Forms of fettering: application forms and the exercise of discretion in the welfare state

ABSTRACT

Application forms are often the compulsory interface between citizens and their social rights. Applicants for support must navigate the questions, checklists and blank spaces in often long, detailed documents to assert their social entitlements. Given their ubiquity and the central role they play in the administration of the welfare state, it is perhaps surprising that they have been neglected in favour of a focus on other documentation, principally policy and guidance. This paper argues that the non-fettering ground of review – a principle whose jurisprudence is tied to the design and use of policy – also engages application forms. Through an analysis of 271 application forms used to administer the localised Discretionary Housing Payment scheme in England, three examples of their fettering potential are provided: the imposition of exhaustive criteria; requiring the applicant to self-classify or disclose irrelevant considerations; and constraining responses through tied evidential requirements. By arguing that the non-fettering ground should not limit itself to one kind of document (policy) when administrators are so reliant on another (application forms), the paper’s broader agenda is to argue that principles of good administration should apply to all documentation used to administer social entitlement.     

从纳税人权利保护看房产税改革

2011年1月国务院常务会议同意在部分城市进行对个人征收房产税改革试点,1月28日上海、重庆两地政府决定对部分个人征收房产税试点,使房产税改革一时成为热点话题。传统的税收征纳观念强调税收的强制性、无偿性,强调国家与纳税人权利义务的不对等,应以房产税改革为契机,转变税收征纳观念,以平等的税收债务理论统筹立法,在房产税改革的过程中为全社会树立纳税人权力观念。     

Forensic anthropology in the global investigation of humanitarian and human rights abuse: Perspective from the published record

Forensic anthropologists have played key roles in the historical development of forensic science applications to global humanitarian and human rights issues. These anthropological initiatives can be traced back to the Smithsonian seminar organized by T. D. Stewart in 1968 and published in 1970. Key developments include the 1984 delegation sent by the American Association for the Advancement of Science to Argentina and the formation of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team. Subsequent highlights include major anthropological involvement in support of investigations by international criminal tribunals, formation of forensic anthropology teams in different countries and activities of the International Commission of Missing Persons and the forensic unit of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Recent developments feature the formation of the Humanitarian and Human Rights Resource Center of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and its support of worthwhile projects in many countries. The published record provides historical perspective on these developments.     

从人权保障视角看我国《疫苗管理法》的制度设计

2019年12月1日,由第十三届全国人大常委会第十一次会议表决通过的《中华人民共和国疫苗管理法》正式实施。该法是基于近些年来发生的多起假劣疫苗事件为社会背景,回应社会关切而制定的旨在加强疫苗监管,保证疫苗质量,保护接种对象特别是婴幼儿的生命健康,维护社会公共卫生安全的一部专门性法律。该法设计了严密的制度体系,设置了一系列的制度规则,体现了"四个最严",是我国药品领域最严的管理法。从人权角度看,它不仅是一部《疫苗管理法》,更是一部人权保障法。     

The flip side of ISP’s liability regimes: The ambiguous protection of fundamental rights and liberties in private digital spaces

Since the inception of the Internet, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have been used to segment cyberspace and make it possible for national states to apply their local laws to conduct having effects within their borders. This is true in particular in the realm of intellectual property. When one looks at the national regulatory regimes supposedly framing the behavior of ISPs, there appear to be more similarities than differences at a first glance. Does this mean that the national or regional legal frameworks regulating the behavior of ISPs, which are increasingly considered to be the sword of public authorities, should be identical in all legal systems? Is it not true that the content of these national or regional legal frameworks regulating the behavior of ISPs should partly depend upon the local trade-offs among conflicting fundamental rights and liberties? Indeed, private power can jeopardize the exercise and the very core of individuals’ prerogatives as much as public power and priorities vary from one legal system to another. This paper therefore seeks to highlight the dependence of national regulatory modes framing the conduct of ISPs upon the strength of certain fundamental rights and liberties. More precisely, while the first part aims to explore the influence of certain fundamental rights and liberties upon the regulatory modes set up by national legislators, and in particular free speech, from the perspective of the user-to-user relationship, the second part of this article is devoted to the protection of these fundamental rights and liberties from the perspective of the intermediary-to-user relationship. It shows that at least within two legal systems the dependence described initially is in reality altered by the prevalence of the intermediary’s interests, even if the latter are in part affected by a recent trend towards more state interventionism. As a result, national solutions appear to be less innovative than foreseen.     

论我国分税制立法的完善

分税制必须有配套齐全的法律体系予以保障和规范,而我国的分税制是在相关法律准备不足、又没有及时加以完善的情况下实行的,分税制立法的内容和税权的划分都存在着明显的缺陷。应从中央与地方政府之间的事权和支出责任的划分、收入的划分以及税权的划分几个方面对分税制立法进行完善,以发挥分税制应有之功能。     

Psychological models of mental disorder, human rights, and compulsory mental health care in the community

Recent amendments to the 1983 Mental Health Act in the UK (Mental Health Act 2007) include the controversial provision for: “supervised treatment in the community for suitable patients following an initial period of detention and treatment in hospital”. This provision is widespread, and more formal, in other English-speaking jurisdictions. Reviews of the international literature, human rights considerations and the perspective of psychological approaches to mental health care suggest that proposed ‘supervised community treatment orders’ are valuable, lawful, and compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights if certain specific conditions are met. Provisions for ‘supervised community treatment orders’ in the UK should be supported, but with the provisos that: the powers of the Mental Health Act are limited as in Scotland, to persons whose “ability to make decisions about the provision of [care] is significantly impaired”, that each order is time-limited and subject to review by a properly constituted Tribunal, and that the use of such orders should represent a benefit to people in terms of more appropriate treatment, or be a least restrictive alternative, or better preserve the person's private and family life.     

权利冲突:制度意义上的解释

权利冲突问题是民法上的难题,目前尚无一个可供讨论的可靠理论基础。权利冲突问题与生活事实冲突之间不能简单地从概念上进行转化,权利的抽象性与解决矛盾的具体性之间存在着根本的矛盾,权利冲突应依靠制度的具体化来解决。对于权利冲突进行形而上的理解无助于我们理解现当代立法模式的转变,进而会产生重视抽象权利和体系化,轻视具体行为的制度化建设的倾向。     

Mental health legislation and human rights in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland

In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) published its Resource Book on Mental Health, Human Rights and Legislation (Geneva: WHO) presenting a detailed statement of human rights issues which need to be addressed in national legislation relating to mental health. The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which revised mental health legislation in England, Wales (2007) and Ireland (2001) accords with these standards (excluding standards relating solely to children or mentally-ill offenders).Legislation in England and Wales meets 90 (54.2%) of the 166 WHO standards examined, while legislation in Ireland meets 80 standards (48.2%). Areas of high compliance include definitions of mental disorder, relatively robust procedures for involuntary admission and treatment (although provision of information remains suboptimal) and clarity regarding offences and penalties Areas of medium compliance relate to competence, capacity and consent (with a particular deficit in capacity legislation in Ireland), oversight and review (which exclude long-term voluntary patients and require more robust complaints procedures), and rules governing special treatments, seclusion and restraint. Areas of low compliance relate to promoting rights (impacting on other areas within legislation, such as information management), voluntary patients (especially non-protesting, incapacitated patients), protection of vulnerable groups and emergency treatment. The greatest single deficit in both jurisdictions relates to economic and social rights.There are four key areas in need of rectification and clarification in relation to mental health legislation in England, Wales and Ireland; these relate to (1) measures to protect and promote the rights of voluntary patients; (2) issues relating to competence, capacity and consent (especially in Ireland); (3) the role of “common law” in relation to mental health law (especially in England and Wales); and (4) the extent to which each jurisdiction wishes to protect the economic and social rights of the mentally ill through mental health legislation rather than general legislation.It is hoped that this preliminary analysis of mental health legislation will prompt deeper national audits of mental health and general law as it relates to the mentally ill, performed by multi-disciplinary committees, as recommended by the WHO.     

The Enjoyment of Rights and Freedoms: A New Conception of the 'Ambit' under Article 14 ECHR

Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as applied by the UK judiciary under the Human Rights Act 1998, is in danger of becoming as 'parasitic' as it is often described. Judges have inappropriately narrowed the scope of the 'ambit' of other Convention articles, and thus limited the number of claims to which Article 14 can apply, by defining it according to considerations more properly weighed in a justification analysis incorporating proportionality. The emerging approach departs from Strasbourg jurisprudence, and fails to give full effect to the language and intent of Article 14. This trend need not continue. This article begins the process of fashioning a new conception of the ambit of Convention articles: one that could change the fortunes of Article 14 cases in the UK, but that flows naturally from the precedents of the European Court of Human Rights, and gives effect to the spirit of the HRA.     

Sparing the rod: Schools, discipline and children's rights in multicultural Britain

How should we treat unruly children in our schools? Which punishments are appropriate? successful?; and will they instill order and discipline in the next generation? These are the perennial questions asked by adults, answered by adults, and rarely posed to children themselves! Instead, educationalists and parents have sought to control minors by resorting to a variety of disciplinary sanctions. Today, however, the questions have to be set within a developing philosophy of `children's rights' whereby young people are seen as having entitlements which challenge existing notions of adult authority. This paper explores these issues within an overarching theme of human rights. It does not seek to promote the case for children's rights in isolation, but rather locates the question within the context of rights and responsibilities of pupils, teachers, and parents. Discussion provides an historical perspective on physical chastisement in the home and at school; analysis of the impact of the European Court of Human Rights on abolition in Britain; and a review of alternative sanctions being explored. Further, attempts to re-introduce the cane are considered notwithstanding clear indication from Strasbourg that violence can no longer be condoned. Finally, the dignity and integrity of the person will continue to be at the forefront of the debate on children's rights as there is clearly discernible an international dissemination of legal norms which can serve as a mechanism of social control, responsive to changing popular ideologies and effecting influence on social policy and practice.     

中国转型期社会警察权益保护

在中国社会从农业国家向工业国家转型的过程中,社会结构分化复杂,利益冲突和社会矛盾日益激化,社会治安形势异常严峻,警察站在解决冲突的"风头浪尖"上,时常被携裹进激烈的冲突中,执法权和人身权等权益受到了各方面的侵害。保护警察权益的核心在于塑造人民警察"恪守法律、秉公执法、超然于利益"的"中立形象",这就需要公安机关在处理热点案件时应遵循"及时、公开、透明"的原则,充分利用网络平台,掌握社会舆论中澄清案件事实的主动权,在与网民的平等互动中,有效维护警察的各项权益。     

Knowledge & attitudes towards felon-voting rights: an examination of the untapped perspectives of HBCU college students

Past punishment-related attitudinal research has focused on criminal sanctions and certain collateral consequences of conviction; however, few studies have examined attitudes towards felon disenfranchisement. Fewer studies have used a sample consisting of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students to examine attitudes towards consequences of conviction. This research examines views toward felon-voting prohibitions in a state that has one of the most restrictive laws in this area. It utilizes a modified version of a previously used national survey instrument, which measured attitudes toward felon enfranchisement based on variations of the correctional status of a convicted offender. The implications of the findings are contextualized by examining the role of public views on policy in a democracy; the significance of examining the attitudes of a sampling of students at an HBCU, and the need for more comprehensive research in this area.     

我国宪法权利立法研究

对我国宪法权利的立法进行梳理后发现,很多法律规范虽宣称立法目的是维护宪法权利而实际上是在限制,立法存在着明显的权力秩序追求缺乏对宪法权利的必要尊重,宪法权利在法律规范中缺少可操作性的实施规范。宪法权利被立法所不当限制的重要原因是缺乏权利理念,需要把宪法权利确立为立法的最高价值,通过完善立法实施宪法权利。     

当前中国人权保障观的一种解析--以人口准入与迁徙自由为例

本文以国家人权保护义务的法律和政治道德义务为基础,分析了国家人权机构的性质与功能问题,在论证国家人权机构正当性的基础上,对世界各国的人权机构类型和功能进行了论述,并提出中国建立国家人权机构的必要性、可行性与基本模式。     

Property rights in personal data: Learning from the American discourse

This contribution is an attempt to facilitate a meaningful European discussion on propertization of personal data by explaining the idea as it emerged in its ‘mother-jurisdiction’, the United States. The piece starts with an overview of how the current US legal system addresses the data protection problem and whether, according to the US commentators, the law does it effectively. Furthermore, the contribution presents propertization of personal information as an alternative to the existing data protection regime and one of the ways to fill in the alleged gaps in the US data protection system. The article maps the US propertization debate. Pro-propertization arguments are considered from economic perspective as well as from the perspective of the limitations of the US legal and political system. In continuation it analyses proposals on how property rights in personal data would have to be regulated, if at all, in case the idea of propertization is accepted. The main points of criticism of propertization are also sketched. The article concludes with a brief summary of the US propertization discourse and, most importantly, with a list of the lessons Europeans can learn from their American counterparts engaging in the debate in the home jurisdiction. Among the main messages is that the outcome of the debate depends on the definition of the problem propertization is called on to tackle, and that it is the substance of the actual rights with regard to personal data that matters, and not whether we label them as property rights or not.     

人权：弱势群体法律保护的价值基础——兼议我国弱势群体权益保护立法的完善

人权是弱势群体法律保护的价值基础。人权的核心价值在于维护人之为人的基本尊严。人权的普遍性和平等性是这一核心价值的必然体现。弱势群体保护是由人权的普遍性和平等性推导出的必然结果。保护弱势群体,首要的任务是将弱势群体的人权实证化为法律权利。因此,完善我国保护弱势群体的法律制度,建立起完善的弱势群体权益保障机制是我们面临的迫切任务。     

Governing the restoration of civil rights for ex-felons: an evaluation of the Executive Clemency Board in Florida

In Florida, when someone is adjudicated guilty of a felony crime, they lose the right to vote. The only way to regain these rights is to go through the process of rights restoration. The civil rights restoration hearings in Florida have the potential to serve as a formal ceremony in which individuals are acknowledged for their recovery from crime and readmitted into the political community. Data from the Governor’s office, observations of the Executive Clemency Board, and interviews with ex-offenders who have experience with the restoration process, were evaluated to determine the impact these hearings have for ex-offenders’ reintegration. Results suggest that the low success rate, cumbersome process, and lengthy amount of time required may all serve to further alienate the many applicants who are rejected, impeding their reintegration into the community. Recommendations to either simplify the process of rights restoration or to remove ex-felon disenfranchisement policies are given.     

Listening to children: Participation rights of minors in Italy and the United States

This article compares laws and policies in Italy and the US regarding children's right to be heard and to engage in the life of the community. Italy has adopted a strong children's rights perspective, informed by the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The US, with its pre-modern constitution and resistance to international law, has been slow to recognise children's rights to voice and agency. The US Supreme Court has extended some due process rights to children in criminal court proceedings, but the US lags far behind Italy in recognition of children's rights to participate in civic life and collective decision-making. Child well-being rankings may reflect these differences in attitudes towards children's rights. Italy ranks significantly higher than the US on objective measures of child well-being and Italian children report superior peer and family relationships.