Sabine Michalowski

German Constitutional Law: The Protection of Civil Liberties

Part 1 General introduction to German constitutional law: historical development of the basic law constitutional organs and basic constitutional principles constitutional review impact of the European community the basic rights. Part 2 The protection of specific civil liberties under the German basic law: human dignity (Art.1(1)BL) right to self-determination (Art.2(1)BL) right to life and bodily integrity (Art.2(2)(1)BL) right to personal freedom (Art.2(2)(2)BL and Art.104BL) and to freedom of movement (Art.11(1)BL) principle of equality (Art.3BL) freedom of religion and conscience (Art.4BL) freedom of expression, information, the press and broadcasting (Art.5(1)BL).

LEGALISING ACTIVE VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA THROUGH THE COURTS: SOME LESSONS FROM COLOMBIA

English language discussions of countries in which euthanasia is, to varying degrees, legalised, or in which the courts had to pronounce themselves on the issue, even though often in the end rejecting any legalisation of active euthanasia, rarely include any mention of Colombia. However, a look at the legal status of euthanasia in Colombia is interesting and thought-provoking, given that, at least to this author’s knowledge, Colombia is the only country in which active euthanasia was, to some extent, decriminalised by a Constitutional Court decision, based on human rights arguments. The decision was not rendered in response to a claim challenging the prohibition of euthanasia on constitutional grounds. Rather, in 1997, the Colombian Constitutional Court had to consider a petition to declare the unconstitutionality of Article 326 of the Colombian Criminal Code (now Article 106) a provision dealing with the offence of mercy killing and stipulating as follows:

Unconstitutional regimes and the validity of sovereign debt: A legal perspective

Contents: Introduction Argentinas debt in its historical and political context The doctrine of odious debts Redefining the doctrine of odious debts (Un)constitutionality of debts taken up by unconstitutional regimes Substantive constitutional limits with regard to sovereign debt Impact of the unconstitutionality of loans on creditor rights Conclusion Bibliography Index.

RELYING ON COMMON LAW DEFENCES TO LEGALISE ASSISTED DYING: PROBLEMS AND POSSIBILITIES

In English law, a competent person has a right to refuse medical treatment, even where the refusal might result in the patient’s death, for example where this requires that physicians switch off a patient’s lifesupport. On the other hand, active voluntary euthanasia, ie the intentional killing of another person upon that person’s request, is regarded as murder, resulting in a mandatory life sentence. This is the case regardless of whether the victim consented to the killing, or even begged the defendant to end his/her life, and notwithstanding the motive with which the killing was carried out. While suicide has been decriminalised, to assist someone else’s suicide is a criminal offence, though one of lesser culpability than murder. The prosecution of such an offence depends on whether it is deemed by the DPP to be in the public interest (s.2(4) of the Suicide Act 1961). While the legal principles on assisted dying, which this article understands to include both assisted suicide and euthanasia, seem

Protection of medical confidentiality without a medical privilege? -- A discussion of the English and the German approach.

The article illustrates the operation of the concept of medical confidentiality in the course of criminal court proceedings which are used to highlight the conflicting interests in full disclosure of all relevant information, including confidential patient information, and in the protection of patient confidences. The principles of protection of confidential patient information in England will be contrasted with the legal situation in Germany, where medical privilege extends to the court room and is embodied in the Criminal Procedure Code. It is submitted that the interests of justice are not necessarily undermined by the concept of medical privilege and that medical confidentiality can only be comprehensively protected if protection extends to the court room.

No Complicity Liability for Funding Gross Human Rights Violations

The article presents information on the issue of complicit liability of the corporations in the U.S. due to their operations towards the violations of the human rights in the country. The responsibilities of the corporations are set by the governmental bodies and the international bodies. Information on the international regimes and the international law regarding the complicity of the corporations is also presented.

Schutz der Vertraulichkeit strafrechtlich relevanter Patienteninformationen

Vertrauliche Informationen, die Ärzte im Zusammenhang mit ihrer Berufsausübung von Patienten erhalten, können in verschiedenen Fallgestaltungen strafrechtliche Relevanz erlangen. Ärzte können Informationen darüber haben, daß Patienten Straftaten begangen haben oder zu begehen beabsichtigen. Sie können außerdem im Besitz von vertraulichen Patienteninformationen sein, die zur strafrechtlichen Überführung eines Dritten, zur Verhinderung von Straftaten Dritter oder zur strafrechtlichen Entlastung eines Dritten beitragen können. Bei diesen Fallgestaltungen treten regelmäßig Konflikte zwischen der ärztlichen Schweigepflicht und dem Schutz der Vertraulichkeit der Patienteninformationen einerseits sowie dem staatlichen Interesse an der Strafverfolgung und eventuell betroffenen Individualinteressen Dritter andererseits auf. Das Problem wird dadurch verschärft, daß die in § 203 StGB, §§ 53 Abs. l Nr. 3, 97 Abs. l StPO enthaltenen gesetzlichen Normierungen nicht in jedem Fall zu harmonischen Ergebnissen führen, was zum Teil auf der widersprüchlichen Ausgestaltung der Normen, zum Teil aber auch auf der herrschenden Interpretation der Vorschriften basiert. Da den Normen eine einheitliche Schutzrichturig zugrunde liegt, ist eine befriedigende und widerspruchsfreie Lösung der auftretenden Konflikte dadurch zu erreichen, daß anhand einer Schutzzweckbetrachtung einheitliche Kriterien zur Bewertung der zugrundeliegenden Interessen entwickelt werden.