The right to be protected against discrimination, which is enshrined in international and national human rights catalogues, pertains to us all as individuals. And this fits the ambition of the... Show moreThe right to be protected against discrimination, which is enshrined in international and national human rights catalogues, pertains to us all as individuals. And this fits the ambition of the modern human rights discourse to protect everyone against the power of public institutions as well as private persons and groups. But in many liberal democracies there are often only some groups protected against discrimination and merely in certain situations. This entails both legal-theoretical and practical dilemmas. In the first place because such provisions transgress the boundaries of legitimate state conduct as provided by our rights. But also because many people who need protection against discrimination will lack it. In addition, there is the risk that old stigmas are enforced or new one’s created. Moreover, such a course of action suggests a hierarchy of suffering wherein the suffering of some has priority over that of others. Last but not least, group-based protection against discrimination might engender a struggle within and between groups for the available assistance. On account of the foregoing, one may recommend that the Dutch hate speech ban, quota laws, and institutional opinions that speak out against discrimination – which are currently group-based – can benefit from a more general approach. Show less
Het fenomeen kroongetuige mag zich de laatste jaren in grote belangstelling verheugen, niet alleen bij de opsporing en vervolging van grote strafzaken maar ook in de media en in de maatschappij.... Show moreHet fenomeen kroongetuige mag zich de laatste jaren in grote belangstelling verheugen, niet alleen bij de opsporing en vervolging van grote strafzaken maar ook in de media en in de maatschappij. De berichtgeving is meestal niet positief van toon. Doordat kroongetuigen met enige regelmaat overhoop liggen met het OM, wordt getwijfeld aan de betrouwbaarheid van die kroongetuigen én aan de rechtmatigheid van de door het OM beloofde tegenprestaties. Is er iets mis met de wijze waarop justitie overeenkomsten met getuigen aangaat? Ligt dat aan het type getuige en heeft het OM heel veel pech gehad met zijn kroongetuigen of zijn er structurele problemen bij de met getuigenbescherming belaste functionarissen? Hoe verhoudt de overeenkomst om een verklaring af te leggen zich tot de getuigenbeschermingsovereenkomst? Is sprake van tekortkomingen op wettelijk of rechtstheoretisch niveau die zich vertalen naar de praktijk? Samengevat: Biedt het geheel aan wet-en regelgeving dat ziet op kroongetuigen en getuigenbescherming een werkbaar juridisch kader voor de strafpraktijk? Op die vragen hoopt dit onderzoek antwoord te geven door de beide overeenkomsten die met een kroongetuige worden gesloten aan een kritisch rechtstheoretisch en praktisch onderzoek te onderwerpen. Er wordt bekeken hoe de problemen die zich in de praktijk voordoen kunnen worden voorkomen en een slagvaardige en rechtsstatelijk verantwoorde kroongetuigenregeling haar plaats binnen het Nederlandse strafproces kan krijgen. Show less
Today, about 1 billion people are estimated to live in ‘slums’ worldwide. This number will only grow and urban poverty worsen unless radical measures are taken. While it is generally acknowledged... Show moreToday, about 1 billion people are estimated to live in ‘slums’ worldwide. This number will only grow and urban poverty worsen unless radical measures are taken. While it is generally acknowledged in the international development debate that breaking the circle of poverty requires multiple strategies, there is renewed attention for approaches that centre on the issue of tenure security. This means landholders are protected against involuntary removal from the land on which they reside, unless through due process of law and payment of proper compensation. The prevailing approach to the provision of tenure security is land registration. And while the land registration approach currently dominates policy, there has been little research into the effects of registration, particularly in urban areas. What research has been conducted, contests the benefits of this approach. As a result, we witness increasing interest in alternative approaches which generally combine protective administrative or legal measures against eviction with the provision of basic services and credit facilities. The author describes and analyses the extent to which formal, semiformal, and informal tenure arrangements that can be found in kampongs (typical low-income settlements) in Indonesia provide tenure security to the country’s urban poor, particularly since 1998, when Indonesia embarked on an ambitious political and legal reform programme. The author reviews the current legal framework that applies to urban land tenure in Indonesia. In addition, based on rich material that was acquired through empirical research in the city of Bandung, there are a number of case studies presented in which the urban poor’s tenure security was put to the test. Finally, drawing on statistical data, the author analyses the urban poor’s perceptions regarding their tenure security and whether and, if so, how this influences their housing investment behaviour. Following this analysis, the author evaluates the socio-economic benefits of current approaches to attaining tenure security. And with these findings, there are policy suggestions and contributions to theory formation presented to further the current international development debate on tenure security. Show less
