Binnen Europa bestaat de wens om digitale platforms met een poortwachtersrol aan banden te leggen via onder meer ex-anteregulering. Toegangsverplichtingen zouden daar onderdeel van uitmaken. In dit artikel worden de EU-voorstellen naast een aantal concentratiebesluiten van de ACM gelegd waarin onder meer ook toegangsverplichtingen zijn opgelegd aan digitale platforms.

This article explores the boundary conditions an organization has to take to make the workplace, where all kind of people work together, a safe place. Employers are responsible for a safe working environment according to the Arbowet. The confidential councilor is an important part of the infrastructure against workplace harassment. Next to commitment from the top of the organization, a code of conduct based on the support of the employees, a complaints procedure with access to an independent complains committee, the confidential councilor is key to discover and act on workplace harassment. Not all confidential councilors are trained and aware of the pitfalls of the job. Organizations have to set boundary conditions. For example legal privilege within the organization and some sort of protection against retaliation. The confidential councilor follows the lead of the complainant and can put down the responsibility of solving the issue of harassment at the proper authority within the organization.

In De zaak van Sinterklaas: Zwarte Piet staat terecht bespreken Aspha Bijnaar en Cees Maris de maatschappelijke en juridische controverses rond Zwarte Piet vanuit het rechtsfilosofische ideaal van de liberale rechtsstaat. Ze betogen dat Zwarte Piet is besmet met het racisme van het koloniale verleden. Wegens het belang van de uitingsvrijheid moet de overheid discriminerende uitingen niet verbieden, maar met argumenten tegenspreken. Een neutrale rechtsstaat mag zelf niet discrimineren: Sinterklaasevenementen waarbij overheidsinstellingen direct zijn betrokken, moeten vrij zijn van racistische smetten.

In deze bijdrage behandelt de auteur de verschillen die bestaan tussen de bepalingen bij de BV en de NV voor de belet- of ontstentenisregeling.

In Vrijheid van discriminerende uitingen? De zaak Wilders bespreekt C.W. Maris het lopende strafproces tegen de Nederlandse politicus Geert Wilders vanuit het rechtsfilosofische schadebeginsel. Wilders is beschuldigd van beledigen en aanzetten tot discriminatie van moslims. Wilders zelf beroept zich op uitingsvrijheid. Volgens de auteur is Wilders’ beeld van de islam bezijden de waarheid. Niettemin verleent het schadebeginsel in dit geval voorrang aan de vrijheid van meningsuiting boven het recht om niet te worden gediscrimineerd. Aanstoot of belediging is onvoldoende reden voor een strafrechtelijk verbod. Voor zover er schade dreigt, kan die beter worden beperkt door tegenargumenten dan door een verbod.

This article describes and judges on the development of three ‘social-safety arrangements’ in a new developed neighbourhood in the city of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Based on different research methods, three key issues are defined: youngsters hanging around on the streets annoying residents and little children, families showing anti-social behaviour, and youngsters showing signs of criminal behaviour. Together with all responsible ‘players on the pitch’ the current policies were discussed and expanded with additional strategies. The development of these arrangements consists of four stages: an objective diagnosis of the area, a more detailed analysis to determine the most urgent social safety issues, determining all actors involved and their role in the system, and, finally, a broad discussion with all actors to determine shortcomings in the current policies and interventions. Social safety arrangements can best be regarded a research-based policy instrument that provides detailed insight in the roles and positions of all actors and helps policymakers translate this knowledge into local policies.

This article contains a report by the Dutch student team of its participation in the 6th ICC Mediation Competition in Paris.It gives an impression of the various mediation sessions, the mediation techniques used, what feedback was given, how the feedback was used in subsequent sessions, meetings with other students and teachers and a description of the general atmosphere.

In this thematic issue various angles of crime and migration are addressed. This introductory article focuses on differences in the debate and research on crime and migration in the Netherlands and Belgium. According to the authors (and editors of this issue) both sound research and a critical debate is needed in order to prevent rash conclusions which might exclude large groups of immigrants, asylum seekers and others. This special issue demonstrates the diversity of the relations between migration and crime and the various angles from which these can be studied.