有效益的交易:合同诈骗罪规范目的证成——以骗逃部分铁路运费案为分析重点

合同诈骗罪“兜底条款”如何理解与解释,存在的争议焦点之一是怎样看待合同诈骗罪“列明”行为的价值以及其是否具有构成要件的意义。骗逃部分铁路运费的行为,能否以合同诈骗罪的“兜底条款”定罪处刑,目的解释是可否入罪判断需要坚持的最为重要的解释原则,目的论限缩是填补刑法隐蔽性漏洞的有效方法。符合规范保护目的的行为,应当通过目的论限缩将其出罪化。合同诈骗罪所涉的市场秩序与公私财产损失,是指没有交易目的或者基础、欠缺交易效益与效率前提下的市场秩序与财产损失。有效益或者有效率的、合乎交易目的的合同欺诈行为,不属于合同诈骗罪的规制范围。源于罪刑法定原则的要求,目的解释只应当用于出罪化。经济犯罪的刑法教义学研究与规范目的的理解,离不开社科法学智识的浸润、滋养与支撑。否则,经济犯罪的刑法解释与司法适用,就有可能违反基本的经济规律与经济法则而走向谬误。骗逃部分铁路运费的行为,不应当按照合同诈骗罪的“兜底条款”定罪处刑。     

Globalization and regulatory change: The interplay of laws and technologies in E-commerce in Southeast Asia

Electronic commerce has brought about business and technological changes globally, and these global changes have given rise to major legal reforms across nations. In the fast-changing global digital economy, states need strategies to maintain competitiveness of their markets while simultaneously ensuring the secure and effective use of technologies involved in conducting electronic transactions. This paper examines how the use and recognition of electronic signatures are regulated in Southeast Asia – the region that has shown the most significant growth in global e-commerce in past few years. Based on a comparative analysis of the laws of four representative ASEAN member states – namely Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam, this paper argues that there is a regional trend towards adopting more liberal and technology-neutral standards for electronic signatures. Electronic signature regulation in Southeast Asia is now built upon limited technological neutrality (or the so-called “two-tiered” approach) as a shared regulatory understanding, but this approach is operationalized differently in each state due to distinctive national contexts. Within the common legal framework, each state has developed its own system of control and management with respect to higher-level signatures (using advanced technologies). The principle of technological neutrality, a concept originally developed for the regulation of technologies in response to the liberalization of telecommunications market, has been the central theme of discussions on the e-transactions policy-making scene. As the author shows, in the process through which states localize the global standards of technological neutrality, ASEAN as a vehicle of regulatory change has played an essential role in translating this principle to the national context.     

电信诈骗罪立法问题研究

电信诈骗犯罪的社会危害日益严重.与普通诈骗犯罪相比,电信诈骗犯罪在发生的场域、侵害的法益与构成要件上都有其特殊性,在对现行刑法规定及司法解释存在的不足进行分析的基础上,提出相应的立法完善建议.     

集资诈骗罪的司法困境与罪群立法完善

集资诈骗罪一方面被认定为特殊诈骗罪,与诈骗罪表现为一般与特殊的关系,另一方面又被当作“加重型”非法吸收公众存款罪。因此在刑事司法过程中出现了“骗”与“被骗”的构成要件缺失却依然构成集资诈骗罪、非法吸收公众存款罪中的“欺骗”与集资诈骗罪中的“诈骗”混淆不清、两罪以“非法占有目的”为区分标准的主观化趋势的问题,从而导致“非法占有目的”在被扩大化的同时又被弱化,进而造成集资诈骗罪被矮化、限缩。应从金融秩序法益的立场,回归集资诈骗罪的金融犯罪属性,重塑诈骗罪与集资诈骗罪的关系,明确“欺骗”“诈骗”的同质性,增设“骗取集资款罪”,调整非法吸收公众存款罪的规制范围,构建体系化的集资诈骗罪罪名群,化解集资诈骗罪刑罚供应过度与不足并存的尴尬。     

OTT regulation framework in the context of CJEU Skype case and European Electronic Communications Code

The telecommunications services sector is one of the most dynamically developing segments of the contemporary economy. At the same time, it is undergoing constant change, the result of its adaptation to the needs of modern digital services and the expectations of users. In practice, traditional telecommunications services are being increasingly replaced by those that offer equivalent functionality but are provided via the Internet. Examples of this type of service are VoIP telephony, instant messengers and online chat. This group of services is collectively referred to as OTT.The growing popularity of OTT services not only affects the shape of the telecommunications market, but, from the point of view of legislatures and market regulators, has also led to a number of practical problems. One of them is how to apply a EU regulatory framework established for the electronic communications sector to modern OTT services. Recently, this problem has become an object of interest to both the CJEU and the EU legislature.The purpose of this article is to discuss the effects of the recent Skype adjudication on the regulation of the OTT sector, including the pending entry into force of the European Electronic Communications Code. The analysis considers the technical and regulatory background of issues relating to the judgment, the ongoing legislative work and the importance of the judgment in practice. Ambiguities in interpretation are also identified and discussed, in particular those relating to the attempt to apply the Skype judgment and the entire regulatory framework to OTT services.These aspects will be discussed from the perspective of the protection of users' privacy, an important part of the provision of electronic communications services. The choice of this aspect of OTT services regulation would seem to be particularly apt in light of the ongoing reform of the EU data protection model, which will include the new e-privacy regulation currently being drafted.     

Sociolegal change in consumer fraud: From victim-offender interactions to global networks

Advances in technology have transformed fraud against consumers from face-to-face, victim-offender interactions to a crime that now transcends international boundaries. Although consumer protection issues have been of interest to investigative journalists and literary scholars for centuries, the topic has only recently been subject to serious criminological inquiry. Employing the American consumer protection movement as an historical framework, we examine the evolution of consumer fraud. Our review documents that progressive social and legal changes in consumer protection and corporate regulation, as well as developments in criminological research, correspond to prominent literary exposés of the time. In today's technological age, such a reactive response to consumer fraud is neither efficient nor effective. Contemporary criminologists need to simultaneously address the questions of ‘how’ fraud is perpetrated and ‘why’ it occurs. Toward this end, we identify methodological strategies and data sources to promote empirical and theoretical understanding of consumer fraud, and to ultimately contribute to multi-national crime control policy.     

Third‐Party Policing and Insurance: The Case of Market‐Based Crime Prevention

This paper examines a relatively new trend: market‐based crime prevention. The insurance firm is an exemplary agent of this new type of crime prevention. Although the traditional focus of insurance has been on losses sustained after a crime or other catastrophe, we explore the shift from reactive to proactive crime management by the insurance industry. This trend is part of a more general decentralization of policing, from state‐controlled agents to community‐ and market‐based third parties. New ideologies support these shifts, including an actuarial logic about crime and a view of the prudent person.     

Tax Fraud and Selective Law Enforcement

This article presents a new conceptual framework for research into tax fraud and law enforcement. Informed by research approaches from across tax law, public economics, criminology, criminal justice, economics of crime, and regulatory theory, it assesses the effectiveness, and the legitimacy, of current approaches to combating tax fraud, bringing new dimensions to previously identified trends in crime control. It argues that, whilst the last decade has witnessed a significant intensification of measures that purportedly target tax fraud, preference has been consistently given to enforcement measures that maximize revenue gains rather than combat the fraud itself, even where the effect is to aggravate the non-revenue costs of tax fraud. These developments demonstrate a significant shift from tax fraud suppression to tax fraud management. The article concludes that this shift not only undermines tax equity and overall tax compliance, but also leads to selective tax enforcement, thus representing a significant risk to the rule of law.     

Fraud: The Characteristic Crime of the Twenty-First Century

In the same way that larceny characterized much of twentieth century, fraud will likely characterize the twenty-first century. Larceny remains the most common oi all serious crimes, but fraud may overtake larceny as the crime of choice in the future, because of changes in our ownership, storage, and movement of property. Fraud involves purposely obtaining the property of another through deception, and its popularity as a crime of choice is growing. Entrusting property to the custody oi others, storing property at remote locations, and electronic movement of property are shown to be major changes in the way we treat property and increase opportunities for theft. The connection between fraud and many of the serious crimes of the twenty-first century are shown in the facts of recent cases. The motivation of thefl behind many frauds is also shown to be used to fund larger criminal objectives, such as illegal immigration and terrorism. The points of view expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Dr. Albanese is chief of the International Center at NIJ on leave from his position as professor of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.     

The uncertain future of data retention laws in the EU: Is a legislative reset possible?

The article discusses the CJEU's most important case law, including interpretations presented in recent cases relating to data retention for both national security purposes (Privacy International, La Quadrature du Net) and the fight against serious crime (H.K). The analysis is a starting point for discussing the draft e-Privacy Regulation, in particular a controversial proposal introduced by the EU Council that may limit the Court's jurisdiction in cases involving data retention rules that cover state security.Negotiated over the past five years, the draft e-Privacy Regulation fleshes out EU data protection rules governing electronic communication services. As a result, the way in which obligations under the Regulation are defined is critical in setting a standard for retention rules consistent with CJEU case law for decades to come. At the same time, succumbing to pressure from Member States may have the opposite result – the emergence of new ambiguities concerning not only the admissibility of data retention but also the competence of EU institutions to regulate this area of the telecommunications sector.     

Fraud and recessions: Views from fraudsters and fraud managers

While a link is often made between the economy and crime levels, the evidence suggests that characteristics of an adverse economic climate can lead to either an increase or a decrease in crime. In this paper the impact of the recession on fraud is examined. This work is based on work undertaken by the author with fraud managers (via three group discussions), and interviews with sixteen fraudsters in prison. The findings underline the need for caution in making a link between increased levels of fraud and an adverse economic climate. More research is needed in this area to examine what types of offences, or what characteristics of them are most likely to be affected by poor economic conditions.     

徇私舞弊罪应当单独设立

徇私舞弊罪是指国家机关工作人员徇私舞弊,不履职或不正确履职,致使公共财产、国家和人民利益遭受重大损失的行为。我国《刑法》虽然没有规定徇私舞弊罪,但规定了很多徇私舞弊型犯罪,这些犯罪既不同于滥用职权,又不是玩忽职守,而是一种新的犯罪行为。立法单独设立徇私舞弊罪,既符合法理,也有利于指导司法实践。     

The Liberalization of the Telecommunications Sector: A Rent-Seeking Perspective

This paper assesses market liberalization in the telecommunications industry from a rent-seeking perspective. Our focus is on United States regulation, with corollary international developments that are spurring competition. The analysis which is general in approach, assesses pervasive government controls which have long shaped the nature of competition in the telecommunication sectors. We find that government has been a means for retarding competition and innovation in the telecommunications sector through the actions of rent-seeking agents. Rapid technological change, however, increasingly is rendering traditional government regulation obsolete. This change is spurring welfare-enhancing competition, regulatory reform, and privatization in the telecommunications sector.     

诉讼欺诈行为定性之探析

诉讼欺诈行为具有严重的社会危害性,但目前我国现行刑法对于诉讼欺诈行为的处罚力度不够,在司法实践中对同一行为处理结果差别悬殊。这主要是由于我国立法上对于该行为没有统一明确的规定,刑法理论上对该行为的定性问题争论颇大所致。对于诉讼欺诈行为,不宜按诈骗罪定罪处罚。对于诉讼欺诈犯罪过程中所实施的触犯现行刑法的行为,应依法定罪处罚,对于刑法没有规定的部分应按无罪处理。我国刑法应单独设立“诉讼欺诈罪”。     

Dating hot spot to fraud hot spot: Targeting the social characteristics of romance fraud victims in England and Wales

Research Summary

We found that romance fraud was rising year-on-year across every region in England and Wales, increasing 55% during the 3 years between October 2018 and October 2021. Fifty percent of all the romance fraud victims in the period resided in 17% of the places where romance fraud had occurred. A total of 439 locations (outward postcode areas) were identified as the “power few” in the first year of the data set. Of these 439 locations, 162 of them recurred in both of the following years, becoming chronic “hot spot” locations containing more than one in six of all reported romance fraud victims. The demography of victims in repeat locations differed considerably, but hot spots were more frequently predominantly populated by less affluent populations.

Policy Implications

We conclude that the current national one-size-fits-all fraud prevention approach may not be the most efficient or effective way to reach those victims who most require crime prevention advice. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, based in the City of London Police, could adopt a tailored approach to providing preventative information to local police forces based on the year-to-year patterns in crime and the associated intelligence provided by sociodemographic data sources such as Acorn.     

Financial Crime Today: Greece as a European Case Study

In this article a spectrum of financial crime, ranging from Customs violations, EU-fraud, tax evasion, Stock Market fraud, illegal use of intellectual property, electronic and Internet crime, to environmental pollution, illegal trafficking of personal data, and corruption is illustrated by examples from Greece. Needless to say, that the phenomenon of corruption and financial crime is creating problems not only in Greece, but also in other European countries and at higher financial levels.     

The Savings and Loan Debacle of the 1980s: White-Collar Crime or Risky Business?*

This paper examines the role of white-collar crime in the savings and loan crisis. Noting economists' assertions that crime was only a minor ingredient in the crisis, we compare the explanatory power of this “minimal fraud” model to that of its “material fraud” alternative. Bringing together evidence from every major study of thrifts in the 1980s, we argue that only the material fraud hypothesis can make sense of these data. This study demonstrates the utility of deductive reasoning in distinguishing between white-collar crime and ordinary business transactions, thereby potentially contributing to prosecutorial efforts, and helping resolve long-standing methodological dilemmas confronting white-collar criminologists.     

“Moral Panics” Deflected: The Failed Legislative Response to Canada’s Safety Crimes and Markets Fraud Legislation

This paper critically examines the enforcement, or lack thereof, of criminal laws relating to corporate crime. Using Canada's recently enacted corporate criminal liability (safety crimes) and markets fraud legislation as its empirical focus, it seeks to explain why these laws were introduced, only to fall into a state of virtual disuse. The authors explain how, in the wake of yet another crisis in capitalism, the state felt compelled to enact criminal laws to offset the abuses of corporate power in these two arenas. However, despite promises to 'get tough' on corporate crime, the enforcement of both laws has been sporadic and, in many respects, non-existent. The authors argue that both the passage and the ineffectiveness of Canada's safety crimes and markets fraud legislation can be traced to their shared Keynesian origins as responses to a crisis in neoclassical economics. In essence, both laws are caught-up in a tug-of-war between two opposing yet not incompatible visions of how best to regulate the capitalist marketplace. As a result, even if some corporations and corporate actors are held to legal account, the underlying causes of corporate crime, including the class-based exploitation that is fundamental to capitalism, remain untouched. The authors conclude by arguing for enforcement of corporate crime laws that recognizes the limits of this struggle and the necessity to stave-off capitalism's endemic harms.