University of Macau / Faculty of Law

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

In this thesis, I examine the case of the Canadian-based multinational mining corporation GreyStar resources Ltd. in Colombia. Angosturas is GreyStar’s large-scale gold mining project in the sensitive wet highland of páramo de Santurbán in the northeast of the Andes. Although GreyStar has undertaken explorations in this area since 1994, Colombia’s Ministry of Environment denied the environmental license to the company to start with extractions in 2011. I suggest that the government’s decision must be understood in the context of massive mobilizations against the project in large cities such as Bucaramanga and Bogotá as well as the principle of sustainable development (hereafter SD). The latter forms part of the 1991 Colombian constitution, and thus, through this legal presence, is considered to provide environmental protection in the country. Despite this government’s recent ruling, GreyStar (which renamed itself ‘Eco Oro’ after the 2011 decision) and other mining companies (e.g. Ventana Gold) have continued their quest to gain permission to begin with extractions in Santurbán. I explore why these continued attempts to persuade the government regarding extraction licensing is possible. In doing so, I critically investigate the principle of SD, which is central to the resolution by which the Ministry of the Environment denies the environmental license to Eco Oro (GreyStar). In other words, this thesis asks why SD allows for the classification of large-scale mining as a ‘common-good’ activity, which has negative implications on attempts to designate certain ecosystems (e.g. páramo) as common-goods on the basis that there are to be sustained as such, and therefore, an unequivocal moratorium on large-scale mining in these ecosystems is necessary. What and whose common-good does large-scale mining in sensitive ecosystems represent? I argue that in the scope of SD, commoditized nature is vulnerable to the volatility of markets and corporate profitability. This thesis is a criticism of SD and the limitations it places on hearing certain kinds of languages and discourses that resist the key assumptions of SD. The case study allows for addressing a gap in the existing literature, which is the distinctive situation of no legally considered ethnic minorities (e.g. small farmers, small miners, and the cities). / Thesis (Master, Cultural Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-24 10:28:50.601

Rethinking Indigenous legal traditions is fundamentally about rebuilding citizenship. The theory underlying this paper is that it is possible to develop a flexible, overall legal framework that Indigenous peoples might use to express and describe their legal orders and laws, so that they can be applied to present-day problems. This framework must be able to, first, reflect the legal orders and laws of decentralized (i.e., non-state) Indigenous peoples, and second, allow for the diverse way that each society’s culture is reflected in their legal orders and laws. In turn, this framework will allow each society to draw on a deeper understanding of how their own legal traditions might be used to resolve contemporary conflicts, complex social injustices, and human rights violations.The Canadian state is not going away and the past cannot be undone. This means that Indigenous peoples must figure out how to reconcile former decentralized legal orders and law with a centralized state and legal system. Any process of reconciliation must include political deliberation on the part of an informed and involved Indigenous citizenry. We have to answer the question, «Who are we beyond colonialism?» / Repensar las tradiciones legales indígenas es fundamental para la reconstrucción del concepto de ciudadanía. La teoría subrayada en este ensayo es que sí es posible desarrollar un flexible marco legal general que los pueblos indígenas deberían usar para expresar y describir sus órdenes legales y derechos, tal es así que pueden ser aplicados a los problemas actuales. Este marco debe ser capaz, primero, de plasmar los ordenamientos legales y los derechos siguiendo la forma descentralizada (esto es, no-estatal) de los pueblos indígenas; y segundo, permitir que las diversas formas de la cultura de cada sociedad sean reflejadas en sus ordenamientos jurídicos y derechos. Este marco permitirá, a su vez, que cada sociedad haga uso de un entendimiento profundo sobre cómo sus tradiciones legales deberían ser usadas para resolver conflictos contemporáneos, injusticias sociales complejas y la violación de derechos humanos.El Estado canadiense no se está debilitando y el pasado tampoco está descartado. Esto significa que los pueblos indígenas deben analizar cómo reconciliar sus antiguos ordenamientos legales y derechos descentralizados con el Estado y el sistema legal centralizados. Cualquiera fuera el proceso de reconciliación debe incluir una deliberación política sobre la ciudadanía indígena informada y comprometida. Tenemos que responder ala pregunta: «¿Quiénes somos nosotros más allá del colonialismo?».

The study of rights in rem from an internal perspective of our national legal system is notan easy task. For that purpose, a comparativestudy of the international juridical systems canserve as both a solution and an instrument tobring forward new and innovative knowledge related to those rights.The author perceives that fundamental to notice the importance that the international character of rights in rem has acquired through time. He does, therefore, a comparative study between different rights in rem regimes in countries such as France, Germany and England. These countries are all part of the European Union, with whom Peru has signed a Free Trade Agreement. / El estudio de los derechos reales desde una perspectiva interna del ordenamiento peruano es una labor complicada. Por ello, un análisis de los distintos sistemas jurídicos internacionales podría tanto facilitar esta labor cuanto aportar conocimientos innovadores sobre el tema.Para el autor, será fundamental notar la importancia que ha ido ganando el carácter internacional de los derechos reales. Por ello, realiza un estudio comparativo entre distintos regímenes de derechos reales en países tales como Francia, Alemania e Inglaterra. Estos pertenecen a la Unión Europea, con la cual el Perú ha suscrito un Tratado de Libre Comercio.

Este trabalho inscreve-se nos estudos relacionados às teorias do texto e do discurso e tem como foco de investigação a linguagem jurídica aplicada no processo judicial. Por isso, dentre as diversas peças que conformam um processo judicial optou-se pelo estudo da petição inicial, texto que o inicia. O estudo utiliza como suportes teóricos a semiótica de origem francesa, fundada por Alrgidas Julien Greimas, e alguns elementos da retórica clássica de Aristóteles propostos na Arte Retórica, e elementos da nova retórica nascida dos estudos de Chaïm Perelman & Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca no Tratado da Argumentação. À luz desses pressupostos teóricos, procura-se descrever a estrutura da petição inicial, considerando aspectos dos planos narrativo e discursivo, este último direcionado à identificação dos elementos que constroem a veridicção do discurso, isto é, as marcas deixadas nos enunciados responsáveis pela criação de efeitos de sentido verdade. Para atingir esse objetivo traça-se um percurso de trabalho que inicia com a descrição da teoria semiótica francesa considerando o seu lugar de inserção dentre as teorias do texto e do discurso e o seu modelo teórico-metodológico. Após, segue-se a descrição, em linhas gerais, da retórica clássica aristotélica bem como dos estudos de Perelman & Tyteca no texto Tratado de Argumentação – a nova retórica. São apresentados, ainda, estudos semióticos do Direito, com o fim de evidenciar a aplicação da semiótica francesa na área jurídica. Na seqüência explica-se o que é o processo judicial, a fim de contextualizar nele a petição inicial. O próximo passo consiste em apresentar a petição inicial sob seus aspectos legais, representação gráfica e organização narrativa. A partir do plano narrativo verifica-se que o discurso das petições iniciais tem como finalidade essencial orientar o julgamento do juiz, razão porque são textos que apresentam um caráter essencialmente manipulatório. Por isso, a última etapa do trabalho consiste em descrever os recursos utilizados pelo enunciador, no plano discursivo, para a construção da verdade do discurso das petições. Nesse sentido, constata-se que a verdade corresponde à força de persuasão, configurada a partir de projeções enunciativas nos enunciados e no encadeamento de esquemas argumentativos. / This paper is related to text and discourse theories and it is focused on juridical language applied in judicial trial. That is why, among several parts that form a judicial trial, the study of initial petition was chosen and it introduces this paper. This study has as theoretical support the French Semiotics founded by Alrgidas Julien Greimas, along with some elements from the Aristotle’s classical rhetoric, proposed in the Art of Rhetoric, and from the new rhetoric originated from Chaïm Perelman & Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca’s studies in the Treaty of the Argumentation. In the light of these theoretical presuppositions, the structure of the initial petition is intended to be described, considering narrative and discursive aspects, the latter focused on the identification of elements that build the discourse veridiction, that is, the marks left in utterances responsible for the creation of meaning and truth effects. In order to achieve that aim, a work course that starts with the description of the French Semiotics Theory is delineated, considering its insertion place among text and discourse theories and its theoretical-methodological model. Afterwards, there is a description of Aristotle’s classical rhetoric as well as of Perelman & Tyteca’s studies in the text Treaty of the Argumentation – the new rhetoric. Semiotic studies of Law are presented aiming at evidencing the application of French Semiotics in the juridical field. Then, there is an explanation of what a judicial trial is, aiming at contextualizing the initial petition in it. The next section consists of presenting the initial petition under its legal aspects, graphic representation and narrative organization. From the narrative plan, it is checked that the essential goal of the discourse of initial petitions is to guide the magistrate’s judgment; that is why they are texts with an essentially manipulating aspect. For this reason, the final part of this paper consists of describing the resources used by the speaker, in the discursive plan, in order to build the truth of the petition’s discourse. In this sense, it is found that the truth corresponds to persuasion strength, made up from utterance projections in utterances and in argumentative scheme enjambment.

The purpose of the essay is to critically discuss and analyse the right to development as an individual and a collective right, and or both at national as well as at the international level. The main objective being to ascertain whether there is .distinct dichotomy between the right to development as an individual and a collective right. Having critically analysed the right to development as an individual and a collective right or both, I attempted to critically discuss both the active and passive subjects of the right - so-called right-holders and duty-bearers respectively, at national as well as at international level. The juridical status of the right has been critically examined. It is clear that the right is legally binding on all states. The right is universally recognised as a human right enjoying international legal status. / Law / LL.M.