english councils have no implied power to include prayers in formal meetings
Under s 111 of the Local Government Act 1972 local authorities have implied powers “to do any thing which is calculated to facilitate, or is conducive or incidental to, the discharge of any of their...
View Articletransparency and international investment
The Statement of the European Union and the United States on Shared Principles for International Investment includes the following principle: Governments should ensure the highest levels of...
View Articleeurope day: citizens’ initiative, citizens rights consultation
As European citizens are grumbling about austerity measures, the Commission consults citizens on the issues that concern them: In 2013, EU citizenship will celebrate its 20th birthday since its...
View Articleprayers at town meetings
Much attention has been focused recently on the Greek state, and on the question of whether or when it will exit the euro area. The town of Greece in New York State has also been having some problems...
View Articlebrussels “fact-finding” conference on financial conglomerates
Is to take place on June 28: The conference is an integral part of fact-finding on the regulatory framework applicable to financial conglomerates. It will allow for a wide public hearing devoted to the...
View Articleeesc on tax havens
I have been reading some of the Economic and Social Committee’s opinions, and am very struck by the tough tone of a recent opinion on tax havens (Joe Biden gets a special mention in the context of the...
View Articleis meaningful citizen participation in government possible?
After the Presidential debates – endless reiterations of the same rather meaningless and often misleading slogans – where the viewers of the debates are encouraged to make their voting decisions on the...
View Articlemid-week medley
SEC and DOJ publish a Guide to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the SEC publishes a Small Entity Compliance Guide to Conflict Minerals Disclosure. FSA consults on Implementation of the...
View Articleeesc on participatory democracy
From the press release: The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has called for the full implementation of Article 11 of the Lisbon Treaty as a means to strengthening the democratic legitimacy...
View Articlegoverning for the rich
Naked Capitalism explains how banks are ensuring they won’t be subject to the Basel 3 tougher capital rules despite public pronouncements by the G20 that they would implement reforms to financial...
View Articleeu citizenship report 2013
The Commission announced the report and 12 steps to strengthen citizens’ rights, including strengthening citizens’ participation in the democratic process. The report says that: Bolstering EU citizens’...
View Articlereview of the relationship between the uk and the eu continues
The UK Government has announced a number of reviews as part of its ongoing review of the balance of competences described as “an audit of what the EU does and how it affects the UK.” Contributions are...
View Articlecourts and the executive: control, legal certainty, sub-delegation
From the judgment of Lords Mance and Toulson in the UK Supreme Court today in R (on the application of Reilly and another) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions The courts have no more important...
View Articlemore eu (non?) transparency issues
Euractiv shows that it isn’t just with respect to conflict minerals that the EU is having difficulty in trying to enhance transparency. The Commission’s proposals in early 2013 (but foreshadowed in...
View Articlemarket manipulation and sports
The UK Treasury has published a news release with the title LIBOR funds to support first Invictus Games in London (details of other payments from the fund to support armed-forces related projects can...
View Articlethe vaguely united kingdom – devolution for manchester?
Reading about the Scottish referendum it seemed to me that many of the arguments for independence applied to parts of England beyond London and the Home Counties. Those parts of the country which...
View Articlewarning on blending: irresistible!
The EU’s Court of Auditors has warned the new EU Commission about the need to focus on issues of management in blending public and private finance in development assistance in a new report: The 30...
View Articlecivil society and multilateral institutions
The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association, Maina Kiai, published a report yesterday arguing that multilateral institutions should make efforts to allow the voices of...
View Articlebrexit worries
I think this piece by John Harris is exactly right, and at the same time what he imagines is so, so wrong: at the centre of where we find ourselves there is an undeniable irony, which may yet turn cold...
View Articlelondon as an independent city state?
More amazing possible implications of a Brexit vote.
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