under the aegis of international organizations and integration unions; they also identify the problems connected with their implementation in national legislations. Based on the conducted research, the authors come to the following conclusions: the legislative regulation of counteracting terrorism should be amended with strict observance of the universally recognized principles and norms of international law incorporated, among other things, in international treaties; it is necessary to develop the international law regulation in the sphere of counteracting terrorism while taking into account new challenges and threats brought about by globalization and use the potential of international law instruments; international bodies play an important part in improving national counter-terrorism legislations, specifically, the Venice Commission, which, through its expert work, contributes to the development of legislation based on international legal acts.

Good Administration and the Council of Europe

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Case Law ◽  
Administrative Law ◽  
Legal Systems ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Member States ◽  
Arbitrary Power ◽  
Administrative Action ◽  
European Court ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Impact

This book is about the existence and effectiveness of written and unwritten standards of good administration developed within the framework of the Council of Europe (CoE) and in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. These standards—called the ‘pan-European general principles of good administration’—cover the entire range of general organizational, procedural, and substantive legal institutions meant to ensure a democratically legitimized, open, and transparent administration respecting the rule of law. Thus, they are about the ‘limiting function’ of administrative law, i.e. its function to protect individuals from arbitrary power, to legitimize administrative action, and to combat corruption. This book analyses the sources and functions of the pan-European general principles of good administration and seeks to uncover how deeply they are rooted in the domestic legal systems of the CoE Member States. It comprises twenty-eight country reports dedicated to an in-depth exploration of the impact of these standards on the national legal systems of the Member States written by respective experts on these systems. It argues that the pan-European general principles of good administration lead to a certain harmonization of the legal orders of the Member States with regard to the limiting function of administrative law despite the many fundamental differences between their administrative and legal systems. It comes to the further conclusion that the pan-European general principles of good administration can be considered a concretization of the founding values of the CoE and, thus, describe the ‘administrative law obligations’ a Member State enters into when joining the CoE.

Domestic Investigation and Prosecution of Atrocities Committed during Military Operations: The Impact of Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights

2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-404
Author(s):  
Silvia Borelli
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Remedial Measures ◽  
Legal Systems ◽  
Military Operations ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Proactive Approach ◽  
European Court ◽  
The Impact

The undeniable impact of the European Convention on Human Rights on the legal systems – and the wider society – of Member States of the Council of Europe would not have been possible without its unique monitoring system, centred around the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The present article assesses the extent to which the European Court's judgments that have found violations of the procedural obligations under Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention to investigate unlawful killings, disappearances, acts of torture or other ill-treatment have, in fact, led to an improvement in the capability of the domestic legal systems of states parties to ensure accountability for such abuses. On the basis of four case studies, it is concluded that the European Court's judgments, coupled with the supervisory powers of the Committee of Ministers, have the potential to make a very great impact on the capability of domestic legal systems to deal with gross violations of fundamental human rights, and have led to clear and positive changes within the domestic legal systems of respondent states. Nevertheless, this is by no means always the case, and it is suggested that, in order for the Convention system to achieve its full potential in the most politically charged cases, the European Court should adopt a more proactive approach to its remedial powers by ordering specific remedial measures, to include in particular the opening or reopening of investigations.

Dynamics of the regulatory function of Ukrainian lawin the context of European and international legal harmonization

2021 ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
Roman Zvarych ◽  
Bohdan Hryvnak
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
European Integration ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Regulatory Function ◽  
Scientific Article ◽  
Legal Systems ◽  
Legal Analysis ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
European Union Law ◽  
Legal Harmonization

Purpose. The purpose of the work is a comprehensive theoretical and legal analysis of the main problems of the dynamics of the regulatory function of Ukrainian law in the context of European integration and international legal harmonization. Method. The following theoretical methods of scientific knowledge were used in the study: the method of scientific analysis; system-structural; historical and legal; axiological; comparative law; formal-legal and method of generalization. Results. The scientific article highlights the process of transformation of the regulatory function of modern Ukrainian law in the context of its approximation to EU and international law. In the course of the research it was proved that in the issues of the European integration course the leading role belongs to the principles of realization of the regulatory function and regulatory influence. In particular, the implementation of the principle of the primacy of international law is for Ukraine a political and legal guarantee of stable relations with Europe and the world, as well as a legal means of protecting its legitimate interests. On the basis of the main principle of priority of norms of international law, such derivative principles of interaction of legal systems of the Council of Europe and Ukraine as: a) the principle of the rule of law should be developed; b) the principle of interconnectedness and complementarity of the law of the Council of Europe and Ukraine; c) the principles of cooperation, good faith fulfillment of obligations to the Council of Europe and the principle of mutual protection of human rights. Scientific novelty. The study found that the regulatory function of law, despite the narrowing of its scope at the domestic level and within national legal systems, has expanded its scope at the international and European levels, and especially at the level of European Union law. In this case, in the latter case, it interacts most closely with the integrative function. Practical significance. The results of the research can be useful for further general theoretical and applied research of the dynamics of the regulatory function of Ukrainian law in the context of European and international legal harmonization.

Cooperation Between The Council Of Europe And The European Union And Modern International Law

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Volodymyr Kopanchuk ◽  
Tetiana Zanfirova ◽  
Tetiana Novalska ◽  
Dmytro Zabzaliuk ◽  
Kateryna Stasiukova
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
International Law ◽  
Legal Aspect ◽  
Eu Enlargement ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
International Agreements ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Union is of great interest to Ukraine, which defines the entry into the European legal field as one of the main vectors of its development. The study is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of the impact of cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Union on the development of modern international law. The authors studied the formation and development of collaboration between the Council of Europe and the EU; emphasized the legal aspects of cooperation between the European Council and the EU in the EU enlargement process; analyzed in detail the types of international agreements through the legal aspect and clarified the impact of cooperation between the Council of Europe and the EU on the development of modern international law and describe the forms of international legal cooperation between the Council of Europe and the EU.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.2 Asia: Coordinated by Yuko Nishitani and Béligh Elbalti, 36 South Caucasus: South Caucasian Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kupelyants Hayk
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Civil Code ◽  
Soft Law ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
Legal Systems ◽  
The South ◽  
South Caucasus ◽  
Customary International Law ◽  
The Hague

This chapter explores South Caucasian perspectives on the Hague Principles. The rules of private international law in all three South Caucasian countries—Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan—are primarily contained in statutes: the Chapter of Private International Law in Armenia (1998) and separate statutes on Private International Law in Azerbaijan (2000) and Georgia (1998). Article 1253(1) of the Armenian Civil Code and Article 1(2) of the Azerbaijani Act provides that the courts may apply international customs in the area of private international law. In so far as the Hague Principles amount to or eventually crystallize into customary international law, the courts may give effect to the Hague Principles in that manner. Before that happens, there is nothing in the legal systems of either of the three jurisdictions preventing the courts from citing for explanatory and persuasive reasons soft law instruments, such as the Hague Principles. That said, stylistically the judgments of the South Caucasian jurisdictions are often drafted in a very concise and skeletal manner. Soft law instruments and commentary might influence the reasoning of the judges, but they would rarely refer to them in the text of the judgment.

Part III Practical Challenges, 8 European Antitrust Criminalization and the First Challenge of Design: Defining the Criminal Cartel Offence

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whelan Peter
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Offence ◽  
Member States ◽  
Eu Member States ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

This chapter analyses the first challenge of design for European antitrust criminalization: defining the criminal cartel offence itself. There are two problematic issues concerning the definition of a criminal cartel offence, both of which must be understood—if not resolved—by legislatures that are serious about the effective enforcement of their criminal cartel laws. First, the impact of Regulation 1/2003 on the design and operation of a national cartel offence needs to be articulated. This is an issue which is unique to the EU Member States. Second, the legislature which is responsible for drafting a given national criminal cartel law is required to make a decision about how to deal with ‘acceptable’ cartel activity. The challenge for the drafters of a criminal cartel offence is how to ensure that 'acceptable' cartel activity is carved out of the criminal offence without making the offence unworkable in practice.

Regional Organizations

2019 ◽  
pp. 36-67
Author(s):  
Tan Hsien-Li
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
International Organizations ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Regional Organizations ◽  
Member States ◽  
Regional Institutions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter examines the relationship that Asia-Pacific regional and sub-regional organizations have with international law, looking at seven international organizations that span the region. It is commonly believed that the member states of Asia-Pacific regional organizations prefer less formalized institutions and fewer binding commitments. Conventional reasons for this include their history of colonialism, less legalistic and formalized cultures, and a preference for stricter conceptions of sovereignty. As such, their organizations are often perceived as less effective. However, the effectiveness of Asia-Pacific regional institutions should not be judged by one uniform standard. Instead they should be judged on their own definition of effectiveness. There should be a broader understanding that Asia-Pacific states consciously use and participate in their regional organizations differently than in other regions, and they may prefer less institutionalized models as these serve their purposes better and can still be successful.

scholarly journals Forensic psychiatry in Europe

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (11) ◽  
pp. 421-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harvey Gordon ◽  
Per Lindqvist
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Forensic Psychiatry ◽  
Antisocial Behaviour ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Mentally Disordered Offenders ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
Member States ◽  
Mentally Disordered ◽  
Mutual Knowledge ◽  
Definition Of

The European Union now includes 27 member states. The Council of Europe stretches even further with 45 member states. A comprehensive definition of Europe geographically embraces all of Eastern Europe, including the western part of Russia and the western part of Turkey. Increasing mobility and national cooperation within Europe requires enhancing mutual knowledge and understanding of the context of evaluation and treatment of mentally disordered offenders and similar individuals who manifest antisocial behaviour and violence. A recent study confined to the previous 15 member states of the European Union provides a useful baseline for subsequent European comparisons (Salize & Dressing, 2005).

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