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fehlbares Verhalten

English translation: improper conduct

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:fehlbares Verhalten
English translation:improper conduct
Entered by: Ted Wozniak

20:31 Jan 10, 2004
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial / Swiss Law of Liability
German term or phrase: fehlbares Verhalten
With respect to government officials or agents. What kind of "misconduct" is this specifically in English legal jargon - misconduct, misfeasance, malfeasance, wrongful conduct??? A good (Swiss) German legal definition would also help as I could then compare that to entries in my Black's Law Dictionary.

Context: "Trotzdem würde nach dem Standard, welchen das Bundesgericht mit der finanziellen Autonomie in BGE 112 Ib 194 aufgestellt hat, die ETH nicht selbständig haften, sondern der Bund würde gemäss Art. 3 VG direkt für fehlbares Verhalten der Angehörigen der ETH verantwortlich gemacht."

Note: ETH are Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology (Technische Hochschulen - their name for themselves in English, not mine).
Ted Wozniak
United States
Local time: 13:16
improper conduct
Explanation:
In keeping with principles of master-servant vicarious liability, the government is responsible only for actions in the course and furtherance. That effectively excludes the notion of liability for criminality. The Article elsewhere provides that liability for specific action is governed by the generally applicable principles of law.
I'm withdrawing my other answer in favor of this one.

Art. 3 VG

Die Schädigung durch eine Amtshandlung ist nur dann gerechtfertigt, wenn sie der gesetzlich vorgesehene Sinn und Zweck der Handlung ist oder wenn sie zwangsläufig mit der Durchführung des Gesetzes verbunden ist. Erfolgt eine Schädigung als unbeabsichtigte, vom Gesetz nicht gewollte und zur Erreichung der gesetzlich festgelegten Ziele nicht notwendige Nebenfolge bei der Ausübung einer an sich rechtmässigen Tätigkeit, ist sie nicht gerechtfertigt.


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Note added at 22 hrs 52 mins (2004-01-11 19:23:34 GMT)
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I\'ve added back in this part of my first answer:

After a bit of surfing, it appears that \"fehlbares Verhalten\" is applied to quite a variety of missteps: football club members,
drug users, computer users (misfunction due to), condo administrators (to the detriment of inhabitants).
Selected response from:

Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.
United States
Local time: 14:16
Grading comment
Confirmed by the client - in this case, the more "generic" term was preferred. Thanks to all who replied.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1improper conduct
Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.
3 +1malfeasance
Kim Metzger
4fallible behaviour
Narasimhan Raghavan
4misfeasance (in office -> UK)
KirstyMacC (X)


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
malfeasance


Explanation:
In my opinion (speaking as a layman), it's malfeasance. My Random House Dictionary of the Law defines malfeasance as "the doing of an unlawful act; especially, misconduct by a public official, corporate officer, or other person in a position of trust." Misfeasance is "The neglect or otherwise improper performance of an otherwise permissable act. Broadly, any wrongful affirmative act."
From what I've seen on the Internet, "fehlbares Verhalten" is often used in a broad sense just as misfeasance is in English. But here the Bund is being held responsible for the conduct of public officials - federal institute officials, I think malfeasance applies.

Am 2. Dezember 1986 veranstaltete der Beschwerdeführer eine Wahl, bei der es galt, das "hässlichste Mädchen" der Klasse zu erküren, was zu höchst unerfreulichen Szenen führte. Das betroffene (19jährige) Mädchen gab Mario B. eine Ohrfeige und beklagte sich anschliessend tränenüberströmt beim Schulvorstand, der auf der Stelle den Ausschluss des Beschwerdeführers aus der Schule aussprach.
Der Beschwerdeführer hat durch dieses Verhalten anfangs Dezember
1986 begründeten Anlass zum Ausschluss aus der Schule gegeben, da er
in grober Weise gegen die Schulordnung und gegen elementare Regeln des Anstandes verstossen hat. Von einer unverhältnismässigen Reaktion der Schulleitung kann nicht die Rede sein.

Aufgrund dieser beiden Warnungen wusste der Beschwerdeführer klar, dass er sich kein *fehlbares Verhalten* mehr leisten konnte. Wenn er sich am 2. Dezember 1986 gleichwohl zu einem üblen Scherz hinreissen liess, der nur als grobe Rücksichtslosigkeit bezeichnet werden kann, so ist die Unterbrechung der Eingliederungsmassnahme auch dann schuldhaft herbeigeführt, wenn die früheren Beanstandungen nur zum Teil berechtigt gewesen sein sollten.




    Reference: http://www.polyreg.ch/bgeleitentscheide/Band_114_1988/BGE_11...
Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 12:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 22192

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Textklick: Also a layman. OED: malfeasance Evil-doing; spec. official misconduct on the part of one in public employment.
30 mins
neutral  KirstyMacC (X): in GB means the doing of an unlawful act, like members of the public trespassing onto land.
13 hrs
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
fallible behaviour


Explanation:
See: The Hindu Business Line : Guarding investors against themselves
... Most of the work done by them has spanned fallible behaviour by investors,
investment analysts, corporates and the stock markets, in general. ...
www.blonnet.com/iw/2003/06/22/ stories/2003062200030700.htm - 23k - Cached - Similar pages
See also:editorial - [ Translate this page ]
... oder kontraproduktiv sind. Drohen Androhen von Sanktionen kann in gewissen
Fällen fehlbares Verhalten hemmen. Diese Wirkung tritt ...
www.bildungschweiz.ch/archiv16/ignorieren16.htm - 12k - Cached - Similar pages





Narasimhan Raghavan
Local time: 23:46
Native speaker of: Tamil
PRO pts in pair: 721
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17 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
misfeasance (in office -> UK)


Explanation:
This is the GB term, though there seems to be some trespass and negligence overlap with malfeasance.

'Misfeasance proceedings' can be brought in GB against naughty i.e. defaulting co. directors.

cf. nonfeasance - an omission and doing nthg - that doesn't necessarily attract tortious or crim. liability, except in narrow circs,

Congrats to Albert Einstein's successor in Zürich.

KirstyMacC (X)
Local time: 19:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 706

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Textklick: I'm tending to switch to yours. Isn't "tort or malfeasance" purely a civil wrong?
3 hrs
  -> Good question. Tort is civil. Not sure about malfeasance. If trespass, yes -> civil. If negligence, can be civil or criminal i.e. in GB a hopelessly botched surgical op.
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22 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
improper conduct


Explanation:
In keeping with principles of master-servant vicarious liability, the government is responsible only for actions in the course and furtherance. That effectively excludes the notion of liability for criminality. The Article elsewhere provides that liability for specific action is governed by the generally applicable principles of law.
I'm withdrawing my other answer in favor of this one.

Art. 3 VG

Die Schädigung durch eine Amtshandlung ist nur dann gerechtfertigt, wenn sie der gesetzlich vorgesehene Sinn und Zweck der Handlung ist oder wenn sie zwangsläufig mit der Durchführung des Gesetzes verbunden ist. Erfolgt eine Schädigung als unbeabsichtigte, vom Gesetz nicht gewollte und zur Erreichung der gesetzlich festgelegten Ziele nicht notwendige Nebenfolge bei der Ausübung einer an sich rechtmässigen Tätigkeit, ist sie nicht gerechtfertigt.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 22 hrs 52 mins (2004-01-11 19:23:34 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I\'ve added back in this part of my first answer:

After a bit of surfing, it appears that \"fehlbares Verhalten\" is applied to quite a variety of missteps: football club members,
drug users, computer users (misfunction due to), condo administrators (to the detriment of inhabitants).

Maureen Holm, J.D., LL.M.
United States
Local time: 14:16
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 986
Grading comment
Confirmed by the client - in this case, the more "generic" term was preferred. Thanks to all who replied.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  gangels (X)
18 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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