Volume 73 (2013)

ISSN (print edition): 1854-3839
ISSN (spletna izdaja): 2464-0077

Contents: PDF

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Aleš Galič

Recognition and Enforcement of Domestic and Foreign Arbitral Awards in Slovenia

Priznanje in izvršitev domačih in tujih arbitražnih odločb v Sloveniji

Synopsis:
With the introduction of mandatory exequatur procedure, the new Slovenian Arbitration act has substantially reformed the system of enforcement of domestic arbitral awards. Also provisions concerning enforcement of protective and interim measures, adopted in domestic and foreign arbitrations are new. In regard to recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, the changes are not so substantial, since the New York Convention has been in force in Slovenia already before. The author discusses the grounds for refusal of exequatur as well as the procedural issues. Thereby it is assessed – not only in view of the statutory regulation but foremost in the view of the existing case­law whether Slovenia is an »arbitration friendly« jurisdiction.

Key words:
arbitration, exequatur, arbitral award, public policy, recognition and enforcement, New York Convention.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Galič, Aleš: Priznanje in izvršitev domačih in tujih arbitražnih odločb v Sloveniji,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 105-134, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_galic.pdf.

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Ciril Keršmanc

A Gloss about the Case of »47 Teddy Bears« in Connection to the Serious Crime of Business Fraud and Overcriminalization of de Minimis Cases of Economic Crime

Glosa o »47 medotih« h kaznivemu dejanju poslovne goljufije in širjenju cone kriminalnosti v gospodarsko bagatelo

Synopsis:
Overcriminalization is often criticised, however the criticism in academic discussions is mainly »grounded« on the value based principle of criminal law as the ultima ratio or the last resort. The usual abstract methodology is turned upside down in this paper which aims to shed light on the problem at hand by analysing the case of »47 Teddy bears«. The case or rather cases involve a limited liability company »Teddy bear Ltd.« which filed (at least) 47 individual criminal complaints for the serious crime of business fraud against its debtors for non­payment of goods delivered. Even though we are dealing with practically identical facts and formulaic wording of the criminal complaints in most of the 47 cases, they did not all end the same way. In some of the cases, the prosecutor dismissed the complaint prima facie, in some the case was dropped in the investigative phase of the criminal procedure, some cases ended in acquittals and there are even cases where the debtors were found guilty of business fraud. Based on a larger sample of 562 cases of business fraud which were analysed, the author concluded that the case of the »47 Teddy bears« is a paradigmatic case of how criminal law is (ab)used in practice by creditors who use it to transfer their private debt collection costs on the state, specifically its criminal law system. The volume of such business fraud cases has another negative effect in the sense that it »steals« valuable resources from the criminal law system which could otherwise have been used to tackle more insidious and dangerous cases of economic crime. The analysis also indicates that prosecutors and judges have at their disposal enough interpretative discretion to clear de minimis cases of their dockets, if they want to.

Key words:
»de minimis« economic crime  cases, business fraud, economic crime, overcriminalization, the principle of equality, the principle of legality, criminal law as ultima ratio, abuse of criminal law, case law.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Keršmanc, Ciril: Glosa o »47 medotih« h kaznivemu dejanju poslovne goljufije in širjenju cone kriminalnosti v gospodarsko bagatelo,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 253-286, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_kersmanc.pdf.

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Maša Kovič Dine

International Obligations of States for Sustainable Development of Forests

Mednarodne obveznosti držav za zagotavljanje trajnostnega razvoja gozdov

Synopsis:
Widely recognized definition of sustainable development, adopted by the World Commission on Environment and Development, defines sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Due to its important role of interconnecting the three pillars of environment, economic growth and social rights, all relevant for the future of our society as a whole, a new field of international environmental law is evolving, namely international law of sustainable development. Following the analysis of international documents, this paper presents the international obligations of states for sustainable development and mirrors those to the specific commitment of sustainable development of forests.

Key words:
sustainable development, obligations of states, forests, international law.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Kovič Dine, Maša: Mednarodne obveznosti držav za zagotavljanje trajnostnega razvoja gozdov,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 161-190, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_kovic.dine.pdf.

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Mojca Mihelj Plesničar

From the Judiciary to the Prosecution? The Impact of Plea Bargaining on Sentencing

Iz sodnikovih v tožilčeve roke? Vpliv pogajanj o sankcijah na kaznovanje

Synopsis:
Plea bargaining is an alien in continental criminal procedures and brings about plenty of important issues. The discussion in this article revolves around such issues as they relate to the questions of punishment and sentencing. Two main notions are dealt with in this respect: First, I examine the relationship between plea bargaining and one of the cornerstone principles of punishment in continental systems – the individualisation of punishment. Secondly, the wider question regarding the changing role of the prosecution is addressed, mainly from the viewpoint of shifting responsibility and authority with regard to sentencing from the judiciary to the prosecution.

Key words:
plea bargaining, punishment, sentencing, individualisation of punishment, prosecution policy.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Mihelj Plesničar, Mojca: Iz sodnikovih v tožilčeve roke? Vpliv pogajanj o sankcijah na kaznovanje,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 83-104, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_mihelj.plesnicar.pdf.

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Neža Pogorelčnik

Regulatory interlocutory injunction

Regulacijske začasne odredbe

Synopsis:
Before the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia No. Up-275/97, the only purpose of interlocutory injunctions was to protect future enforcement (so called security interlocutory injunctions). To protect an effectiveness of constitutional right to judicial protection the Constitutional court allowed interlocutory injunctions regulating a legal relationship that is in dispute even during the court proceeding and therefore prior to the final judgment (so called regulatory interlocutory injunctions). But a possibility of issuing these without their normative regulation induced in case-law a lot of questions. The article tries to answer some of them with studying relevant case-law and legal theory.

Key words:
constitutional decision Up-275/97, non-monetary claim, monetary claim, irreplaceable damage, damage extremely difficult to repair, impending force, reversibility.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Pogorelčnik, Neža: Regulacijske začasne odredbe,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 135-160, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_pogorelcnik.pdf.

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Ciril Ribičič

Comparing the Strengths and Weaknesses of Electoral Systems

Primerjava prednosti in slabosti volilnih sistemov

Synopsis:
The author compares three electoral systems with each other and with the current Slovenian electoral system. The strengths and weaknesses of the absolute (two-round) majority system, the proportional electoral system with a preferential vote and the mixed-member proportional system are also discussed in light of the current political and economic crisis in Slovenia. The majority system, on the one hand, ensures greater stability of the government but lacks proper (majoritarian) legitimacy. It is thus unacceptable in terms of the present economic crisis in which the government needs convincing legitimacy as well as because of its inherent quality of polarizing the political landscape. On the other hand, the lack of influence of the voters on which candidates will be elected (personalization) in proportional system, is particularly inappropriate in light of the serious discontent of the protesters with the current lack of political legitimacy of the political parties. Therefore, the author favors the introduction of the combined electoral system which combines the strengths of both previous systems.

Key words:
electoral system, comparing voting systems, combined electoral system, preferential vote, German electoral system, referendum.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Ribičič, Ciril: Primerjava prednosti in slabosti volilnih sistemov,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 57-82, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_ribicic.pdf.

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Katja Šugman Stubbs

Effects of Contemporary Technologies on Crime and Criminal Investigations

Nove tehnologije in njihov vpliv na pojavnost in pregon kriminalitete

Synopsis:
The article analyses the effects of certain contemporary new technologies on crime and criminal investigation, taking into account how data gathered by these technologies being deployed for preventative purposes often becomes evidence for criminal procedure. Special attention is given to measures which all potentially breach the right to privacy: measures to investigate cybercrime, measures introduced on the basis of the doctrine of ‘special needs’, roving wiretaps, data-mining and the use of so-called protective technologies. Given the greater scope such technologies provide for avoiding certain classical criminal procedure safeguards, the state must take special care to guarantee a balance of conflicting rights by providing strict judicial control of such overextended, general and preventive measures and strict exclusion of the evidence thus gathered.

Key words:
cybercrime, surveillance, criminal procedure, privacy, evidence, preventive surveillance.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Šugman Stubbs, Katja: Nove tehnologije in njihov vpliv na pojavnost in pregon kriminalitete,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 191-218, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_sugman.stubbs.pdf.

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Aleš Završnik

Cyberbullying: Concept, Types, Consequences and Criminal Law Response

Spletno in mobilno nadlegovanje: pojem, oblike, posledice in soočanje s kazenskim pravom

Synopsis:
The article analyses cyberbullying and its multifaceted nature that refers to bullying and harassment of others by means of new electronic technologies, primarily mobile phones and the Internet. It presents consequences and dangers of cyberbullying and continues by focusing on possible avenues of interventions against cyberbullying, specifically on disciplinary rules within educational setting, specifically primary schools, and criminal law. It analyses new characteristics of cyberbullying, such as anonymity of perpetrator, greater scale of audience and its boundless nature crossing existing time-space borders that are turning cyberbullying into new type of deviance. It concludes by focusing on avenues of criminal prosecution of cyberbullies under Slovenian Criminal Code and proposes its changes de lege ferenda.

Key words:
cyberbullying, cyber-harassment, Internet and mobile phone bullying, sexting, happy slapping, interventions against cyberbullying, prevention and criminalisation, criminal law, educational setting, disciplinary sanctions, law and technology.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Završnik, Aleš: Spletno in mobilno nadlegovanje: pojem, oblike, posledice in soočanje s kazenskim pravom,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 219-252, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_zavrsnik.pdf.

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Sabina Zgaga

Application of Merger of Offences in Current Case Law of International Criminal Court

Steki med mednarodnimi hudodelstvi v sodni praksi mednarodnega kazenskega sodišča

Synopsis:
The main focus of this paper is on the case law of the ICC on the merger of offences, especially in regard to the relationship between different international crimes with the same physical act. The case law of ICC is critically analysed and compared to the case law of the International Court for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Ruanda (ICTR). The current case law of the ICC follows the case law of the ICTY and ICTR and focuses on the relationship between different international crimes. When the crimes against humanity and war crimes for example have the same act, they are both prosecuted, even though they are based on the same actual situation. Even though in my opinion according to its lex specialis nature only the worst international crime should be prosecuted. On the other hand, only one case of each international crime is prosecuted as a sample to the pattern of the perpetrator’s behaviour despite its personal nature and different victims.

Key words:
international criminal law, merger of offences, genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, murder, strategy of criminal prosecution.

Full text (in Slovenian with English summary): PDF

Cite as:
Zgaga, Sabina: Steki med mednarodnimi hudodelstvi v sodni praksi mednarodnega kazenskega sodišča,
in: Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, 73(2013), pp. 27-56, URL: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/media/zzr2013_zgaga.pdf.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Zbornik znanstvenih razprav, Volume 73(2013), was published with the financial assistance of the Slovenian Research Agency.