Human rights groups are increasingly calling for the protection of their right to privacy in relation to the bulk surveillance and interception of their personal communications. Some are advocating through strategic litigation. This advocacy tool is often chosen when there is weak political or public support for an issue. Nonetheless, as a strategy it remains a question if a lawsuit is strategic in the context of establishing accountability for indiscriminate bulk data interception. The chapter concludes that from a legal perspective the effect of the decision to litigate on the basis of the claim that a collective right to group privacy was violated has not (yet) resulted in significant change. Yet the case study, the British case of human rights groups versus the intelligence agencies, does seem to suggest that they have been able to create more public awareness about mass surveillance and interception programs and its side-effects
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In this paper, we analyse the development of the term “legal capabilities”. More specifically, we do three things. First, we track the emergence and development of the notion of legal capabilities. The term legal capabilities was used in legal research long before the capability approach was introduced in that field. Early on, its conceptualisation mainly reflected elements of legal literacy. In more recent writings, it is claimed that the notion is based on the capability approach. Second, we critically analyse the current use of the term legal capabilities and show that there is no proper theoretical grounding of this term in the capability approach. This is problematic, because it might give rise to misunderstandings and flawed policy recommendations. Third, we suggest some first steps towards a revision of the notion of legal capabilities. Starting from the concept of “access to justice”, legal capabilities have to be understood as the real opportunities someone has to get access to justice, rather than merely as formal opportunities or internal capabilities.
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What do human rights look like when we present them as action-based, bottom-up concepts, and not exclusively as legal items? After all, when we narrow down human rights to a legal concept only, we do not do justice to its meaning. In many professions and branches the idea of human rights is used in jargon, as guiding principles and as a source of inspiration. Human rights make a difference, albeit not necessarily as an enforceable legal concept. This facet of human rights - its practical application beyond lawmakers and lawyers - is deeply underexplored and deserves much more attention. Applied human rights are not per se a matter of lawmaking and enforcement only: it can be part of a mission and vision of companies, it is sometimes at the core of artistic work, it can be a leading principle in social work - especially considering the rights of the child, and it is used as a guiding principle in technological innovation. Human rights are not just for lawyers, but also for managers, engineers, social workers, musicians, local governments, law enforcers, designers and business people. However, and not surprisingly, in each branch the impact and implications of human rights differ. Therefore, it is time for a comprehensive textbook in which the idea of human rights is not exclusively explored as a legal concept, but instead discussed from various applied perspectives. In this book, we explore human rights as an applied concept: as something we do. The chapters are written by an international group of leading experts in a wide range of disciplines and themes, including technology development, social studies, pedagogy, business strategy, public governance, the arts, philosophy and law.
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De laatste jaren is er veel veranderd in het sociale domein, waar bijvoorbeeld de schuldhulpverlening onder valt. Sociale hulpverleners, hebben daardoor meer dan ooit juridische kennis en vaardigheden nodig. In verschillende onderzoeken kijken we hoe bewust sociale hulpverleners omgaan met het recht.
De laatste jaren is er veel veranderd in het sociale domein, waar bijvoorbeeld de schuldhulpverlening onder valt. Sociale hulpverleners, hebben daardoor meer dan ooit juridische kennis en vaardigheden nodig. In verschillende onderzoeken kijken we hoe bewust sociale hulpverleners omgaan met het recht.Doel Hoe bewust zijn sociale professionals, zoals wijkteamleden, zorgverleners en sociaal raadslieden, zich van de juridische gevolgen van hun handelen? Het lectoraat Toegang tot het Recht voert in de periode 2017-2023 verschillende onderzoeken uit waarin dit onderwerp centraal staat. We kijken onder meer naar hulp en recht in sociale wijkteams en sociaal werkers en mensenrechten. Resultaten De afgeronde onderzoeken hebben geleid tot wetenschappelijke publicaties, vakpublicaties en een adviesrapport voor docenten. Wetenschappelijke publicaties Social Workers as Local Human Rights Actors? Their Response to Barriers in Access to Care and Support in the Netherlands (Journal of Human Rights Practice, juli '21). Social Support and Access to Justice at the Kitchen Table? An Assessment of the Legal Capabilities of Community Social Care Professionals in the Netherlands (European Journal of Social Work, juli 2019). Tussen Burgers en Recht Lokaal? Sociaal Raadslieden over Toegang tot Zorg en Ondersteuning Tussen burgers en mensenrechten lokaal: Sociale professionals over toegang tot zorg en ondersteuning Sociaal werk: Een mensenrechtenberoep bij uitstek? Met recht een zorg: Lokale sociale professionals als poortwachters van de Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning 2015. Translators, Advocates or Practitioners? Social Workers and Human Rights Localization Hulp en Recht aan de Keukentafel: De toegang tot de Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning volgens lokale professionals Vakpublicaties Fundamentele rechten: De sociaal werker draagt een mensenrechtenbril. In: Vakblad Sociaal Werk, nummer 6, december 2017. Adviesrapport Sociaal werk en Mensenrechten Animatie VN-verdrag Handicap binnen de Wmo 2015 Deze animatie is het resultaat van interprofessionele samenwerking van het Lectoraat Toegang tot het Recht met professionals uit de praktijk en het onderwijs. Het is het afstudeerproject van Britta Bavelaar (Sociaal Juridische Diensverlening) binnen het promotieonderzoek 'Human Rights and Social Work: Challenges of local professionals at the frontline’. Het laat zien hoe de Wet Maatschappelijke Ondersteuning (WMO) en het VN-Verdrag Handicap verbonden zijn en hoe dit wijkteams kan helpen bij goede besluitvorming en het realiseren van gelijke rechten voor iedereen. Looptijd 01 januari 2017 - 31 december 2023 Aanpak
