The Rule of Law in Europe

The Rule of Law in Europe PDF

Author: María Elósegui

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-04-20

Total Pages: 287

ISBN-13: 3030560015

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This book discusses the nature of the challenges that have confronted European democracies in recent years. In the past decade, the rule of law in Europe has been put under strain by both external and internal factors. The term “illiberal democracies” is sometimes used to describe the rise of a phenomenon in which the fundamental values of the European legal order, as enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, are called into question. The preservation of the independence of the judiciary, of the freedom of expression and the protection of journalists are among the values under threat. But these challenges are also present within the older democracies in which emergency regimes have become more common. As the European Union’s sanctions regime shows, striking a balance between security and the rule of law, of which fundamental rights are an intrinsic part, is a constant challenge. Focusing on the European courts’ responses to these threats, the book discusses how courts could provide the ultimate line of defense. The acid test of the rule of law might indeed be how it safeguards the judicial guarantees designed to protect core European values beyond the discretion of government.

Rule of Law, Human Rights and Judicial Control of Power

Rule of Law, Human Rights and Judicial Control of Power PDF

Author: Rainer Arnold

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-05-16

Total Pages: 446

ISBN-13: 3319551868

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Judicial control of public power ensures a guarantee of the rule of law. This book addresses the scope and limits of judicial control at the national level, i.e. the control of public authorities, and at the supranational level, i.e. the control of States. It explores the risk of judicial review leading to judicial activism that can threaten the principle of the separation of powers or the legitimate exercise of state powers. It analyzes how national and supranational legal systems have embodied certain mechanisms, such as the principles of reasonableness, proportionality, deference and margin of appreciation, as well as the horizontal effects of human rights that help to determine how far a judge can go. Taking a theoretical and comparative view, the book first examines the conceptual bases of the various control systems and then studies the models, structural elements, and functions of the control instruments in selected countries and regions. It uses country and regional reports as the basis for the comparison of the convergences and divergences of the implementation of control in certain countries of Europe, Latin America, and Africa. The book’s theoretical reflections and comparative investigations provide answers to important questions, such as whether or not there are nascent universal principles concerning the control of public power, how strong the impact of particular legal traditions is, and to what extent international law concepts have had harmonizing and strengthening effects on internal public-power control.

The European Court of Human Rights between Law and Politics

The European Court of Human Rights between Law and Politics PDF

Author: Jonas Christoffersen

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2011-06-09

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0191621900

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The European Court of Human Rights between Law and Politics provides a comprehensive analysis of the origins and development of one of the most striking supranational judicial institutions. The book brings together leading scholars and practitioners to cast new light on the substantial jurisprudence and ongoing political reform of the Court. The broad analysis based on historical, legal, and social science perspectives provides new insights into the institutional crisis of the Court and identifies the lessons that can be learned for the future of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The European Court of Human Rights is in many ways is an unparalleled success. The Court embarked, during the 1970s, upon the development of a progressive and genuinely European jurisprudence. In the post-Cold War era, it went from being the guarantor of human rights solely in Western Europe to becoming increasingly involved in the transition to democracy and the rule of law in Eastern Europe. Now the protector of the human rights of some 800 million Europeans from 47 different countries, the European system is once again deeply challenged - this time by a massive case load and by the Member States' increased reluctance towards the Court. This book paves the way for a better understanding of the system and hence a better basis for choosing the direction of the next stage of development.

Strengthening the Rule of Law in Europe

Strengthening the Rule of Law in Europe PDF

Author: Werner Schroeder

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2016-12-15

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 1849469490

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Respect for the 'rule of law' is, according to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, a value on which the Union is founded and a prerequisite for the accession of new Member States. However in some Member States there are deficiencies as regards the independence of the justice system or other aspects of the rule of law, and on several occasions the Union has been confronted with a rule of law crisis. In order to address this problem the book elucidates the principal elements of a common European rule of law in a global context, and explores the different mechanisms and instruments appropriate to safeguard the rule of law and to address future rule of law crises in the Member States.The book brings together contributions from renowned academics, high-ranking professionals and experts in the fields of European law, public international law and constitutional law.

Defending Checks and Balances in EU Member States

Defending Checks and Balances in EU Member States PDF

Author: Armin von Bogdandy

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2021-01-05

Total Pages: 478

ISBN-13: 366262317X

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This open access book deals with Article 7 TEU measures, court proceedings, financial sanctions and the EU Rule of Law Framework to protect EU values with a particular focus on checks and balances in EU Member States. It analyses substantive standards, powers, procedures as well as the consequences and implications of the various instruments. It combines the analysis of the European level, be it the EU or the Council of Europe, with that of the national level, in particular in Hungary and Poland. The LM judgment of the European Court of Justice is made subject to detailed scrutiny.

The Rule of Law in the European Constitution

The Rule of Law in the European Constitution PDF

Author: Maria Fernaandez Esteban

Publisher: Springer

Published: 1999-07-15

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13:

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The European Court of Justice once stated that the European Community is governed by the rule of law inasmuch as member states, Community institutions and individuals are bound to the basic constitutional charter, the Treaty. The purpose of this book is to answer the question whether this statement is still valid for the European Union, and to analyse which features best define the rule of law at the European level. In order to define the principle of the rule of law at the European level, this book undertakes a comparative analysis of what the principle means in different legal systems. An analysis is also made of the implications for national legal orders, specifically for judges. The conclusion reached as a result of the research undertaken for this book is the co-existence of two visions of the rule of law within national legal orders: the traditional view of each legal order by itself, and the new vision of the principle as defined by the Court of Justice. This legal phenomenon involves what is defined as `the paradox of the two paradigms of law', which determines a share of concepts, tools and remedies amongst legal systems.

The Sovereignty of Law

The Sovereignty of Law PDF

Author: Francis G. Jacobs

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2007-06-14

Total Pages: 190

ISBN-13: 9780521703857

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Author was formerly Advocate-General at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg.

Understanding the Rule of Law

Understanding the Rule of Law PDF

Author: Geert Corstens

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-08-10

Total Pages: 152

ISBN-13: 1509903658

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The 'rule of law' is increasingly regarded as integral to liberal democracy, and its significance is frequently discussed by lawyers, academics, politicians and the media. But the meaning of the phrase is not always clear. What does 'the rule of law' mean exactly? And why is it so important to the democratic state and, above all, its citizens? In Understanding the Rule of Law, former president of the Dutch Supreme Court Geert Corstens paints a lively and accessible portrait of the rule of law in practice. The focus is on the role of the courts, where the tensions in a democratic state governed by the rule of law are often discussed and resolved. Using landmark judgments, Geert Corstens explains what judges do and why their work is valuable. What do minimum sentences and prisoners' voting rights have to do with each other? Why is there no easy answer to the question of whether a paedophile organisation should be banned? Why is it no joke when the Italian politician Silvio Berlusconi calls the judiciary 'the cancer of democracy'? Understanding the Rule of Law provides the answers to these and many other questions, and is essential reading for anyone interested in the state of democracy today.