The aim of this research is to develop a 'flowchart' for the application of international law in the national legal order by the Dutch judiciary in civil cases. Both national law - especially... Show moreThe aim of this research is to develop a 'flowchart' for the application of international law in the national legal order by the Dutch judiciary in civil cases. Both national law - especially the articles 93 and 94 of the Dutch Constitution - and international rules for the interpretation and application of international legal sources are thereby taken into account. In order to analyse the different ways of application and interpretation, four casestudies are conducted. Based on (a comparision between) the results of these casestudies, some suggestions are given for the national application of international law. Show less
Het recht om invloed uit te oefenen op de besteding van de door de bevolking opgebrachte middelen - het budgetrecht - is een van de oudste rechten van het Nederlandse parlement. Dit recht waarborgt... Show moreHet recht om invloed uit te oefenen op de besteding van de door de bevolking opgebrachte middelen - het budgetrecht - is een van de oudste rechten van het Nederlandse parlement. Dit recht waarborgt democratische betrokkenheid bij de besluitvorming over de begroting en maakt dat het parlement wezenlijke invloed kan uitoefenen op het regeringsbeleid. De afgelopen jaren is het budgetrecht echter onder druk komen te staan. Als gevolg van de eurocrisis zijn de Europese begrotingsregels aanzienlijk aangescherpt en krijgen de EU-instellingen steeds meer grip op de nationale begroting en de wijze waarop nationale middelen worden besteed. Dit is problematisch omdat de bestemming van op nationaal niveau opgehaalde middelen bij uitstek een nationale bevoegdheid is. En aan die beslissing wordt democratische legitimatie verleend door de betrokkenheid van het parlement. In dit proefschrift staat de vraag centraal wat de gevolgen zijn van het Europees economisch bestuur – alle regels en procedures op economisch en budgettair terrein in de EMU – voor het budgetrecht van het Nederlandse parlement: in hoeverre kan het parlement nog (wezenlijke)invloed uitoefenen op de besteding van de op nationaal niveau opgehaalde middelen en het (begrotings)beleid van de regering als de EU-instellingen steeds meer grip krijgen op de nationale begroting? Show less
Steeds vaker treffen concurrenten elkaar bij de bestuursrechter. Dat is niet zo vreemd. Besluiten van de overheid kunnen immers grote gevolgen hebben voor de concurrentiepositie van ondernemers.... Show moreSteeds vaker treffen concurrenten elkaar bij de bestuursrechter. Dat is niet zo vreemd. Besluiten van de overheid kunnen immers grote gevolgen hebben voor de concurrentiepositie van ondernemers. In dit boek staat de vraag centraal hoe in het Nederlandse bestuursrecht, dat van oudsher is gericht op de bescherming van burgers tegen de overheid, wordt omgegaan met de gevolgen van besluiten voor concurrentieverhoudingen. Het onderzoek behelst een diepgravende studie naar de bescherming van concurrentiebelangen in het bestuursrecht en is gericht op het identificeren van mogelijke knelpunten die zich daarbij voordoen. Drie knelpunten komen in het bijzonder aan bod: de toegang tot de bestuursrechtelijke procedure, het doelgebonden karakter van bestuursbevoegdheden (specialiteit) en het relativiteitsvereiste. Deze knelpunten worden beschreven, geanalyseerd en in Unierechtelijk perspectief geplaatst. Aan het slot wordt een concreet voorstel gedaan om de bescherming van concurrentiebelangen in het bestuursrecht te verbeteren. Show less
This thesis examines the legal responsibility for human rights violations that may occur in the context of border control or return operations coordinated by the EU agency Frontex. Imagine,... Show moreThis thesis examines the legal responsibility for human rights violations that may occur in the context of border control or return operations coordinated by the EU agency Frontex. Imagine, for example, that during a border control operation at sea, a vessel forces a boat carrying migrants back to its place of origin, which may be in violation of the rights of persons on that boat. The operation is hosted by State A, coordinated and financed by Frontex, but the vessel in question is from State B. The contributions by State A, B, and by Frontex to the violation vary in nature and degree. But which contribution leads to legal responsibility? The thesis concludes that direct responsibility typically lies with the host state. In addition, participating states who contribute large assets and Frontex will often incur responsibility together with the host state, predominantly on the basis of their obligations to protect or supervise. However, the study also exposes just how difficult it may be for individuals to find a place for bringing complaints against violations of their human rights suffered at the EU’s external borders. This casts doubts on whether the current legal framework offers them an effective remedy. Show less
In toenemende mate worden publiekrechtelijke toezichthouders belast met het toezicht op belangrijke onderdelen van het burgerlijk recht. Veelal dwingt het Europese (mededingings)recht tot het... Show moreIn toenemende mate worden publiekrechtelijke toezichthouders belast met het toezicht op belangrijke onderdelen van het burgerlijk recht. Veelal dwingt het Europese (mededingings)recht tot het instellen van dergelijke onafhankelijke toezichthouders. Privaatrecht en publiekrecht kennen echter verschillende doelstellingen en om die doelstellingen te bewerkstelligen worden verschillende handhavingsmiddelen gebruikt. In dit proefschrift wordt enerzijds onderzocht hoe de bestuursrechtelijke toezichthouders privaatrechtelijk geaarde regels toepassen. Aan de orde komen vragen als: welke regels van het privaatrecht worden gehandhaafd, waarom is door de wetgever gekozen voor bestuursrechtelijke handhaving en welke bestuursrechtelijke instrumenten worden hiervoor gebruikt. Hierbij staat hoofdzakelijk het contractenrecht centraal. Anderzijds komt vanuit het antwoord op de vraag hoe de bestuursrechtelijke toezichthouders privaatrechtelijk geaarde regels toepassen, de volgende vraag naar boven: in hoeverre lenen privaatrechtelijk geaarde regels zich voor handhaving met bestuursrechtelijke middelen? Deelvragen die hierbij aan bod komen zijn: strijdt de achtergrond en visie van toezichthouders (niet) met het civiele recht en waarom zou bestuursrechtelijke handhaving meer geschikt zijn dan privaatrechtelijke handhaving om de doelstellingen van goede marktwerking en consumentenbescherming te bewerkstelligen? Om deze vragen te beantwoorden worden aan de hand van casestudies op het gebied van het telecommunicatierecht, het consumentenrecht en het financiële recht, besluiten van toezichthouders geanalyseerd en vanuit privaatrechtelijk oogpunt nader geproblematiseerd. Show less
Looking for a global and corrective measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international civil aviation has been facing legal obstacles. These obstacles took the form of conflicts of... Show moreLooking for a global and corrective measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international civil aviation has been facing legal obstacles. These obstacles took the form of conflicts of norms linked to the general challenge of the interactions between international aviation law, climate change law and the law of the European Union. Using evolutionary interpretation of the Chicago Convention in order to reconcile norms of substantive and institutional nature emerged as the best solution. However, this method perpetuates legal uncertainty and poses the general challenge of flexibly and elasticity of the Chicago Convention in response to the climate change challenge. This study examines the above mentioned issues of interactions between legal orders and provides recommendations to restore legal certainty needed to ensure sustainable development of international civil aviation. More specifically, this study reveals the underestimated relevance of the ongoing distinction between the legal regimes of air navigation and international air transport, which is a key legal element in the search for a global and corrective solution to the impact of international civil aviation on climate change. Show less
In this book, the author addresses the legal and political aspects of a multilateral tax treaty that fundamentally transforms the way states cooperate in the field of international taxation.... Show moreIn this book, the author addresses the legal and political aspects of a multilateral tax treaty that fundamentally transforms the way states cooperate in the field of international taxation. Working from a normative and pragmatic view on international tax relations, he proposes a management-focused approach to multilateral cooperation in international taxation. The resulting managerial framework treaty is drawn up on the basis of insights from political science and legal philosophy and is illustrated by means of international public law. Finally, the author evaluates the recently-adopted text of the Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent BEPS (the BEPS Convention) in the light of his proposed framework. Show less
Travel by air for persons with disabilities (PWDs) can be challenging. Their problems range from physical barriers in airports and aircraft to inaccessible information, extra fees for services,... Show moreTravel by air for persons with disabilities (PWDs) can be challenging. Their problems range from physical barriers in airports and aircraft to inaccessible information, extra fees for services, insufficient compensation for their mobility aids and different rules and practices among air carriers. This study explores issues facing PWDs from a legal perspective. The aim of this study is to balance the rights of PWDs with the duties of States, airport operators and air carriers. In light of this, multilevel legislations - namely international, regional and national rules from human rights law and aviation law - are compared, contrasted and analyzed. The study is primarily focused on access to air travel and remedial measures, for their lack of equal access for PWDs and for discrimination on the basis of disability. Suggestions have been addressed to the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to States. All parties should ensure that accessibility standards on air travel, and an interpretation of remedial measures, are consistently applied. Show less
Today, virtually every country in the world has a written constitution that contains a special amendment procedure. These procedures are designed to regulate constitutional change. However, formal... Show moreToday, virtually every country in the world has a written constitution that contains a special amendment procedure. These procedures are designed to regulate constitutional change. However, formal constitutional amendment is not the only way in which constitutional norms change, and in some systems not even the most important. To the contrary, it appears to be more common for constitutional norms to adjust to changing circumstances and demands through alternative, ‘informal’ processes of change.Key questions, central to this dissertation, are: how should we understand and identify constitutional change that takes place without prior formal constitutional amendment? Why do significant constitutional developments sometimes occur without new constitutional writing? And are alternative mechanisms of constitutional change capable of functionally substituting formal constitutional amendment mechanisms?Examining and comparing topical cases from Japan, the United States and Germany, this dissertation not only sheds new light on questions regarding the phenomenon of informal constitutional change itself, it also compels us to rethink our ideas about how the realms of law and politics relate to one another across time. Exploring the important – yet understudied – phenomenon of informal constitutional change is particularly relevant at a time when the context in which constitutional norms are embedded is changing more rapidly than ever. Show less
Performance requirements act as policy instruments for achieving broadly-defined economic and developmental objectives of States. A number of States have committed to prohibiting performance... Show morePerformance requirements act as policy instruments for achieving broadly-defined economic and developmental objectives of States. A number of States have committed to prohibiting performance requirements in international investment agreements (“IIAs.”). Performance requirement prohibitions (“PRPs”) are meant to eliminate trade-distorting performance requirements and performance requirements which replace investor decision-making by State decision-making.This dissertation focuses on providing answers to two research questions: first, how do States prohibit performance requirements in IIAs? And second, how should PRPs in IIAs be interpreted and applied?For the first time, this dissertation: proposes a unitary understanding of PRPs in IIAs; develops a detailed typology and analysis of PRPs in IIAs through the identification of systematically reproduced drafting patterns; conducts the first critical and in-depth analysis of all arbitral awards which have decided claims based on PRPs in IIAs; analyses interpretation and application issues related to provisions that exempt government procurement from PRPs and to reservations that shield sensitive non-conforming measures or strategically important sectors from PRPs; and anticipates the application of most-favoured nation (“MFN”) treatment clauses to PRPs in the future.Finally, this dissertation formulates proposals that can help interpret and apply existing PRPs and draft future PRPs in a more deliberate and informed way. Show less
For the millennial generation, the transition to adulthood has become increasingly heterogeneous. These changes have led to a theory and body of research referred to as emerging adulthood. This... Show moreFor the millennial generation, the transition to adulthood has become increasingly heterogeneous. These changes have led to a theory and body of research referred to as emerging adulthood. This period of life is of interest to criminologists because, as the well-known age crime curve indicates, during the early adult years the majority of young people who were engaged in delinquent behaviour as adolescents desist. Using a contemporary sample, this thesis firstly examines whether the concept of emerging adulthood is relevant to Dutch young adults, finding that, broadly speaking, it is. In an examination of the risk factors for delinquent behaviour are during emerging adulthood, parental support is found to protect against delinquency and excessive alcohol drinking is found to increase the risk of delinquency. In the remaining four chapters, the relevance of life-course theories of crime are tested. The evidence indicates that transitions into adult roles remain relevant for desistance from delinquency, but that changes in personality during this period also play a role. ‘Boomeranging’ between roles is found to increase the likelihood that young adults do not desist, and finally, achieving financial independence from parents is found to promote desistance, pointing to the importance of examining ‘new’ adult roles. Show less
This study focuses on legal and normative principles of the transition from armed conflict to peace, often called jus post bellum. Jus post bellum is a phrase frequently used without definition,... Show moreThis study focuses on legal and normative principles of the transition from armed conflict to peace, often called jus post bellum. Jus post bellum is a phrase frequently used without definition, or with little understanding that others may use the term to mean something else. It is almost never used with anything approaching a full exposition of the intellectual history upon which it is built. Before recent scholarship, the laws and principles that constitute the jus post bellum were rarely expounded. This study helps to consolidate a firmer theoretical grounding for the term, as well as a clearer intellectual history and analysis of its content. Jus post bellum remains comparatively under-theorized, and frequently referenced without realizing that many authors be talking past each other, meaning different things while using the same term. The author’s hope for the thesis is not only to help clarify the debate over the term, but also to move the consensus towards a hybrid functional approach to jus post bellum, that is, to define an approach to this area of law that focuses on the goal of achieving a just and sustainable peace rather than a mere discussion of law that applies during early peace. Show less
In het EVRM vinden we expliciete procedurele rechten als het recht op een eerlijk proces (artikel 6) en het recht op een effectief rechtsmiddel (artikel 13). Steeds vaker ontleent het EHRM ook... Show moreIn het EVRM vinden we expliciete procedurele rechten als het recht op een eerlijk proces (artikel 6) en het recht op een effectief rechtsmiddel (artikel 13). Steeds vaker ontleent het EHRM ook procedurele waarborgen aan de verdragsrechten die op het eerste gezicht materieel van aard zijn. Het is van groot belang om op de hoogte te zijn van deze extra verplichtingen. In dit proefschrift worden de procedurele positieve verplichtingen volgend uit het recht op leven (artikel 2), het folterverbod (artikel 3), het recht op privé- en familieleven (artikel 8) en het eigendomsrecht (artikel 1 EP) in kaart gebracht. De nadruk ligt op de verplichtingen voor het (bijzonder) bestuursrecht. Bovendien wordt in deze studie gekeken in hoeverre de procedurele verplichtingen volgend uit deze materiële EVRM-rechten van toegevoegde waarde zijn ten opzichte van de procedurele eisen van de artikelen 6 en 13 EVRM. Daarnaast wordt in deze studie bezien of uit de toetsingspraktijk van het EHRM zelf nadere (indirecte) procedurele verplichtingen zijn af te leiden die in nationale procedures in acht moeten worden genomen. Dit onderzoek levert handvatten op die de nationale autoriteiten (bestuur en rechter) beter in staat stellen om EVRM-conforme nationale procedures in te richten en zo EVRM-schendingen te voorkomen. Show less
In de Nederlandse samenleving wordt bij voortduring gedebatteerd of het onderwijs moet worden aangepast aan de leerbehoeften van hoogbegaafde leerlingen. Dit continue debat en de teneur hiervan... Show moreIn de Nederlandse samenleving wordt bij voortduring gedebatteerd of het onderwijs moet worden aangepast aan de leerbehoeften van hoogbegaafde leerlingen. Dit continue debat en de teneur hiervan druisen in tegen het gestelde in het Internationaal Verdrag inzake de Rechten van het Kind (IVRK), Recommendation 1248 (1994) van de parlementaire vergadering van de Raad van Europa en het advies van het Europees Economisch en Sociaal Comité (EESC) in 2013. In het proefschrift is in kaart gebracht welke factoren bepalend zijn voor de mate waarin wetenschappelijke kennis over het onderwijs aan hoogbegaafde kinderen in het Nederlandse basisonderwijs wordt toegepast.Voor dit onderzoek is eerst hoogbegaafdheid gedefinieerd en is omschreven waarom het onderwijs moet worden aangepast aan leerlingen die van nature zeer makkelijk leren. In het proefschrift wordt in de onderwijsomgeving het begrip zeer makkelijk lerend (zmal) gehanteerd in plaats van het begrip hoogbegaafd. Dit is naar analogie van de pendant zeer moeilijk lerend (zml), een begrip dat in de onderwijsomgeving wordt gehanteerd in plaats van het begrip zwakbegaafd. Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat de problemen van zmal- en zml-leerlingen vergelijkbaar zijn.Nagegaan is in hoeverre onderwijs- en beleidsactoren in het basisonderwijs de in de dissertatie gedefinieerde wetenschappelijke kennis over het onderwijs aan zmal-kinderen in de praktijk toepassen en welke factoren hierbij een doorslaggevende rol spelen. Hiertoe is onderzoek uitgevoerd op achtereenvolgens basisschool-, hogeschool- en samenlevingsniveau. Show less
In the latest twenty years we have witnessed an exponential proliferation of international commissions of inquiry mandated to investigate serious violations of international law. However, the... Show moreIn the latest twenty years we have witnessed an exponential proliferation of international commissions of inquiry mandated to investigate serious violations of international law. However, the inquiry tool has been originally institutionalised at the beginning of the 20th century as mean of preventive diplomacy aimed at stating the facts for dispute settlement purposes. Since then inquiries have significantly evolved into mechanisms that denounce and shed light on serious violations of international law in order to provoke a response by the international community. What are the underlying causes of this new role and of the recent surge of inquiry commissions? Should commissions of inquiry be viewed as merely fact-finders or as law-applicable/adjudication bodies? Should their tasks be confined to finding the facts or may they perform more dynamic and political roles such as raising alert and provoking reactions? What (arguably) should be the role of commissions of inquiry in the criminal accountability process? These and other questions are the core of this academic contribution which, through a comprehensive analysis of the work and practice of commissions of inquiry, aims to shed more light on a topic that has increasingly become the focus of intense debate among academics, practitioners and international decision-makers. Show less
Taking Technological Infrastructure Seriously attempts to take stock of a sea-change in the way modern infrastructural resources are provided. Unlike traditional infrastructure, such as roads and... Show moreTaking Technological Infrastructure Seriously attempts to take stock of a sea-change in the way modern infrastructural resources are provided. Unlike traditional infrastructure, such as roads and electricity cables, where the State has largely been responsible for its provision, much of the key technological infrastructures which underwrite modern society are privately provided by companies which own exclusive intellectual property rights over them. These modern infrastructures include computer operating systems, as well as crucial low-level interoperability information such as technical standards. This thesis argues that exclusive intellectual property rights are fundamentally at odds with the infrastructural nature of these technologies, which like all infrastructure, favours broad availability and open access over exclusive control. While both industry and the Courts have been converging upon open access management regimes for technological infrastructure, the economic rationale has sometimes been weak and underdeveloped. This thesis attempts to fill this gap by developing an ‘infrastructural approach’ to such resources, and showing how it may be applied under different institutional conditions, such as EU competition law, R&D subsidy grants, public procurement and business model innovation. Show less
The main purpose of this research project is to inquire into the emerging civil dimension of international criminal law which, in contrast to the criminal dimension, focuses on reparation for... Show moreThe main purpose of this research project is to inquire into the emerging civil dimension of international criminal law which, in contrast to the criminal dimension, focuses on reparation for victims both at national and international levels. The ultimate goal of this project is to address how international criminal justice should develop in relation to civil redress for victims of international crimes. For this purpose, this study examines, compares and contrasts three analytical frameworks for the adjudication of the civil dimensions of international crimes. The analysis starts the first framework from a theoretical and conceptual discussion of theories of justice grounding the right of victims to reparation juxtaposed with the development of a duty of reparation imposed directly on individuals. I address the relationship between punishment and reparation and their impact on victims, offenders and societies in general, in a theoretical perspective. It then utilizes case studies at the international and national level, as well as the use of administrative mechanisms to discuss the operationalization of reparations for international crimes. Show less
Solving disputes often takes a considerable amount of time and money. That holds for everyone involved. A new type of dispute resolution called Crowdsourced Online Dispute Resolution (CODR) seems... Show moreSolving disputes often takes a considerable amount of time and money. That holds for everyone involved. A new type of dispute resolution called Crowdsourced Online Dispute Resolution (CODR) seems to have the potential to offer a cheap, fast, and democratic dispute resolution procedure. Since it is currently not clear whether CODR procedures comply with the requirements of procedural fairness, the attractiveness and the acceptance of CODR procedures may be in discussion. This thesis aims to establish whether CODR can fairly resolve disputes. First, it provides a framework of CODR, analyses the differences between CODR and other dispute resolution schemes, and constructs interpretation of procedural fairness that merges objective and subjective procedural fairness. Second, the research investigates whether the current CODR procedures are fair and proposes a model of a CODR procedure that complies with the interpretation of procedural fairness. The findings of the research indicate that CODR can be designed to fairly resolve disputes. Show less
Section 2:11 of the Dutch Civil Code (DCC) stipulates that the liability of a legal person in its capacity of the director of another legal person is also jointly and severally attached to... Show moreSection 2:11 of the Dutch Civil Code (DCC) stipulates that the liability of a legal person in its capacity of the director of another legal person is also jointly and severally attached to anyone who is a director of that other person when the liability arises. The central research topic is what the scope of Section 2:11 DCC is. The greater the scope of Section 2:11 DCC, the bigger the chance that the director or directors “behind” the legal person-director or a chain of legal person-directors are liable or jointly liable. The aforementioned research topic is divided into three sub-topics, namely what the personal scope of Section 2:11 DCC is (what “kind” of directors does the section apply to?), what the normative scope of that section is (what kinds of liabilities does the section apply to?) and what the international scope of that section is (to what extent does Section 2:11 DCC refer to foreign legal person-directors?). Show less
