Comment on draft Law on the Management and Use of Agricultural Land

 

ហេតុអ្វីក៏សេចក្តីព្រាងច្បាបស្តីពី ការគ្រប់គ្រង និងការប្រើប្រាស់ដីកសិកម្មរបស់កម្ពុជាត្រូវបាន រដ្ឋាភិបាលធ្វើឡើងដោយស្ងាត់ៗ? បើប្រជាជនរហូតដល់៩៥%ជាកសិករ ហើយបង្កើតច្បាប់មួយ សម្រាប់កៀបសង្កត់ប្រជាជនយ៉ាងនេះ ជាការត្រឹមត្រូវដែរឬទេ នៅក្នុងសង្គមប្រជាធិបតេយ្យ របស់យើងនេះ?

នៅក្នុងអត្ថបទវិភាគរបស់អង្គការលីកាដូបានបង្ហាញនូវចំណុចអាវិជ្ជាមានច្រើនជាវិជ្ជាមានចំពោះ ការបង្កើតសេចក្តីព្រាងច្បាប់នេះ។

នៅក្នុងសេចក្តីព្រាងច្បាប់នេះបានបង្ហាញនូវអំណាចយ៉ាងធំដល់មន្រ្តីរដ្ឋាភិបាលក្នុងការ ដាក់ទណ្ឌកម្មដល់ប្រជាកសិករណាមិនគោរពទៅតាមការណែនាំរបស់មន្រ្តីរដ្ឋាភិបាល។ សូមអាននូវអត្ថបទនៃការវិភាគនេះមាន១៧ទំព័រ។​

July 23, 2012 - Late last year, the Cambodian government quietly released a draft Law on the Management and Use of Agricultural Land that would have serious implications for private landholders. The draft law as currently written could be used as legal cover for land-grabbing and for those who wish to exploit and personally profit from Cambodia’s land and resources. Most alarmingly, the law creates felony criminal liability for any actions that violate the law’s far reaching provisions. The following aspects of the draft law require immediate scrutiny and substantial revisions.

 http://licadho-cambodia.org/collection/14/agricultural_land_management_law

.......................................................
Law Journal of Cambodia(LJC) is a non-political and independent team who volunteer working for disseminating laws and informaton regarding development and human rights situation in Cambodia. All comment or idea of LJC cannot be claimed in front of court and other purpose. LJC just provide ways for people to understand the context of law and other issues. LJC wants people to understand the law and live in peaceful means. If you need inquiry, please drop your e-mail to cambodianlawjournal@gmail.com. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/law.cambodia If you want to join with group to discuss law please link here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/405507152815204. You can join with our group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/criticallegalthinking/ Welcome all comments on this blog ព្រឹតិ្តបត្រច្បាប់កម្ពុជា (ព ច ក)គឺជាក្រុមឯករាជ្យ និងមិនមែនជាបក្សនយោបាយ ទេ ជាក្រុមស្ម័គ្រចិត្តដែល ធ្វើការ​ សម្រាប់ធ្វើ ការផ្សព្វផ្សាយអំពីច្បាប់ និងព័តមាន ដែលទាក់ទងនឹងការអភិវឌ្ឍ និងស្ថានភាព សិទ្ធិមនុស្សនៅកម្ពុជា។ រាល់មតិ យោបល់នៅក្នុងព្រឹត្តនេះមិនអាចយកទៅធើ្វជាអំណះ អំណាង ចំពោះមុខ តុលាការ រឺក្នុងគោលបំណងអ្វីផ្សេងទៀតឡើយ។ ព​ ច ក​ គ្រាន់ផ្តល់ នូ​វ​ចំណេះដឹងច្បាប់ និងចំណេះដឹងផ្សេងៗទៀតដល់ប្រជាពលរដ្ឌប៉ុណ្ណោះ។ ប្រសិនលោក អ្នកចង់ដឹងព័តមានបន្ថែមអំពី ព ច ក សូមផ្ញើអីម៉ែលមកយើងខ្ញុំ។​ យើងខ្ញុំសូមស្វាគមន៌រាល់មតិលំអដល់ ព ច ក៕

Methods of Checking and Commenting a Draft Law

If political participation of the citizen is taken serious the members of civil society (NGOs, Bar Association, Trade Unions etc.) will be given the chance to give their comments on draft laws. This means they must have the chance: 

to express their concerns regarding the different articles of the draft law  

and 

to make proposals for amendments of these draft law articles. 

To do this properly in a systematic and efficient way they should check the draft law thoroughly. Then they should collect and summarize their concerns shortly and precisely in relation to each article. And finally they should propose amendments in a way that clearly shows which part of the draft text shall be erased and which text shall be added instead or additionally. 

B) Checking the Draft Law Articles:

I) Rough checklist (FILTER 1):

In a first step the draft law can be checked roughly by taking each single article of the draft law and asking the three questions related to three main problems that lawmakers face: 

1) Unclear Terms:

The question to be asked reads: 

"Are there any unclear terms in the text of the article?"

(Note: Before this question is answered with "yes" the following articles of the draft law must be checked whether they already give a definition of this term). 

The question about unclear terms is important regarding the principle of separation of power. If a term is unclear the lawmakers do not express the will of the people clearly enough. This opens the door for interpretations of the law by the executive or the judicial power who are not entitled to define the will of the people.

The related questions read:

" Does the article affect a human right?

- If so does it regulate a restriction on this right?

-If so is this purpose of restriction allowed by the constitution?

- If so is the restriction proportionate ?  " 

These questions are important because the lawmakers have to balance the individual human rights and find a fair solution to protect one right but not to restrict the other right too strong.

 

3) Delegation of Rule Making Power: 

Here the questions read: 

"Does the article delegate any rule-making power from the legislative to the executive? If so, does the law delegate too much power to the executive?" 

Any time the law text mentions the words “Anukret” or “Prakas” or mentions any other authorization for the executive power to set up further conditions this indicates that the article includes a delegation of rulemaking power. 

The question of delegation of such power is important regarding the principle of separation of power (Article 51 III 2 and IV CC). This does not mean that any delegation violates the principle. But it must be clear that only the regulation of minor administrative details can be left to the executive whereas the main problems have to be solved by the law. Such problems are all those that are explicitly mentioned in the text of the Cambodian Constitution (for example: Article 41 II CC: "The regime of the media shall be determined by a law" or Article 42 I 2 CC: "The right (of free association) shall be determined by a law"). 

Additionally all those problems of society must be determined by a law that affect human rights and freedoms (by restricting or encroaching these rights. For example a road fee affects the freedom of property, profession and free travel). Furthermore all decisions that imply significant expenditures of the national budget can not simply be left to the executive but need a democratic decision making process. 

Please link the original source here:  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3LzPsPRNUiwdkloVWlaeWxkTnc/edit