OF THE DISSERTATION ON "PUBLIC INTEREST IN ENVIRONMENTAL LAW" Zdeněk Horáček, 2011 The dissertation examines public interest in environmental law. Due to the lack of professional resources dealing with the very concept of public interest, the dissertation offers its basic definition and relevant connections, but always in relation to the institutes of the environmental law. Interpretive and historical aspects of public interest are analyzed and basic definition features, classification and process of the formulation of public interest, including correction of the improper process, are established. The dissertation specifies public interest in environmental law as a legally defined value of environmental protection shared by whole society. Such a public interest is promoted in all the phases of evaluation and authorization of a project that may be harmful to the environment, in the extent always depending on the specific situation. The dissertation concludes that environmental protection is a worldwide shared value and public interest. In addition, public interest in environmental protection is a criterion for a decision making process carried out by public authorities, and the resulting public interest (adopted solution) depends on the specific circumstances of the situation.

Wang, Haiyan. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 295-313). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

Yeung Wang On. / Thesis submitted in: November 2006. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-117). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Abstract (Chinese)/ 摘要(中文) --- p.iii / Acknowledgement --- p.v / Contents --- p.vi / Figures and Tables --- p.vii / Abbreviations --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Literature Review --- p.17 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Long Valley Case Study (1998-2003) --- p.41 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Victoria Harbour Reclamation Case Study (1994-2005) --- p.68 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Conclusion --- p.99 / Bibliography --- p.106

Thesis (LLM (Mercantile Law))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis discusses the meaning of public purpose and public interest in s 25 of the Final Constitution. The main question that is asked is: how does ‘public purpose’ differ from ‘public interest’, and what impact did the Final Constitution have on the interpretation and application of the public purpose requirement in expropriation law in South Africa? This question is investigated by looking at how the courts have dealt with the public purpose requirement, both before and during the first years of the constitutional era in South African law, and also with reference to foreign law. The thesis shows that the position has not changed that much yet because the interpretation of this requirement has not received much attention in constitutional case law. The main focus is to show that the reason for the interpretation problems surrounding this requirement is the apparent conflict between the formulation of the public purpose requirement in the Final Constitution and in the current Expropriation Act of 1975. It is pointed out that the efforts that were made to resolve the problem failed because the Expropriation Bill 2008 was withdrawn. Consequently, it is still unclear how the public purpose requirement has been changed by s 25(2) of the Constitution, which authorises expropriation for a public purpose or in the public interest. This apparent lack of clarity is discussed and analysed with specific reference to the different types of third party transfers that are possible in expropriation law. Comparative case law from Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the European Convention on Human Rights is considered to show how other jurisdictions deal with the public purpose requirement in their own constitutions or expropriation legislation, with particular emphasis on how they solve problems surrounding third party transfers. In the final chapter it is proposed that the Expropriation Bill should be reintroduced to bring the formulation of the public purpose requirement in the Act in line with s 25(2) and that expropriation for transfer to third parties could be in order if it serves a legitimate public purpose or the public interest (e g because the third party provides a public utility or for land reform), but that expropriation for economic development should be reviewed strictly to ensure that it serves a more direct and clear public interest than just stimulating the economy or creating jobs. / AFRIKAANS OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis bespreek die betekenis van openbare doel en openbare belang in a 25 van die Finale Grondwet. Die belangrikste vraag is: hoe verskil ‘openbare doel’ van ‘openbare belang’, en watter impak het die Finale Grondwet op die interpretasie en toepassing van die openbare doel-vereiste in die Suid-Afrikaanse onteieningsreg gehad? Die vraag word ondersoek met verwysing na die howe se hantering van die openbare doel-vereiste voor en gedurende die eerste jare van die nuwe grondwetlike bedeling, asook met verwysing na buitelandse reg. Die tesis toon aan dat die posisie nog min verander het omdat die interpretasie van die vereiste in die grondwetlike regspraak nog nie veel aandag gekry het nie. Daar word aangetoon dat interpretasieprobleme rondom hierdie vereiste ontstaan as gevolg van die oënskynlike teenstrydigheid tussen die formulering van die openbare doel-vereiste in die Finale Grondwet en in die huidige Onteieningswet van 1975. Daar word geargumenteer dat pogings om die probleem op te los gefaal het omdat die Onteieningswetsontwerp 2008 teruggetrek is. Dit is daarom steeds onduidelik hoe die openbare doel-vereiste deur a 25(2) van die Grondwet, wat onteiening vir ‘n openbare doel of in die openbare belang toelaat, verander is. Hierdie oënskynlike gebrek aan sekerheid word bespreek met verwysing na die verskillende gevalle waarin eiendom onteien en dan aan derde partye oorgedra word. Regsvergelykende regspraak van Australië, Duitsland, die Verenigde Koninkryk, die Verenigde State van Amerika en die Europese Konvensie op Mensregte word oorweeg om te wys hoe ander regstelsels die openbare doel-vereiste in hulle grondwette of onteieningswetgewing interpreteer, spesifiek ten aansien van die oordrag van eiendom aan derde partye. In die laaste hoofstuk word aan die hand gedoen dat die Onteieningswetsontwerp weer ter tafel geneem moet word om die bewoording van die openbare doel-vereiste in die Onteieningswet in ooreenstemming met a 25(2) te bring. Daar word ook aan die hand gedoen dat onteiening vir oordrag aan derde partye in orde kan wees as dit ‘n geldige openbare doel of die openbare belang dien (bv omdat die derde party ‘n openbare diens lewer of in belang van grondhervorming), maar dat onteiening vir ekonomiese ontwikkeling streng hersien moet word om te verseker dat dit ‘n meer direkte en duidelike openbare belang dien as bloot om die ekonomie te stimuleer of om werk te skep.

Energy use and production have become highly salient within both national and international policy. This reflects an international recognition of the need to cut emissions in order to mitigate the threats of climate change. Within the UK there is significant policy support for renewable energy development generally, and wind power in particular. Nevertheless, the UK is not expected to meet its targets for renewable energy production. This is often portrayed as being the result of localised public opposition to particular proposed developments. However, this thesis challenges the notion that local objectors are powerful actors within renewable energy deployment. A detailed, multi-method case study of one planning application for a wind power development was conducted in order to explore how the planning process is experienced and perceived by various different actors involved (i.e. representatives of the developers, local objectors, local supporters). The findings refute the assertion that localised opposition presents significant obstacles for the development of renewable energy; they instead highlight the limited influence of objectors. In order to understand the many different forms of power which may be exercised the research employs Lukes’ three-dimensional view of power as a framework of how the concept is to be understood. Through this framework, the thesis does not only consider the power of objectors, but also of prospective developers and the forms of power that are found within the structures of the planning system. Power is considered to be visible not only in the outcomes of decision-making processes but also in the processes themselves. It is shown that whilst planning processes are presented as being public and democratic, considerable power is exercised in controlling the participation that is allowed and ultimately the range of outcomes which can be achieved.

During the last decade, there has been severe critique directed at the auditing profession regarding its necessity and accuracy. Auditors have been accused of neglecting their duty to the public interest, which is overshadowed by their financial dependence on the audited companies. In light on several large audit failures, the users of the audit report have demanded more information be released regarding the company and the audit process. In response to this, several standard setting bodies have released new regulatory suggestions regarding the audit report. Among the revised regulations that are relevant to Sweden are the ISA 700 (revised) and the newly created ISA 701, both of which become effective starting December 2016. FAR, the Swedish Professional Institution for Authorized Accountants and Auditors, have expressed concerns regarding the effect of the implementation of the Key Audit Matters in combination with the Swedish confidentiality clause, by which auditors must abide. These revisions are meant to increase the informative value of the audit report for the users, where the main users of the audit report are non-professional investors. Due to this, along with lacking research on the topic of Swedish non-professional investors in this context, we have chosen to focus our thesis on the effects of the changes to the audit report in relation to the investment behavior of this specific group. Research Question: How is the Swedish adaptation of ISA 700 (revised) and ISA 701 likely to impact the perceived value of the new audit report to young Swedish nonprofessional investors? We have conducted an online questionnaire with an attached case, derived from a listed British company that has already made similar changes to their audit report format. Based on the responses of 100 young Swedish non-professional investors, we found that the new changes to the audit report, as we presented them, had positive effect on the young non-professional investors perception on the audit report. Of the respondents, 64% viewed the new audit report as significantly more informative than the current Swedish audit report. Both new information, in the form of the audit resolution paragraph, and useful information, in the form of the Key Audit Matters paragraph, statement of the audit firm, and movement of the audit opinion, was perceive by the respondents. In addition to this, we found that 63% of our sample would read the audit report in the future, as compared to 49% today. However, we are unsure of whether these positive effects will be observe following the Swedish implementation of the changes, due to FAR and Swedish auditors hesitation toward the Key Audit Matters.

This thesis contributes to the research literature by reporting the results of an investigation that explores whether regulatory governance practices in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector are fit for purpose. The rationale for the study originated from issues relating to the management of Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector that were identified in the extant literature. These issues were of such significance that their resolution could impact positively and materially on Nigeria’s economy and at the same time the research would fill a gap in the relevant literature. The data for this empirical research were collected using questionnaire and interview instruments and the findings were analysed against a backdrop of the Public Interest Theory of Regulation. The results obtained revealed perceptions of major weaknesses in the regulatory governance practices adopted by Nigeria’s downstream regulatory agencies namely: the regulatory independence of Nigeria’s downstream regulators has declined over time; there are flaws in the accountability practices of Nigeria’s downstream regulators; and there are other related factors such as the absence of openness, poor consultation and a lack of public sensitisation that affect the transparency practices of Nigeria’s downstream regulators. Interestingly, the results also revealed that although Nigeria’s downstream regulators appear to possess the required skills to regulate the sector, their talents are not being fully utilised. Recommendations to resolve the weaknesses identified are made which, if properly and effectively implemented, should have a significant positive impact on the Nigerian economy. Such recommendations may also be applicable to those countries with similar regulatory governance challenges.

The public service ethos (PSE) has spent thirty years - since the advent of New Public Management - in flux. In the late 1990s, partnership working appeared to offer an alternative to NPM, as part of a perceived shift to network governance. What impact has partnership and network governance had on the PSE? This study looked at two case studies of Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) operating under different local governance conditions. It interviewed public servants within these CSPs on their experiences of partnership working, and perceptions around public service itself. What emerged is a picture of partial network governance, with each case study taking a different approach and yielding different structures and outcomes. While the public servants were professional and committed, they were loyal to their field of work and individual clients. In the recent decades, public interest and consideration of wider societal impact has been removed from everyday working; what remains is a vacuum. The neo-liberal view – that satisfying individual client need creates societal benefit when aggregated – has taken root. PSE is now a partial concept: it remains altruistic but without the core of wider, deeper thinking required. While network governance could ameliorate this trend, the partial and limited implementation of the concept by government means that it hinders PSE as much as it fosters it.

Denna avhandling syftar till att belysa hur friluftsliv och naturturism hanteras i den kommunala fysiska planeringen. Detta diskuteras i relation till myndigheters uttalade policys där vikten av friluftsliv framhålls och allmänhetens attityder till friluftsliv. Syftet är också att föra en diskussion om hur kommunal fysisk planering kan fungera som verktyg för att främja friluftslivets intresse i markanvändningsfrågor. Undersökningen har skett genom enkäter, intervjuer, studier av lagstiftning och myndighetsdokument samt studier av planeringsdokument, främst översiktliga planer, i 11 kommuner som ingår i de tre fallstudieområdena Järvafältet utanför Stockholm, Blekinge skärgård och kustzon och Söderåsen i Skåne. Vid första anblicken kan det framstå som om friluftsliv har ett starkt skydd i den kommunala fysiska planeringen. Det omnämns i Plan- och bygglagen (PBL) som allmänt intresse och i Miljöbalken (MB) som riksintressen och som ett av strandskyddets två syften. Planeringslagstiftningens process- och ramlagskaraktär ger dock flertalet tolkningsbara formuleringar i lagtexten samtidigt som begreppet allmänt intresse är mångtydigt. Både PBL och strandskyddet har också nyligen ändrats så att det i flera frågor ännu inte hunnit etableras någon rättspraxis för tolkning och tillämpning. En av den kommunala fysiska planeringens viktigaste uppgifter är att i markanvändningsfrågor avväga mellan olika allmänna och enskilda intressen. Resultat visar att friluftslivets och naturturismens ställning i kommunal planering varierar mellan kommuner men också mellan planeringsnivåer. En betydande majoritet av kommunerna använder friluftsliv och naturturism i sin marknadsföring. Avvägningsbeslut i markanvändningsfrågor som utfaller till friluftslivets nackdel kan dock ofta motiveras av att ”det finns så mycket grönt” och att friluftsliv därmed bedöms kunna ske någon annanstans än där man vill exploatera. Här kan allemansrätten vara en viktig faktor för denna tolkning. I planeringsdokument förekommer också ofta den rådande planeringsdoktrinen om den täta staden i kombination med hållbarhetsargument. Detta kan ytterligare verka för exploatering av urbana grönytor. Det finns ett behov av fysisk planering som säkerställer mark för friluftsliv. Resultat från den nationella enkätundersökningen Friluftsliv 07 visar att människor värderar rekreationsnatur högt, många till och med så högt att det påverkar deras val av bostadsort. Cirka en sjättedel uppger dock att de saknar lämpliga områden för friluftsliv. Respondenterna anser även att kommunerna behöver bli bättre på att skydda tysta områden. Planeringen behöver också visa en bättre beredskap inför klimatförändringarnas konsekvenser för friluftsliv eftersom många respondenter uttrycker en oro över negativa konsekvenser av ett förändrat klimat men endast cirka var fjärde kommun uppmärksammar detta i den översiktliga planeringen. Huvudhandledare har varit professor Lars Emmelin, Fysisk planering, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola och biträdande handledare professor Klas Sandell, Geografi och turism, Karlstad Universitet. Doktorsavhandlingen togs fram inom ramen för forskningsprojektet Planering för friluftsliv vid Fysisk Planering, Blekinge Tekniska Högskola, Karlskrona. Projektet utgjorde ett av sju delprojekt i det nationella och mångdisciplinära forskningsprogrammet Friluftsliv i Förändring som letts av professor Peter Fredman, Mittuniversitetet och som finansierats av Naturvårdsverket.

Master of Regional and Community Planning / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jason Brody / Kessler’s 1893 parks and boulevards system was established to spur investment. The 1893 Report shaped the present city pattern and form of Downtown Kansas City by encouraging decentralized city and metropolitan growth. Today’s system discourages pedestrian mobility and accessibility through the design and context of the public spaces. Since walkability contributes to successful public spaces, walking for transportation to encourage active use could improve today’s open-space system. To address the present condition facing the system, the report analyzes the morphology of Kessler’s parks and boulevards system within the 2010 Greater Downtown Area Plan boundary. For methods, stakeholder notes and professional interviews explain the planning process behind the 2011-2012 KCDC project to revitalize public space. The stakeholder notes and professional interviews assess the context of the Kansas City Design Center’s vision to revitalize Kessler’s parks and boulevards system. Using the StreetSmartTM walkability model, the design and context of public space can help revitalize Kessler’s 1893 system and today’s park system. The model can be used to measure and prioritize investment by assessesing the pedestrian mobility and accessibility of public spaces. The implication of the report is that if the design and context of public spaces addresses the public interest and walkability, public spaces will become connected, diverse, market-competitive, and actively used. Short-term pedestrian amenities and long-term infrastructure improvements provide different ways to prioritize pedestrian mobility and accessibility to create a walkable downtown, one of the goals of the Greater Downtown Area Plan.