Libertad de expresión y sátira política: un estudio jurisprudencial

La  sátira,  especialmente  la  política,  tiene  y  ha  tenido  una  presencia   constante  en  las  manifestaciones  creativas  y  de  expresión  del  ser  humano.  Concebida   para  hacer  reír,  generar  sorpresa  o  estupor,  la  sátira  se  hace  presente  como   instrumento  de  denuncia  y  crítica  social  en  las  distintas  manifestaciones  del  arte.  La   sátira  es  el  arma  idónea  para  hacer  crítica  social  desde  la  inteligencia  humana,  y  como   tal,  una  manifestación  más  de  la  libertad  de  expresión  y  de  la  creación  artística,   derechos  fundamentales  concebidos,  desde  el  primer  constitucionalismo,  como  límites   a  los  desmanes  en  el  ejercicio  del  poder.  Pero,  la  libertad  de  crítica  satírica  ¿merece  siempre  una  protección  preferente?  ¿se   trata  de  una  libertad  absoluta?  Y  si  no  lo  es,  ¿cuáles  son  sus  límites?  El  presente   artículo  acude  a  la  jurisprudencia  de  las  Cortes  constitucionales  más  relevantes  y  a  la   del  Tribunal  Europeo  de  Derechos  Humanos  para  tratar  de  delimitar  el  alcance  y  límites   de  la  libertad  de  expresión  satírica.The  satire,  especially  the  political  one,  has  and  has  had  a  constant  presence   in  creative  expression  and  human  manifestations.  Designed  to  make  people  laugh,   generate  surprise  or  astonishment,  satire  is  present  as  an  instrument  of  denunciation   and  social  criticism  in  the  various  forms  of  art.  Satire  is  the  ideal  weapon  for  social   criticism  from  human  intelligence,  and  as  such  a  manifestation  of  freedom  of   expression  and  artistic  creation,  fundamental  rights  designed  from  the  first   constitutionalism,  as  limits  on  the  excesses  in  the  exercise  of  power.   But  freedom  of  satirical  criticism  does  ever  deserve  a  preferential  protection?  Is  it  an   absolute  freedom?  And  if  not,  what  are  its  limits?  This  article  analizes  the  jurisprudence   of  the  most  important  Constitutional  Courts  and  of  the  European  Court  of  Human   Rights  to  define  the  scope  and  protection  of  freedom  of  satirical  expression

Feminism and Pornography: From Mainstream Pornography (Hetero-Patriarchal) to Post-Porn (Non Binary)

Along with prostitution, and more recently surrogate motherhood, pornography has been a contentious issue within the feminist movement ever since the 1970s. Perceived by abolitionists as the prelude to rape, for pro-Sex feminists it represents an ideal vehicle for expressing desire for women and minority sexual identities, and has a considerable transformative capacity. The latter school of thought proposes a paradigm shift and has aligned itself with Queer Theory, which advocates a non-binary approach to sexual identities through Post-porn. This study critically analyses the main arguments put forward by feminism in the field of pornography: women's rights and the principle of no-harm

Citizens United y la financiación de las campañas electorales en el derecho norteamericano

Con la sentencia de la Corte Suprema norteamericana, pronunciada en el Caso Citizens United v. Federal Electoral Commission, de febrero de 2010, el Tribunal Supremo Norteamericano ha revocado un fallo que desde hacía veinte años imponía límites y restringía la capacidad de las empresas y los sindicatos para financiar las campañas electorales de los partidos políticos en las elecciones federales. Esta reñidísima decisión del Supremo intérprete de la Constitución estadounidense, ha supuesto una auténtica convulsión en materian electoral en los Estados Unidos pues anula el fallo emitido veinte años atrás en el Caso Austin v. Cámara de Comercio de Michigan, según el cual, las empresas podían ver limitado el uso de sus fondos con fines políticos para evitar los riesgos de corrupción.Citizens ofrece una visión absolutista de la Primera Enmienda de la Constitución que permite a las empresas gastar sumas ilimitadas de dinero de manera independiente para apoyar u oponerse a candidatos para el cargo, dando carta blanca a la desregularización de la financiación de las campañas electorales y permitiendo a las contribuciones opacas de las empresas sin límite de ningún tipo.With the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court, pronounced in the case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, February 2010, the American Supreme Court has overturned a ruling that for twenty years imposed limits and restricted the ability of firms and unions to finance the election campaigns of political parties in federal elections. This decision of the Supreme interpreter of the U.S. Constitution was a radical upheaval in the U.S. election as the ruling nullifies twenty years ago in Austin v Case. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, according to which companies could have limited the use of their funds for political purposes to avoid the risks of corruption. Citizens offers an absolutist view of the First Amendment of the Constitution that allows companies to spend unlimited amounts of money independently to support or oppose candidates for office, giving carte blanche to the deregulation of the financing of election campaigns and allowing contributions opaque firms without any limit

La maternidad subrogada: un asunto de derechos fundamentales

En los últimos años nos encontramos inmersos en un profundo debate social, político y jurídico en torno a la llamada maternidad subrogada. Ésta, que consiste en la implantación por fecundación in vitro o inseminación artificial de un embrión en una madre gestante, con la que los padres de intención han firmado un contrato previo, con o sin remuneración económica, implica un auténtico conflicto de derechos fundamentales y bienes jurídicos. El presente estudio pretende, a través del análisis de la jurisprudencia existente, detectar los derechos de todos los sujetos implicados y extraer parámetros de ponderación que garanticen la protección de aquellos que deben priorizarse. Y ello con el fin de orientar la resolución de futuros casos y en el diseño de políticas en materia.In recent years we are immersed in a deep social, political and legal debate about the so-called surrogate motherhood. This practice, which consists of the implantation by in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination of an embryo in a mother, with which the parents of intention have signed a previous contract, with or without economic remuneration, implies a real conflict of fundamental rights. The present study intends, through the analysis of existing jurisprudence, to detect the rights of all the subjects involved and extract balancing parameters that guarantee the protection of those that must be prioritized, in order to guide the resolution of future cases and the design of policies in this area

Evaluating the impact of existing legislation in Europe with regard to Female Genital Mutilation

The Spanish Report on the evaluation of existing legislation with regard to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is the result of a research project supported by the European Commision Daphne Programme. The project Evaluating the impact of existing legislation in Europe with regard to female genital mutilation, has been coordinated by the International Centre for Reproductive Health of Ghent University (Belgium) from january 2003 to march 2004. The project included as partners the Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development (FORWARD, United Kingdom); Lund University (Sweden); Commission pour l'Abolition des Mutilations Sexuelles, (CAMS, France), the Centre of Studies on Citizenship, Migration and Minorities of the University of Valencia (GECIM, Spain), and the above mentioned ICRH (Ghent University, Belgium) . The Spanish report is an interdisciplinary research done by the Centre of Studies on Citizenship, Migration and Minorities (University of València), directed by professor Javier De Lucas, and which counts with researchers and collaborators both, from the University of Valencia and other Universities such as University of Barcelona and University Rovira i Virgili of Tarragona; in the fields of Law (Penal Law, Constitutional Law, Theory and Philosophy of Law), Sociology and Antropology. The Group of researchers includes as well lawyers and public prosecutors. Practice of Female Genital Mutilation in Spain, like other european countries, address this rite that is introduced by immigrants from countries where the practice is prevalent (as we may see in chapter 3), as a violation of women’s rights and consider that such violation cannot be justified by respect of cultural traditions or initiation ceremonies. The increasing of immigration in Spain, has been a fact in last years, and it would be an important issue in future, increasing too the number of girls at risk in our country. In Spain, since october 2003, we have anew specific legislation, but before Female Genital Mutilation was liable too under the general offence of injuries in the Penal Code. In this Report, like in the other of the project, we have examined the possibilities and difficulties in the implementation of the spanish national legislation, in order to recommend a legislative and political strategy through Europe. page4image1440 The research methodology, common to all reports, was designed by the ICRH in its cooordination task, but was as well discussed by all the partners along the six steering commitee meetings we have had. The structure and content of report reflects the answers to following questions: 1. What is the legislation with regard to FGM in your country? Description of the legislation.; 2. What is the number of published court cases/suspected cases related to FGM in your country? What is the number of “hearsay” cases?; 3. Brief description of the practising community and the corresponding jurisdiction: number of Africans per country in the geographic area where the cases that you describe are located; 4. What is the procedure to be followed in case of a legal intervention to prevent or to penalise the performance of FGM?; 5. Is legislation applicable on FGM being implemented?; 6.What are the obstructing (favouring) factors for the implementation of legislation applicable to FGM? First of all we have compiled information about legislation applied with regard to FGM: not only general or specific criminal law, (in the case of Spain both because we have a change of law since october 2003), but also child protection procedures. In chapter 1, you may find the result: a Constitutional analysis, changes in Criminal Law, ans an introduction to Minor protection Laws. The second issue was the knowledge of court cases, police and judicial investigation in order to study how justice works. In this part, we contact key-informants, review archival records and study other reports: usually sociological, anthropological and health reports. In chapter 2 we have selected and summarized seven court cases in which we hace found enough relevant information to other parts of the report. At the same time, we need to identify the practicing communities to estimate the prevalence of women with FGM and the number of girls at risk of FGM. This was interesting not only to limit the research but to focus on a territory where there was a probability of cases in Court. We have choosen Catalonia: a community with court cases (in Barcelona and Girona) and prevalence of FGM; and Valencia, a territory without known cases and with no prevalence of FGM. This analysis is shown in chapter 3. In order to detect factors that hamper the implementation of existing legisaltion we need to know how procedures works at different levels: health services, social assistance, police, prosecution office and courts. Examining procedure laws, referral procedures, guidelines or ruled practices was not enough. We had to know what happen, who know a case, which institution examine it, which real mens they have.... To complete this, we have performe a study, interviewing key-informants with an standard interview: police, prosecutors, judges, doctors, nurses, social assistants and immigrants. Interviews were fulfilled in Valencia, Tarragona, Barcelona and Girona. Results are in Chapter 4 (procedure followed); Chapter 5 (implementation of appllicable legislation) and Chapter 6 (obstructing and favouring factors for the implementation of legislation). We had three main meetings to design the research and discuss texts and provissional results. Some of conclusions of provissional spanish report were discused in two seminars: “Ciudadania europea y conflictos culturales”, [european citizenship and cultural conflicts] (Valencia, 29, 30 and 31 october 2003); and “Violencia de género: instrumentos jurídicos en la lucha contra la discriminación de las mujeres”[Gender violence: legal instruments fighting agains women discrimination] (Valencia, 26, 27 and 28 november 2003) The study was financed by the European Commission, Daphne programme, and ran from January 2003 to March 2004 (EC-CONTRACT no 02/058/WYC). In additon, in the period we have done this study, the Centre of Studies on Citizenship, Migration and Minorities was financed with other projects related: “Indicadores y medidas para el desarrollo de políticas públicas de integración social de los inmigrantes y la garantía de sus derechos en la Comunidad Valenciana”, [indicators and measures to develop public policies for social integration of immigrants and the protection of their fundamental rights in the Land of Valencia], Project I+D “Generalitat Valenciana”; 2002-2003; "Los derechos fundamentales en las sociedades multiculturales" [fundamental rights in multicultural societies], project I+D, Subdirección General de Proyectos de Investigación, Dirección General de Investigación, Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología, november 2002-october 2005; “Los derechos de participación como elemento de integración de los inmigrantes” [participation rights as a element of the integration of immigrants], II Convocatoria de Ayudas a la Investigación en Economía, Demografía y Estudios de Población y Estudios Europeos de la Fundacion BBVA; 2004-2005. We wish to thank all who have collaborated in this study, specially we remark the collaboration and contributions of Elena Gascón Sorribas (Sociology of Law Laboratory; University of Zaragoza); María Heras García (Public Prosecutor); Dolores Gisbert Millet (Doctor, Health Service, Valencia); Ignacio de Lucas (Public Prosecutor); Laura Matilla (Lawyer, city council of Cullera); Joan Mayoral Simón (Justice Evaluating the impact of existing legislation with regard to Female Genital Mutilation..Spanish National Report. Daphne Programme Department, Regional Government of Catalonia); Xavier Montagud (Social Services, Regional Government of Valencia); and Dolores Sabater Collado (Court Secretary). With the results of the five National Report analysis and the information about legislation in all European Union member States, the coordinators, Els Leye and Jessika Deblonde, have elaborated A comparative analysis of the different legal approaches in the 15 EU Member States, and the respective judicial outcomes in Belgium, France, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom (ICRH, 2004)