Parents have the authority to challenge school decisions regarding the identification, evaluation, placement and provision of a free appropriate public education to their child with a disability through either the hearing process or the complaint investigation process under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. This study explored the differences between parents who had initiated hearings and complaints and their perceptions of the processes. A document review, structured telephone interview and focus group meetings were used to gather data. The subjects were twenty-nine parents who had initiated complaints and thirty-one parents who had initiated hearings. The subjects were randomly selected from the population of all parents who had initiated hearings or complaints with the Maine Department of Education during 1996. Quantitative data were analyzed using chi-square tests, t-tests, and descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed through a sorting process to aggregate data and identify consistent themes. Findings of the study reveal that families with higher annual household income tend to use the hearing process, to withdraw or mediate their disputes and to be represented by counsel. No differences were found on parent satisfaction, marital status, or the ability of parents to participate in school activities. Parents reported a high level of anger, frustration and confusion regarding both processes. Parent and school relationships, poor communication and compliance issues were identified as causes for the initiation of a complaint or hearing. The hearing group cited expense, the legalistic nature of hearings, and stress as major problems while the complaint group cited lack of accountability and enforcement as major problems. Both groups recommended increased parent training and support and improved monitoring and enforcement by the Maine Department of Education. The results of this study support the conclusion that the hearing process is primarily available to those families with higher incomes and that both the hearing and the complaint processes tend to be associated with poor parent and school relationships. Additional research is needed to identify methods to improve parent and school relationships after the initiation of due process and to ensure that all parents have access to alternatives for the resolution of parent and school conflict. / Ph. D.

Over the past several years, increasing public emphasis on preventing child maltreatment has resulted in substantial changes to Florida's child abuse and neglect central registry. Many of these recent changes, aimed at preventing child maltreatment, have resulted in over one million false, unsubstantiated, and inconclusive reports of child abuse and neglect within the last decade. While the information held in reports may be useful for identifying and preventing potential child abuse or neglect, due process concerns have been raised with regards to the process of placing a person's name in a report without providing a hearing for challenging or removing inaccurate information. Focusing on Florida law, this research concentrates on: 1) the child maltreatment reporting process, 2) the procedures for maintaining reports, and 3) the accessibility of these reports in order to determine whether due process constitutional rights are protected under Florida's child abuse and neglect reporting laws. The intent of this thesis is to analyze the occurrence of unsubstantiated cases of child maltreatment, incidences of false reporting, and legal remedies available for those wrongfully accused of abusing or neglecting a child. Through the analysis of case law, federal and state statutes, available statistics, child abuse resources, and personal interviews with members of the Florida Legislature, evidence shows that due process constitutional rights are not protected under Florida's child abuse and neglect reporting laws. By raising awareness of the areas of child protection that require legal re-evaluation, this thesis aims to discover the balance between protecting children from harm and protecting adults from the severe ramifications resulting from false and improper allegations of child abuse and neglect.

O presente trabalho trata da paridade de armas no processo penal brasileiro, tomando como pano de fundo da incidência dessa norma o princípio constitucional da igualdade. Inicialmente, abordou-se tal princípio em suas diversas facetas históricas e jurídicas para, em seguida, analisá-lo a partir da teoria dos direitos fundamentais, que separa a incidência das normas em regras e princípios. Cuidou-se do tratamento dado ao tema nos sucessivos Códigos de Processo Penal brasileiros, inclusive no direito processual penal projetado, sempre com vistas à participação das partes. Tratou-se, ainda, da incidência da igualdade no processo penal a partir do estudo dos sistemas consagrados de direito processual penal. Com base nessas análises e em subsídios de direito processual penal comparado, chegou-se a um conceito específico de paridade de armas no processo penal. Por fim, mediante o conceito desenvolvido, foi possível tratar da incidência do princípio da paridade de armas no direito processual penal brasileiro. Importa ressaltar que, ao longo do trabalho, não se assumiu o ponto de vista segundo o qual o princípio simplesmente não existe no Brasil, mas tentou-se abordar os momentos em que ele se manifesta e nos quais há possível violação. / The present work deals with the equality of arms in Brazilian criminal procedure by considering the constitutional principle of equality as the backdrop of that norm incidence. Firstly, the mentioned principle was explored on its historical and legal aspects and then analyzed based on the theory of fundamental rights, which separates the incidence of norms into rules and principles. The treatment given to the theme in the subsequent Brazilian Procedural Penal Codes, including the projected criminal procedural law, was explored with the focus on the participation of parties. Furthermore, the incidence of equality in the penal procedure was broached through the study of renowned criminal procedural law systems. Based on this analysis and on subsidies of compared criminal procedural law, the work reached a specific concept of equality of arms that can be applied to criminal proceedings. Eventually, from the developed concept, it was possible to discuss about the incidence of equality of arms principle in Brazilian criminal procedural law. It is important to emphasize that the study did not follow the point of view according to which the principle simply does not exist in Brazil, since the aim was to examine the moments when it manifests itself and in which there is possible violation.

O processo para o refúgio é o conjunto de regras e princípios necessários à aplicação do Direito dos Refugiados aos casos concretos. Quando este conjunto respeita os padrões democráticos do Devido Processo Legal, as tendências históricas de exploração e manipulação política do instituto de refúgio podem ser limitadas e os objetivos humanitários deste ramo dos Direitos Humanos podem ser alcançados com maior transparência. Quando o Devido Processo Legal para o refúgio é respeitado, também se permite que a pessoa que figura como solicitante de refúgio seja tratada como sujeito de direitos - e não como objeto do processo. Uma vez que a Convenção de Genebra de 1951, sobre o Estatuto dos Refugiados, não estabeleceu normas de processo, cada país signatário necessita criar um regime próprio para processar os pedidos de determinação, extensão, perda e cessação da condição de refugiado em seus territórios. O primeiro regime processual brasileiro foi criado no ano de 1997, pela Lei Federal 9497. Desde então, o país vem desenvolvendo, através do Comitê Nacional para Refugiados (CONARE), regras infra legais e rotinas práticas que têm determinado um padrão processual ainda fragmentado e inseguro. O estudo do aparato normativo nacional e da realidade observada entre 2012 e 2014 revelam a existência de problemas (pontuais ou crônicos) sobre o cumprimento de diversos princípios processuais, tais como a Legalidade, a Impessoalidade e Independência da autoridade julgadora, o Contraditório, a Ampla Defesa, a Publicidade, a Fundamentação, a Igualdade e a Razoável Duração do Processo. Estes problemas impõem desafios variados ao Brasil, tanto em dimensão legislativa quanto estrutural. O enfrentamento destas questões precisa ocorrer com rapidez. O motivo da urgência, porém, não é a nova demanda de imigração observada no país, mas sim o fato de que as violações ao Devido Processo Legal, verificadas no processo para o refúgio brasileiro, representam, em si, violações de Direitos Humanos, que, ademais prejudicam o compromisso do país para com a proteção internacional dos refugiados. / The Refuge Process is a set of rules and principles which are necessary to the enforcement of Refugee Rights in specific cases. When this set of rules and principles complies with the democratic standards of the Due Process of Law, historical tendencies of exploitation and political manipulation of the Refuge Process can be limited and the humanitarian purposes of this branch of Human Rights can be achieved with greater transparency. When the Due Process of Law for Refuge is followed, it also allows for the refuge seeker to be treated as a legal subject, rather than an object, in the process. As the Geneva Convention, in 1951, did not establish procedural norms on the matter of the Refugee Status, each signatory country must create its own legal framework to deal with requests of declaration, extension, loss and termination of said status in their territory. The first Brazilian procedural norm on this topic was created in 1997, by Federal Law No. 9.497. Since then the country has been developing, through the National Committee for Refugees (Comitê Nacional para Refugiados CONARE), regulatory provisions and protocols which have given rise to a procedural standard that remains fragmented and unsafe. The analysis of the national legal framework and the reality observed between 2012 and 2014 reveals a series of issues (which can be specific in some cases and persistent in others) concerning the enforcement of many procedural canons, such as the Principle of Legality, Impersonality, the Independence of the Judiciary, the Contradictory, Full Defense, Publicity, Statement of Reasons, Equality and the Reasonable Duration of the Procedure. These problems present Brazil with a number of challenges, regarding not only legislation, but also structure. These matters mustbe addressed with haste. What motivates such urgency, however, is not the recent increase in immigration, but the fact that the infringements of the Due Process of Law (seen in the Brazilian refuge process) represent, in themselves, violations of Human Rights, which, moreover, compromise the countrys commitment to the international refugee protection.

O processo para o refúgio é o conjunto de regras e princípios necessários à aplicação do Direito dos Refugiados aos casos concretos. Quando este conjunto respeita os padrões democráticos do Devido Processo Legal, as tendências históricas de exploração e manipulação política do instituto de refúgio podem ser limitadas e os objetivos humanitários deste ramo dos Direitos Humanos podem ser alcançados com maior transparência. Quando o Devido Processo Legal para o refúgio é respeitado, também se permite que a pessoa que figura como solicitante de refúgio seja tratada como sujeito de direitos - e não como objeto do processo. Uma vez que a Convenção de Genebra de 1951, sobre o Estatuto dos Refugiados, não estabeleceu normas de processo, cada país signatário necessita criar um regime próprio para processar os pedidos de determinação, extensão, perda e cessação da condição de refugiado em seus territórios. O primeiro regime processual brasileiro foi criado no ano de 1997, pela Lei Federal 9497. Desde então, o país vem desenvolvendo, através do Comitê Nacional para Refugiados (CONARE), regras infra legais e rotinas práticas que têm determinado um padrão processual ainda fragmentado e inseguro. O estudo do aparato normativo nacional e da realidade observada entre 2012 e 2014 revelam a existência de problemas (pontuais ou crônicos) sobre o cumprimento de diversos princípios processuais, tais como a Legalidade, a Impessoalidade e Independência da autoridade julgadora, o Contraditório, a Ampla Defesa, a Publicidade, a Fundamentação, a Igualdade e a Razoável Duração do Processo. Estes problemas impõem desafios variados ao Brasil, tanto em dimensão legislativa quanto estrutural. O enfrentamento destas questões precisa ocorrer com rapidez. O motivo da urgência, porém, não é a nova demanda de imigração observada no país, mas sim o fato de que as violações ao Devido Processo Legal, verificadas no processo para o refúgio brasileiro, representam, em si, violações de Direitos Humanos, que, ademais prejudicam o compromisso do país para com a proteção internacional dos refugiados. / The Refuge Process is a set of rules and principles which are necessary to the enforcement of Refugee Rights in specific cases. When this set of rules and principles complies with the democratic standards of the Due Process of Law, historical tendencies of exploitation and political manipulation of the Refuge Process can be limited and the humanitarian purposes of this branch of Human Rights can be achieved with greater transparency. When the Due Process of Law for Refuge is followed, it also allows for the refuge seeker to be treated as a legal subject, rather than an object, in the process. As the Geneva Convention, in 1951, did not establish procedural norms on the matter of the Refugee Status, each signatory country must create its own legal framework to deal with requests of declaration, extension, loss and termination of said status in their territory. The first Brazilian procedural norm on this topic was created in 1997, by Federal Law No. 9.497. Since then the country has been developing, through the National Committee for Refugees (Comitê Nacional para Refugiados CONARE), regulatory provisions and protocols which have given rise to a procedural standard that remains fragmented and unsafe. The analysis of the national legal framework and the reality observed between 2012 and 2014 reveals a series of issues (which can be specific in some cases and persistent in others) concerning the enforcement of many procedural canons, such as the Principle of Legality, Impersonality, the Independence of the Judiciary, the Contradictory, Full Defense, Publicity, Statement of Reasons, Equality and the Reasonable Duration of the Procedure. These problems present Brazil with a number of challenges, regarding not only legislation, but also structure. These matters mustbe addressed with haste. What motivates such urgency, however, is not the recent increase in immigration, but the fact that the infringements of the Due Process of Law (seen in the Brazilian refuge process) represent, in themselves, violations of Human Rights, which, moreover, compromise the countrys commitment to the international refugee protection.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of selected characteristics on the outcomes of those special education due process hearings brought forth in the state of Texas from September 1, 1983, to September 1, 1992. A further purpose was to determine if district characteristics of size or location affect the likelihood of a district's becoming involved in a special education due process hearing. Data for the study was collected for all special education due process hearings conducted in the State of Texas from September 1, 1983, to September 1, 1992. A coding system was used to record the data for the study and the Chi-square test of independence was used to determine whether a relationship existed between the selected variable (hearing issue, disability classifications and restrictiveness of placement) and hearing outcome. The frequency of involvement in hearings for districts of various size and urban characteristics was displayed as a percentage.

This study reviews due process hearing decisions from the years 2014 and 2015. This is primarily a legal analysis, specifically looking at legal and regulatory patterns regarding the provision of one-on-one special education aides for students with disabilities in general education settings. Our findings from the due process hearing decisions reveal that one-on-one aides for students with a wide variety of disabilities are being provided with greater frequency than we anticipated and that, specifically, behavioral aides are being provided for students with autism. Decisions of disabilities such as hearing impairment have higher provision rates, while other disabilities like autism and emotional disturbance do not see the same rate of provision. There are clear patterns of differences between the states in the number of cases that reach due process hearings and in the number of one-on-one aides provided.

Cette recherche apporte une contribution à la compréhension du processus de normalisation comptable par l‟IASB à travers le thème de la définition et de la présentation du résultat comptable. L‟objet de recherche se décline en deux questions : Comment se positionnent les différentes parties prenantes dans le processus de normalisation du résultat comptable en IFRS ? Comment s‟explique la pugnacité de l‟IASB à imposer une nouvelle définition du résultat comptable ? La première partie présente le cadre théorique retenu, qui emprunte à la théorie de l‟agence et la théorie néo-institutionnelle. La seconde partie expose les enjeux de la normalisation du résultat comptable. La troisième partie rend compte des trois études qualitatives menées à partir d‟un corpus d‟écrits constitué de l‟ensemble des documents publiés par l‟IASB sur le thème de la définition du résultat comptable : normes, exposé-sondage, papier de discussion, réponses reçus par l‟IASB suite à un appel à commentaires et synthèses de réunions de travail. Les principaux résultats concernent le fonctionnement du due process et la nature de l‟argumentation utilisée par le normalisateur pour imposer sa conception du résultat comptable. Il apparaît ainsi que les avis des participants au due process sont peu pris en compte par le normalisateur et que ce dernier cherche essentiellement à accroître la cohérence de son référentiel comptable en imposant une définition et un format de présentation du résultat comptable dont la pertinence pour les utilisateurs peine à être mise en évidence.

Cette recherche apporte une contribution à la compréhension du processus de normalisation comptable par l'IASB à travers le thème de la définition et de la présentation du résultat comptable. L'objet de recherche se décline en deux questions : Comment se positionnent les différentes parties prenantes dans le processus de normalisation du résultat comptable en IFRS ? Comment s'explique la pugnacité de l'IASB à imposer une nouvelle définition du résultat comptable ? La première partie présente le cadre théorique retenu, qui emprunte à la théorie de l'agence et la théorie néo-institutionnelle. La seconde partie expose les enjeux de la normalisation du résultat comptable. Deux concepts clés émergent la littérature sur le thème de la définition du résultat comptable : la pertinence pour les utilisateurs et la cohérence du référentiel comptable et des états financiers La troisième partie rend compte des trois études qualitatives menées à partir d'un corpus d'écrits constitué de l'ensemble des documents publiés par l'IASB sur le thème de la définition du résultat comptable : normes, exposé-sondage, papier de discussion, réponses reçus par l'IASB suite à un appel à commentaires et synthèses de réunions de travail. Les principaux résultats concernent le fonctionnement du due process et la nature de l'argumentation utilisée par le normalisateur pour imposer sa conception du résultat comptable. Il apparaît ainsi que les avis des participants au due process sont peu pris en compte par le normalisateur et que ce dernier cherche essentiellement à accroître la cohérence de son référentiel comptable en imposant une définition et un format de présentation du résultat comptable dont la pertinence pour les utilisateurs peine à être mise en évidence.

El objetivo del trabajo lo constituye el estudio del principio del proceso debido (due process of law, en su formulación originaria). La investigación trata de determinar el inicial significado y la evolución posterior del principio a lo largo de los varios siglos en los que tiene vigencia. Pero sobre todo, y desde una perspectiva contemporánea, mediante el empleo de materiales legislativos, doctrinales y jurisprudenciales, se pretende fijar su exacto alcance en los EEUU de norteamérica, la recepción en el derecho europeo, a través de Alemania y, finalmente, tratamos de determinar qué lugar ocupa el principio del proceso debido en el ordenamiento español.