Dana Cristina Bunea, Cornel Gabriel Caian, Irina Cambrea, Dragos-Alin Calin, Roxana Maria Calin, Victor Horia Dimitrie Constantinescu, Ionut Militaru, Madalina Ioana Morariu, Geanina Munteanu, Irina Alexandra Neagu, Ileana-Gabriela Popa, Razvan Horatiu Radu, Vasiescu Mihaela (2013). Dicfionar de drepturile omului (Dictionary of Human Rights).

Georgescu, Catalina Maria

Dana Cristina Bunea, Cornel Gabriel Caian, Irina Cambrea, Dragos-Alin Calin, Roxana Maria Calin, Victor Horia Dimitrie Constantinescu, Ionut Militaru, Madalina Ioana Morariu, Geanina Munteanu, Irina Alexandra Neagu, Ileana-Gabriela Popa, Razvan Horatiu Radu, Vasiescu Mihaela (2013). Dicfionar de drepturile omului (Dictionary of Human Rights), Bucharest: C. H. Beck Publishing House, ISBN 978-606-18-0203-6, 976 pages.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The "Dictionary of Human Rights" is an innovative formula of correlating the conceptualization, definition and historical evolution of fundamental human rights notions, institutions, instruments and mechanisms of national and international human rights law. Marvelously accomplished, the volume gathers the contributions of specialists and practitioners in human rights law such as prosecutors, judges, Government agents, diplomats and jurists specialized in human rights, within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From the defition of Abuse of right to the explanation of xenophobia, the Dictionary of Human Rights provides useful resources for a professional in-depth understanding of a number of 153 terms. Each entry respects the formula of featuring a general presentation of the term, including a discussion on its historical evolution within international and European human rights systems of law, as well as necessary definitions consecrated through the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights. Each entry provides the interested reader with a key background of theoretical and practical knowledge in the field offering the general presentation of the legal expertise on the judicial practice (abuse of right, misuse of law, access to court, adoption, arrest, brought promptly before a judge or other office authorised by law to exercise judicial power, brought before a competent judicial authority--non-compliance with the lawful order of a court or an obligation prescribed by law, agent provocateur, entrapment, claim preclusion, effective investigation, inquiry, expropriation, individual application, inter-state application, just satisfaction, locus standi, miscarriage of justice, the principle of audi alteram partem, release, rights of defence, the right to remain silent, right to an effective remedy, right of appeal in criminal matters), access to the French and English translations and supplying useful general and specific links to the indispendable literature.

The 153 entries provide a scrutiny of institutions, mechanisms, conventional and emerging rights, freedoms and obligations brought forth by globalization and integration processes (adoption, servitude, secure the payment of taxes, contributions or penalties, right to marry, right to a healthy environment, right to reputation, right to life, civil rights and obligations, children's rights, euthanasia) within the UN system and under the provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights and the ECHR judgments. The volume offers an in-depth academic perspective and doubled by a professional expertise on the most recent international agreements presented in a thorough institutionalism approach (death penalty, capital punishment, use of lethal force, torture, inhuman or degrading treatment) constantily correlated to ECHR jurisprudence. Thus, the lecture of this volume generates a critical understanding of the leverage and limits of international and governmental authorities' actions within stable democracies offering an expected toolkit, a repertoire of fundamental human rights and institutions (Government agent, public authority, licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises, asylum and migration, possession, censorship, human dignity, discrimination, right to free elections, respect for correspondence, right to strike, right to education, right to liberty and security, fundamental rights, extratiction, expulsion), thus enabling the habituation as regards state obligations under the provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights.

This volume contributes to the consolidation of Human Rights as an international academic discipline providing a holistic legal, political, social, philosophical, economic, and cultural understanding and usage of key phrases and related concepts (accusation in criminal matters, criminal conviction, crimes against humanity). The work accustoms the reader to the international and European provisions and relevant jurisprudence by offering an extensive view of international treaties and related reference texts, political declarations, control instruments and international engagements (European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, European Social Charter, European Convention of Human Rights, unilateral declaration) and international organizations and institutions (The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, CoE Committee of Ministers, Council of Europe, Council of the Europen Union, European Court of Justice, European Court of Human Rights, International Criminal Court).

The volume is recommended as a rich resource providing access to the scientific thought and procedural administration of international human rights law providing extensive comprehension of the rationality of governmental authorities and the measures intended as guarantees of rights and liberties and as safeguards against abuses under the international governance. Consequently, the Dictionary of Human Rights becomes a reference guide for all interested students, academics, practitioners opening the perspectives towards an interdisciplinary study of human rights within democratization and transition studies as regards state institutions and democratic change assumptions, assessment of state capacities and political parties actions for human rights support policies.

Book review Info

Received: March 7 2015

Accepted: May 15 2015

Catalina Maria Georgescu, Lecturer, PhD, University of Craiova, Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, Political Sciences specialization, CEPOS Staff, Member of the Board of Directors of the CEPOS Conference 2014, Phone: 0040251418515, E-mail: cata.georgescu@yahoo.com.