Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Independence Principle'

El comercio internacional ha sido siempre un ámbito conflictivo. Cualquier persona puede aproximarse a él desde una perspectiva determinada. Sin embargo, es innegable que condiciona la vida diaria de todos nosotros. De ahí que se utilicen todo tipo de recursos humanos para desarrollarlo a nivel mundial. La cuestión normativa ha sido uno de los temas más debatidos en el comercio internacional, entre otros muchos, existiendo muchas discusiones entre prácticos del derecho, empresarios, gobiernos así como académicos. Las raíces del conflicto pueden encontrarse en la existencia de sistemas jurídicos diferentes, normativas, terminología, costumbres, tecnología y métodos de pago diferentes, en ausencia de una autoridad mundial. No obstante, mientras tratamos los aspectos regulatorios del comercio internacional, no debemos olvidar el lado oscuro de los negocios, en el que los infractores dolosamente usan las tecnologías más avanzadas para defraudar a otros en el curso de transacciones globales. El crédito documentario es uno de los métodos de pago más populares en las operaciones transfronterizas. La clave de su éxito es que reduce el riesgo de los exportadores al reemplazar los compromisos financieros con una garantía de pago de un banco. Enmarcado en un proceso complejo, el banco se obliga a honrar la presentación, por parte del vendedor, de documentos que reúnen los requisitos del crédito en nombre del comprador solvente, quien compensará al banco en base al contrato. A través de la aplicación de los dos principios de autonomía y cumplimiento estricto, el crédito documentario mitiga el riesgo comercial existente entre un comprador y un vendedor que están en Estados diferentes y carecen de información sobre la capacidad financiera de su contraparte. En virtud del principio de autonomía, el crédito es separado del contrato de venta subyacente y el banco pagará al beneficiario que presente los documentos requeridos, incluso en caso de disputa sobre la relación subyacente. De este modo, el vendedor tendrá la seguridad del pago antes de que las mercancías se transporten y su interés estará a salvo. Por otra parte, en base al principio de cumplimiento estricto, el beneficiario se verá compensado sólo cuando presente el conjunto de documentos requeridos y cualquier error respecto de los mismos podrá comportar la negativa al pago por parte del banco. La revisión de la historia de los pagos en función de operaciones de crédito documentario en el tráfico internacional evidencia que el hecho de que los bancos sólo presten atención a los documentos y hagan caso omiso de cualquier posible disputa relativa al contrato subyacente puede incrementar el riesgo de una presentación fraudulenta por parte del beneficiario. En muchos países, el incremento en el número de casos de fraude comportó la introducción y adaptación de la excepción de fraude respecto del principio absoluto de autonomía en los créditos documentarios. Al mismo tiempo, conviene no olvidar que los Usos y Prácticas Uniformes relativos a los créditos documentarios, en tanto que conjunto de reglas más aceptadas a nivel mundial, remite totalmente el tema del fraude y del comportamiento fraudulento del beneficiario a los Derechos nacionales. Esto crea otro problema que es relevante para el estándar de prueba y los remedios bajo los diferentes sistemas legales y el conflicto de leyes. La presente tesis doctoral intenta ofrecer una respuesta al problema de la excepción de fraude al principio de independencia en los créditos documentarios conforme al Derecho inglés. Las razones para elegir este sistema jurídico son su popularidad como norma aplicable en muchos ámbitos del comercio internacional así como su naturaleza de Derecho común en ausencia de una norma que rija la regla del fraude en el crédito documentario. Interesa añadir que el Derecho inglés tiene una aproximación casuística a los problemas del fraude en el crédito documentario que crea múltiples problemas en el trabajo de los jueces de salvaguardar la justicia. Como ya se ha dicho, estos artículos científicos desean ofrecer una visión crítica de la práctica de los tribunales del Common Law en el ámbito del fraude en los créditos documentarios. A estos efectos, se revisa con detalle el desarrollo histórico y moderno de las aproximaciones judiciales inglesa y americana a la regla del fraude. También se examina el enfoque de otras jurisdicciones del Common Law cuando es necesario. La tesis se compone de dos partes: un artículo de presentación y las publicaciones. El primero tiene seis capítulos. El primero es la introducción y los antecedentes históricos de los créditos documentarios y su operativa. Mientras que el capítulo segundo explora la naturaleza legal y las fuentes del Derecho, el tercero analiza los principios básicos de los créditos documentarios. El capítulo cuarto se centra en la regla del fraude y se analizan las aproximaciones estadounidense y británica al respecto, en cuanto excepción básica respecto del principio de la independencia de los créditos documentarios. En el capítulo cinco se examinan otras excepciones, como la ilegalidad, la nulidad, la mala fe del beneficiario y la exigencia abusiva de pago. Al final, el capítulo seis proporciona una conclusión sobre el tema de estudio y los materiales cubiertos. La segunda parte contiene doce artículos publicados en revistas internacionales revisadas por expertos que brindan un análisis jurídico exhaustivo y profundo del principio de autonomía y de sus excepciones en el marco de los sistemas de Common Law.
International trade has been always a controversial topic. A person can approach it from any given perspective. However, almost no one can deny its impact on daily life of us. Therefore, all human capacities are employed to help development of it at global level. The regulatory question is one of the most debated issues in international trade among all others which have always been a hot topic for legal practitioners, businessmen, governments as well as academicians. The roots for such controversial issue can be sought in existence of different legal systems, different regulations, different terminology, different customs, different technologies and different methods of payment all in absence of global authority. However, while discussing regulatory issues in international trade, we should not forget about the dark side of business in which perpetrators with bad faith are ready to use the most advanced technologies in order to defraud others in the course of international transactions. The documentary letter of credit is one of the most popular methods of payment in international transactions. The key to their success is reducing risk for exporter by replacing importer’s financial undertakings with a guarantee of payment from a bank. Within the framework of a complicated process, bank will guarantee to honour the seller’s presentation of complying documents with terms of credit on behalf of the creditworthy buyer who will compensate the bank based on other contract. By applying two principles of autonomy and strict compliance, documentary credit mitigates the existing commercial risk of trade between buyer and seller who are in different countries and have no information about financial capacity of each other’s businesses. Within the frame work of the principle of autonomy, credit is separated from underlying contract of sales and bank will pay beneficiary who presents complying documents even in case of dispute over the underlying contract. In this way seller will have the assurance for payment before departing from goods and his interests are safeguarded. On the other hand, based on the principle of strict compliance, beneficiary will be compensated only after presentation of fully complying documents and any error on the face of documents might result in rejection of payment by bank. Review of the history of payment under documentary credit operation in international trade shows that banks focus only on documents and disregard any possible disputer in underlying contract might increase the risk of fraudulent presentation by beneficiary. In many countries, increasing number of fraud cases resulted in introduction and adaptation of fraud exception to an absolute principle of autonomy of documentary credits. At the same time, we should not forget the Unified Customs and Practices for documentary letters of credits as the most accepted set of rules at global level has completely left the issue of fraud and fraudulent behaviour of beneficiary open for national laws. This will create another problem which is relevant to the standard of proof and remedies under different legal systems and conflict of laws. Current doctoral thesis tries to offer an answer to the question of fraud exception to the principle of independence of documentary credits under English law. Reason for choosing the legal system is its popularity as the governing law in many fields of international trade as well is its common law nature and the absence of statute for governing the fraud rule in documentary credits. It is worth adding that English law has the case law approach to the problems of fraud in documentary credits which creates lots of problem on the way of judges to safeguard the justice. As it has been mentioned already, current research paper desires to have a critical approach to practice of Common Law courts in field of fraud in documentary credits. For this purpose, it will review closely historical and modern developments of fraud rule base on the case law approach of English and American courts to the subject matter. Research will also examine approaches of other common law jurisdictions if necessary. Research consists of two main parts. Review article and publications. The review article has six chapters. Chapter one is the introduction to the historical background of documentary letters of credit and their operation. While chapter two explores legal nature and sources of law for letters of credit chapter three will analyse the key principles of documentary letters of credits. Chapter four, will have a focus on fraud rule by analysing American and British approach to it as the first adopted exception to independent principle of documentary letters of credit. Chapter five will scrutinize other exceptions including illegality, nullity, beneficiary’s bad faith and abusive demand for payment. At the end chapter six will provide a conclusion on the subject matter of study and materials covered. The second part includes twelve published papers in international peer reviewed journals providing comprehensive and in depth legal analysis form autonomy principle and its exceptions within the framework of Common Law system.

This thesis seeks to identify the conceptual resources available to Canadian courts in the adjudication of fundamental constitutional change. Part One offers a general analysis of the materials pertaining to the self-interpretation of the higher courts' role as a privileged forum for constitutional decision-making. Reviewing the rich development of the advisory opinion tradition, the drastic weakening of traditional bars to adjudication and the judicial pronouncements on constitutional conventions, it explains how the Canadian judiciary have come to assume in a uniquely Canadian way the role of "guardians of the constitution", well beyond traditional conceptions of the judicial function. Part Two starts with a critical analysis of the Supreme Court's view of the distinction between convention and law and moves on to offer a more convincing account of the inevitable interface between convention and unwritten constitutional law, with a view to an appropriate treatment of constitutional change. Part Three directly addresses the issue of fundamental constitutional change. It begins with a theoretical study of the problem of self-reference in constitutional law, moves beyond this so-called paradox to explore how the juncture between "logic" and "pragmatics" might be explained for law, and finally presents the issue as the courts faced it in the Patriation Reference. Part Four, finally, explains how constitutional principles function in constitutional adjudication as the proper source of both constraint and justification in decisions where fundamental rules are at issue. Picking up the matter where it was left off at the end of Part Three, it concludes this thesis with a legal analysis of the transfer of ultimate and supreme constitutional authority from the United Kingdom to Canada, an analysis which puts all of the author's conclusions to work.

The concept of judicial independence arguably forms the basis of the relationship between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. It is also an integral part of the functioning of the courts and therefore requires some protection. This paper looks at the relationship between the political braches, being the legislature and the executive on the one hand, and the judiciary on the other. In order to explore the concept of judicial independence, the doctrine of the separation of powers ought to be discussed. The introductory part of this paper will be dedicated to uncovering the origins of the doctrine of the separation of powers along with its modern day application within South Africa and other jurisdictions across the world. The core of this paper analyses whether there are any political pressures or influences on the judiciary and on judges when they make decisions. In order to assist with the above, five judgments ofthe Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal will be discussed and an assessment of the reasoning of the courts' decisions will be made. As will be discussed, although the decisions appear legally justiciable, politics arguably remains an underlying factor in the judicial decisioncmaking process and as will be argued the courts have over the years created mechanisms of protecting their institutional security. The latter part of this paper focuses on the Judicial Service Commission and the consequences of the involvement of the political branches within the judicial appointment-making process. An assessment of the present relationship between the political branches and the judiciary will also be made in this paper with a particular focus on the relationship between the executive and the judiciary. Recent case law and public discussions will be used to illustrate where this relationship may stand and whether it is possibly strained. This paper is centered around the principle of judicial independence and how courts are able to maintain their institutional security along with their relationship with the political branches.
Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2016.
Public Law
LLM
Unrestricted

The documentary letters of credit transaction is the most common method of payment for goods in international trade. Its use has been considered so important that it is referred to as the �lifeblood� of international commerce. The purpose of this thesis is, through analysing the present regime of documentary credit established under the The Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits, 1993 Revision (�UCP�), to identify the rights and duties of all parties in such transactions and the reasons for the frequent occurrence of fraudulent activities associated with the documents required under the credits. It identifies that the present system fails to either encourage or implement substantial realisation of �reasonable care� or �good faith� on the part of the banks, or realisation of the requirement of �good faith� from beneficiaries. As a result, the independence principle has been left without substance, with resulting huge opportunities for fraudsters to cheat on the documents and obtain payment without the need to actually perform their duties to banks and buyers. Such issues have become more acute against the background of an underlying shift in the allocation of risk between the respective parties to letters of credit. There has been a depreciation in the value of the primary document of title and security held by the issue, the bill of lading, with the advent of container shipping. As the letter of credit system is wholly dependent on the integrity of the documents, it is being undermined by these developments. This has represented a shift in the traditional scheme of risk allocation from the seller to the bank. In practice, banks have taken countermeasures by insisting that applicants provide other types of collateral, and by subjecting applicants to rigorous credit checks. Thus, applicants ultimately have had to bear the brunt of costs associated with this reallocation of risk. It will be demonstrated that the UCP does not incorporate adequate or clear enough duties to be exercised on the part of issuers toward applicants, and severely restricts the applicant�s right to sue if the issuer has wrongfully honoured. Ultimately, a balance must be struck between the desirability of protecting the applicant from the beneficiary�s fraud against the benefits gained by maintaining the letter of credit as a commercial instrument and business device. Obviously, there is public interest in protecting both of these commercial values. This thesis advocates that a mechanism in addition to the fraud exception must be introduced to safeguard the system against the ramifications of these changes � increased fraud. The thesis is structured into five chapters. Chapter 1 sets out to demonstrate the circumstances under which the respective risks are borne by each participant in the letter of credit transaction, and how developments in trade practice have caused the burden of certain of these risks among the parties to a letter of credit transaction to shift. Chapter 2, after briefly visiting the historical origins of the letter of credit and the birth of the UCP, explores the implications of the dominance of banking interests over the drafting and interpretation of the UCP, how the UCP has in practice excluded the intrusion of other sources of law and the general reluctance of courts to intervene by applying non-letter of credit principles, the implication of the UCP�s assumption of the law in practice, the resulting marginalisation of local laws, and the inequality in bargaining power between banks and applicants that precludes a choice of law other than the UCP. Chapter 3 explores the independence principle and question of documentary compliance, why the system is ridden with non-compliant documents and the lack of incentive and meaningful duty for the banks to check for �red flags� that may indicate fraud on the documents or in the transaction. It will be emphasised that documentary validity, rather than mere documentary compliance, should be the focus under the letter of credit. Chapter 4 examines the fraud exception to the independence principle, the typical high thresholds of proof that applicants had to overcome to estopp payment, and explores recent trends towards the gradual lowering of such thresholds. Finally, Chapter 5 considers practical measures and proposals for reform that would help to redress the imbalance in the allocation of risk identified in the thesis.

The thesis covers aspects of the law relating to letters of credit. It deals with the operation of letters of credit with particular reference to the doctrine of strict compliance, the principle of independence, the fraud exception and conflict of laws. According to the principle of independence, banks must make payment in terms of the letter of credit irrespective of any dispute that may exist between the buyer and the seller in an underlying contract or other contracts. Although the principle of independence is clearly established, it is not absolute. An exception occurs in the case of fraud. Thus, if the seller has committed fraud, such as tendering forged documents, the buyer can instruct the bank not to make payment in terms of the credit. If the bank refuses to dishonour the letter of credit, the buyer can apply to a court to interdict the bank from making payment. In South African law the buyer must establish that the seller was party to fraud in relation to the documents presented to the bank for payment before the court can grant an interdict. This thesis also examines the standard of proof of fraud required in letters of credit transactions and proposes a standard of proof which will not unduly favour the seller whose good faith is in dispute. The fast growing technology of computers and telecommunications is rapidly changing the methods of transacting business by paper documentation and letter of credit transactions are no exception. At present the buyer can apply to the bank to issue a letter of credit through the computer and banks also communicate letter of credit transactions through computer networks. However, the beneficiary still has to present documents to the bank for payment in paper form. It is proposed that the Uniform Custom and Practice For Documentary Credits (UCP) be amended to provide for fully computerised letters of credit transactions. Another objective of the thesis is to examine the doctrine of strict compliance. In terms of the doctrine of strict compliance documents presented under the credit must comply strictly with the requirements set out in the credit. If banks are satisfied that the documents presented by the seller strictly conform with the requirements of the credit they are obliged to make payment as required by the credit. It is proposed that the doctrine of strict compliance should not be applied strictly. In other words, the banks should make payment in terms of the credit if the discrepancy in the documents is trivial. The thesis also covers conflict of laws issues. As the UCP does not have rules dealing with conflict of laws, most jurisdictions have developed their own rules to be applied by the courts in cases of conflict of laws. The thesis examines the different rules of conflict of laws as developed and practiced by different jurisdictions.

O problema das vibrações induzidas por vórtices em cilindros flexíveis inclinados em relação ao perfil de correnteza incidente é estudado através de uma abordagem experimental. Este tema se mostra de grande importância e aplicação na Engenharia Naval e Oceânica uma vez que são diversas as estruturas que se encaixam nesta descrição, como são o casos dos risers e linhas de amarração. Apesar de extensa, a literatura técnica especializada no assunto é focada em simplificações, tais como os estudos de cilindros rígidos fixos, cilindros rígidos montados em base elástica e cilindros flexíveis verticais ou lançados em catenária livre. A questão da inclinação é abordada em termos do Principio da Independência que diz que as forças e a frequência de emissão de vórtices em um cilindro inclinado são iguais as de um cilindro vertical se considerada apenas a parcela da correnteza normal à direção de inclinação. Estudos anteriores mostraram que este princípio é válido somente em algumas condições específicas e poucos deles apresentam resultados para cilindros flexíveis. Com base nisso, um ensaio em escala reduzida em tanque de reboque foi realizado com um modelo de linha composto por um tubo de silicone preenchido com microesferas de aço e condições de contorno articuladas em suas extremidades, o que conferiu características inerciais e geométricas ideais para a obtenção do fenômeno. Além da configuração vertical (? = 0°), que é o caso de referência, o modelo foi estudado em outras quatro inclinações com a vertical: ? = 10°, 20°, 30° e 45°. Estas inclinações foram ensaiadas para cinco diferentes azimute: ? = 0°, 45°, 90°, 135° e 180°, resultando em vinte e uma configurações de inclinação. Os resultados são analisados em termos da decomposição modal da vibração da linha, ou seja, são apresentadas amplitudes e frequências de oscilação ocorridas em cada um dos modos de vibrar. Além disso são realizadas análises espectrais, gráficos de evolução espaço-temporal, trajetórias de pontos ao longo do modelo flexível, entre outros. Frequências naturais, coeficientes de amortecimento e trações no topo são apresentados, complementarmente, como resultados de caracterização do modelo. Os estudos apontaram para uma validade do PI com algumas ressalvas, principalmente influenciadas pela diferença nas frequências do primeiro e segundo modo que é crescente com o aumento da inclinação. Além disso conclusões importantes sobre a coexistência modal, em regiões de ressonância e/ou de transição da dominância modal, foram obtidas.
The vortex-induced vibration problem in flexible cylinders yawed in relation to the incident current profile is studied through an experimental approach. This topic has great importance and application on Naval and Oceanic Engineering once there are multiple structures that fit into this description, such as risers and mooring lines. Though extensive, technical literature specialized on this topic is focused on simplifications such as the study of fixed rigid cylinders, elastic base rigid cylinders and flexible cylinders assembled vertically or launched in free hanging catenary. The inclination issue is addressed in the terms of the Principle of Independence which states that the forces and frequency shedding in an inclined cylinder are equal to those of a vertical cylinder if only considered the current component normal to the inclination plane. Previous studies showed that this principle is valid only on some specific conditions and few of them showed results to flexible systems. Based on this, a scaled tow tank test was performed with a line model composed of a silicone tube filled with steel microspheres and articulated end conditions, which offered the ideal inertial and geometrical conditions to obtaining the phenomenon. Besides the vertical configuration (? = 0°), which is the reference case, the model was studied in other four inclinations with the vertical: ? = 10°,20°, 30° and 45°. These inclinations were tested for five different azimuth directions: ? = 0°, 45°, 90°, 135° and 180°, resulting in 21 configurations. The results are analyzed on terms of the modal decomposition of the line motions, that is, amplitudes and oscillation frequencies are presented for each one of the vibration modes. Furthermore other analyzes are made, as spectral graphs, spatio-temporal evolution graphs, line points trajectories, among others. Natural frequencies, damping coefficients and tensions at the top are presented, complementarly, as results of the model characterization. The studies pointed to a validity of the IP with some reservations, mainly influenced by the difference in of the first and second mode frequencies that is increasing with the yaw increase. In addition, important conclusions about modal coexistence in regions of resonance and / or transition of modal dominance were obtained.

Esta tese volta-se à análise crítica da garantia institucional de independência do Ministério Público brasileiro sob dois aspectos: de um lado, a sua independência em relação às esferas organizacionais dos poderes clássicos do Estado; e, de outro, os limites da independência funcional que visa a assegurar, para os seus membros, o livre desenvolvimento das funções institucionais. Sob o influxo do processo de reconhecimento universal dos direitos humanos a partir da Declaração de 1948, o valor da dignidade da pessoa humana representa o fundamento central do Estado Democrático de Direito da Constituição Federal de 1988, constituindo a fonte jurídica do vasto conjunto de direitos fundamentais dela constante. A proteção dos direitos fundamentais da pessoa humana é indissociável de um regime político democrático, que não pode prescindir de um sistema eficaz de controle do exercício do poder político para a persecução de tal desiderato. Daí a importância da efetividade dos mecanismos de controle recíproco entre os órgãos estatais, no comando do princípio fundamental projetado por Montesquieu que, atualmente, não mais se reduz à formula tríplice de distribuição das funções legislativa, executiva e judicial. É nesse contexto que se pretende introduzir a análise da garantia institucional de independência do Ministério Público, à luz, especificamente, de determinadas funções que lhe foram atribuídas para o controle de decisões de outros órgãos estatais, sobretudo do Executivo, envolvendo a tutela dos direitos fundamentais de proteção da dignidade da pessoa humana. A hipótese é a da existência de aspectos organizacionais condicionando o funcionamento do Ministério Público em dissonância de sua plena afirmação como novo ator político; quais sejam: a) a ausência de limites precisos à garantia de independência funcional no desenvolvimento de suas atividades; b) um sistema autocrático de gestão orientando as decisões sobre todas as políticas institucionais; c) a manutenção dos vínculos que prendem a instituição ao Executivo do Estado, concebido como o ramo hegemônico do regime político brasileiro. O trabalho pretende investigar as causas das incorreções, correlacioná-las e apontar os seus equívocos, para a identificação dos pontos relevantes sujeitos a uma pronta alteração de cunho organizacional, de modo a serem reproduzidos no funcionamento do Ministério Público brasileiro os valores republicanos e democráticos que devem informar um regime político como Estado Democrático de Direito.
This thesis offers a critical analysis of the institutional guarantee of independence of the Brazilian Public Attorney\'s Office regarding two aspects: on one hand, its independence concerning the organizational spheres of the classical branches of the State; on the other hand, the limits of the functional independence that aims at securing free development of the institutional functions to the members of the Public Attorney\'s Office. Due to the process of universal acknowledgement of human rights since the Declaration of 1948, the value of a human being\'s dignity represents the central basis of the Democratic Rule of Law of the 1 988 Federal Constitution, establishing a legal source for the vast set of fundamental rights contained in it. The protection of the fundamental rights of a human being is intrinsic to a democratic political system, which cannot dispense with an efficient procedure to control the use of political power for pursuing such desideratum. Hence the importance of the efficiency of the mechanisms of checks and balances among state agencies, in carrying out the fundamental principle proposed by Montesquieu that is no longer limited nowadays to the triple distribution formula of legislative, executive and judiciary functions. It\'s in this context that the present work intends to introduce the analysis of the institutional guarantee of independence of the Public Attorney\'s Office, specifically examining certain functions attributed to it for the control over decisions by other state agencies, particularly in the executive branch, that involve the safeguarding of the fundamental rights of protection of a human being\'s dignity. The hypothesis is the existence of organizational aspects stipulating the operation of the Public Attorney\'s Office in discordance with its full role as new political agent, such as: a) absence of precise limits to guarantee functional independence in the development of its activities; b) an autocratic ruling system guiding decisions on all institutional policies; c) maintenance of the bonds linking the institution to the executive branch, which is conceived as the hegemonic branch of Brazil\'s political system. This work intends to investigate the causes of those problems, correlate them and pinpoint mistakes, in order to identify the relevant points that would be subject to a swift alteration in terms of organization, so the republican, democratic values that ought to conduct a political regime as a Democratic Rule of Law may be reproduced in the operations of the Brazilian Public Attorney\'s Office.

Le conflit d'intérêts est un sujet passionnant notamment en raison de son omniprésence dans l'actualité. Approximative, l'expression empruntée au magma lexical des politiciens et juristes anglo-américains s'est récemment diffusée en France dans le monde des affaires et aussitôt reprise par le jargon médiatique pour désigner des éventuelles interférences de l'intérêt privé dans l'exercice de pouvoirs de nature privée ou publique. Il n'existe en l'état actuel du droit positif français aucune réglementation spécifique de ces « conflits d'intérêts », pas plus en droit privé qu'en droit public, alors même qu'on se préoccupe de leur prévention tandis que leur sanction relève de qualifications plus générales. Il convient donc de s'interroger sur la définition et la valeur opératoire de cette notion et le régime juridique qui pourrait lui être réservé, ce que l'on se propose d'entreprendre dans la sphère du droit privé et par préférence dans le champ de l'arbitrage commercial, particulièrement exposé aux appétits hégémoniques des droits anglo-américains
Conflict of Interests is a fascinated subject due to its pervasiveness in the economic life. This approximated expression, borrowed from the politicians and Anglo-American lawyers' jargon, has recently spread into the French business world and was taken up by the media to designate the interferences of private interest in the exercise of powers of private or public nature. In the current state of French Law, there is no specific rule governing conflicts of interests, neither in Private Law, nor in Public Law. Indeed, politicians and scholars paradoxically only focus on their prevention, whereas their sanctions fall within the scope of broader notions. The aim of this research is to lay down the definition, the operative value and the regime of conflict of interests. The scope of this research shall be, within Private Law, Commercial Arbitration Law, which is particularly exposed to the hegemony of Anglo-American laws

The Thesis is on the exceptions to the principle of autonomy of independent guarantees. Its broad aims are to assess the present approach in England and suggest directions for reform. The research employs a comparative analysis of the common law jurisdictions, in particular, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and the US. The rationale and effects of the principle of autonomy are examined. The Thesis argues that, even though the principle plays an important role in commerce, it is not paramount and could be breached in limited circumstances. The justifications, status and scope of the exceptions such as fraud, illegality, unconscionability and breach of the underlying contract are evaluated. It is submitted that English law fails to provide adequate safeguards against unscrupulous use of independent guarantees. Thus, it is suggested that the law should be reformed to allow interference with the principle of autonomy, where the beneficiaries' demands abuse legal rights or breach the underlying contracts. Moreover, in order to ensure the practical effectiveness of the exceptions, it would be necessary to relax the traditional restrictive approach to the availability of injunctive relief.

L’impartialité est une exigence relative : le juge impartial n’est pas le juge dénué d’opinions, mais celui qui n’a pas encore pris parti et qui, donc, conserve sa liberté de réflexion. À l’inverse, le juge partial est celui qui a pris parti a priori, de façon prématurée et qui, de ce fait, a perdu cette liberté de réflexion. Cette définition permet d’affirmer que les juges constitutionnels français peuvent être impartiaux s’ils en ont la volonté. Néanmoins, l’impartialité n’est pas seulement affaire de volonté : le juge peut être placé dans une situation favorable ou défavorable à son impartialité. Or, le risque de partialité apparaît fort pour le juge constitutionnel. L’appréciation de la conformité de la loi aux droits et libertés garantis par la Constitution est une opération subjective, portant sur des questions complexes, mettant en conflit des valeurs et laissant donc une large place à l’expression des préjugés individuels des juges. Le risque de partialité connaît cependant certaines limites, car les juges constitutionnels disposent d’outils pour objectiver leur raisonnement et subissent un certain nombre de contraintes juridiques qui réduisent ce risque. La question de l’impartialité du Conseil constitutionnel se pose ensuite en termes de garanties d’impartialité. Or, si l’impartialité est une qualité recherchée par le Conseil, cette recherche doit être approfondie, au bénéfice de son impartialité mais aussi, plus largement de son rôle au sein de la démocratie, en tant que lieu où se discute le sens de la loi et de la Constitution
L’impartialité est une exigence relative : le juge impartial n’est pas le juge dénué d’opinions, mais celui qui n’a pas encore pris parti et qui, donc, conserve sa liberté de réflexion. À l’inverse, le juge partial est celui qui a pris parti a priori, de façon prématurée et qui, de ce fait, a perdu cette liberté de réflexion. Cette définition permet d’affirmer que les juges constitutionnels français peuvent être impartiaux s’ils en ont la volonté. Néanmoins, l’impartialité n’est pas seulement affaire de volonté : le juge peut être placé dans une situation favorable ou défavorable à son impartialité. Or, le risque de partialité apparaît fort pour le juge constitutionnel. L’appréciation de la conformité de la loi aux droits et libertés garantis par la Constitution est une opération subjective, portant sur des questions complexes, mettant en conflit des valeurs et laissant donc une large place à l’expression des préjugés individuels des juges. Le risque de partialité connaît cependant certaines limites, car les juges constitutionnels disposent d’outils pour objectiver leur raisonnement et subissent un certain nombre de contraintes juridiques qui réduisent ce risque. La question de l’impartialité du Conseil constitutionnel se pose ensuite en termes de garanties d’impartialité. Or, si l’impartialité est une qualité recherchée par le Conseil, cette recherche doit être approfondie, au bénéfice de son impartialité mais aussi, plus largement de son rôle au sein de la démocratie, en tant que lieu où se discute le sens de la loi et de la Constitution

This thesis challenges some of the current limits to the grounds for judicial review of legislation accepted by most Canadian jurists. More specifically, it makes a common law-based argument in favour of the priority over legislation of principles which are implied from the Imperial Constitution Acts 1867-1982 and which originally derive from the English constitution – namely implied constitutional principles. The argument faces two main interrelated legal objections: Parliamentary sovereignty and the Framers’ intentions. The first objection is rebutted by arguing that Parliamentary sovereignty possesses an ability to change in a way that can incorporate substantive legal limitations. The most prevalent common law-based theories of change to Parliamentary sovereignty suggest that the courts can authoritatively determine if implied constitutional principles can check legislation. The second objection is rebutted by reference to the notion of progressive interpretation as conceived under Hartian and Dworkinian theories of law and adjudication. Under these theories, progressive interpretation is an aspect of the courts’ best overall interpretation of the constitution, which includes implied constitutional principles. Such progressive interpretation can result in these principles constraining legislative authority. Justification of the progressive interpretation of implied constitutional principles can be based on the rule of law from which derive a number of these principles. One plausible conception of the Canadian rule of law is that it rejects the view that implied constitutional principles can prevail when in conflict with legislation. However, the better conception is that, as an attempt to adapt implied constitutional principles to relevant changes in society and to protect their underlying values, the judiciary should interpret these principles as capable of checking legislation to the extent that they form part of the core content of the rule of law. Such a conception and an operation of implied constitutional principles can properly be explained by Hartian or Dworkinian common law-based progressive interpretation of these principles and by their relationship with legislative authority.

The purpose of this study was to understand the types of competitive methods used by independent hotels in their bid to obtain and sustain competitive advantage. The concept of the co-alignment principle, as it relates to the choice of competitive methods and their implementation, was the focus of the research. The study investigated the co-alignment between the elements of the co-alignment principle; strategy choice, firm structure and firm performance. Five hotels in Jamaica and two propositions were used to test the model. The theoretical discussions were based upon the resource-based view literature. The empirical section of the study consisted of in-depth case studies, direct observations, guests' surveys and secondary data of independently owned and operated hotels in Jamaica. Interviews were conducted with general managers (or acting general managers) and other managers at each hotel. The study revealed the importance of co-alignment in hotels and the results indicated that performance was best when there was co-alignment. The results also indicated that the competitive methods cited by managers, as providing the greatest value to the hotels, were not always in line with what guests saw as important to them. Six conclusions were reached, which revealed the actions of managers of independent hotels. Unlike past research that focused on only one element of the co-alignment principle, this study focused on three elements; strategy choice, firm structure, and firm performance. The fourth element, environmental forces, was held constant in this study.
Ph. D.

In recognition that every child matters, inclusive education has become a practice that has been adopted by many schools across the globe and most usually in first world countries. As a whole-school system it occurs less frequently in developing countries including South Africa which, unlike many developing countries, has a sound infrastructure and many excellent schools in both the state and the independent sectors. ‘Education White Paper 6: Special education: Building an inclusive education and training system’ was published in 2001 with the express intention of developing an inclusive education system in South Africa. Some independent schools have successfully implemented exemplary forms of inclusion in their schools and this is the phenomenon that has been studied by focusing on the understandings and experiences of the principals. As the researcher I interviewed eight principals who are practicing inclusive education as the norm in their schools. This study reveals various aspects of the inclusive process including the pivotal role that principals play in the transformation process of which inclusive education is the harbinger. It also analyses why principals choose to embrace a paradigm that on the surface is uncomfortable and not an easy option. I used biographical narrative research as methodology for this qualitative research and crystallisation as quality strategy in order to study the phenomenon that is the understandings of principals of independent schools of inclusive education. The basic tenet was that inclusion leads to belonging and excellence in education. The major findings and implications for action are of interest not only to principals, but to anyone who is seriously interested in innovative and more humane forms of anti-oppressive education.
Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010.
Education Management and Policy Studies
unrestricted

In the last stage of development of capitalism, transfers of businesses are frequent. For this purpose, legal systems have regulated procedures to protect creditors and shareholders. In Peruvian legal system, the General Law of Corporations regulates these kinds of transfers through mergers, divisions and reorganizations. However, those operations influence in employment relationships because of the translation of its productive organizations. Even though, there is no regulation to determine the consequences of transfer in these kinds of relations in an organizational way, this legal gap is tend to be solved through the application of the principle of continuity developed by Peruvian jurisprudence.In this short paper, it defines the concept, elements, and the effects of the transfer of an undertaking from the perspective of labor law, giving special attention to the analysis of what the author calls “collateral “ or unwanted effects transfer , as aspects that go beyond the principle of continuity to safeguard labor rights.
En la última fase de evolución del capitalismo es frecuente el uso de operaciones comerciales de traspaso empresarial, para la cual los ordenamientos jurídicos han regulado procedimientos facilitadores, donde se ha puesto énfasis en la protección de acreedores y de titulares de acciones o participaciones de las sociedades. Así en nuestro ordenamiento jurídico, la Ley General de Sociedades contiene disposiciones que regulan la transmisión de empresa a través de operaciones mercantiles como fusiones, escisiones y reorganizaciones. Sin embargo, estas operaciones inciden también en las relaciones laborales, toda vez que suponen el traspaso de la organización productiva. No hay regulación que determine de forma orgánica las consecuencias de la transmisión de empresa en las relaciones laborales, laguna que ha pretendido ser cubierta a través del principio de continuidad, desarrollado jurisprudencialmente. En este trabajo de corta extensión se delimita el concepto, los elementos, y los efectos de la transmisión de empresa, desde la perspectiva del derecho del Trabajo, dando especial relevancia al análisis de lo que la autora denomina efectos “colaterales” o no deseados del traspaso, como aspectos que superan la aplicación del principio de continuidad para la salvaguarda de derechos laborales.

Teismų ir teisėjų principas yra gana senas ir nemažai autorių nagrinėtas, bet ši tema yra aktuali ir šiandien, kadangi teisėjų vykdomam teisingumui neretai bandoma daryti įtaką, o taip pat nereti drausminių bylų iškėlimai rodo, kad vidinis teisėjų nepriklausomumas yra ne iki galo išgrynintas iki tobulos formos. Darbe analizuojamos Konstitucijos nuostatos, kurios reglamentuoja teismų ir teisėjų nepriklausomumą bei Konstitucinio Teismo nutarimai, liečiantys teismų ir teisėjų nepriklausomumo principą. Kadangi teismų ir teisėjų nepriklausomumo principas yra vienas iš esminių konstitucinės teisės principų, todėl jis yra įtvirtintas ne viename tarptautiniame dokumente. Darbe taip pat analizuojamos tarptautinių dokumentų nuostatos reglamentuojančios teismų ir teisėjų nepriklausomumą ir jos lyginamos su Lietuvos konstitucinėje teisėje įtvirtintomis nuostatomis. Be to, darbe remiamasi sociologinių tyrimų duomenimis norint išsiaiškinti visuomenės pasitikėjimo teismais lygį. Darbe iškelta hipotezė, kad teisėjų ir teismų nepriklausomumo lygis įtakoja visuomenės pasitikėjimą teismais pasitvirtina, kadangi kuo didesnis teismų ir teisėjų nepriklausomumo lygis, tuo bus didesnis visuomenės pasitikėjimas teismais ir teisėjais. Pirmoje darbo dalyje nagrinėjamas valdžių padalijimo principas, teisminės valdžios santykis su kitomis valdžiomis (įstatymų leidžiamąja ir vykdomąja) bei išskiriami teisminės valdžios požymiai. Antroje darbo dalyje analizuojama istorinė tesimų ir teisėjų nepriklausomumo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
The principle of court and judges is quite old and it has been studied by many authors but this topic is current nowadays as well. The justice supported by judges is often being tried to be influenced as well as frequent disciplinary proceedings show that inner independence of judges is not purified to a perfect form. The provisions of the Constitution which govern the independence of courts and judges are analyzed in the study together with Constitutional Court rulings that are connected with the principle of the independence or courts and judges. As the independence principle of courts and judges is the basic one in the constitutional law it is fortifies in many international documents. The provisions of international documents that regulate the independence of courts and judges are discussed in the study. They are compared to the provisions that are fortified in the Constitution of Lithuania. Besides, the data of sociological researches is used in the study in order to see the level of the trust of the public in courts. The hypothesis is raised in the study that the level of independence of courts and judges influence the public trust in the courts ad judges was confirmed. The higher level of the independence of courts and judges appears the bigger trust of public in courts and judges is. The principle of power division, the ratio of court’s authorities with other authorities (legislature and executive power) as well as the features of the court power are distinguished... [to full text]

The short form SF-36 survey is a widely used survey of patient health related quality of life. It yields eight subscale scores of functional health and well-being that are summarized by two physical and mental component summary scores. However, recent studies have reported inconsistent results between the eight subscales and the two component summary measures when the scores are from a sick population. They claim that this problem is due to the method used to compute the SF-36 component summary scores, which is based on principal component analysis with orthogonal rotation.In this thesis, we explore various methods in order to identify a method that is more accurate in obtaining the SF-36 physical and mental component component summary scores (PCS and MCS), with a focus on diseased patient subpopulations. We first explore traditional data analysis methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) and factor analysis using maximum likelihoodestimation and apply orthogonal and oblique rotations with both methods to data from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group registry. We compare these common approaches to a recently developed data analysis method from signal processing and neural network research, independent component analysis (ICA). We found that oblique rotation is the only method that reduces the meanmental component scores to best match the mental subscale scores. In order to try to better elucidate the differences between the orthogonal and oblique rotation, we studied the performance of PCA with the two approaches for recovering the true physical and mental component summary scores in a simulated diseased population where we knew the truth. We explored the methods in situations where the true scores were independent and when they were also correlated. We found that ICA and PCA with orthogonal rotation performed very similarly when the data were generated to be independent, but differently (with ICA performing worse) when the data were generated to be correlated. PCA with oblique rotation tended to perform worse than both methods when the data were independent, but better when the data were correlated. We also discuss the connection between ICA and PCA with orthogonal rotation, which lends strength to the use of the varimax rotation for the SF-36.Finally, we applied ICA to the scleroderma data and found relatively low correlation between ICA and unrotated PCA in estimating the PCS and MCS scores and very high correlation between ICA and PCA with varimax rotation. PCA with oblique rotation also had a relatively high correlation with ICA. Hence, we concluded that ICA could be seen as a compromise solution between the two methods.
La version abrégée du questionnaire SF-36 est largement utilisée pour valider la qualité de vie reliée à la santé. Ce questionnaire fournit huit scores s'attardant à la capacité fonctionnelle et au bien-être, lesquels sont regroupés en cotes sommaires attribuées aux composantes physiques et mentales. Cependant, des études récentes ont rapporté des résultats contradictoires entre les huit sous-échelles et les deux cotes sommaires lorsque les scores sont obtenus auprès de sujets malades. Cette discordance serait due à la méthode utilisée pour calculer les cotes sommaires du SF-36 qui est fondée sur l'analyse en composantes principales avec rotation orthogonale.Dans cette thèse, nous explorons diverses méthodes dans le but d'identifier une méthode plus précise pour calculer les cotes sommaires du SF-36 attribuées aux composantes physiques et mentales (CCP et CCM), en mettant l'accent sur des sous-populations de sujets malades. Nous évaluerons d'abord des méthodes traditionnelles d'analyse de données, telles que l'analyse en composantes principales (ACP) et l'analyse factorielle, en utilisant l'étude de l'estimation du maximum de vraisemblance et en appliquant les rotations orthogonale et oblique aux deux méthodes sur les données du registre du Groupe de recherche canadien sur la sclérodermie. Nous comparons ces approches courantes à une méthode d'analyse de données développée récemment à partir de travaux de recherche sur le réseau neuronal et le traitement du signal, l'analyse en composantes indépendantes (ACI).Nous avons découvert que la rotation oblique est la seule méthode qui réduit les cotes attribuées aux composantes mentales moyennes afin de mieux les corréler aux scores de la sous-échelle des symptômes mentaux. Dans le but de mieux comprendre les différences entre la rotation orthogonale et la rotation oblique, nous avons étudié le rendement de l'ACP avec deux approches pour déterminer les véritables cotes sommaires attribuées aux composantes physiques et mentales dans une population simulée de sujets malades pour laquelle les données étaient connues. Nous avons exploré les méthodes dans des situations où les scores véritables étaient indépendants et lorsqu'ils étaient corrélés. Nous avons conclu que le rendement de l'ACI et de l'ACP associées à la rotation orthogonale était très similaire lorsque les données étaient indépendantes, mais que le rendement différait lorsque les données étaient corrélées (ACI étant moins performante). L'ACP associée à la rotation oblique a tendance à être moins performante que les deux méthodes lorsque les données étaient indépendantes, mais elle est plus performante lorsque les données étaient corrélées. Nous discutons également du lien entre l'ACI et l'ACP avec la rotation orthogonale, ce qui appuie l'emploi de la rotation varimax dans le questionnaire SF 36.Enfin, nous avons appliqué l'ACI aux données sur la sclérodermie et nous avons mis en évidence une corrélation relativement faible entre l'ACI et l'ACP sans rotation dans l'estimation des scores CCP et CCM, et une corrélation très élevée entre l'ACI et l'ACP avec rotation varimax. L'ACP avec rotation oblique présentait également une corrélation relativement élevée avec l'ACI. Par conséquent, nous en avons conclu que l'ACI pourrait servir de solution de compromis entre ces deux méthodes.

Nées dans l'incertitude, les autorités administratives indépendantes semblent aujourd'hui durablement implantées dans le paysage institutionnel français. Le succès remporté par la catégorie juridique ne saurait, toutefois, éluder les questions que posent ces instances vis-à-vis des principes fondateurs de la démocratie moderne. Au regard des schémas ordinaires de la théorie de la représentation, les autorités administratives indépendantes constituent, en effet, une déviation du système démocratique. Pourtant, une conception renouvelée de la théorie politique permet d'établir ces organismes comme de potentielles entités démocratiques. En dehors des rouages traditionnels de l'Etat, la formule institutionnelle révèle la possibilité d'une démocratie enrichie et ressourcée. Reste que, sous peine de ruiner l'originalité de l'objet juridique, les pouvoirs publics et les corps constitués doivent prendre la mesure du phénomène par un ajustement du contrôle juridictionnel et un aménagement du contrôle politique
Despite uncertain beginnings, independent administrative authorities now appear implanted once and for all in the French institutional landscape. However, the success of this legal category must be confronted with the founding principles of modern democracy. By comparison with the dominating theory of representation, independent administrative authorities constitute, in fact, a deviation from the democratic system. Yet a renewed conception of political theory enables these organisations to be considered as genuine democratic entities. Beyond traditional state structures, their institutional configuration reveals the possibility of an enriched and revitalised democracy. Nevertheless, both government and state bodies must take stock of the impact of this phenomenon by adjusting both judicial and political controls; otherwise, the originality of this legal subject could be ruined

This research project investigates the development processes, practices and outcomes of 'Safer Food Better Business' (SFBB) - a project initiated by the UK Food Standards Agency at Salford University. SFBB is an adaptation of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) - the existing, internationally accepted food safety management methodology for food manufacturing - developed to ensure its use, utility and acceptance by the catering industry whilst achieving the standards of scientifically based risk management systems set by the UN Codex Alimentarius Committee.

Independent manufacturers' representatives (IMRs) are companies that sell products on behalf of manufacturers (principals), typically on a commission basis. IMRs offer principals specialized knowledge about product areas or markets, and they can function as attractive supplements or replacements for in-house sales units. The literature on IMRs' allocation of resources to their principals and the downstream impact on performance is underexplored. A paucity of published research exists using actual IMR sales and commission data, likely because this data is difficult to collect due to its sensitive nature. This dissertation fills this gap by exploring the influence of principals' use of sales controls, how these controls impact the psychological climate that arises between IMRs and their principals, and the downstream impact on IMRs' allocation of sales resources and the sales volumes actually produced. Furthermore, this dissertation answers the call for research on the impact of principal's use of house territories and house accounts, through the lens of the IMR. The dissertation features three essays. The purposes are: to identify gaps in existing IMR research in order to provide directions for future research in this domain; to explore the influence of the principal's sales controls on the psychological climate between the principal and IMR and the downstream impact on IMR allocation of sales resources and sales performance; and to develop theoretical and practical insights about the impact of principals' use of house accounts, i.e. customers served by an in-house sales organization, inside or outside IMRs' territories.

By 2050, the world population is projected to exceed nine billion and sustainable development measures are therefore critical. There has been a clear consensus internationally regarding the importance of assessing projects’ environmental impacts as a mean to promote sustainable development. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) system has a fundamental role of being a tool for reaching sustainable development. Therefore, continuously enhancing its quality by evaluating the system is important. This study focused on the quality of the review process in the Swedish EIA system, as it is the last step of quality assurance before the final decision-making. Currently, various authorities are responsible for assessing the quality of the environmental impact statement (EIS), something that can naturally lead to varied review qualities. The purpose of this Master Thesis was to question the quality of the current review process in Sweden’s EIA system and raise awareness as to how it possibly can be improved. An approach to promote consistency in the review process exists in the Dutch EIA system, where a national independent authority built up of experts is set to critically review EISs of complex proposed projects. Objectives of this study were to contribute with research on whether or not Sweden should implement an independent national commission to review the quality of EISs, to identify participants’ views and attitudes regarding the subject and to analyze whether or not it is favorable and possible to change the current system. A comparison with the Dutch review process along with eight semi-structured interviews were completed, and results showed that it is likely that the Swedish review process can improve by implementing a national independent review authority and thus increase the current quality and uniformity. The study also found that it would not lead to any major losses to the current system. By using a national authority, standardized working procedures can be developed and independence can be reached through utilizing impartial reviewers. However, feasible problems include funding regulations and having to modify Swedish EIA legislation. It is also estimated that a national commission would not have sufficient resources to review all incoming EISs, hence, restrictions are required.
År 2050 förväntas världens befolkning överstiga nio miljarder och det är mycket viktigt att vidta åtgärder mot en hållbar utveckling. Det har skett en tydlig internationell enighet om vikten av att bedöma projekts miljöpåverkan som ett medel för att främja en hållbar utveckling. Miljökonsekvensbeskrivningssystemet har en grundläggande roll som verktyg för att nå en hållbar utveckling. Därför är det viktigt att kontinuerligt förbättra dess kvalitet genom att utvärdera systemet. Denna studie fokuserar på kvaliteten av granskningsprocessen i det svenska MKB-systemet, eftersom det är det sista steget i kvalitetssäkringen innan det slutliga beslutsfattandet. För närvarande har olika myndigheter ansvaret för att bedöma kvaliteten på miljökonsekvensbeskrivningen (MKB), vilket naturligtvis kan leda till varierande kvalitet på handläggningen. Syftet med detta examensarbete var att ifrågasätta kvaliteten av den pågående granskningen i det svenska MKB-systemet och öka medvetenheten om hur det möjligen kan förbättras. En strategi för att främja likvärdighet i granskningen finns i det nederländska MKB-systemet, där en oberoende nationell myndighet uppbyggd av experter är satt till att kritiskt granska miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar av komplexa föreslagna projekt. Målet för denna studie var att bidra med forskning om huruvida Sverige bör införa en oberoende nationell kommission för att granska kvaliteten på miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar, att identifiera deltagarnas åsikter och attityder kring ämnet och att analysera om det är fördelaktigt och möjligt att modifiera det nuvarande systemet. En jämförelse med den nederländska granskningsprocessen tillsammans med åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes, och resultaten visade att det är troligt att den svenska granskningsprocessen kan förbättras genom att införa en nationell oberoende granskningsmyndighet och därmed öka den nuvarande standarden och enhetligheten. Studien visade också att det inte skulle leda till några större förluster av det nuvarande systemet. Genom att använda en nationell myndighet, kan standardiserade arbetsmetoder utvecklas och självständighet kan nås genom att utnyttja objektiva granskare. Möjliga problem är finansieringsbestämmelser och behovet av att ändra svensk miljölagstiftning. Det är också sannolikt att en nationell kommission inte skulle ha tillräckliga resurser för att granska alla inkommande miljökonsekvensbeskrivningar, i och med det krävs begränsningar.

Under No Child Left Behind legislation of 2002, school principals shoulder the burden of school success determined by test scores of students. Challenges principals face demand school leaders possess greater knowledge and skills than administrators of the past. The need for well-trained, skilled school leaders makes it important to study the subject of school leadership training. This study examined a school leadership preparation partnership between the University of North Texas and Dallas Independent School District. Primary supporting references include work by Bottoms and O'Neill (2001) calling for the 16-member states of the Southern Regional Education Board to train a new breed of principal to meet the current demands for student achievement in public schools. This research adds to the body of knowledge of school leadership development programs, particularly those that involve cohort-based study groups and shared service partnerships between school districts and universities. Major questions investigated: 1) How did participation in the program change the involvement of administrative interns in campus-based decision-making? 2) How has participation in the program changed the ways participants perceive themselves? 3) What actions have members of the cohort group taken in their teacher-leader/administrative positions to affect student achievement? 4) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the UNT/DISD/SREB Leadership Development Program partnership? Information was gathered from 16 of the 26 program participants through questionnaires, interviews, and document study.

Objectives. In this thesis I have, together with game developer and publisher Paradox Interactive, designed and implemented a level editor tool for use in their game Magicka 2. With this tool users can create, edit and share custom Challenge levels in the game. I have also done a more in-depth scientific study of usability in such level editor tools, especially pertaining to the disparity between various controller input schemes and platforms. Methods. I have performed a literary study of articles and books relevant to the field of game design, user interface design, general usability, controller input schemes and any other topic I found relevant. I have paired this with a study of similar level editor tools and their user interfaces and features in other console and PC games. This knowledge, together with feedback from both expert and non-expert testing, has then been analyzed and used to design and implement both the user interface and the features of the level editor. Results. Results of the literary study, level editor tool study and testing are presented together with their impact on the design of the user interface and all implemented features. The results of each iteration of the Challenge Creator are presented as well. Lastly, all results are analyzed and a set of design heuristics for creating a similar level editor tool is presented. Conclusions. I conclude that creating a platform independent level editor tool with high usability is very much possible, but that designing such a tool becomes far more difficult with each new platform and controller input scheme supported. I also conclude that additional features and further increase in tool complexity loses significant impact if the core user interface is lacking in usability. I also conclude that more time and testing will be needed to further empirically validate the design heuristics. Lastly, I conclude that additional iterations will be required upon the Challenge Creator to improve its usability in light of already known and established design flaws.

In dieser Arbeit werden - basierend auf dem Langsamkeitsprinzip - Modelle und Algorithmen für das auditorische System entwickelt. Verschiedene experimentelle Ergebnisse, sowie die erfolgreichen Ergebnisse im visuellen System legen nahe, dass, trotz der unterschiedlichen Beschaffenheit visueller und auditorischer sensorischer Signale, das Langsamkeitsprinzip auch im auditorischen System eine bedeutsame Rolle spielen könnte, und vielleicht auch im Kortex im Allgemeinen. Es wurden verschiedene Modelle für unterschiedliche Repräsentationen des auditorischen Inputs realisiert. Es werden die Beschränkungen der jeweiligen Ansätze aufgezeigt. Im Bereich der Signalverarbeitung haben sich das Langsamkeitsprinzip und dessen direkte Implementierung als Signalverarbeitungsalgorithmus, Slow Feature Analysis, über die biologisch inspirierte Modellierung hinaus als nützlich erwiesen. Es wird ein neuer Algorithmus für das Problem der nichtlinearen blinden Signalquellentrennung beschrieben, der auf einer Kombination von Langsamkeitsprinzip und dem Prinzip der statistischen Unabhängigkeit basiert, und der anhand von künstlichen und realistischen Audiosignalen getestet wird. Außerdem wird die Open Source Software Bibliothek Modular toolkit for Data Processing vorgestellt.
In this thesis we develop models and algorithms based on the slowness principle in the auditory domain. Several experimental results as well as the successful results in the visual domain indicate that, despite the different nature of the sensory signals, the slowness principle may play an important role in the auditory domain as well, if not in the cortex as a whole. Different modeling approaches have been used, which make use of several alternative representations of the auditory stimuli. We show the limitations of these approaches. In the domain of signal processing, the slowness principle and its straightforward implementation, the Slow Feature Analysis algorithm, has been proven to be useful beyond biologically inspired modeling. A novel algorithm for nonlinear blind source separation is described that is based on a combination of the slowness and the statistical independence principles, and is evaluated on artificial and real-world audio signals. The Modular toolkit for Data Processing open source software library is additionally presented.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Newspaper headlines have continued to shock investors and society by exposing corporate scandals and by highlighting the overall decline in moral fibre of the modern employer and/or employee, locally and internationally. The King III Report on Governance aims to improve organisations’ sustainability by providing principles to enable sound decision-making for any organisation, irrespective of its size and/or structure. The objective of this research report was to investigate the challenges experienced with the application of these principles, with a specific focus on the guidance provided to enable the independence of directors. Firstly, this investigation aimed to establish whether there was a belief that the application of these principles would necessarily lead to sustainability; and secondly, whether the application of these principles were practically possible for all organisations, irrespective of their size and/or structure. The investigation was conducted by combining the results from a literature review on corporate governance with a specific focus on director independence and a survey conducted with twelve individuals involved in different capacities at board level. Based on the information obtained from the literature review and the results obtained from the questionnaire, overwhelming support exists that indicates that the application of the King III principles would contribute to improve the sustainability of an organisation. However, it was discovered that it would not necessarily be feasible for all companies, of any size and/or structure, to effectively apply these principles. Various recommendations were made to address the challenges identified for the effective application of the King III principles relating to the independence of directors.

La déontologie des avocats émane-t-elle d’eux à raison des nécessités de l’exercice ou des autorités politiques parce qu’elle touche une tâche régalienne ? La France a peu hésité. S’inspirant notamment de THEODOSE puis JUSTINIEN, empruntant aux carolingiens et à la chevalerie une morale religieuse, les rois à compter de Saint LOUIS ont légiféré d’autant que la naissance des juridictions royales à la fin du XIIIème siècle stabilise le rôle et le titre de l’avocat. Les coutumes et les « stiles » complètent ce dispositif. Ces principes (loyauté, indépendance, respect) se transformeront au cours des époques en « usages ». Tant que l’avocat est un membre de l’institution judiciaire ayant vocation d’en devenir un cadre la déontologie reposait sur un consensus. La vénalité des charges lui ôtant cette promotion, le transforme en simple « auxiliaire », rétif aux injonctions au point de fomenter d’improbables grèves. Imprégné de la grandeur fantasmée de ses ancêtres antiques il préfère consolider son rang social (noblesse, préséance). A partir de LOUIS XIV la déontologie se fige. La Révolution balaie cet héritage multiséculaire. Pressés par les concepts de liberté et de gratuité les constituants, majoritairement avocats, suppriment la profession et les Parlements honnis. Des « défenseurs officieux », souvent sans foi ni loi, se substituent aux avocats. La déontologie disparut pendant vingt ans. Rétablis avec réticence par NAPOLEON, ces « factieux » lutteront tout le XIXème contre l’Etat pour la maîtrise des « usages » fragilisant un peu plus ceux-ci déjà traversés par les courants sociétaux (émancipation, nationalité). Le décret de 1920 régla cette situation qui faillit engloutir les Ordres. Jamais plus jusqu’en 1971 les avocats ne participeront à la définition de leurs règles. Tout au plus une association (ANA) fera avec succès des propositions. Les guerres illustrèrent le pouvoir d’intervention du Prince dans la déontologie en la suspendant, l’aménageant en profondeur (interdiction des juifs) ou en créant des institutions pérennes (CAPA). La France Libre conserva de Vichy tout ce qui ne heurtait pas des principes fondamentaux. Les années 54/57 introduisirent des modifications libérales (droit de manier des fonds, de s’associer, de réclamer des honoraires impayés). Il est un endroit où l’Etat n’a pas renoncé à l’avocat fonctionnaire : l’outre-mer. L’Algérie mise à part, « prolongement naturel de la France », dans les autres pays sous domination française, dans un désordre total, sans cette unité rêvée, la France a, dans l’indifférence des Ordres, créé une paradéontologie évoquant vaguement l’avoué. En dépit d’une prolifération législative la France n’a pas plus réussi à imposer une déontologie universelle. Usant de procédés imaginatifs renouvelés, les gouverneurs ont, principe de réalisme oblige, tout inventé pour sauver un système notoirement défaillant jusqu’à l’inadmissible (interdiction de plaider pour les indigènes). Dans les années 1930/1936 la République se résolut à instaurer des « barreaux libres », grosso modo calqués sur ceux de métropole, tentative libérale sans lendemain à raison de la guerre puis des conflits de décolonisation. Il faudrait réserver un sort à part à l’Algérie, « prolongement naturel de la France ». La Loi du 31 décembre 1971 en créant un « avoué plaidant » redouté par les caciques a initié une réforme profonde du rôle de l’avocat et posé ainsi les jalons d’une évolution ultérieure de la déontologie (institution d’une représentation nationale -CNB, octroi à celle-ci du pouvoir législatif en la matière). C’est néanmoins sans les avocats que fut publié le décret de déontologie en 2005. Une déontologie aussi linéaire s’explique par le souci pour le Prince d’assurer jusqu’à l’infini détail la perfection de sa mission de juger, une métaphysique du parfait. La marchandisation du droit, l’extension du domaine de l’avocat, l’industrialisation des acteurs contrarient cet objectif. La France tranchera-t-elle enfin ?
Is ethics of lawyers emanating from them because of the necessities of its exercise or from the political authorities because it touches a sovereign task? France has not hesitated. Inspired in particular by THEODOSIUS and JUSTINIAN, borrowing Carolingians and chivalry religious morals, kings from St. Louis have legislated especially as the birth of royal courts at the end of the thirteenth century stabilized the role and title of the lawyer. The customs and the "stiles" completed this device. These principles (loyalty, independence, respect) will change over time into "uses". As long as the lawyer is a member of the judicial institution with a vocation to become executive, the deontology was based on a consensus. The venality of the offices depriving him of this promotion, transforms him into a simple "auxiliary", wayward to the point of stirring unlikely strikes. Impregnated with the fantasized grandeur of his ancestors in the antiquity he prefers to consolidate his social rank (nobility, precedence). From LOUIS XIV the deontology (ethics) freezes. The Revolution sweeps away this multisecular heritage. Pressed by the concepts of freedom and gratuitousness, the constituents, mostly lawyers, suppress the profession and the parliaments that are being hated. "Unofficial defenders", often without faith or law, take the place of lawyers. Ethics disappeared for twenty years. Reluctantly reinstated by NAPOLEON, these "factious" struggle all the nineteenth against the state for the control of "uses" weakening them (already in butte to societal currents: emancipation, nationality) a little more. The decree of 1920 settled this situation, which almost engulfed the Orders. Never again until 1971 will lawyers participate in the definition of their rules. At most one association (ANA) will make successful proposals. The wars illustrated the Prince's power of intervention in deontology by suspending it, overhauling it (prohibiting Jews) or creating permanent institutions (CAPA). “France Libre” preserved from Vichy everything that did not conflict with fundamental principles. The years 54/57 introduced liberal modifications (the right to wield funds, to associate, to claim unpaid fees). It is a place where the state did not give up to make the lawyer a civil servant: overseas. Except for Algeria, a "natural extension of France", in other countries under french domination, in a total disorder, far from its dreamed unity, France has, in the indifference of the bar associations, created a paradeontology vaguely evoking the “avoué”. Despite a legislative abundance, France has no more succeeded in imposing a universal code of ethics. Using renewed imaginative processes, the governors have, as required by a principle of realism, all invented to save a notoriously failing system until the inadmissible (prohibition to plead for the natives). In the years 1930/1936 the Republic resolved to establish "free bars", roughly modeled on those of metropolis, a liberal attempt without a future because of the war and the conflicts of decolonization. The Law of December 31, 1971 creating a "pleading-solicitor" dreaded by the caciques initiated a profound reform of the role of the lawyer and laid the groundwork for a subsequent evolution of ethics (institution of a national representation -CNB granting it legislative power in this area). It was nevertheless without the lawyers that the decree of ethics was published in 2005. Such a linear deontology is explained by the concern for the Prince to ensure to the infinity detail the perfection of his mission to judge, a metaphysics of the perfect. The commodification of the law, the extension of the field of the lawyer, the industrialization of the actors contradict this objective. Will France finally decide ?

Elementary students continue to read below proficiency levels. Principals play a key role in the reading programs at their school. The purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of selected elementary principals and teachers regarding the principal's role in the development, implementation, and continuation of an effective series reading program. Through this study, factors contributing to the success or failure of the principal's role in a series reading program were suggested. A qualitative research design was used with semi-structured interviews to determine the perceptions of principals and teachers regarding the role of the principal in the development, implementation, and continuation of a series reading program. Principals and teachers were interviewed from elementary schools in Alabama and Nevada. The findings from the research provide principals and division leaders a compendium of strategies and themes to be used to implement and continue a successful series reading program. The findings suggest that principals empower and motivate teachers and staff to implement new and continue existing reading programs by modeling it themselves, that principals allocate funding for series reading books to add to the collection of books at the school, and that a principal's literacy background and personal experiences influence the effectiveness of a series reading program. Principals and teachers that indicated reading books in a series was beneficial to struggling readers and students new to learning English (L2), and that the series reading program promoted adult-student relationships supportive of increased reading volume. Implications for school leaders and principals are shared as well as suggestions for future research.
Doctor of Education
The purpose of the study was to identify perceptions of selected elementary principals and teachers regarding the role of the principal in the development, implementation, and continuation of an effective series reading program. Through this study, factors contributing to the success or failure of the principal's role in a series reading program were suggested. Principals and teachers were interviewed from elementary schools in Alabama and Nevada. The findings suggest that principals empower and motivate teachers and staff to implement new and continue existing reading programs by modeling it themselves, that principals allocate funding for series reading books to add to the collection of books at the school, and that a principal's literacy background and personal experiences influence a series reading program. Principals and teachers indicated that reading books in a series was beneficial to struggling readers and students new to learning English (L2), and that the series reading program promoted adult-student relationships supportive of increased reading volume. Implications for school leaders and principals are shared as well as suggestions for future research.

This thesis investigated a multi-class auditory P300 BCI as a step towards FES applicability. A multi-class P300 paradigm approach provides degrees-of-freedom in operating an FES device over the traditional P300 paradigm. Accuracy in classification of target P300s contributes to the paradigm's applicability in a 'real' environment. The computational effectiveness of the paradigm can be enhanced through signal processing prior to classification. A combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component analysis (ICA), together with a method of enhancing the P300 properties through temporal and spatial manipulation are investigated as a means of improving classification accuracy. The combination of these techniques and the use of a multi-class P300 paradigm presents a different approach as a step towards FES applicability in an auditory BCI.

This thesis reveals the origins and meaning of the National Goals and Directive Principles, the processes leading to their tabling, discussion and drafting and the role of the Constitutional Planning Committee and Australia in this process. This thesis investigates for the first time the vision embedded in the National Goals and Directive Principles. The vision of the five National Goals and Directive Principles compelled post- independence governments to deliver social, economic and political development with consideration to equality, economic self-reliance, national sovereignty and protection of the natural environment. The goals were integrated in the constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, however the National Goals and Directive Principles were ignored or only given passing acknowledgement by successive governments. The National Goals and Directive Principles were a road map, which the new nation could follow when the colonial rulers Australia had departed, but some subsequent policies actually contradicted the aspirations, advice and nationalist blueprint declared in the constitution. The translation of the National Goals and Directive Principles to policies implemented by government departments and debated in the House of Assembly comprises the final, but significant, element of this investigation. There has been no major study on the declaration of the National Goals and Directive Principles although 29 years has passed since independence. This thesis reveals the genesis of a national vision and ideas expressed by an educated indigenous elite in Papua New Guinea but mostly influenced by expatriates and foreign consultants over the brief period between responsible government and full independence (1959-1975). The thesis argues that it was more a foreign than home-grown idea that Papua New Guinea would be a viable nation. It identifies the origin of the idea that a nation needed a unifying set of guiding principles and how this vision ended up being embedded in the constitution of the new nation. The central assertion of this thesis is that a vision of the new nation was never agreed upon nor did it emerge from the unique cultures, knowledge and history of Papua New Guinea's people. It argues that Papua New Guinea went through the expected, conventional process of decolonisation and constitution writing, and that declaring a national vision was never central to the rapid development of a political structure. The National Goals and Directive Principles were made to look like a collective indigenous vision, but they emerged from foreign ideas, theory and practice and were used by an educated elite obsessed with and overwhelmed by the rush to take over political and economic power. There was no long-term national vision merely the continuation of the colonial order and the maintenance of borrowed, western ideas, disguised as a national discourse.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2001.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 231-237).
In this thesis we examine the problem of designing architecture of an electric power network with the emphasis on transmission provision that supports various electricity market structures while ensuring the system wide reliability, following the electric power industry restructuring process. Specifically, the thesis proposes a possible regulatory incentive-based framework critical for creating a for-profit independent transmission company (ITC), and defines the role of ITC under the newly introduced regulatory framework, such that an adequate level of transmission capacity is provided for trading energy services between generators and loads over long-term. Before the restructuring process all of the electric services are provided by a so-called vertically integrated utility. A vertically integrated utility is a monopolistic entity who is responsible for meeting the region-wide demand for electricity at some acceptable quality by designing and operating entire generation, transmission and distribution assets within a regional electric power network. A vertically integrated utility fulfills its responsibilities by first projecting the demand of its customers over some period of time ( typically for the next 5 to 10 years) often assuming inelasticity. Then, based on the load projection, the utility plans for additional generation necessary for meeting the demand over the same period. Due to the lack of practical means of storing electricity and the uncertainty in equipment (both generation and transmission) availability, the adequate generation reinforcement includes not only the increase in projected demand but also the sufficient amount of reserves. Under the restructuring process, a completely new environment is created for producing, delivering and consuming electric power. A market is implemented for efficient trading of energy, and a vertically integrated utility is functionally unbundled into generation, transmission and distribution sectors by divesting the generation and distribution assets to many market participants including its affiliates. In the market the newly formed generation companies compete with other generation companies to provide energy to individual distribution companies who serve the ultimate consumer loads. The transmission asset owner and the network operator then together become a transmission provider (TP) who exists as a natural monopoly and provides network capacity to generation and distribution companies under the strict oversight of a regulator. With the introduction of a market mechanism there are a couple of new categories of uncertainties that are not encountered before the restructuring process, namely regulatory uncertainties and the market designs. It is asserted that these uncertainties play a critical role along with the well recognized uncertainties in equipment status/functionality in determining system wide efficiency as well as reliability in the operation and planning of an electric power network in the new environment. In dealing with the regulatory uncertainties, the price-cap regulation (PCR) scheme is suggested to replace the traditional cost-of-service regulation. Due to the particular characteristics of the industry including the lack of practical means of storing electricity and the lack of directly controlling the transmission path, some modifications to the conventional form of PCR scheme are necessary before actual application. In this thesis a practicable PCR scheme is proposed for regulating the operation and planning of a TP, which establishes the framework necessary for creating a for-profit ITC. In dealing with the uncertainties in market designs, the thesis introduces a usable business model for an ITC and the transmission products to be provided by this ITC. It is asserted that much of uncertainties in network usage, due to constantly changing supply and demand of the network users, can be eliminated through offering longer term transmission contracts by the ITC. A liquid market for these transmission contracts is essential for information revelation on the supply and demand of network users. The thesis proposes a workable mechanism for designing the market for transmission. In dealing with the uncertainties in equipment status/functionality, the thesis only suggests that there is a strong need for analytical tools in accurately computing the operational limit on power transfer through transmission lines within the network. Much work is needed for re-visiting the (short-term) reliability standards created under the old industry regime since various contractual agreements among the market participants now have very different interpretation on how the uncertainties in equipment status/functionality need to be handled. An active future research is urged for defining the market mechanisms essential for unbundling reliability in parallel to the functional unbundling. As attempted in this thesis, we believe that any proposed designs for electricity market structures should be examined with a clear understanding of the implications on the overall industry performance, as well as with an understanding of the implications on the individual industry participants, such as power suppliers, provider of wires, and consumers. Particular emphasis should be on understanding the long-term (in contrast to only short-term) effects of various changes on the adequacy of supply and evolution of the grid necessary to support the long-term needs of the energy markets. It will take some deep thinking and patience to get the entire electric power industry to function properly following the restructuring process.
by Yong Tae Yoon.
Ph.D.

Le contrôle juridictionnel sur les décisions des autorités de concurrence présente une intensité fortement changeante. Cela a engendré un effort de systématisation théorique et a demandé la solution d’une série de questions médianes. La nature technique de la matière économique a en effet justifié un modèle institutionnel spécifique (celui d’autorité administrative indépendante), un certain type de norme (par concepts juridiques indéterminés), une forme particulière de pouvoir discrétionnaire (qu’on peut définir mixte : au même temps pur et technique). Sur la base de tous ces éléments, on a individué l’ampleur idéale du contrôle. Le premier élément, le caractère indépendant des autorités, impose de se questionner sur les limites entre administration en formes contentieuses et juridiction, mais aussi sur les limites entre administration et politique. Le deuxième élément, relatif à la structure de la norme, a engendré une réflexion sur l’exigence que l’administration puisse intégrer la prescription légale, à l’acte de son application, de façon qu’elle participe en quelque sorte à la définition des conditions d’exercice de son propre pouvoir. Le troisième des éléments rappelés, la nature mixte du pouvoir discrétionnaire, a permis de redéfinir les raisons de l’analogie du contrôle juridictionnel sur l’opportunité et de celui sur la pluralité des solutions techniques . L’instrument utilisé pour mener cette analyse est le principe de proportionnalité, instrument d’action de l’administration mais aussi instrument de contrôle du juge, qui a permis de relever l’affinité entre les formes de l’action administrative et forme du contrôle qui sont à l’origine des incertitudes relevées
Judicial review of antitrust authorities’ decisions shows as extremely variable. This justified an effort of theoretical explanation and demanded the elucidation of several intermediate questions. The technical nature of the economic subject accounts for a specific institutional model (the independent agencies one), a given type of norms (through standards and indeterminate concepts), a peculiar form of discretionary power (defined mixt: both pure an technical). Considering all these elements, we defined the ideal reach of judicial review. The first element, the independent nature of authorities, dictates to wonder on the boundaries between confrontational administration and trial, but also on the boundaries between administration and politics. The second element, related to the structure of the norm, provokes a reflection on the necessity that the administration completes the legal prescription while applying it, somehow participating to the definition of her own power’s legitimacy requirements. The third element recalled, the mixt nature of discretionary power, led to redefine the reasons of the analogy between jurisdictional control on opportunity and on technical administrative evaluations. The instrument used to carry out the described analysis is the principle of proportionality, tool of administrative action but also instrument of judicial review, that permitted to reveal the affinity between administrative and jurisdictional paradigms that founds the observed uncertainties

Energy policy in the European Union (EU) is a patchwork of diverging interests and preferences. While the European Commission pushes for a common energy policy, Member States are responsible for their own separate energy policies. These divergences in interests and preferences might create a conflict situation between the Commission and Member States. This thesis explores the Commission’s behaviour vis-à-vis the Member States, investigating the conditions under which the Commission is likely to try to deviate from Member States’ preferences in the external dimension of the EU internal energy market. Adopting a Principal-Agent Model (PAM), this thesis conceptualizes the Member States as principals and the Commission as their agent. A qualitative case study approach and process-tracing method are applied to appreciate the variety of preferences of the actors involved, and provide a means to study the various shades of post-delegation agent’s behaviour. This thesis looks at four in-depth case studies: 1) Decision 994/2012 on establishing an information exchange mechanism with regard to intergovernmental agreements between Member States and third countries in the field of energy; 2) Directive 2009/73/EC on common rules for the internal market in gas; 3) Energy Community Treaty; and 4) Energy Charter Treaty. These were selected based on their relevance to the research question. Findings suggest that two factors are likely to affect the Commission’s deviation from Member States’ preferences: a) the preference alignment among the principals and b) the preference alignment between the principals and the agent. This thesis suggests that when the preferences between the agent and the principals are heterogeneous, the agent is more likely to deviate from the preferences of the principals. This thesis also suggests that the preference alignment among the principals only has a secondary effect on the agent’s deviation. Finally, this research contributes to the further development of the PAM offering a possible categorisation of post-delegation agent’s behaviour going beyond the dichotomy of deviation and non-deviation.

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Redundancy is an old issue in data compression research. Compression methods that use statistics have been heavily influenced by neuroscience research. In this work, we propose an image compression system based on the efficient coding concept derived from neural information processing models. The system performance is compared with discrete cosine transform (DCT) and principal components analysis (PCA) results at several compression ratios (CR). Evaluation through both objective measurements and visual inspection showed that the proposed system is more robust to distortions such as blocking artifacts than DCT and PCA.
A redundância é um assunto antigo em pesquisa sobre compressão de dados. Os métodos de compressão de dados que usam estatísticas foram recentemente influenciados pelas pesquisas em neurociência. Neste trabalho, propomos um sistema de compressão de imagem baseado no conceito de codificação eficiente derivado dos modelos de processamento da informação neural. O desempenho do sistema é comparado aos resultados da transformada discreta cosseno (DCT) e análise de componentes principais (PCA) com a mesma taxa de compressão (CR). A avaliação através das medidas objetiva e visual mostrou que o sistema proposto apresentou menos distorções, tais como artefatos de blocos do que a DCT e PCA.

Memoria (licenciado en ciencias jurídicas y sociales)
Nuestro sistema jurídico parece ser reticente al control social sobre los órganos del Estado, en cuanto carece de mecanismos efectivos a través de los cuales los ciudadanos puedan ejercer el control de los poderes públicos para que estos rindan cuenta por sus actos, no a otros órganos estatales, sino a la ciudadanía. “Como señalan Smulovitz y Peruzzotti, uno de los problemas de los sistemas democráticos como el nuestro es que no se puede controlar a los burócratas, sino sólo a los políticos (por medio del ejercicio del voto, el que tiene, a su turno, problemas intrínsecos como es la facilidad con que se diluye en términos del tiempo que transcurre entre las elecciones y la comisión de faltas por parte de los políticos.”Note1. Una “república democrática”, como se define Chile en nuestra Constitución, implica que los gobernantes se deben a la ciudadanía y por tanto, deben rendir cuenta por sus actos.Note2. En esa consideración, estimamos que la situación actual de nuestro Poder Judicial es especialmente preocupante. En efecto, el Poder Judicial chileno es percibido por la ciudadanía como una entidad lejana, poco transparente e irresponsable por sus actos, dando cuenta de ello diversos datos estadísticos que revelan que el mismo se rige por principios que atentan contra la transparenciaNote3. y probidad de los órganos públicos, impidiendo a la ciudadanía controlar la actividad de los jueces, vulnerando, por tanto, el principio de responsabilidad de las autoridades frente a los ciudadanos que consagra nuestra Constitución

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2009.
A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, School of Education, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.

Cette thèse est consacrée à l’étude de la question tibétaine et des différents aspects sous lesquels elle est traitée : géographique, économiques, stratégiques et politiques. Nous étudions l’évolution des attitudes et les divergences d’opinion selon une polarisation allant du conservatisme au progressisme. Nous en mesurons les influences dans l’histoire récente et nous projetons les développements probables à court et moyen termes.- Cette thèse s’attache à démontrer que le Tibet reste un enjeu important pour la Chine et qu’à ce titre, la ligne de chemin de fer reliant le Qinghai au Tibet symbolise la politique et la solution chinoise vis-à-vis du Tibet. - Cette thèse s’attache à démontrer que le dalaï-lama est toujours considéré par les tibétains comme la seule instance à même de pouvoir résoudre les problèmes tibétains, et ceci en dépit des nombreuses crises auxquelles le chef spirituel a pu être confronté.- Enfin, cette thèse s’attache à démontrer que la société chinoise est en train d’évoluer vers une attitude plus progressiste. Sur cette question notamment, les intellectuels chinois ont acquis davantage d’influence que par le passé, influence qui pourrait, à l’avenir, se développer davantage. Ce travail, relevant d’un champ d’analyse pluridisciplinaire, couvre l’essentiel du XXème siècle et de l’époque actuelle. Il se focalise particulièrement sur la période postérieure aux années 1980, qui a été le témoin d’une internalisation plus poussée de la question tibétaine
This thesis focuses on the Tibetan issue in its various aspects: geographic, economic, strategic and political. We examine the evolution of attitudes and differences of opinion according to their polarization ranging from conservatism to progressivism. We assess their influences in recent history and we project the likely developments in the near future.- This thesis aims at showing that Tibet remains an important matter at stake for China. Hence the Qinghai-Tibet rail link embodies the Chinese national policy as well as the Chinese solution vis-à-vis Tibet.- This thesis aims at demonstrating that the Dalai Lama is still regarded by Tibetans as the key to the resolution of Tibetan problems despite the many crises the spiritual leader has had to face.- Finally this thesis aims at pointing out that the Chinese society is evolving towards a more progressive attitude. On this issue Chinese intellectuals have acquired more influence than before and this influence could develop even further in the future. This work belongs to an inter-disciplinary field of study and covers most of the 20th century and present times. It focuses especially on the post 1980’s period when the Tibetan issue became more international

L’autonomie de la responsabilité administrative en matière extra-contractuelle n’est plus forcément acquise aujourd’hui. La multiplication des sources de la responsabilité administrative, à côté de la jurisprudence, qu’elles soient internes ou supranationales, a eu pour effet de rouvrir ce débat. Incontestablement, l’autonomie est encore aujourd’hui une réalité. Cependant, la loi, expression de la volonté générale, et ce en dépit de ses bienfaits, tend à effriter un principe jadis solide. Il semblerait que malgré sa légitimité, ses effets bénéfiques pour les victimes, et sa complémentarité à certains moments avec la jurisprudence, le législateur, avec le consentement du juge constitutionnel, a la possibilité de déroger au principe de la séparation des autorités. D’autres sources, comme le droit de la Convention E.D.H., tendent à imposer un cadre juridique prédéfini sans prendre en compte le dualisme juridictionnel français. Parallèlement, la Cour de justice à créer à destination des États membres un véritable droit commun de la responsabilité en matière extra-contractuelle. Tous ces facteurs conjugués, sans oublier aujourd’hui le contentieux de l’environnement impactant les règles de la responsabilité administrative, nous laisse penser que la frontière entre le droit public et le droit privé devient de plus en plus perméable. Parfois, l’autonomie, qui est selon nous la liberté du juge administratif d’appliquer des règles qui se distinguent ou non de la responsabilité civile, n’est plus toujours opérante. En effet, les sources évoquées génèrent parfois un cadre juridique standard. À certains moments, c’est la compétence du juge administratif qui est remise en cause au profit du juge judiciaire au nom du principe d’une bonne administration de la justice
The autonomy of the administrative responsibility in extra-contractual is not necessarily acquired any more today. The multiplication of the springs of the administrative responsibility, next to the jurisprudence, that they are internal or supranational, had the effect of reopening this debate. Unmistakably, the autonomy is even today a reality. However, the law, the expression of the general will, and it in spite of its benefactions, tends to crumble a principle formerly solid. It would seem that in spite of his legitimacy, his beneficial effects for the victims, and his complementarity at times with the jurisprudence, the legislator, with the consent of the constitutional judge, has the possibility of breaking the principle of the separation of the authorities. In other springs, as the right of the Convention E.D.H., tend to impose a legal framework predefined without taking into account the French jurisdictional dualism. At the same time, the Court of justice to create aimed at Member states a real common law of the responsibility in extra-contractual material. All these combined factors, without forgetting the dispute of the environment today impacting on the rules of the administrative responsibility, lets us think that the border between the public law and the private law becomes more and more permeable. Sometimes, the autonomy, which is according to us the freedom of the administrative judge to apply rules which distinguish themselves or not from the civil liability, is not effective anymore yet. Indeed, the evoked sources sometimes generate a standard legal framework. At times, it is the competence of the administrative judge that is questioned for the benefit of the judicial judge in the name of the principle of a good administration of the justice

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
Monitoring of process control systems is extremely important for industries to ensure the quality of the product and the safety of the process. Predictive controllers, also known by MPC (Model Predictive Control), usually has a well performance initially. However, after a period, many factors contribute to the deterioration of its performance. This highlights the importance of monitoring the MPC control systems. In this work, tools based on multivariate statistical methods are discussed and applied to the problem of monitoring and Performance Assessment of predictive controllers. The methods presented here are: PCA (Principal Component Analysis) and ICA (Independent Component Analysis). Both are techniques that use data collected directly from the process. The first is widely used in Performance Assessment of predictive controllers. The second is a more recent technique that has arisen, mainly in order to be used in fault detection systems. The analyzes are made when applied in simulated processes characteristic of the petrochemical industry operating under MPC control.
O monitoramento de sistemas de controle de processos é extremamente importante no que diz respeito às indústrias, para garantir a qualidade do que é produzido e a segurança do processo. Os controladores preditivos, também conhecidos pela sigla em inglês MPC (Model Predictive Control), costumam ter um bom desempenho inicialmente. Entretanto, após um certo período, muitos fatores contribuem para a deterioração de seu desempenho. Isto evidencia a importância do monitoramento dos sistemas de controle MPC. Neste trabalho aborda-se ferramentas, baseada em métodos estatísticos multivariados, aplicados ao problema de monitoramento e avaliação de desempenho de controladores preditivos. Os métodos aqui apresentados são: o PCA (Análise por componentes principais) e o ICA (Análise por componentes independentes). Ambas são técnicas que utilizam dados coletados diretamente do processo. O primeiro é largamente utilizado na avaliação de desempenho de controladores preditivos. Já o segundo, é uma técnica mais recente que surgiu, principalmente, com o intuito de ser utilizado em sistemas de detecção de falhas. As análises são feitas quando aplicadas em processos simulados característicos da indústria petroquímica operando sob controle MPC.