Can independent regulatory agencies mend Europe’s democracy? The case of the European Medicines Agency’s public hearing on Valproate

In 2017, the European Medicines Agency staged the first effort at democratic innovation within transnational European Union institutions directly influencing the transnational regulation of medicines. Alongside its public consultation on epilepsy drug Valproate, European Medicines Agency included a public hearing involving representatives of patients and testimony from those directly affected by the medicines. Using this critical case study, the article argues from a deliberative democratic perspective that although the hearing in many ways exhibited the traditional shortcomings of elite-driven deliberation, it also demonstrated unexpected and surprising deliberative qualities. Based on new quantitative analysis of the hearing using the Discourse Quality Index, and qualitative observation of over 4 hours of footage, the article argues European Medicines Agency’s hearing facilitated equitable access and influence of patients and members of the public who had previously been excluded from decision making on drug distribution. These findings provide important new evidence of the deliberative democratic value of public hearings.

Redevelopment of Huai Khwang Housing Project Responsive to Users’ Spatial Behaviors

Huai Khwang Housing is a public residential project, developed since 1972 in a fringe area of Bangkok at that time. The city has been gradually expanding, so now Huai Khwang Housing turns to be in the center of the city. There is a subway station 400 meters away from the site; therefore, the land value and potentials of this housing project has been increased. However, the physical conditions of the buildings are rather rundown since they have been utilizing for more than 50 years. The National Housing Authority of Thailand, the owner of this residence, has a plan to redevelop this housing project. The preliminary public hearing was set to inform the community about the future changes and intend to receive the opinions from the residents, who are elderlies residing in this community since it was built. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the spatial behavior of elderly residents in this housing. The methods used include interviews and observations. The results show that the housing units are used in multi-functions and the spatial requirements include storage areas, a smell-locked and partitioning cooking area, a ventilating and sun-drying area for laundry, and spaces for air-conditioning units as well as satellite discs and washing machines. It is suggested that the redevelopment housing scheme should meet these requirements.

Implementation of the principle of justice in the adversarial model of criminal procedure

For a correct understanding of the content of justice, it is necessary to determine, what is it in an adversarial model of the process – a principle, a task, general conditions of judicial consideration of a criminal case, moral requirements for procedural decisions of a judge (judges) or a participant’s right guaranteed by a public hearing of a case within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court created based on national legislation? The study presents the results of research, within the framework of which international legal acts, national legislation of various countries of the Anglo-Saxon and continental legal systems, sentences and appealed decisions of officials were studied, a questionnaire among employees of criminal prosecution bodies, lawyers and judges, and a survey of participants in criminal proceedings were conducted. In conclusion, there is a need to recognize justice precisely by the principle of the criminal process with the allocation of general and special criteria.

Justice

The right to justice is central to modern human rights law. This is often summarised as a right to a fair trial but the right to justice has other important dimensions. In terms of fair trial rights, they encompass the right to equality before and under the law and to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal. When the trial is criminal in nature, the presumption of innocence must be respected as well as many detailed guarantees for the defence. Special procedural protections are required when children are prosecuted. Furthermore, the principle of legality, which comprises a prohibition of retroactive criminality and requirements of legal certainty, must be ensured. The right to justice also comprises a broader right of access to justice.

RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL: SEEKING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL IN THE RESOLUTION PROCESS

The purpose of this publication is to bring the constitutional right to court, the concept of resolution as a response to crises in financial systems and the existence of a right to court in national legislation on the Bank Guarantee Fund, deposit guarantee scheme and forced restructuring. The article questions the correctness of the implementation of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014. establishing a framework for the recovery and resolution of credit institutions and investment firms and amending Council Directive 82/891/ EEC and Directives 2001/24/EC, 2002/47/EC, 2004/25/EC, 2005/56/EC, 2007/36/EC, 2011/35/EU, 2012/30/EU and 2013/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulations (EU) No 1093/2010 and (EU) No 648/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which consequently deprives entities under national law of a number of powers under the rules of procedure before the administrative resolution authority and an administrative court. As a result, there is a violation of the right to a fair and public hearing of a case resulting from an administrative decision under the Act of 10 June 2016 on the Bank Guarantee Fund, Deposit Guarantee Scheme and Forced Restructuring, without undue delay by a competent, independent, impartial and independent court

Advokasi Hukum Penyelesaian Konflik Tanah Di Desa Palihan Akibat Pembangunan Bandara

Program pengabdian ini berjudul “Penguatan Advokasi Hukum Penyelesaian Konflik Tanah di Desa Glagah dan Desa Palihan sebagai Masyarakat Terdampak Pembangunan Bandara NYIA-Kulonprogo, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta”. Program ini bertolak dari fakta empiris bahwa meskipun Bandara NYIA telah mulai beroperasi pada April 2018, tetapi penyelesaian hukum terkait konflik tanah bagi warga terdampak belum terselesaikan secara baik. Tujuan dari program ini adalah meningkatkan pengetahuan, kapasitas, dan kemampuan mengorganisasikan diri dalam membangun posisi tawar, memperjuangkan, dan menuntut secara hukum hak-hak yang terlanggar akibat proses pelepasan tanah/ganti rugi untuk pembangunan Bandara NYIA oleh warga terdampak, khususnya di Desa Glagah dan Desa Palihan-Kecamatan Temon. Warga terdampak di kedua Desa ini masih minim sosialisasi dan pengetahuan terkait (a) hak-hak apa saja patut diperjuangkan jika terjadi pelepasan tanah atau pencabutan tanah untuk pembanguna bandara; (b) apakah masyarakat dapat menggugatnya proses ganti rugi sepihak ke pengadilan atau cukup diselesaikan secara nonlitigasi (mediasi atau rekonsiliasi); (c) apa makna “fungsi sosial tanah” dan “kepentingan umum” dalam pengadaan tanah bagi pembangunan bandara sesuai UUPA dan UU No.2/2012. Masyarakat terdampak juga tidak tahu mekanisme pengaduan dan penyelesaian sejumlah persoalan hukum yang timbul. Untuk itu, digunakan metode kegiataan berupa (a) penyuluhan hukum dan HAM; (b) pelatihan nonlitigasi-penyelesaian sengketa di luar pengadilan/ADR dan litigasi/jalur pengadilan; (d) pembuatan buku saku/guideline penyelesaian konflik tanah; dan (e)public hearing/dengar pendapat dengan DPRD Kulonprogo dan pihak eksekutif. Dengan suasanan kegiatan yang dikemas sedemikian nonformal, dialogis, dan interaktif, diharapkan tingkat partisipasi warga di kedua Desa terdampak menjadi signifikan. Warga yang menjadi kelompk sasaran penerima manfaat diharapkan juga terlibat dalam memberikan feedback atau masukan terkait monitoring-eveluasi dan keberlanjutan dari program ini di masa mendatang.