scholarly journals One Boat, Two Captains: Implications of the 2020 Samoan Land and Titles Court Reforms for Customary Law and Human Rights

2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 507-540
Author(s):  
Craig Land
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Customary Law ◽  
Court System ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
Rights Protection ◽  
Customary Land ◽  
Court Of Appeal

Samoa's 2020 Land and Titles Court reforms, which contributed to the Human Rights Protection Party losing support at the April 2021 elections after almost 40 years of government, have recentred attention on the tensions of legal pluralism in the South Pacific. Although Samoa maintains a system of English common law, 81 per cent of Samoan land falls under the traditional matai titles system, giving a central role to the customary Land and Titles Court (LTC). In December 2020, the Samoan parliament passed three Acts – the Constitution Amendment Act 2020, the Land and Titles Act 2020 and the Judicature Act 2020 – establishing the LTC in a parallel court hierarchy with equivalent status to the Samoan Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. This proposal has prompted debate between those favouring incorporation and promotion of Samoan custom over Western legal norms, and others who argue the amendments undermine human rights protections and the rule of law. This article evaluates the effects of these changes on the role and administration of custom in Samoa, contextualising them within broader socio-legal debates around customary legal systems. It first analyses the effect of the three Acts with regard to the bifurcation of the court system, procedural reforms in the LTC hierarchy and the introduction of a judicial guidance clause. This leads into a critical evaluation of these changes, highlighting impacts upon judicial coherence; constitutional human rights; consistency between customary and common law procedures; and resourcing constraints. The article concludes by providing broad options for future reform. It does not focus on issues which have received attention elsewhere, such as the amendments' potential impacts on judicial independence.

Human Rights Protection in Occupied Territories

2022 ◽  
pp. 137-152
Author(s):  
Mariam Jikia
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Customary Law ◽  
International Human Rights Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
Rights Protection ◽  
Protection Mechanisms ◽  
Occupied Territories

The chapter discusses the protection mechanisms of human rights in occupied territories, namely it concerns the issue of application of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in occupied territories. The author gives detailed information about the main system for administration of occupied territories, in particular about the conventional and customary law, as well as secondary resources such as court decisions and UN resolutions. The chapter analyses international treaties, customary law, and case law to identify the main problems related to human rights protection in occupied territories, the positive obligations of states to protect population living in occupied territories, and the relevance of existing legal norms with the state practice.

Framing the Boundaries of European Human Rights Law

Global Jurist ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (2-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Can Öztaş
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Case Law ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Court System ◽  
Human Rights Law ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
Rights Protection

AbstractEuropean human rights protection, ensured by the European Convention and Court of Human Rights, is declared to be universal and inclusive, protecting not only citizens of Europe but also anybody residing within the jurisdiction of the signatory countries. This article challenges this declaration and argues, with the help of some examples from the case law, that European human rights protection is based on the defined concepts of European-ness that exclude the perceived non-European within the Convention and the Court system.

scholarly journals Society Differentiation, Can Human Rights be Protected?: Critical Study of the Tribes Castration on Community (Case Study of Laporo Buton)

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Birkah Latif ◽  
Agung Syaputra ◽  
Nurul Zashkia ◽  
Rifda Aprilia Rusfayanti
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Social Life ◽  
The State ◽  
Customary Law ◽  
Main Element ◽  
Critical Study ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
Rights Protection ◽  
The Social

In administering a country based on the rule of law, the main element is the enforcement of human rights. In every country still found, there are discriminatory discriminations against citizens, both those that are needed from state actions, and those needed from the community. With the existence of a convention on the protection of special human rights, the state must approve and protect its citizens. Problems that occur in pluralistic Indonesia is in preventing the social life in community. The research method of the paper is an empirical juridical method to answer whether Indonesia handling the enforcement of human rights and review human rights protection in Indonesia when dealing with communities which holding customary law in their community. If the practice of customary law turns out there is discriminatory practices against the tribe or sub-tribe in it, then how does the state uphold human rights?

Universal declaration of human rights as a source of universal international legal standards of human rights

2020 ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Uliana Kuzenko
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Universal Declaration ◽  
Human Being ◽  
Legal Basis ◽  
International Human Rights ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
Rights Protection ◽  
Legal Standards ◽  
International Human

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as an international legal instrument, which for the first time formulated the foundations of modern democratic status of a human being and its fundamental rights and freedoms. Methodology. The methodology involves a comprehensive study of theoretical and practical material on the subject, as well as a formulation of relevant conclusions and recommendations. During the research, the following methods of scientific cognition were used: dialectical, terminological, formal and logical, systemic and functional. Results. The study found that the main features of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a source of international legal mechanism for the protection of human rights are: 1) it is a fundamental, foundational and universal international human rights act of the United Nations; 2) it establishes a system of fundamental human rights; 3) it defines a common system of fundamental international human rights standards; 4) it determines the principles of legal identity of a human being; 5) it determines the fundamental basis and principles of international legal regulation in the field of human rights protection; 6) it acts as an international legal basis for the adoption of the latest legislation on human rights protection; 7) it acts as an international legal basis for the codification of human rights legislation. Scientific novelty. The study found that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights points to the natural origin of human rights, which must be binding on all States and for the whole population, regardless of citizenship, in order to ensure the human rights protection in a democratic and rule-of-law State. Practical importance. The results of the study can be used to improve Ukrainian legislation on human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Making Human Rights a Reality

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilie M. Hafner-Burton
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
International Law ◽  
World Population ◽  
International Human Rights Law ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
National Human ◽  
The World ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
National Human Rights Institutions

In the last six decades, one of the most striking developments in international law is the emergence of a massive body of legal norms and procedures aimed at protecting human rights. In many countries, though, there is little relationship between international law and the actual protection of human rights on the ground. This book takes a fresh look at why it's been so hard for international law to have much impact in parts of the world where human rights are most at risk. The book argues that more progress is possible if human rights promoters work strategically with the group of states that have dedicated resources to human rights protection. These human rights “stewards” can focus their resources on places where the tangible benefits to human rights are greatest. Success will require setting priorities as well as engaging local stakeholders such as nongovernmental organizations and national human rights institutions. To date, promoters of international human rights law have relied too heavily on setting universal goals and procedures and not enough on assessing what actually works and setting priorities. This book illustrates how, with a different strategy, human rights stewards can make international law more effective and also safeguard human rights for more of the world population.

Conceptions And Interpretations of Human Rights in Europe and Asia: Normative Aspects

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-135
Author(s):  
Bożena Drzewicka
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
International Law ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
International Human Rights ◽  
The West ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
Rights Protection ◽  
The World ◽  
International Human

Conceptions And Interpretations of Human Rights in Europe and Asia: Normative AspectsThe issue of confronting values between civilizations has become very important. It influences not only the level of international politics but also the international normative activity. It is very interesting for the modern international law and its doctrine. The most important factor of causing huge changes in the system of international law is still the international human rights protection and the international humanitarian law which is related to it. It is very difficult to create one catalogue of executive instruments and procedures but it is possible to influence the attitude toward the basic paradigms. The frictions appear from time to time and move to other planes. The West and Asia are still antagonists in the dialogue on the future of the world. The article is a contribution to the intercivilizational dialogue.

The Internationalization Of Human Rights And The Importance Of Normative Dialogues Between International And National Courts

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Mariane Morato Stival ◽  
Marcos André Ribeiro ◽  
Daniel Gonçalves Mendes da Costa
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
The Other ◽  
Human Rights Protection ◽  
Rights Protection ◽  
National Courts ◽  
European Court ◽  
Differences Of Opinion ◽  
Rights Discourse ◽  
Different Characteristics ◽  
Human Rights Discourse

This article intends to analyze in the context of the complexity of the process of internationalization of human rights, the definitions and tensions between cultural universalism and relativism, the essence of human rights discourse, its basic norms and an analysis of the normative dialogues in case decisions involving violations of human rights in international tribunals such as the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and national courts. The well-established dialogue between courts can bring convergences closer together and remove differences of opinion on human rights protection. A new dynamic can occur through a complementarity of one court with respect to the other, even with the different characteristics between the legal orders.

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