Conference on "The Role of the Second Chamber in Federal and Devolved Democracies”

Program
 
 
Wednesday, 26 September 2007


9:30 – 10:30    Opening session
 
                        Welcome remarks
Gavino Angius,  Vice- President of the Italian Senate 
 
Speakers
Hon. Adnan Mufti, President of the Kurdistan National Assembly- Iraq (KNA)
Hon. Aref Tayfour, vice-President of the Iraqi National Assembly
(INA)
 
 
Introduction to the Seminar
Mr Bakhtiar Amin, International Alliance for Justice
Sen. Sergio Stanzani, President of No Peace Without Justice
                       
Greetings by
Hon. Mahmoud Mashaddani, President of the Iraqi National Assembly, Iraq
Hon. Ugo Intini, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Italy
 
10:45 – 13:15  Current trends in Constitutional Reform
 
Co-Chairs:      Hon. Aref Tayfour, vice-President of the INA
                       Prof. Alfonso Celotto, Professor of Constitutional Law, University of Rome “Roma 3”
             
Iraqi Perspectives on the Second Chamber
 
Hon. Salim Abdulla Jbouri, Member of the INA
Hon. Awni Al Bazzaz, Member of the KNA     
           
Symmetric and asymmetric bicameralism: principles of division of competences between the two chambers
 
Prof. Cesare Pinelli, Professor of Public Law, University of Macerata:    Models of Federalism and territorial representation
Prof. Stefano Ceccanti, Professor of Public Law, University of Roma“La Sapienza”: Dispute resolution
 
Discussion
 
 
15:00 – 16:30  Territorial perspectives and their representation at national level
Co-Chairs:      Hon. Mehdi Al Hafedh, Member of the INA
Hon. Sandro Gozi, Member of the Italian Parliament
 
Method of selection
 
Sen. Andrea Manzella, President of the Senate Committee on European Affairs: The Italian system of territorial autonomies and how they are represented in the Senate
Sen. Karin Schubert, former Minister of Justice, Regional Government of Berlin: The 'Bundesrat' system: local executive sitting as national legislative
Majeed Mousa, member of the INA
Prof. Fulco Lanchester, Professor of Italian and Comparative Constitutional Law, University of Rome “La Sapienza”: Political community and representation methods: premises for a constitutional reform
Hon Ali Al Dabbagh, Spokesman of the INA
 
 
16:40 – 18:30 Constituencies
 
Prof. Balveer Arora, former Rector of Jawaharlal Nehru University: The Second Chamber in India's Parliamentary Federalism
Mr Juan Ruiz Ruiz, Universidad de Jaén: Selection by (or within) regional and provincial assemblies or direct popular elections
Hon. John Reid, former Member of the Canadian Parliament: Purposes of Second Chambers: what is to be represented?
Hon. Nathalie Gilson, Member of the Regional Parliament of Brussels: Who represents whom: symmetrical and asymmetrical membership: the Belgian example
 


 
 
Thursday, 27 September 2007


9:00 -11:00     Territorial perspectives and their representation at national level
Co-Chairs:       Hon. Umberto Ranieri, President of the Committe on Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies, Italy
Respondent:    Mr. Bakhtiar Amin, International Alliance  for Justice  
 
Membership criteria and mechanisms
Mr Mohammed Ajeeb, former Lord Mayor of Bradford: Reserved seats: reasons for and against seats “reserved” for cultural or ethnic groupings
Mr Brendon Keith, Principal Judicial Clerk, House of Lords: Election or appointment?
 
11:15 – 11:30           Coffee break
 
Article 65: options for implementation
 
Chair: Hon. Marco Pannella, Member of the European Parliament, Nonviolent Leader
Key issues for consideration
 
Hon. Qusay Al Suhail, Member of the INA  Role and Responsibilities vis-à-vis the First Chamber
Hon. Awni Al Bazzaz, Member of the INA  How many members from which local unit
Hon. Safia Al Souhail, Member of the INA  Terms and conditions
 
                         
 
 
 
13:00 – 15:00     Farewell Lunch
 
15:00 – 16:30     Roundtable Discussion on Recommendations
                                   Co-Chairs:      Hon. Aref Tayfour, Vice President of the INA
Ali Aldabagh, Spokesman of the Iraqi Government
Bakhtiar Amin, International Alliance for Justice                      Hon. Awni Al Bazzaz, Member of the KNA
Hon. Salim Abdulla Jbouri, Member of the INA        
Respondent:     Niccolò A. Figà-Talamanca, No Peace Without Justice
 
Discussion
 
Conclusions and Reading of Recommendations
 
Bakhtiar Amin, International Alliance for Justice
 
 

Program Rome.pdf