Levelling the EU participatory playing field: A legal and policy analysis of the Commission's public consultations in light of the principle of political equality

The EU Commission has a long tradition of consulting interested parties when formulating its policies. While the rationale, format and legal basis relied upon by the Commission when holding public consultations have changed over time, its systematic inability to make those consultations equally accessible to all affected parties has remained constant. This article discusses the extent to which such a consultation practice conflicts with the principle of political equality, as enshrined in Article 9 TEU. Given the Commission's unrestrained discretion regarding who, how and when to consult and the absence of corresponding participatory rights, it argues that the EU can no longer presume that all stakeholders—especially citizens and civil society groups—enjoy equal access to EU institutions. Rather, under a proposed substantive reading of the principle of political equality, it contends that EU institutions are procedurally required to ensure that everyone will effectively be given equal opportunities of access to the policy process. Only a series of structural, power‐shifting reforms—some of which are proposed in this article—may enable participation to become an autonomous form of legitimation of the Union.     

Testing the Universality of the Gender Equality–Peace Thesis: The Influence of Increased Gender Equality on Terrorism in Turkey

Gender inequality has been empirically linked to the incidence of terrorism, as a motivator for women’s involvement in terrorism, and political and social violence more generally. Although these studies demonstrate that advances in gender equality on average decrease terrorism, it is unclear how these influences translate to individual nations or conflicts. Because Turkey has witnessed consistent but unequal regional advances in gender equality, it provides an ideal setting to examine how these developments have influenced terrorist violence. Analyzing data from Turkey’s 81 provinces from 2000–2013, this study finds important regional differences in the influence of gender equality on terrorism.     

Cross-Cultural Preferences for Distributive Justice Principles: Resource Type and Uncertainty Management

Drawing on social resource theory, we investigated the evaluation of distributive justice principles in relation to material benefits (monetary rewards in working life) and symbolic benefits (praise at university) in a cross-cultural study. We predicted that the equity principle would be perceived as more just for distributing culturally valued resources, whereas the equality principle would be perceived as more just for resources that are less valued within culture. Moreover, applying uncertainty management theory, we predicted that cross-cultural fairness evaluations would be more pronounced for individuals with higher (vs. lower) uncertainty avoidance or lower (vs. higher) uncertainty tolerance. Data of 608 Canadian and German students were collected in a two-wave survey. As expected, when allocating material benefits Canadians found the equity principle to be more just than did Germans, whereas Germans perceived the equality principle as more just than did Canadians. When allocating symbolic benefits, by contrast, Canadians perceived equality as more just than did Germans, though unexpectedly culture did not influence evaluations of the equity principle. Finally, consistent with uncertainty management theory, some of the cultural differences in the evaluation of distributive principles were more pronounced among people with higher uncertainty avoidance and lower uncertainty tolerance. Implications for cross-cultural research on distributive justice are discussed.     

The Rule of Law and EU Expansion

The article seeks to further discussion about the European Union's identification of the rule of law as a fundamental principle and pre-requisite for EU membership by prospective member states, despite the lack of a uniform Community-wide understanding of this concept. In this article, three points will be explored. Firstly, it will briefly examine the rule of law principle within the EU, as a contested concept, despite its pre-eminence as a fundamental principle upon which EU membership is based. Because of its contested nature, there exists across the EU, conceptual variations, leading to the problem of an apparent absence of a uniform conception of the rule of law. Secondly, the article will identify some of the main conflicts between the EU making this rule of law a pre-requisite for membership and the lack of a uniform conception for this fundamental principle. Thirdly, the article explores how these conflicts affect the development of legal cultures of prospective member states and what potential problems these conflicts imply. The article focuses on the European Union's lack of a uniform understanding of the rule of law and how this affects prospective member states from Central and Eastern Europe. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Reflections on a Funhouse Mirror—Racist Violence,the Protection of Privilege,and the Limits of Tolerance

Jeannine Bell's Hate Thy Neighbor: Move In Violence and the Persistence of Racial Segregation in American Housing provides an account of racist violence as a tool for maintaining housing segregation that challenges perceptions of rising tolerance and demonstrates the importance of understanding racism as a structural feature of social organization. Bell shows how some perpetrators of move in violence deploy claims about “property values” as a defense against charges of racism. The use of such claims starkly illustrates how colorblind racism allows assertions of racial privilege to resonate as neutral articulations of rational self‐interest. The desire to defend racial privileges persists as a significant practical barrier to racial equality even when tolerance increases.     

当今犯罪构成理论的八大矛盾

现今犯罪构成理论的基本理论和基本框架是正确的 ,但在一些细节上却存在不少矛盾 ,比如 ,犯罪构成定义认为 ,犯罪构成决定行为的社会危害性及其大小 ,这与事物的性质由事物的内在矛盾决定的原理相矛盾。再如 ,通说将犯罪客观方面称为犯罪构成的要件 ,将客观方面包含的行为、结果也称为客观要件 ,这与逻辑上的种属关系相矛盾。此外还有 ,犯罪客体的定义与犯罪客体的地位相矛盾、刑事责任能力与刑法理论相矛盾 ,等等。这些矛盾说明 ,现今的犯罪构成理论还不够完善     

差异和平等——兼论法律上的平等

＂平等＂是现代文明中一个重要的价值观念,但对它的理解却颇有争议,包括法律上的平等。人与人的差异显示了平等观念的核心——人权,人权的基本要求是人格的独立和与此适应的最基本的生存条件。因此不能把平等理解为无差异或把所有的差异理解为不平等。因为人与人的差异并不一定是不合理的,人与人的差异的产生有自然的原因,有社会的原因,只有后者才可能是不合理的,才是平等观念所反对的,其中的要义就是使所有人享有＂人权＂,即与现代文明相适应的＂人＂的尊严和与之适应的物质待遇。平等的要求仅限于此,超出此义,必陷入荒谬。现代法律应以平等为原则,从制度上限制因社会原因所造成的人与人的不平等,并平等地适用法律,坚持法律面前人人平等的法治原则。法律可以从立法和司法多种途径追求平等和保护人权,但其只能从制度层面为平等的实现创造条件,法律不可能消除一切不平等,法律更不会消灭一切差别。相反,法律在对平等的追求中还要保护合理的差别,故此,法律的公平原则中包含着差别原则。     

'And You Can't Find Me Nowhere': Relocating Identity and Structure within Equality Jurisprudence

This paper explores key tensions in conceptualizing equality. It begins by arguing for the equality of lives lived and then goes on to link this to equality based on power. Yet, although equality of power seems to offer a more radical model than approaches to equality based on resources, satisfaction, and recognition, it nevertheless is not entirely suitable, since it too centres equality's subject. After addressing some of the analytical problems a subject-centred framework raises, including how to deal with reactionary identities and practices, the paper considers instead a structural approach to equality. This focuses on targeting social organizing principles, while recognizing the complex relationship between inequalities of gender, race, sexuality, and class and inequalities associated with unpopular viewpoints or beliefs. Finally, using lesbian and gay sexuality as an example, the paper considers the ways in which normative-epistemological organizing principles — proper place and the public/private — naturalize, legitimize but also hold the possibility of undercutting asymmetries of power.     

Legitimacy,Political Equality,and Majority Rule

Abstract. This paper claims that the intuitive and widespread legitimating power of majority rule (MR) arises from the link between majority rule and the principle of equality of political opportunity. The egalitarian character of MR is established by exploring “puzzles” in democratic theory, such as the insensitivity of democratic voting procedures to unequal intensity of citizens' preferences, and the relationship between the principle of unanimity (sometimes thought better to respect citizens' equality) and MR. Special attention is directed to the relationship between political equality and equality in the outcomes of political decisions: The claim is made that the language of equal political opportunity captures well the idea of equal political influence, in the circumstance of disagreement about what is required to achieve equal treatment through the outcomes of political decisions.     

Director’s liability and investor protection: a law and finance perspective

This article conducts an analysis of director’s liability in listed firms using modern finance theory. The paper describes how the use of special general clauses in Danish law regulates director’s liability. It is shown how risk and return combinations may assist in determining whether management has violated the business judgment rule. The analysis shows that this legal doctrine is optimal from an economic perspective. The article introduces the concept of “temporal relatively of the shareholder equality principle” which can be used to determine whether the interests of minority shareholders have been set aside. It is shown that the principle of shareholder equality must be subjected to both an ex ante, as well as an ex post assessment. Moreover, courts should be reluctant to interfere in situations where there has been an unequal distribution of gain (or loss) ex post. The theoretical arguments are illustrated by analyzing a leading Danish court case that involved the squeeze out of minority shareholders in the Danish telecom company. The paper also analyzes the incentive effects of derivate suits and suits commenced by individual shareholders. It is shown that the former creates a free rider problem whereas in the latter situation, shareholders are not fully able to internalize their externalities.     

论平等在刑法中的地位

刑法第四条就适用刑法人人平等作了明确的规定,但关于平等在刑法中处于什么位置一直备受争议。关于平等在刑法中的地位,主要涉及三个问题,即:平等是法律原则还是法律权利;平等是否能为刑法的基本原则;刑法平等原则与罪刑法定原则、罪责刑相适应原则之间是什么关系。     

An Expansive,Transformative View of Restorative Justice

This article addresses two distinct but related concerns. The first section argues for adoption of a wide‐ranging conceptualization of restorative justice, one that encompasses concern for community, structural, economic and social levels of attention, as well as personal and direct consideration for parties to crimes and conflicts. It is a view of restorative justice, like that espoused by Sullivan and Tifft, that is transformative in conception, ambition, and operation. It is based on awareness that making distinctions between restorative and community justice may be useful for some purposes but expresses a preference for thinking of these two perspectives as part of a larger whole. The second part of the article highlights 10 values or principles that may help guide the development and implementation of an expansive view of restorative justice. It suggests that a person who wishes to pursue a more peaceful and just world should be ethically engaged, behave in an exemplary fashion, beware of and avoid exploitation, fully embrace equality, be empathic, act so as to empower oneself and others, recognize the entwinement of all people and the earth, select interventions that are effectual while being error‐aware, appreciate that ends and means are enmeshed, and act with earnest enthusiasm.     

确定我国物权种类以及内容的难点

物权种类及其内容的确定 ,是物权立法的首要工作。因为我国有独特的社会体制与国情 ,物权法在确定物权的种类及其内容的时候肯定要遇到许多要点难点问题。这些问题有些已经得到解决 ,有些尚未解决。尚待解决的要点难点主要有国家所有权、集体所有权、企业所有权、私有所有权、不动产所有权以及各种使用权、担保物权等等重要物权类型     

Clashing Rights, the Welfare of the Child and the Human Rights Act

Under the Human Rights Act so far there has been until very recently little judicial or even academic recognition of the difference between resolving clashes of Convention rights and addressing conflicts between utilitarian concerns and such rights. This article has chosen to illustrate that failure of recognition and to consider methods of resolving the conflict between rights, by concentrating on one particular clash of rights – that between media free speech under Article 10 and the privacy of children under Article 8. It argues for presumptive equality for the two rights and for conducting a 'parallel analysis' of their application to the circumstances of a particular case. It contends that therefore the principle that the child's welfare is paramount must be abandoned in its present form, as must the presumptive priority accorded to Article 10 where that principle is not found to apply.     

辽宁省治安调解情况调查

辽宁省近三年治安调解实践的调查情况表明，因民间纠纷引发的社会矛盾纠纷呈现出与社会变迁相关的新特点，与之相对应，治安调解已经成为治安案件查处和平息纠纷、化解矛盾的主要方式。但是，无论立法还是执法实践，治安调解在公安基础工作方面的重要性与其得到的重视程度显然极不相称，且显现立法和实践断裂的现象。在此基础上，针对相关问题，本文在立法和执法两个环节提出了相应的解决措施。     

Schools,Neighborhoods, and Adolescent Conflicts: A Situational Examination of Reciprocal Dynamics

Youths' exposure to school violence is ecologically patterned, occurring disproportionately in public schools located in urban disadvantaged communities. We know less, however, about how situational processes and environmental contexts shape school violence. In addition, limited research has examined the reciprocal nature of school and neighborhood conflicts. Here we draw from a qualitative study of violence in the lives of African American youths from a disadvantaged inner‐city community to examine young men's experiences with school‐based violence. Specifically, we investigate two questions: (1) how conflicts are shaped by the school setting, and (2) how and when such conflicts unfold and spill over between neighborhoods and schools. Our findings highlight the importance of examining the situational and ecological contexts of youth violence to further illuminate its causes and consequences.     

Gender Equality, Citizenship, and the EU's Constitutional Future

Abstract:  While gender equality has been a matter of some concern for EU law and policy makers over the past half century, this concern has tended, at least historically, to focus upon equal treatment in employment and has not yet materialised into the delivery of a broader package of civil, political, and social rights for women. Taking the concept of EU citizenship as a framework within which to view the promotion of gender equality, this article assesses the debate on the constitutional future of the EU. This is with a view to examining the possible amelioration of women's social position through the exploitation of opportunities that the constitutionalisation of EU law presents. Looking at women's citizenship through the lens of political rights to participate in the debate on the EU's future, together with examining substantive aspects of the Constitutional Treaty for their gender equality content, the article suggests that a more comprehensive endeavour by all institutional actors to engage in gender mainstreaming is needed in order to give effect to a broader form of equality between women and men.     

中国转型期社会警察权益保护

在中国社会从农业国家向工业国家转型的过程中,社会结构分化复杂,利益冲突和社会矛盾日益激化,社会治安形势异常严峻,警察站在解决冲突的"风头浪尖"上,时常被携裹进激烈的冲突中,执法权和人身权等权益受到了各方面的侵害。保护警察权益的核心在于塑造人民警察"恪守法律、秉公执法、超然于利益"的"中立形象",这就需要公安机关在处理热点案件时应遵循"及时、公开、透明"的原则,充分利用网络平台,掌握社会舆论中澄清案件事实的主动权,在与网民的平等互动中,有效维护警察的各项权益。     

论公司法与民法典的良性互动关系

《公司法》与《民法典》无缝对接、有机衔接、同频共振、相辅相成《民法典》中的基本原则普适于公司法律关系,诸项具体制度也可补充适用。《公司法》对特定事项有规定、而《民法典》无规定时,应适用《公司法》。两法对特定事项均有规定、但相抵触时,应优先适用《公司法》。两法对法人制度的规定详略不同、但不相抵触时,应优先适用《公司法》。两法在很多公司法案件中可兼容并用,协同共治,互不排斥。平等、自愿、公平、诚信、公序良俗、绿色、关怀弱势群体和禁止权利滥用共同构成民法八项基本原则。而公司法有其独特原则,如等价有偿、尊重与保障公司的生存权与发展权、慎重解散公司、坚持商业模式的包容性、促进公司的三重营利性、弘扬股权文化、鼓励公司社会责任和构建新型亲清政商关系原则。要尊重《公司法》的特别法地位,必须切实扭转司法实践中的“轻公司法化”现象。修改《公司法》和解释《民法典》应着眼于消除规范冲突,预防制度真空,铸造制度合力。