Public interest and public good in administrative law against the background of the constitutional principle of the common good

The subject matter of this article is the construction of the public interest and the public good in the administrative law presented against the background of the constitutional principle of the common good. The article puts forward a research thesis: the constitutional principle of the common good is the axiological basis for shaping by the administration of the public interest and the granting of certain public goods to the public. Concepts included in the title of the study are semantically close, but it is not reasonable to put an equality sign between them. Common good is an ideological superstructure in the public interest, as evidenced by the presence of a constitutional principle of common good in the definitions of public administration. As a consequence, the common good must be assumed to be a general clause defining a correct understanding of the public interest as well as the scope of public goods in administrative law.

The purpose of the article is to conduct an axiological reflection using the notion of public interest, on preparation and the procedure for amending the constitution. The article provides a theoretical attempt to capture and place public interest in the broadly socially and publicly understood process of constitutional change. This attempt is not dictated solely by the desire to conduct theoretical – legal and intellectual speculation. This is supported by the increasing voices of the need to amend the existing constitution, which are often superficial, populist and de facto formulated from the position of the supremacy of the state over the individual. The time-varying connotations of the general public interest clause are related to the axiology of selected constitutional principles. The public interest, understood at a given moment in the development of social life, should be a determinant of the process broadly, i.e. both the social and the legislative sense of the constitutional amendment. Similarly, the very direction of constitutional changes should be an expression of social interest.

Cyberspace seems to be ubiquitous. It coexists with the real world and it constitutes its coded zero-one reflection. However, it deprives us of privacy, our constitutional right. Even more, the modern technology allows our fingerprint to be traced forever. Problems with maintaining online privacy in the face of the phenomenon of identity theft for criminal purposes, or the use of our data for property purposes in the broadly understood internet marketing.

The Journalist’s Obligation of Special Care and Diligence in Collecting and Using Press Materials

The aim of the article is to establish the content of the concept of special diligence indicated in art. 12 sec. 1 of the Press Law, the obligation to exercise due diligence in collecting and usage press materials. The content of Art. 355 § 2 of the Civil Code as specifying what the diligence is expected from professionals. It was considered whether the exercise of “due diligence” in collecting the materials would exclude the unlawfulness of the journalist’s actions, if it turned out that, despite this diligence, false information was provided. The effects of failure to exercise due diligence in the matter of journalist’s liability were discussed, based on the analysis of jurisprudence that due diligence is required at all stages of collecting and usage press materials. The problem of due diligence was confronted with the journalist’s actions in defense of an important social interest.

Opening up public data is foster the participation of citizens in political and social life and contribute to policy areas such as the environment. The 2003 Directive on the re-use of public sector information set out the general legislative framework at European level. The Directive provides for a minimum degree of harmonisation. The 2009 review of the Directive indicated that, in spite of progress since 2003, barriers to the cross-border use of public sector information still existed. Some of these barriers can be tackled within the existing legislation, others cannot. The general re-use policy is complemented by legislative or policy initiatives in specific sectors. The re-use of public sector data, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, should fully respect European and national privacy legislation. The objectives of fostering open government data and protecting personal data can reinforce each other if based on pro-active and conscious information management by the public sector. Moreover, the implementation of open data policies should fully respect the intellectual property rights of third parties and the European Union’s obligations under international treaties on intellectual property rights.

Legal issues associated with the implementation of digital terrestrial television is not only important because of the assessment of their effectiveness. It also tips about what future regulators, based on the experience that we gain today analyzing the administrative and legal convergence in connection with the introduction of new technologies. Their importance is crucial to the debate on the concept of public interest and related restrictions, as well as to analyze the role of public administration in its protection. An example characterized by a change in the understanding of the public interest in the regulatory area of audiovisual media is primarily the sphere of market control and rationing. In the light of the development of new technologies and enlarging coverage market forces should be emphasized that for the sake of proportionality, the objectives of public interest and private purposes, and the rights and freedoms need a more flexibility with regard to rules governing conventional audiovisual media services without negation proven and still existing standards.