Legal education at the University of Akureyri (UNAK) began in 2003. At that time, it must have seemed a rather far-fetched and, in some opinions, crazy idea. Nevertheless, the studies began in the joint Faculty of Social Sciences and law. Credit for that work goes to the progressive and considerate individuals who will be thanked … Continue reading Special Editors’ Introduction
Read More...Árið 2003 hófst kennsla í lögfræði við Háskólann á Akureyri (HA). Á þeim tíma hefur þetta eflaust þótt nokkuð viðamikil, og af einhverjum galin, hugmynd. Engu að síður hófst námið í sameiginlegri félagsvísinda-og lagadeild. Heiðurinn af því starfi eiga framsæknir og hugaðir einstaklingar sem verður seint þakkað nægilega mikið. Óhætt er að segja að síðan … Continue reading Inngangur – frá ritstjóra sérheftis
Read More...Við þrjú, höfundar þessarar stuttu greinar, komum með ólíkum hætti að stofnun og þróun lagadeildar Háskólans á Akureyri. Við viljum varpa ljósi á þetta upphaf. Kennsla til prófs í lögfræði við Háskólann á Akureyri hófst árið 2003 og er því orðin 20 ára í ár. Það er ekki ljóst hvenær sú hugmynd kom fyrst fram … Continue reading Um laganám við Háskólann á Akureyri
Read More...Friðhelgi fjölskyldunnar eru mannréttindi sem ná til fjölskyldunnar í víðum skilningi og því má ekki sundra fjölskyldu gegn vilja fjölskyldumeðlimanna nema aðskilnaður sé nauðsynlegur með tilliti til hagsmuna barnsins. Þrátt fyrir að þessi réttur sé varinn af stjórnarskránni og mannréttindasamningum virðast forsjárlausir foreldrar standa uppi réttlausir gagnvart barni sínu ef forsjárforeldri afsalar sér forsjá barnsins til barnaverndarþjónustu. Hér verður farið yfir þau lög og lögskýringargögn sem við eiga um þessi mikilvægu réttindi og mál tveggja forsjárlausra foreldra reifuð til að varpa ljósi á hvernig staðan er í raun. Því forsjárlausir foreldra hafa verulega takmörkuð úrræði til að leita réttar síns gagnvart barni sínu við þessar aðstæður og því mikilvægt að breyta lögum til að tryggja sem best réttindi foreldra í þessari stöðu.
Familial integrity is a human right adhering to family in the broader sense and families cannot therefore be divided lawfully without their members consent, unless the separation is necessary in regards to a child’s best interest. In spite of familial integrity being protected by the constitution and human rights conventions, non-custodial parents seem to be without parental rights if the custodial parent conveys custody to child protection services. This review of legislation and explanatory documents regarding these important rights and two case studies of non-custodial parents will shed light on the current situation. Non-custodial parents have very limited options to guarantee their rights towards their child in these circumstances, and it is therefore important to change the law in order to best guarantee the rights of parents in this situation.
Read More...Russian aggression against Ukraine has triggered doubts about the viability of international law to address complex problems, including in the polar regions. Nevertheless, this article demonstrates that international legal approaches remain important tools to address challenges and disputes in polar law. The article argues that international law remains of critical importance for the peaceful governance of the Poles. It illustrates this argument with a review of, amongst other institutions, the functioning of the Arctic Council, the Antarctic Treaty System, selected issues in the law of the sea and the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Read More...The growing international interest in mitigating the effects of climate change and ecological degradation has required greater effort from national legislative systems. A specific approach to local needs and a greater understanding of the cultural values related to environmental well-being has gradually emerged from the legal procedures in dubio pro natura. Constitutional law is increasingly including environmental rights and principles in order to maintain biodiversity conservation. This process, known as environmental constitutionalism, has been promoted by the emergence of the ecological democracy, which is committed to preserve environmental sustainability through democratic processes, such as meaningful public participation, access to information and justice. The article discusses the in dubio pro natura approach, its connection with the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and its place in Arctic constitutions with examples drawn from Alaska and Norway. It concludes that an in dubio pro natura approach should be promoted to support both environmental protection and the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Read More...This paper focuses on the environmental challenges related to the future development of the Northern Sea Route (NSR). With special reference to the Sino-Russian cooperation, this article assumes the opportunity for Russia to develop its Arctic zone with new infrastructure by taking advantage of the opening of the NSR as a future extension of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, the increasing shipping activities in the Arctic waters raise much concern regarding the vulnerability of the Arctic environment. The article concludes that a more environmentally conscious approach to the economic enhancement of the NSR is highly recommended.
Read More...Ágúst Þór Árnason skipar sérstakan sess við lagadeild Háskólans á Akureyri en hann lést fyrir aldur fram vorið 2019 eftir skamvinn veikindi. Hann var í hópi þeirra sem komu fyrst að laganámi við skólann en það hófst árið 2003. Í því fólst brautryðjendastarf sem krafðist bæði þrautseigju og eldmóðs. Og af hvoru tveggja hafði Ágúst … Continue reading Ágúst Þór Árnason – In Memoriam
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