Keywords: Human Rights; Bioethics
The article examines the new generation of human rights related to bioethics. Some basic documents of the UN, UNESCO, Council of Europe and the European Union are mentioned. Undoubtely, the emphasis is laid on the regional acts. Some emblematic decisions of Strasbourg Court have been analysed with strong connection to to the bioethics and the begginning of the right to life. The article also takes into account 2011 amendments to the Art.II of the Hungarian constitution.
More...Keywords: rights; duties; human rights; individual rights; rights as ‘trumps’; universal rights; ‘absolute justification’; private interest; public interest; internal connection.
The aim of this paper is to provide some arguments against the growing tendency to take the present convictions on human rights as a sufficient basis for their universality. The target of my argument is a certain fashionable view about rights as ‘trumps’. Against this view, my arguments are meant to support positions like Chris Brown’s.
More...Keywords: Strasbourg Court; Hungary in breach of Human Rights standards; Roma Police Brutality Case
On the 21 July 2004,the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg found that the Hungarian Government had violated the European Convention on Human Rights in the case of Sandor Balogh v. Hungary. The case concerns abuse in police custody and was filed on 8 April 1999 as part of a joint strategic litigation project undertaken by the Legal Defence Bureau for National and Ethnic Minorities (NEKI) and the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC). In its ruling, the Court held that there had been a violation of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment) and no violations of Article 13 (right to an effective remedy), Article 6 (access to court), and Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination). Under Article 41 of the Convention, concerning just satisfaction, the Court awarded Mr. Balogh 4,000 euros for pecuniary damages, 10,000 euros for non-pecuniary damages and 3,000 euros for costs and expenses [...]
More...Keywords: Circulation; international migration; demographic distribution; Hungary; parity analysis;
We measure the demographic patterns associated with international circular migration. Firstly, we define the circulation within the conceptual framework of transnationalism. Secondly, we create macro-scale data bank on long-term international circular movers based on an original statistical method. Thirdly, we seek to gain further insight into the composition of international circular movers by gender, age, and family status. The data are obtained from the Office of Immigration and Nationality. The primary database consists of individual data files on legal immigrants. The results of this research indicate that the long-term circulation (multiple mobility) of foreigners to Hungary as the host country is a mass phenomenon. More than 14 per cent of legal immigrants arriving in Hungary were long-term circulars between 2006 and 2008. Of these registered circular movers, 75.9 per cent entered the country for a second time, 21.6 per cent for a third time, and 2.5 per cent for a fourth time. Conclusions indicate the need for future research.
More...Keywords: human rights; political ideology; political parties; LGBT; pride parade; hate speech; hate crime; transsexuality; transgender; LGBT glossary;
Our many years of experience in advocating human rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the most complicated European countries, has taught us one thing: without significant support from political parties, the state of LGBT human rights will not improve. We have decided to create this guidebook in order to enhance the relationship between civil society organizations and political parties. This way, we hope to strengthen this relationship and create new collaborative relationships, as well as to remove any ungrounded fears.
More...Keywords: Serbia; human rights; populism; judiciary; military; security system; Serbia's assembly; economy; religion; ethnic minorities; media; Kosovo; international relations;
Though formed a year ago, the Serbian government is still at the beginning – it has not yet adopted a systemic program or strategy. The structures in power are in permanent election campaign having an eye on their ratings on the one hand and demonization of the former government on the other. The biggest party of the ruling coalition, SNS, spares not even its coalition partners from criticism. SNS populist rhetoric is mainly after promoting Vice-Premier Aleksandar Vučić. The predominant populism is best exemplified by the arrest of suspects in “the struggle against corruption” and the “socially-oriented” budget for the year 2013 that subsidizes health insurance of a larger circle of citizens. All this gives rise to speculations about early elections, which are not to be ruled out. Aleksandar Vučić manifests a growing ambition to hold all the reins of power. He already controls all security services. Hence, citizens are under the impression that he is the most powerful man in Serbia. The steps the government has taken so far do not indicate its intention to reform the security sector; on the contrary, they indicate an ambition to strengthen partisan control over it. They neither indicate a plan for setting up permanent anti-corruption institutions and mechanisms. Primarily through the media controlled by parts or entire security services corruption is used for political showdowns and elimination of business competition. The security sector that has not undergone reform, operating under half-finished and legally discordant system of the democratic control and with cadres compromised on corruption will be unable to meet ambitious duties that have been allegedly imposed on it.
More...Keywords: rights; detriment; appeal; damages;
ccording to Article 13 of the European Convention on Human Rights, any person whose rights and freedoms have been infringed may apply to a national court. For the purposes of the Convention the person whose rights have been violated has the right to appeal to national courts even breach occurred through a person that was in the exercise of official duties.
More...Keywords: rights; appeal; incident; term;
According to article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, everyone has the right to a fair hearing of his case. This concept is related with the existence of a public hearing and provide a reasonable opportunity to respond to the applicant's request. The reasonable time impose a expeditiously judgment by an independent and impartial tribunal. On the other hand, the publicity of the hearing is respected even if the court prohibits public access throughout the hearing or yet for a certain period only if the ban is in the interest of morals, public order or national security. The extent of denying access during the hearing can be reported to the interests of juveniles or the protection of private life or the protection of private parties.
More...Keywords: human dignity; principle; evolution of the concept; human rights; international regulations;
Human dignity was unequivocally the underlying principle of the most important documents adopted internationally in the field of human rights after World War II. Nevertheless, a series of confusions have arisen with regard to the concept of human dignity and the definition which should be given to this concept especially that, at national level, constitutions of states qualify human dignity as being a right or a principle. This article is intended to offer a short description regarding the evolution of the content of the human dignity concept and the important points in time which marked its evolution, especially in the light of international and regional legal instruments adopted in the field of human rights, and to present several aspects referring to the valences of the human dignity concept and how it is perceived and understood today and the important role it plays in granting and protecting the rights that are inherent to the human being.
More...Keywords: human dignity; human rights; Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR); Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam (CDHRI);
The concept of human dignity as the most intimate human desire and its interpretations transgress the fields of theology or philosophy and shows its relevance in policymaking, economics or technology. This article analyzes the concept of dignity as a cornerstone of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Drawing its legitimacy from the United Nations as a community of nation states, the charter states its universality but as such it was and still is today questioned and denied. The UDHR antagonistic counterpart was drafted in 1990 in Cairo, bears the title the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and is, according to its drafters, also based on the concept of dignity, leading to the question of diverse and opposed interpretation and implementation of the concept.
More...Keywords: closing space; political opportunity structures; civil society; human rights; Hungary
In the last decade, there has been a tendency for governments to impose tighter restrictions on civil society organizations, especially those promoting democracy and human rights. In this study, we examine how human rights organizations are responding to the increasingly hostile political environment in Hungary. The expanding limits on civil society organizations is usually discussed within a framework labelled as the closing space for civil society, which emphasizes the legislation and governmental actions directly attacking civil society organizations. Despite the impression that the restrictions threaten the existence of these organizations, a closer examination reveals that well-established organizations are capable of developing coping strategies to survive. To fully understand how these strategies are developed, we need to supplement this framework with the theory of political opportunity structures. This broader theoretical perspective examines the openness of decision-making processes for non-ruling actors and includes the role of perceptions in the examination of reactions to changes in the opportunity structure. As our study shows, perceptions about the social environment have a crucial role in understanding the strategies of human rights organizations. Examining the reactions of ten organizations, primarily using the method of organizational interviews, we show that rather than direct restrictions attacking civil society organizations, the major factor shaping their strategies is the closing of political opportunities. As a consequence of an almost total closure of decision-making mechanisms, they have been changing their activities from focusing on their roles as experts and working with state institutions to emphasizing social embeddedness, community building and raising awareness.
More...Keywords: God as the Creator; human behavior; human dignity; human nature; human rights;
In a world marked by turmoil and social unrest, the definition of human dignity and human rights is a valid question. However, both dignity and human rights have a solid foundation and come with responsibilities in order to be enjoyed. The foundation for human dignity and human rights is the relationship between man and his Creator. The responsibilities that come from human dignity and human rights are the relationships of people with their Creator and with others. In this article both aspects, the foundation and the relationships, will be covered from a Christian perspective.
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