Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Law & Jurisprudence

The Council of National Government Ministers

The Council of national government ministers from each of the 28 member states. There are two ways for taking a decision:

1. Ordinary Procedure

In the ordinary procedure, the Council and the Parliament have to consider, amend, negotiate, and adopt EU legislation. The EU legislation is normally proposed by the Commission. If they reach agreement, they can adopt the legislation at first reading. If not, at the second reading, the two institutions still can not agree, a Conciliation Committee is convened.

2. Extraordinary Procedure

This procedure is used for a few specific cases: the consent procedure and the consultation procedure. Once adopted, they have to implement the EU legislation as a national law.... Continue reading "EU Council Decision Making and OSCE Security Focus" »

Matching

• Abrams (Bad Tendency Test)
• Clark v. CCNN (homeless people protest)
• Gitlow (applied bad tendency test to states)
• Boy Scouts v. Dale (permitted it to be boys only)
• Krishna (airports not a public forum)

Short Answer

Miller Test and Historical Standards

• Hicklin Test

  Prior to Supreme Court review of obscenity, courts followed the Hicklin Test, which asked whether the material would "corrupt those whose minds are open to such immoral influences" and whether it would be harmful in the hands of vulnerable readers.

  • Determined to restrict artistic expression in broad terms.
• Prurient Interest Test

  Before the Court adopted the Miller standard, the test shifted to whether, to the average person applying contemporary community standards, the material appeals

Due Diligence

Property Verification

• Concordance between the property description in the Land Registry and the physical reality.
• Verification of charges and encumbrances on the property in the Land Registry (mortgages, usufructs, easements, seizure notes, etc.).
• Confirmation that the property is free of tenants or occupants.
• Review of the Community of Owners' agreements.
• Verification of no administrative infringements or penalty procedures.

Documentation

• Public deed of property ownership and registration.
• Certificates/Single Notes from the Land Registry to verify title, charges, and encumbrances.
• Cadastral Value.
• Receipt of I.B.I. (Property Tax) for the last fiscal year.
• Documents proving payment of the Property Tax (IBI) and the Rubbish Tax (Tasa de basura)

Symbolic Speech and Expression

• Protected Symbolic Speech

  • Tinker v. Des Moines (1969): Students wearing armbands to peacefully protest the Vietnam War were protected because their actions did not interfere with educational processes.
  • Texas v. Johnson (1989): Flag burning was protected as expressive conduct conveying a clear political message.
  • R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul (1992): A ban on cross burning was deemed too broad, as it prohibited speech based on its content rather than its potential for harm.

• Unprotected Symbolic Speech

  • United States v. O'Brien (1968): Burning a draft card was not protected because it involved the destruction of government property and interfered with a legitimate government interest.
  • Virginia v. Black (2003): Cross burning

The ESMA Case: Powers of EU Agencies

ESMA Case

Problems with EU agencies include a lack of democratic legitimacy and the fact that they do not have normative powers. (The two sources of democratic legitimacy are the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, together with the European Council.) The EU still needs agencies because of the level of expertise required.

Facts

• The "ESMA Regulation" gave powers to ESMA to “prohibit some financial activities that threaten the financial markets or the stability.”
• Later, “the Regulation” further increased powers – Article 28 of the Regulation allowed ESMA to intervene with short sale transactions if it thinks that there is a threat to the functioning and stability of a financial market or the

Baseball’s free agent era was created by the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Curt Flood case.

Define the term monopoly: A market situation where one producer (or a group of producers acting in concert) controls the supply of a good or service, and where the entry of new producers is prevented or highly restricted.

Name the federal antitrust laws that have a substantial impact on sports: Competition law.

Name two of the exemptions from antitrust laws that have been used in the sports industry: Baseball's antitrust exemption and the broadcasting exemption in the Sports Broadcasting Act.

Provide an example of a sports league rule that has become the subject of antitrust litigation because of accusations that the rules are too restrictive: Professional

Defining EU Citizenship and Belonging

Citizenship encompasses both legal status and the affective dimension of belonging within a political community.

EU Citizen Population

The European Union currently encompasses approximately 450 million citizens.

Fundamental Elements of Citizenship

• Contractual: Legal and constitutional elements reinforcing mutual obligations.
• Historical: A shared past, often summarized by the concept of Civis Romanus sum (I am a Roman citizen).
• Ontological: The identity and affective dimension of civic identity and belonging.
• Normative: The established standards and rules governing citizenship.

Key Rights for European Union Citizens

Established by Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)

1. Right to Petition

   Citizens

The Constitution (1789)

Article I: Legislative Branch – Makes Laws

This is the longest Article, containing 10 Sections. The Founders considered this branch the most important.

Section 1: Congress

Establishes Congress, which includes the House of Representatives.

Section 8: Federal Powers

Details the powers granted to the federal government (Enumerated or Delegated Powers), such as:

• Establishing the Navy and Army
• Borrowing and coining money
• Establishing the postal office
• Declaring war

Necessary and Proper Clause (Implied Powers)

Allows Congress to make any law deemed necessary and proper to carry out the previously listed powers. This clause is broad and stretches the powers of the federal government. Any "new power" linked must relate to a power already... Continue reading "US Constitution Articles: Legislative, Executive, Judicial Powers" »