Human Dignity in the Mechanics of Claims

The mechanics of claims focusses predominantly on the claim to life. The claim to life is rooted in the autonomy principle, just like other specific claims. Still, the mechanics of claims does not have a systematic place for the fundamental negation of the status as an autonomous being as such. It is, however, the proctiction of the status as such, which is at the center of the protection of human dignity in German constitutional law. Looked at it from this perspective, the protection of human dignity as the protection of the status of an autonomous human being, appears to be a blind spot of the mechanics of claims. The comment attempts to show, how this blindspot leads to inconsistencies in the mechanics of claims, and how they might be ameliorated if human dignity is considered as an absolute right independent of the claims to life

Risk Analyses and Risk Management - Slope Instabilities in Alpine Environments

Two prominent deep-seated gravitational slope deformations in the Eastern Alps (Tyrol, Austria) have been activated in the last seven years and pose serious threats to the densely populated valleys. Based on multidisciplinary field investigations, different hazard scenarios of slope failures have been evaluated for risk management processes. These event scenarios, which are characterised by strongly varying volumes of the failing slide masses as well as by different probabilities of occurrence, and varying disintegration factors control different accumulation and damage scenarios. Finally, these evaluations and risk analyses aimed to define “design events”, i.e. which scenarios are relevant for the dimensioning of mitigation measures. The main aim is to sustainably enable further land use, in comparison to the overall geohazard risks that are also present at several other sites in Tyrol (Austria)

Long-term trends in heavy metal and metalloid levels in a Saskatchewan prairie soil

Non-Peer ReviewedGlobal heavy metal and metalloid pollution has increased during the last few decades accompanied by marked increases in global population and a rapid increase in metal production. Since the mid-1990s, higher-than-desired levels of some metals have been found in crops, increasingly so. Atmospheric deposition might play a role in these developments. We compared soil samples derived from within a shed that was erected in the 1950s in a semiarid, agricultural location within the Brown soil zone of south-western Saskatchewan with soil samples from the adjacent open prairie, simulating environmental conditions then and now. With this setup, we were able to examine long-term changes in soil heavy metals and metalloid concentrations. We found that chromium, strontium, and vanadium have significantly increased between 1950 and 2007, while cobalt has significantly decreased during this same time frame. With regards to soil parameters, alkalinity and conductivity have increased. Differences in all other heavy metals and metalloids remained insignificant

Acertos, Erros e Equívocos de Autocompreensão da Teoria dos Princípios

ACERTOS, ERROS E EQUÍVOCOS DE AUTOCOMPREENSÃO DA TEORIA DOS PRINCÍPIOS*  EINSICHTEN, IRRTÜMER UND SELBSTMISSVERSTÄNDNIS DER PRINZIPIENTHEORIE  INSIGHTS, ERRORS AND SELF-MISCONCEPTIONS OF THE THEORY OF PRINCIPLES  Ralf Poscher**  RESUMO: A teoria dos princípios é multifacetada. Sua expressão inicial contém um importante argumento contra as teorias positivistas de aplicação do Direito. Como teoria do Direito, ela falha em seu esforço de reivindicar uma diferença estrutural entre regras e princípios. Ela também falha como teoria metodológica que reduz a aplicação jurídica à subsunção e à ponderação. Ela se autocompreende de forma equivocada quando concebida como dogmática especial dos direitos fundamentais. Seu aspecto mais promissor poderia ser sua contribuição para uma teoria da argumentação mais abrangente. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Teoria dos princípios. Acertos. Equívocos teóricos. Teoria da argumentação jurídica. Teoria da aplicação do Direito. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Die Theorie der Prinzipien ist vielfältig. Ihr ursprünglicher Ausdruck enthielt ein wichtiges Argument gegen die positivistischen Theorien der Rechtsanwendung. Als Rechtstheorie scheitert sie an ihren Bemühungen einen strukturellen Unterschied zwischen Regeln und Prizipien zu erreichen. Sie verfehlt auch als methodische Theorie, die die Rechtsanwendung auf Subsumtion oder Abwägung reduziert. Sie verkennt sich selbst, wenn sie als eine spezielle Dogmatik der Grundrechte konzipiert wird. Ihr viel versprechendster Aspekt könnte ihr Beitrag zu einer umfassenderen Theorie der juristischen Argumentation sein. SCHLÜSSELWÖRTER: Prinzipientheorie. Einsichten. Theoretische Missverständnisse. Theorie der juristischen Argumentation. Theorie der Rechtsanwendung.  ABSTRACT: The theory of principles is multifaceted. Its initial expression contained an important argument against positivist theories of adjudication. As a legal theory, it fails in its effort to claim a structural difference between rules and principles. It also fails as a methodological theory that reduces adjudication to subsumption or balancing. It misunderstands itself when it is conceived as a special doctrinal theory of fundamental rights. Its most promising aspect could be its contribution to a more comprehensive theory of legal argumentation. KEYWORDS: Theorie of principles. Insights. Theorethical misconceptions. Theory of Legal Argumentation. Theory of Adjudication.* Publicação original: POSCHER, Ralf. Einsichten, Irrtürmer und Selbstmissverständnis der Prinzipientheorie. (In) SIECKMANN, Jan-R. (Org.) Die Prinzipientheorie der Grundrechte. Studien zur Grundrechtstheorie Robert Alexys. Nomos, 2007. P. 59-79. Traduzido por Pablo Castro Miozzo, doutorando em Direito pela Universidade de Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), Alemanha, com autorização do autor.** Professor titular de Direito Público, História Constitucional e Filosofia do Direito, diretor do Departamento de Filosofia do Direito da Universidade de Freiburg (Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), Alemanha. Possui doutorado e livre-docência (Habilitation) em Direito pela Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Alemanha