The impact of juror characteristics and victim health status on the perception of elder physical abuse

An experiment investigated mock juror perceptions of elder abuse using a community sample from Lexington, Kentucky. Two-hundred six men and women ranging in age from 18 to 88 read a fictional criminal trial summary of a case of elder physical abuse (EPA) in which the accuser was described as healthy, frail, or confused. In addition, the influence of participant age, participant gender, and attitude toward the elderly on juror perceptions of EPA was also investigated. Results showed that women had higher conviction rates than did men. Accuser health status, participant age, participant gender, and attitude toward the elderly affected other rating variables including accuser believability, accuser inaccuracy, defendant believability, and verdict confidence. Results suggest implications for how EPA cases are perceived in court.     

The Assessment of Gain-Based Damages for Breach of Contract

This article argues that there are two different measures of gain-based damages for breach of contract: the Wrotham Park measure and the Blake measure. The former is assessed by reference to the objective value of the benefit received by the defendant and the latter by reference to the defendant's subjective gain. In assessing Wrotham Park damages the courts apply a fixed formula, determining the price that a reasonable person in the position of the claimant might have demanded from the defendant at the time of breach for relaxing its rights under the contract. The Blake measure is different; it requires the defendant to disgorge the actual net profit received from the breach. Unlike the Wrotham Park measure, it deals only with positive and not negative gains. It is also limited by the doctrine of causation so that only those gains that are 'directly occasioned' by the breach are recoverable.     

审查逮捕程序诉讼化改革的路径考量——以《刑事诉讼法》的修改为背景

审查逮捕程序诉讼化强调逮捕程序应当由控辩审三方主体参与,检察机关在侦查机关及犯罪嫌疑人之间保持中立地位,保障犯罪嫌疑人及其辩护人的有效参与,决定逮捕的过程须遵循正当程序的要求。当前我国的审查逮捕程序普遍存在行政化、追诉化、救济虚无化、"一劳永逸"化等诸多问题,2012年修改通过的《刑事诉讼法》已经对此做出了适当的回应。但是,审查逮捕程序的诉讼化是今后我国刑事诉讼改革发展的必然趋势,仍需要对审查逮捕程序进行理念重构和制度创新。     

量刑事实证明初论

量刑活动与定罪活动的相对独立性,决定了量刑事实的构成、量刑证据、量刑事实的证明要求以及量刑事实的运用等不同于定罪事实。量刑事实的证明一般奉行“谁主张,谁举证”原则,罪重事实的证明应达到排除合理怀疑标准,罪轻事实的证明达到优势证据标准即可。     

量刑事实证明初论

量刑活动与定罪活动的相对独立性,决定了量刑事实的构成、量刑证据、量刑事实的证明要求以及量刑事实的运用等不同于定罪事实。量刑事实的证明一般奉行"谁主张,谁举证"原则,罪重事实的证明应达到排除合理怀疑标准,罪轻事实的证明达到优势证据标准即可。     

论"罪疑唯轻"原则下刑事被告之举证负担

罪疑唯轻是刑事法中的重要裁判原则,裁判者在犯罪事实存在疑问时必须作出有利于被告的裁判.如果公诉方不履行法定的证明责任,或者刑事被告提起"有事实根据的合理怀疑"使案件事实真伪不明时,裁判者应当遵守罪疑唯轻原则作出有利于刑事被告的判决."选择确定"本质上是罪疑唯轻原则例外,但刑事被告在选择确定中仍无需承担主观的举证责任,只承担客观的证明责任.在程序性事项上,除重大的影响刑事被告权利的事项外,罪疑唯轻无适用余地.     

经济损失规则的边界功能

经济损失规则的概念和适用范围仍是争议的主题,这一规则本身的混乱伴随着该规则产生原因的更大的不确定性.区分侵权法和合同法的边界功能是经济损失规则令人信服的理论基础,但是一些重要的原则限制了边界功能的适用范围.在涉及合同关系的案件中解释及适用经济损失规则,只有关注诉讼当事人的实际行动才能恰当地实现该规则的边界功能.首先,如果原告不是某个协议的当事人,那么就没有任何理由限制原告依据侵权法享有的任何权利.其次,不能基于一个不是真实存在的合同提供的假想救济以及合同对纯粹经济损失的补偿具有假想的优先权限制原告的权利.再次,如果被告违反了一项独立于合同责任的侵权法义务,当事人之间的合同没有明确地或足够充分地暗示取代侵权法的救济,当事人则有权获得侵权法的救济.     

Preliminary Studies on the Absorbance Ratio Method Used to Determining the Age of Stamp‐pad Ink Seal

Stamp‐pad ink seals are often placed on important documents, and determining the dating of stamp‐pad ink seal is important to assess the authenticity of a document. In this study, 20 different brands and types of stamp‐pad inks were classified by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer. Six different brands and types of papers were classified by micro‐Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and visual spectral comparator 6000. Three different brands of stamp‐pad inks and two different types of paper were used to make diachronic samples of the seals. A method was employed to date the stamp‐pad seals by comparing absorbance ratios and inks of known age. Curves were created to show the relationship between the absorbance ratio of ink and the age of the seals. The experimental results showed that the absorbance ratio method was applicable for the relative dating of stamp‐pad ink seals in some cases where the seal was placed on the document within 10 weeks.     

论民法上的合法替代行为抗辩

合法替代行为抗辩是所有责任法领域的问题.就其在责任法中的归属而言,应采违法性关联说,即属于损害归责的问题.在确定是否认可合法替代行为抗辩时,应考虑法定义务或合同义务的规范目的.而且,被告必须证明,合法替代行为必然导致同样的损害.针对实践中的主要案件类型,即违反告知义务的案件、违反程序性规定的案件和违反职务上义务的案件,应当分别情形确定妥当的解决方案.     

Two Steps Forward,One Step Back: One Step (Support) LTD v Morris‐Garner and Another

One Step is an important decision that deals with the circumstances in which a claimant may recover damages in contract on the so‐called Wrotham Park basis, valued as the amount that would hypothetically have been negotiated between willing parties to release the defendant from his obligation. This note argues that, although the Supreme Court was right not to award damages on this basis in this case, the test laid down by their Lordships for when such damages are available is unclear and will be difficult to apply.     

A Collaboration,Not a Duel

In a number of articles published in LG, advocates take on the appearance, in readers' eyes, of lone fighters for truth, law, and justice in the courts. There is no other party on whom a defendant can depend for defense of his legal rights. The picture that emerges is that of the defense counsel as an "adversary" in the case, conducting a struggle over the defendant with another "adversary," the procurator, the state prosecutor. In such a situation, the latter naturally seeks to incriminate, to bring about punishment of the defendant. And for him this is, after all, easy, for behind him is the entire powerful system of the procuracy with all its organizational and technical resources!     

激光显微共聚焦拉曼光谱仪对红色墨迹的研究

目的利用激光显微共聚焦拉曼光谱仪对文书中常见的红色墨迹材料进行表征,研究该方法对红色墨迹材料的区分能力。方法在785nm激发波长,50倍物镜条件下,对49种红色印文,以及9种彩色喷墨打印和13种彩色激光打印的红色墨迹材料进行拉曼光谱表征。结果通过对71种墨迹样品的谱图进行分析,可以发现,红色印文墨迹、喷墨打印红色墨迹及激光打印红色墨迹的拉曼光谱间均存在差异,同时,拉曼光谱可将这三种墨迹材料分别进一步区分。结论显微共聚焦激光拉曼光谱可对红色墨迹材料进行有效表征和区分。这一方法可对红色印文墨迹进行识别,并且可实现对伪造印文文件的鉴别。     

数据治理法律路径的反思与转进

数据已成为数据经济的重要生产要素和企业之间竞相争夺的战略资源。当前数据法律规范体系正处在理论构建阶段,数据法律规范严重滞后于数据产业的发展,并引发诸多的数据纠纷。理论上,依靠传统财产权路径,尤其是创设绝对权性质的数据财产权成为数据治理的主要选择,但此路径面临着诸多问题,新型数据财产权的构建仍前途未卜。数据治理合同路径更契合当前数据经济的发展,在实现数据流通与商业模式创新上更具灵活性,其本质是数据许可合同的规范问题,应成为数据治理的重要法律路径。我国数据治理合同路径应当构建以数据许可合同为一类典型合同作为数据时代的基础合同,并参照国外相关立法实现此类合同的专门立法。     

二审和解后的法理逻辑:评第一批指导案例之“吴梅案”

二审和解后撤诉与撤回上诉皆有可能,但撤诉应受更多限制。一审判决生效后法院应依请求按法定条件立案执行,协议未履行不是立案条件。既判力"标准时"后达成的和解协议可变动判决确定的民事债权,但不能冻结或取消执行力,法院应依请求判决排除原判的部分执行力。和解协议具备成立要件和有效要件即为有效,与是否违约无关。法律已规定违约责任,不必也不应援用诚信原则。对债务人的实体异议应无选择地依实体审理程序处理。由于未能把握前述法理,"吴梅案"出现了多个问题:混同撤诉与撤回上诉,违法设置执行立案条件,错误理解生效判决和和解协议的关系,异议处理程序欠缺正当性,类推适用《民事诉讼法》第207条,裁判要点与裁判理由不符,案例名称不当。     

权利的合约性质

在权利所指示的事物以及权利话语本身在一个不断产生、变化和发展的意义上,对权利的解释就需要某种理论,而不是一个抽象界定的概念。对于权利这个事物的解释,现行学者分别从不同的路径出发对权利展开了分析,由此形成了抽象权利、具体权利以及真正权利三种权利形态。然而,诸种对于权利的界定之所以出现种种困难和问题,原因在于它们不自觉地以事实性的语言侵蚀甚至替换了权利所表征的正当性内涵,同时他们对于权利实践中问题的认识也存在偏差。合约这个概念的属性以及权利这个事物不完全界定的特征,使得合约可以成为分析权利问题的一个合适理论框架。合约是权利内在生成的机制。当然,用合约分析权利问题也并非完美无缺。     

论和解合同的适用对象及限制

本文认为,和解协议的民法坐标是和解合同,种类繁多的和解协议能否纳入和解合同范畴进行调整,可以通过三个要素进行识别.“和解权”是控制和解适用对象的实质性要素.公诉案件中,犯罪嫌疑人、被告人同被害人之间达成的刑事和解协议实质上为刑事当事人之间达成的民事和解协议,可归于和解合同范畴.公序良俗原则从另一侧面对和解合同的适用范围作出了限制.     

再论刑讯逼供

刑讯逼供缘起于国家对刑事诉讼的不当干预,要禁止刑讯逼供就应当规范控辩双方权力（利）行使的程序。对于控方主要从规范讯问时间、讯问地点、讯问规则等方面减少其权力行使的任意空间,对于辩方则应尽量减少其权利行使的障碍,此外,立法上的完善也是遏制刑讯逼供的重要条件。     

Constitutional protection of confessions made by mentally retarded defendants

Criminal confessions made in response to custodial questioning are excluded from evidence unless a defendant voluntarily, knowingly and intelligently waived his Miranda rights. In Connelly, the Supreme Court erred by holding that, absent explicit police coercion, a mentally ill individual's waiver is valid. The Court failed to consider the defendant's subjective impairments that might invalidate his waiver. By contrast, the Patterson Court suggested that a defendant's right to counsel may attach at an early stage in a criminal proceeding if the defendant has a significant need for counsel. This Note addresses the special needs of a mentally retarded person in the criminal justice system. The Note argues that mentally retarded suspects require careful explanation of Miranda rights in order to understand them. The intellectual and adaptive deficiencies which characterize mental retardation also necessitate an inquiry into a valid waiver that accounts for these disabilities. Furthermore, the special needs of the mentally retarded mandate that the right to counsel attach as early as the precustodial stage of an investigation. Early access to counsel most effectively assures that a mentally retarded person's waiver of constitutional rights is voluntary, knowing and intelligent.     

我国合同能源管理的立法现状及前瞻

合同能源管理是在西方发达国家发展起来的一种基于市场运作的全新的节能机制,我国政府运用了大量的政策工具来推动合同能源管理机制的应用,但该机制仍然欠缺硬法的保障,这成了制约其发展的最主要的原因。有必要对此单独立法,设计出符合我国国情的法律规范,对节能服务企业实行资质管理,并通过立法明确能源管理合同当事人及参与人的权利义务关系,明确必须节能的部门和行业,完善相关的税收、能耗奖惩等制度和政策,为合同能源管理机制服务。     

台湾地区共犯口供的证据规则及其启示

广义上的共犯口供问题包括未共同审理的共犯的口供问题,以及在同一程序中审理的共犯或其它牵连案件被告人等共同被告的口供问题。共犯及共同被告口供问题在台湾地区的证据法上经历了一个从模糊到逐步清晰的发展时期。在台湾地区现行的刑事诉讼制度中,共犯口供在其他被告的案件中作为证人证言,并要求补强证据;对于共同被告则可经程序分离而进行证人的证据调查程序,并且其口供同样也需要补强证据。对于共犯及共同被告口供的处理方式体现出台湾地区对严格证明法则的重视,对被告人程序权利保障的加强,也反映出口供在证据体系中地位的降低,但依然存在一些难题未能解决。台湾地区共犯及共同被告口供的证据规则能给大陆带来一些有益的启示。