Rainer Arnold - Böcker

The rule of law represents the heart of constitutionalism. Public power can only be legitimately exercised if it is based on and complies with the law. The Constitution and its fundamental values – human dignity, freedom and equality – are the ultimate sources of orientation for the rule of law. Domestic rule of law is complemented by its external dimension, the duty to respect international law and, for EU member states, supranational law.For the World Jurist Association, the realization of the Rule of Law has been the central concern since its founding more than 60 years ago. Its biennial world congresses, which bring together leading figures from politics, the judiciary and academia under the presidency of Javier Cremades, focus on the universal importance of the rule of law, which experts from numerous countries discuss on the basis of current problem areas.At the 2021 World Law Congress in Barranquilla, Colombia, one central topic was the tension between combating pandemics and the rule of law. The contributions gathered here examine how this challenge was met in political-legal practice, and the role of constitutional jurisdiction in the process. They analyze and evaluate the legal situation in numerous countries in Europe and Latin America. In addition, they reflect on fundamental issues, such as the concept of the rule of law, its relationship to democracy, its universal character and its implementation via jurisprudence.

The rule of law represents the heart of constitutionalism. Public power can only be legitimately exercised if it is based on and complies with the law. The Constitution and its fundamental values – human dignity, freedom and equality – are the ultimate sources of orientation for the rule of law. Domestic rule of law is complemented by its external dimension, the duty to respect international law and, for EU member states, supranational law.For the World Jurist Association, the realization of the Rule of Law has been the central concern since its founding more than 60 years ago. Its biennial world congresses, which bring together leading figures from politics, the judiciary and academia under the presidency of Javier Cremades, focus on the universal importance of the rule of law, which experts from numerous countries discuss on the basis of current problem areas.At the 2021 World Law Congress in Barranquilla, Colombia, one central topic was the tension between combating pandemics and the rule of law. The contributions gathered here examine how this challenge was met in political-legal practice, and the role of constitutional jurisdiction in the process. They analyze and evaluate the legal situation in numerous countries in Europe and Latin America. In addition, they reflect on fundamental issues, such as the concept of the rule of law, its relationship to democracy, its universal character and its implementation via jurisprudence.

The book deals with the effective operation of the rules related to biomedical research and pays attention to the activities of the national legislatures of the 27 Member States in the field of scientific research.

The book deals with the effective operation of the rules related to biomedical research and pays attention to the activities of the national legislatures of the 27 Member States in the field of scientific research.

A constitution has the task of realizing its regulatory objective for the entire duration of its existence. In doing so, it bears responsibility for the present, but also for the future. It must ensure that the legitimate interests of future generations are also taken into account in today’s decision-making and policies. The concept of intertemporal protection of fundamental rights developed by German constitutional jurisprudence and the jurisprudence in other countries have particularly stimulated the discussion on the constitution's responsibility for the future, which is important in numerous areas.At the World Congress of the International Association of Constitutional Law in Johannesburg in December 2022, one workshop, which was chaired by the two editors of this volume, was dedicated to this topic. This book brings together the presentations of 13 authors from 10 countries on fundamental questions and specific aspects of this important issue.

A constitution has the task of realizing its regulatory objective for the entire duration of its existence. In doing so, it bears responsibility for the present, but also for the future. It must ensure that the legitimate interests of future generations are also taken into account in today’s decision-making and policies. The concept of intertemporal protection of fundamental rights developed by German constitutional jurisprudence and the jurisprudence in other countries have particularly stimulated the discussion on the constitution's responsibility for the future, which is important in numerous areas.At the World Congress of the International Association of Constitutional Law in Johannesburg in December 2022, one workshop, which was chaired by the two editors of this volume, was dedicated to this topic. This book brings together the presentations of 13 authors from 10 countries on fundamental questions and specific aspects of this important issue.

Domestic rule of law is complemented by its external dimension, the duty to respect international law and, for EU member states, supranational law.For the World Jurist Association, the realization of the rule of law has been the central concern since its founding more than 60 years ago.

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 asthe 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.

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 asthe 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.

Is there universalism of human rights? If so, what are its scope and limits? This book is a doctrinal attempt to define universalism of human rights, as well as its scope and limits. The book presents tests of universalism on international, regional and national constitutional levels. It is maintained that universalism of human rights is both a ‘concept’ and a ‘normative reality’. The normative character of human rights is scrutinized through the study of international and regional agreements as well as national constitutions. As a consequence, limitations of normativity are identified, usually on the international level, and take the form of exceptions, reservations, and interpretations.  The book is based on the General and National Reports which were originally presented at the 18th International Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law in Washington D.C. 2010.

Is there universalism of human rights? If so, what are its scope and limits? This book is a doctrinal attempt to define universalism of human rights, as well as its scope and limits. The book presents tests of universalism on international, regional and national constitutional levels. It is maintained that universalism of human rights is both a ‘concept’ and a ‘normative reality’. The normative character of human rights is scrutinized through the study of international and regional agreements as well as national constitutions. As a consequence, limitations of normativity are identified, usually on the international level, and take the form of exceptions, reservations, and interpretations.  The book is based on the General and National Reports which were originally presented at the 18th International Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law in Washington D.C. 2010.

The book gives insightinto the structures and developments of the fundamental rights protection inEurope which is effective at the levels of the national Constitutions, theEuropean Convention of Human Rights and, for the EU member States of the EUFundamental Rights Charter. The contributions of renowned academics fromvarious European countries demonstrate the functional interconnection of theseprotection systems which result in an increasing convergence. Basic questionsare reflected, such as human dignity as foundation of fundamental rights orpositive action as a specific form of equality as well as the concept of rightsconvergence. In this latter contribution the forms of direct reception of adifferent legal order and of the functional transfer of principles and conceptsare analyzed. Particular reference is made to the EU Charter, the UnitedKingdom Human Rights Act as well as to France and Germany. It becomes obvioushow important interpretation is for the harmonization ofnational andconventional fundamental rights protection. Traditional institutionalapproaches like the dualist transformation concept in Germany are functionallyset aside in the harmonization process through constitutional interpretation. Specificstudies are dedicated to the field of the EU Fundamental Rights Charter and to theEuropean impacts on the national fundamental rights protection in selectedcountries such as the “new democracies” Poland, Romania and Kosovo as well as more traditional systems such as Spain, Italy, the Nordic countries or Turkey.

The book considers the changes which national sovereignty has undergone through the supranational European integration. In various contributions by renowned academics and high judges demonstrate the serious impacts of supranationality on the EU member states and even on third countries which are connected with the EU by international treaties. It becomes clear that primacy of EU law, the most significant expression of supra-nationality, collides with national sovereignty as anchored in the national constitutions. The studies clearly show that most member states do not fully deny EU law primacy but are aware of the need to find an adequate balance between the supranational and the national orders. The result from the analyses of the authors from various European countries is that the upcoming constitutional paradigm is “constitutional identity”, a concept established by jurisprudence in Germany, France, Czech Republic (without being named so) and debated also in Poland which, herself, denies supranational impact on the national Constitution entirely.Studies on selected EU member states clarify the specific national approaches towards the limitations of their sovereignty as developed by the constitutional jurisprudence (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Italy, Germany with comparative references to United Kingdom and France). It is illuminated that traditionally strong sovereignty concepts (UK, France) are considerably relativized and functionally opened towards the integration challenges. Basic issues are furthermore reflected, such as the supranational impact on the State’s power to reform its Constitution, the relation of national and constitutional identity and the national and supranational perspectives of identity. The book also includes Europe beyond the EU by research on the supranational character of association treaties (from a Ukrainian perspective) and on the Europeanization of a third country preparing EU membership (Albania).

The book gives insightinto the structures and developments of the fundamental rights protection inEurope which is effective at the levels of the national Constitutions, theEuropean Convention of Human Rights and, for the EU member States of the EUFundamental Rights Charter.