Political changes, media system, Hungarian electronic media, public service, media law

I have chosen the systemic changes, which took place within the system of the Hungarian electronic media as the topic of my doctoral dissertation. This change was not only a significant point of controversy of the first two parliamentary cycles, but straight after the first elections it accurately reflected the basic lines of division manifest in the Hungarian political space. Studying the basic differences between the bills submitted during the Antall government and the Horn government and how much the ideological divide between the prevailing governing parties became apparent are not devoid of interest either.

It is important to keep track of how the positions of the different parties changed in relation to the Media Act, depending on whether they were on the government or the opposition side of the negotiating table, also how the standpoints of the smaller opposition parties changed, as well as that of SZDSZ, which went through a significant political turnaround, since the role and hardly overrated influence of the free democratic politicians on the process of the elaboration of the law and shaping the political arguments are hardly debatable. The thesis pays special attention to the concept of public service, which was finally successfully created only by Act I of 1996, although the makers of earlier bills had also been concerned about the issue.

OROSZ, TÍMEA

Law, power, culture, symbol, architecture

My interdisciplinary approach brings together the expertise of lawyers, architects, and art historians to examine the representation of law, power, and culture. Using a descriptive method, my research also incorporates elements of legal and art history, exploring how legal architecture functions as a symbol of power and reflects the legal system’s societal role. Public authority buildings, such as courts and prisons, serve as significant cultural artifacts, representing not only the institutions they housed but also broader meanings connected to authority and law. These buildings are an essential part of legal cultural history, revealing the relationship between law and architecture throughout different eras.

Legal architecture, a term coined by István Kajtár, is deeply intertwined with both law and culture. Law shapes social relations, while culture, as a nation-forming force, influences the way law is expressed in physical spaces. Architecture, in this context, reflects legal norms and institutional systems, serving as a concrete expression of human culture. Over time, legal and authoritative architecture must be continually reinterpreted to reflect changing societal values and the objectives of those in power. As highlighted in Zoltán Megyeri-Pálffi’s theory, the period, authority, and purpose of a legal building, including its spatial arrangement and geographical placement, play a critical role in its significance.

In modern times, legal architecture has shifted focus from monumental representations of power to human-centred design, emphasizing functionality, acoustics, lighting, and integration into the urban environment. The technological revolution and digital administration present new challenges to legal architecture, raising the question of whether physical representations of authority will continue to be relevant in the future. The evolving relationship between technology and architecture prompts us to reconsider the role of physical structures in representing power and law.

NAGY, RÉKA