Definition and development of human rights and popular sovereignty in Europe

What role do the people play in defining and developing human rights?

This volume explores the very topical issue of the lack of democratic legitimisation of national and international courts and the question of whether rendering the original process of defining human rights more democratic at the national and international level would improve the degree of protection they afford.

The authors venture to raise the crucial question: When can a democratic society be considered to be mature enough so as to be trusted to provide its own definition of human rights obligations?

Contents:

Introduction

Basic issues
+ From a gubernative to a deliberative human rights policy definition, and further development of human rights as an act of collective self-determination
+ The human right to democracy - a moral defence with a legal nuance
+ The democratic constitution
+ 'From above' or 'from the bottom up'? The protection of human rights -between descending and ascending interpretations
+ Gloomy prospects - seven theories on the future of democracy within a world society

The Council of Europe
+ Human rights between sovereign will and international standards: a comment
+ Definition and development of human rights in the international context and popular sovereignty
+ Human rights and popular sovereignty in the perspective of the Venice Commission

The European Union
+ Human rights and transfers of sovereignty in the European Union: consequences for the definition and development of human rights
+ Commentary on Catherine Schneider's report
+ The European Union Fundamental Rights Agency within the European and international human rights architecture: the legal framework after the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon

The national level (examples)
+ Combining abstract ex ante and concrete ex post review: the Finnish model
+ Processes of definition and development of human rights besides popular sovereignty: a comment
+ Judicial review as a substitute for not yet constituted instances of popular sovereignty
+ Commentary on Peter Paczolay's report