Author:
Attila Kun
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Labour standards are more and more framed as open norms at a higher level of abstraction. A considerable share of these open norms set standards of conduct for employers in order to inspire socially responsible corporate behaviour. Nonetheless, concerns are often raised about the uncertain, un-measurable, possibly insufficient implementation of these open standards.

The present paper examines one illustrative Hungarian regulatory case-study in order to be able to reflect on the chance of implementation of open norms in a more general context. This regulatory case study is the principle of ‘equitable assessment’ from the new Hungarian Labour Code. According to this ‘employers shall take into account the interests of workers under the principle of equitable assessment; where the mode of performance is defined by unilateral act, it shall be done so as not to cause unreasonable disadvantage to the worker affected’ (Section 6, Subs. 3 of Act 1 of 2012 on the Labour Code). The principle of ‘equitable assessment’ institutionalizes one form of the proportionality-test, as a limitation on employers, into the architecture of Hungarian labour law as a general standard.

One of the main assumptions of the paper is that ‘essence’ i.e. the goal, aim, relevance, ‘marketing’, uptake, infrastructure etc, of a given open norm is the truly important factor for its total effect and success, not solely its judicial practice.

In summary, the principle of ‘equitable assessment’ does not fulfil its intended most important functions and, for the time being, it cannot unfold its inherent multifaceted potential. In this context, the study examines the reasons why this standard is struggling with a form of functional deficiency and aims to demonstrate how this particularly important provision could be more effectively operationalized, dynamized, and ‘breathed into life’.

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  • Cabrelli, David , ‘Rules and Standards in the Workplace: A Perspective from the Field of Labour Law’ (2011a) 1 Legal Studies 2141.

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  • Doorey, David J. , ‘A Model of Responsive Workplace Law’ (2012) 1 Osgoode Hall LJ 4791.

  • Kajtár, Edit , ‘A munkáltatói utasítás helye a 21. század munkajogában’ (The role of the employer’s instruction in the labour law of the 21st century) (2014) 2 Jura 21424.

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  • Kozma, Anna, Lorincz, György, Pál, Lajos, Petho, Róbert A munka törvénykönyvének magyarázata (Commentary of the Labour Code) (Budapest, HVG–Orac, 2016)

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  • Kübra, Dogan Yenisey The Reasons Behind Resorting Fundamental Rights in Employment Law’ Report: International Society for Labour and Social Security Law XIX World Congress, 1–4 September 2009, Sydney, Australia.

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  • Kun, Attila , ‘Az új munka törvénykönyve’ (The new Labour Code) in Jakab, András and Gajduschek, György (eds.), A magyar jogrendszer állapota (MTA Társadalomtudományi Kutatóközpont, Jogtudományi Intézet, 2016) 385414.

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  • Kun, Attila , ‘How to Operationalize Open Norms in Hard and Soft Laws: Reflections Based on Two Distinct Regulatory Examples’ (2018) 1 International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations 2352.

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  • Lehoczkyné Kollonay, Csilla , ‘Génmanipulált újszülött – Új munkatörvény az autoriter és neoliberális munkajogi rendszerek határán’ (Gene-manipulated newborn – New Labour Code on the edge of authoritarian and neoliberal labour law systems) in Kun, Attila (ed), ‘Az új munka törvénykönyve dilemmái címu tudományos konferencia utókiadványa’ (KRE ÁJK 2013) 2456.

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  • Twining, William and Miers, David, ‘How to Do Things with Rules: A Primer of Interpretation’ (5th edn, Cambridge University Press 2010)

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  • Van Bever, Aline , ‘Open Norms and the Psychological Dimension of Employment Relationships’ (2011) 3/2 Eur. Lab. LJ 22568.

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Senior editors

Editor-in-Chief: 

  • Éva JAKAB (Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church, Department of Civil Law and Roman Law, head of Doctoral School of Political Science and Law, Hungary)

Editors:

  • Fruzsina GÁRDOS-OROSZ (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Legal Studies, Hungary; Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Law, Hungary)
  • Miklós KÖNCZÖL (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Legal Studies, Hungary; Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Hungary)
  • Viktor LŐRINCZ (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Legal Studies, Hungary)
  • Tamás HOFFMANN (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Legal Studies, HU; Corvinus University of Budapest, Institute of International, Political and Regional Studies / Department of International Relations, Hungary)
  • Eszter KOVÁCS SZITKAY (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Legal Studies, HUNGARY; Ludovika University of Public Service, Doctoral School of Law Enforcement, Hungary)

Editorial Board

  • Attila BADÓ (University of Szeged, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Hungary)
  • Mátyás BÓDIG (University of Aberdeen, King's College, School of Law, United Kingdom)
  • Zoltán CSEHI (Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Law, Hungary; Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Hungary)
  • Péter CSERNE (University of Aberdeen, King's College, School of Law, United Kingdom)
  • Balázs GELLÉR (Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Law, Hungary)
  • András JAKAB (Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg, Faculty of Law, Business and Economics, Austria)
  • Miodrag JOVANOVIĆ (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law, Serbia)
  • Miklós KIRÁLY (Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Law, Hungary)
  • György KISS (National University of Public Service, Faculty of Public Governance and International Studies, HUNGARY; University of Pécs, Faculty of Law, Hungary)
  • Jan KUDRNA (Charles University, Faculty of Law, Czech Republic)
  • Herbert KÜPPER (Institut für Ostrecht, DE; Andrássy Universität, Chair of European Public Law, Hungary)
  • Konrad LACHMAYER (Sigmund Freud University, Faculty of Law, Austria)
  • Andzrej Stanislaw MĄCZYŃSKI (Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Law and Administration, Poland)
  • Guido PFEIFER (Goethe University, Faculty of Law, Germany)
  • Miklós SZABÓ (University of Miskolc, Faculty of Law, Hungary)
  • Zoltán SZENTE (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Institute for Legal Studies, Hungary)
  • G.J.J. Heerma VAN VOSS (Leiden University, Institute of Public Law; Labour Law and Social Security, Netherlands)
  • Bernd WAAS (Goethe University, Faculty of Law, Germany)
  • Fryderyk ZOLL (University of Osnabrück, European Legal Studies Institute, Germany)

Advisory Board

  • Péter ERDŐ
  • Gábor HAMZA
  • Attila HARMATHY
  • László KECSKÉS
  • Tibor KIRÁLY
  • László KORINEK
  • László SÓLYOM
  • Lajos VÉKÁS
  • Imre VÖRÖS

Hungarian Journal of Legal Studies
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2023  
Scopus  
CiteScore 1.2
CiteScore rank Q2 (Law)
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Hungarian Journal of Legal Studies
Language English
Size B5
Year of
Foundation
2016 (1959)
Volumes
per Year
1
Issues
per Year
4
Founder Magyar Tudományos Akadémia  
Founder's
Address
H-1051 Budapest, Hungary, Széchenyi István tér 9.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
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Publisher
Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 2498-5473 (Print)
ISSN 2560-1067 (Online)