Exploring the non-absolute nature of the right to data protection

In two recent judgements, the Court of Justice of the European Union stated that ‘The right to the protection of personal data is not, however, an absolute right, but must be considered in relation to its function in society’ (Eifert, para 48). This paper considers the ‘non-absolute’ nature of the right to data protection. Being a relatively new right, the boundaries of this right in the Charter are still somewhat unexplored. This paper considers five aspects that can be seen as setting boundaries to the otherwise absolute nature of the right to data protection: (a) consideration of the function of the right to data protection in society; (b) positive delimitations of the right that come from the formulation of the right (Article 8) in the Charter; (c) limitations on the right provided for in Article 52 of the Charter; (d) close connections with Article 7 of the Charter and Article 8 ECHR; and (e) the detailed provisions in current data protection secondary legislation and the future data protection regulation framework. Based on the reflections on each of these boundary-setting aspects, the paper argues that in spite of occasional vagueness and conflicting approaches of each of the aspects, understanding of the right to data protection has evolved since its first formulation in the Charter. There is a subtle and gradual distancing from the initial understanding of the close relationship with the right to private and family life. This gradual distancing is a positive development as the two have different foundations, scope and purposes. Yet it is only when both are taken together that the shared common objective of providing effective protection to citizens' personal and family life can be achieved.     

Symbolic Gestures: The Development Terrain of Post-Tsunami Villages in (Southern) Sri Lanka

This article analyses how rituals and ceremonies were deployed in the post-tsunami rehabilitation process in Sri Lanka to ‘incorporate’ development projects into the habitus and social reality of local communities. It argues that even though the aid delivery process is represented as a gift, in reality it is more concerned with strengthening the social capital of the local and foreign donors. Through this process there is an expectation and an implicit demand for acquiescence from the beneficiaries, which leaves them with a social debt. This, in turn, compels them to participate in the game of development rituals and ceremonies, in order to express their (ambivalent) gratitude and thankfulness. Through two case studies, we explore how the good intentions of donors to provide aid and alleviate suffering and the acceptance of this aid by the local communities, results in an asymmetric relationship where both become accomplices of Bourdieuian notions of subtle and gentle violence.     

Suicide by Self‐Administration of a Drug Mixture (Propofol,Midazolam, and Zolpidem) in an Anesthesiologist: The First Case Report in Italy

The authors report an unusual case of suicide of an anesthesiologist, in which the suicide manner and means depend upon the victim's occupation. This is the first case report published in Italy of a death involving propofol and other drugs. The anesthesiologist was found dead with an empty drip still inserted in the hand and another one near his body. Forensic and toxicological findings suggested that the cause of death was a respiratory depression due to a self‐administration of a rapidly infused lethal drug mixture. Analytical drug quantification was performed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Blood analysis revealed: zolpidem (0.86 μg/mL), propofol (0.30 μg/mL), midazolam (0.08 μg/mL), thiopental (0.03 μg/mL), and amitriptyline (0.07 μg/mL). Adipose tissue and hair analysis suggested a previous and repeated use of these drugs verifying the fact that in Italy recreational abuse of anesthetic and sedative agents in health care practitioners is becoming an increasing problem.     

The Role of Land Use Consolidation in Improving Crop Yields among Farm Households in Rwanda

Relative to other developing regions, the role of land consolidation in increasing crop yields is poorly understood in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper examines the role of land use consolidation on agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers in Rwanda. Household-level data are used to estimate a fixed-effects model with matched control groups to mitigate selection bias. The study finds a positive association between land use consolidation and crop yields, but only among farm households with landholdings greater than one hectare, which is well above the average farm size in Rwanda. Findings also point to the importance of non-organic fertilisers and irrigation as there appear to be significant benefits associated with further increases in their use among the consolidated farms.     

Dynamics of multi-local gifts: practices of humanitarian giving in post-tsunami Sri Lanka

This paper explores the paradox of gift giving in privately initiated forms of post-disaster aid. The paradox emerges from the gap that arises between ideals of the altruistic gift, and its practices in the actual implementation in a complex and multi-local humanitarian aid arena. An ethnographic study of a privately initiated post-tsunami housing project illustrates the paradox. While initiators presented the project as opposite to the mundane world of development aid, they increasingly came under pressure to deliver and perform visible success, such that their practices resembled this mundane world of humanitarian aid and its logics of patronage, favouritism, and politics.

La dynamique de dons multi-locaux: la pratique de donation humanitaire au Sri Lanka d'après-tsunami

Cet article étudie le paradoxe de donations sous des formes d'assistance d'après-désastre lancées par des organisations privées. Ce paradoxe est engendré par le vide qui s'ouvre entre l'idéal du don altruiste et sa pratique d'implantation dans l'arène d'aide humanitaire à la fois complexe et multi-locale. Il est illustré par une étude ethnographique d'un projet de logement mis en place par une organisation privée. Tandis que ceux qui ont lancé ce projet l'ont présenté comme le contraire du monde banal de l'aide développementale, ils ont de plus en plus subi une pression pour qu'ils livrent et finalisent une réussite visible, cela à un tel point que leur pratique a fini par ressembler à ce monde banal d'aide humanitaire et à sa logique du mécénat, du favoritisme et de la politique.

La dinámica de los regalos multi-locales: prácticas de donaciones humanitarias en el Sri Lanka de la fase post-tsunami

El presente artículo examina la paradoja que encierra el hecho de que particulares entreguen regalos como forma de ayuda post-desastre. La paradoja surge como consecuencia de la brecha creada entre los ideales que conlleva el regalo altruista y el modo en que son implementadas las prácticas en un ámbito de ayuda humanitaria complejo y multi-local. Para ilustrar dicha paradoja, el presente artículo se apoya en un estudio etnográfico realizado en torno a un proyecto de vivienda impulsado por particulares durante la fase post-tsunami. Quienes iniciaron este proyecto lo presentaron en contraposición al ámbito mundano de la ayuda de desarrollo. Sin embargo, se vieron cada vez más presionados a tener que demostrar éxitos palpables, al punto de que sus prácticas terminaron pareciéndose a las del ámbito mundano de la ayuda humanitaria y a su lógica de clientelismo, de favoritismo y de politiquería.

Dinâmica de mercadorias de vários locais: práticas de doações humanitárias no Sri Lanka após o tsunami

Este artigo explora o paradoxo das doações de mercadorias nas formas de ajuda iniciadas privadamente no pós-desastre. O paradoxo surge da distância que é criada entre os ideais da doação altruísta e suas práticas na implementação real em uma arena de ajuda humanitária complexa e multi-local. Um estudo etnográfico de um projeto de moradia pós-tsunami iniciado privadamente ilustra o paradoxo. Embora os iniciadores apresentaram o projeto como sendo oposto ao mundo mundano de ajuda ao desenvolvimento, eles foram cada vez mais pressionados para implementar e desempenhar iniciativas de sucesso visível, de forma que suas práticas parecessem com este mundo mundano de ajuda humanitária e sua lógica clientelista, de favoritismo e política.     

Möglichkeiten einer Verankerung der energiepolitischen Zielsetzung "Versorgungssicherheit" im österreichischen Elektrizitätsrecht

Zusammenfassung  Die im Nachfolgenden abgedruckte Studie wurde im Auftrag der Bundesarbeitskammer ?sterreich erstellt. Ihr Anliegen ist es, M?glichkeiten einer verst?rkten Verankerung der energiepolitischen Zielsetzung "Versorgungssicherheit" im ?sterreichischen Elektrizit?tsrecht auszuloten. Auf Basis des geltenden gemeinschaftsrechtlichen Rechtsrahmens, werden Spielr?ume, die sich für eine Regelung von Aspekten der Versorgungssicherheit nutzen lassen, ermittelt und entsprechende rechtspolitische Vorschl?ge erarbeitet. Die Studie gliedert sich nach den drei Marktstufen des Elektrizit?tssektors: der Ebene der Erzeugung, des Netzbetriebs und der Lieferung (Versorgung mit Strom). Die Rechtslage, Entscheidungspraxis der Regulierungsbeh?rden, Gerichtsentscheidungen und Literatur sind auf dem Stand April 2008 verarbeitet.     

Asphyxia Homicides in Finland, 1983–2012

Finland has one of the highest homicide rates in Western Europe, and almost every tenth homicide is caused by asphyxiation. Reliable statistics, a strict legislation, and an exceptionally high medico-legal autopsy rate formed a base for a nationwide analysis of asphyxia homicides (n = 383) during 30 years. The cases were identified through multiple records, and all the forensic pathology case files were studied in detail. In more than one out of five cases, there were indications of staging, and the homicide was revealed first at autopsy in close to one in ten cases. The vast majority of the homicides took place in private locations and involved persons known to each other. Every third victim was an intimate partner, and every tenth a child. Almost half of the victims died from manual strangulation, one in three from ligature strangulation. Smothering, choking, neck compression with a firm object, and thoracic compression were more rare methods. Drownings were excluded from this study material. Of all the victims, 7% had no observable external injuries. Petechiae were recorded in approximately in 61%, laryngohyoid fractures in 47%, and vocal cord hemorrhages in 16% of the cases. Every tenth female victim had genital injuries. Toxicological analyses were performed in close to all of the cases, and almost three out of four victims tested positive for blood alcohol. The various aspects of the demographics and autopsy findings covered in this study contribute reliable and accurate data to further strengthen the spectrum of observable medico-legal characteristics of asphyxia homicides.     

Lived citizenship as the locus of political agency in participatory policy

Participatory policies seeking to foster active citizenship continue to be dominated by a territorial imagination. Yet, the world where people identify and perform as citizens is spatially multifarious. This article engages with the tension between territorially grounded perceptions and relational modes of practicing political agency. Studying empirically the Finnish child and youth policies, we address jointly the participatory obligations that municipalities strive to fulfill, and the spatial attachments that children and young people establish in their lived worlds. To this end, we introduce the concept of lived citizenship as an interface where the territorially-bound public administration and the plurality of spatial attachments characteristic to transnational living may meet. We conclude by proposing a re-grounding of lived citizenship in both topological and topographical terms as an improvement in theoretical understanding of mundane political agency and as a step towards more proficient participatory policies.