Encryption: A 21st Century National Security Dilemma

As the 21st century approaches, encryption is presenting a national security dilemma in the US. While the use of strong encryption for computerized data is essential in protecting our nation, widespread, unregulated encryption poses serious problems on two levels: encryption could inhibit the government's ability to enforce the law as well as gather foreign intelligence. As a result, the government has established export controls on encryption products and proposed a 'key recovery' system designed to enable law enforcement officers to access encrypted data in the course of lawful investigations. The export controls have been ineffective and counterproductive policy and are arguably unconstitutional under the First Amendment. However, export controls are the only viable solution to the intelligence gathering problem and will need to survive these political and legal attacks or our national security could be jeopardized. Key recovery will be difficult and costly to implement and has come under attack by civil liberties' groups. Nevertheless, a cost-effective compromise on key recovery is necessary to meet the needs of law enforcement. Such a system, if it mirrored current electronic surveillance law, would effectively balance individual privacy rights and governmental interests and thus should survive constitutional scrutiny. Congress and President Clinton ought to enact key recovery legislation soon before the use of encryption becomes commonplace. A failure to act intelligently and effectively on this critical, cutting-edge issue could compromise our nation's future.     

Driving with the Handbrake On: Competition Class Actions under the Consumer Rights Act 2015

This paper examines the new class action procedure for competition cases established by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. It examines whether the legislation and the procedural rules for the Competition Appeal Tribunal address the failures of previous procedures, focusing on three issues in particular i) the treatment of conflicting interests amongst class members ii) the rules on certifying collective proceedings; and iii) rules on funding. It argues that while the Act is a considerable improvement on what preceded it, the safeguards adopted will act as a drag on meritorious and unmeritorious claims alike, and as such there is likely to be continued under‐enforcement of competition law.     

UK further education sector journey to compliance with the general data protection regulation and the data protection act 2018

The Further Education sector provides training and qualifications to 2.2million young people and adults annually and in the process collect a wealth of data which must be properly managed to ensure it is processed in a fair and transparent manner, maintaining compliance with good information governance and data protection legislation. This article shares the findings of a study which explored the content of General Data Protection Regulation action plans, first hand accounts from data practitioners and the views of students as provides embraced the new legislation.The article demonstrates how a sector which fills the void between schools and universities is unique in the challenges they face when ensuring compliance with data protection laws. These challenges include the application of legislation, noting key differences between the nations of the United Kingdom, and the moral duties placed upon the provider by parents who expect open dialogue with the education provider, consistent as happened with lower levels of education. This must be balanced with the student's right to data privacy and control over who can access their educational records .     

Reconciling transparency and privacy through the European Digital Identity

Where lies the balance between privacy and transparency? It is an everlasting question, that lied at the heart of the recent judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The case concerned the Ultimate Beneficial Ownership registry which contains the information of who has a financial interest in companies. The registry was open to the public. The wide accessibility aimed to increase transparency and thereby prevent money laundering and the financing of terrorism (MLFT). The registry was open to public access and the question to the CJEU was whether the accessibility was lawful. The judgement of the CJEU declared the wide accessibility to be unlawful. The judgement acknowledges the importance of the concept of transparency but nevertheless considers the public access to be unproportionate. Leaving the question of how to balance transparency with privacy. The answer can be found in redesigning the European electronic Identity. This case-note will first discuss the facts of the case in section 2. The note will then continue by summarizing the opinion of the Advocate General in section 3. In section 4 the note will summarize the judgement of the CJEU. The case note will end in section 5 with an analysis of the impact of the case in relation to developing a digital European Identity.     

法经济学视角下环境监管立法的价值目标与实现途径

公平与效率是环境监管立法过程中应当遵循的最重要的价值目标，它关系到环境监管法实施的有效性。依经济学市场均衡理论，环境监管立法供给应与可持续发展社会对法的需求相适应，这要求我国立法部门建立全面、具体而符合社会公众利益的环境监管法，以实现法的公平目标。依成本收益理论，应该尽量减少立法成本，法的内容要尽量使个体行为外部性内部化，对此应坚持民主科学立法，建立层次有致、奖惩分明、具有前瞻性和长效性的环境监管法，以实现法的效率目标。     

‘Delegated’ Legislation in the (new) European Union: A Constitutional Analysis

This article brings classic constitutionalism to an analysis of delegated legislation in the European Union. To facilitate such a constitutional analysis, it starts with a comparative excursion introducing the judicial and political safeguards on executive legislation in American constitutionalism. In the European legal order, similar constitutional safeguards emerged in the last fifty years. First, the Court of Justice developed judicial safeguards in the form of a European non‐delegation doctrine. Second, the European legislator has also insisted on political safeguards within delegated legislation. Under the Rome Treaty, ‘comitology’ was the defining characteristic of executive legislation. The Lisbon Treaty represents a revolutionary restructuring of the regulatory process. The (old) Community regime for delegated legislation is split into two halves. Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) henceforth governs delegations of legislative power, while Article 291 TFEU establishes the constitutional regime for delegations of executive power.     

刑事证据法的制度转型与研究转向——以非法证据排除规则为线索的分析

20世纪初美国法学界曾针对"非法证据排除规则"发生过激烈论争,证据学家威格莫尔与法律改革家豪尔乃是论争中对立的双方,其论争的历史贡献在于引出了近现代西方证据法(学)发展的两大论题:"证据法应以证明性为中心还是以可采性为中心"与"如何处理证据规则的实现和诉讼程序的构建之间的关系"。确立与构筑非法证据排除规则是我国《刑事诉讼法》再修改的重要环节,当前我国刑事证据法学界的诸多争论与威格莫尔和豪尔当年的论战存在诸多"历史相似性",故有必要进行关联审视。由于我国证据立法以证明性而非可采性为中心,证据规则的实践运行环境不容乐观,理论研究也因为一直受到证据学进路的统摄而不能获得独立。为摆脱困境,我国刑事证据法学界应当以学科建制的探讨为契机,实现中国证据法的制度转型,即构建以可采性规则为中心的证据规则体系,旨在防止误判与价值权衡。同时实现证据法学的研究转向,即实现中国的证据学之法学转型、人权法转型及相对于实体法的独立性转型。     

看守所收押罪犯保外就医医学鉴定探索

目前有关看守所收押罪犯保外就医医学鉴定的法律规定尚不够规范，看守所收押罪犯保外就医的医学鉴定存在很多问题。要规范看守所收押罪犯保外就医的医学鉴定，就应加快刑罚执行方面的立法完善，规范保外就医等执法行为；建立统一的保外就医鉴定机构准入制度，改变当前鉴定机构的乱、杂局面；针对保外就医出现的新情况，建议尽快构建《看守所收押罪犯保外就医执行办法》及其实施细则和标准.     

The evolution of computer/privacy concerns: Access to government information held in the balance∗

Computers are a mainstay of most record systems at virtually all levels of government. The vast accumulation of personal information by governments has raised concerns about the erosion of personal privacy caused by the speed and efficiency of computers. For more than 30 years, realistic and sometimes exaggerated concerns about the proper role of computers in society have driven the public policy debate, resulting in a raft of legislation designed to protect the privacy of individuals about whom government keeps records.

But these computer /privacy concerns threaten legitimate public and media access to government records. The dangers to access were underscored by the Supreme Court in a holding that publicly available records regained privacy interests when drawn together in a centralized government computer. In other words, the form in which records were kept rather than their content could control access.

This article suggests that understanding the origin and context of the computer /privacy conflict will better prepare access proponents to deal with attempts to curtail legitimate access to government information because of privacy concerns.     

提升地方政府应对网络突发事件能力的思考

互联网的迅速发展导致了网络突发事件频发这一新的社会问题,也对地方政府管理者提出了,必须提升应对网络突发事件能力的要求.为了有效化解网络突发事件,地方政府需要贯彻公开透明、及时处理、法治与疏导为主的基本原则,并从完善立法、建立预警机制、加强业务培训和采用舆情监控技术手段等方面入手,切实提高地方政府应对网络突发事件的能力.     

Abortion in Australia: access versus protest

Currently in Australia anti-choice protesters' right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest is privileged over a woman's right to privacy and to access a health service safely, free from harassment, intimidation and obstruction. This article considers how this situation is played out daily at one Victorian abortion-providing clinic. The Fertility Control Clinic was thrown into the spotlight after the murder of its security guard by an anti-choice crusader in July 2001. Australian common law appears not to offer women protection from anti-choice protesters. By contrast, United States and Canadian "bubble" legislation sits comfortably with key constitutional rights. It would be a useful development if Australian governments passed legislation to ensure the rights, wellbeing and safety of Australian women accessing health services. Such legislation would be another step away from the misogynistic and androcentric values once central to our legislative framework.     

International human rights for mentally ill persons: the Ontario experience

This article is part of a working project which assesses Ontario's mental health legislation and practice vis-à-vis international human rights standards. The paper focuses on procedural safeguards provided by the major international human rights instruments in the field of mental health law such as the UN Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness (MI Principles) and the European Convention on Human Rights as interpreted by the European Human Rights Court. In analysing Ontario's compliance with international standards, the paper will explore some problems arising from the implementation of the legislation with which the author is familiar with from his experience as counsel for the Consent and Capacity Board. The paper aims to generate discussion for potential reforms in domestic legal systems and to provide a methodology to be used as a tool to assess similar mental health legislation in other local contexts.     

Dr. Jekyll's waiver of Mr. Hyde's right to refuse medical treatment: Washington's new law authorizing mental health care advance directives needs additional protection

Mental health care advance directives are gaining popularity nationwide. Following a growing trend, the Washington State Legislature has recently passed a law allowing patients to draft mental health care advance directives that could be irrevocable. Patients who sign an irrevocable directive essentially waive their fundamental right to refuse treatment in the future. The United States Supreme Court has held that waivers of fundamental rights must be made knowingly, voluntarily, and intelligently. However, as passed, Washington's new law contains insufficient safeguards to guarantee such a waiver. This Comment proposes that the Washington State Legislature amend this law the require two additional protections: a "rights advocate" to explain the potential waiver of rights, and a written warning in the advance directive form. These safeguards will help ensure that patients make knowing and intelligent waivers of their fundamental right to refuse treatment.     

Stem cell technologies: regulation, patents and problems

Human embryonic stem cell research promises to deliver in the future a whole range of therapeutic treatments, but currently governments in different jurisdictions must try to regulate this burgeoning area. Part of the problem has been, and continues to be, polarised community opinion on the use of human embryonic stem cells for research. This article compares the approaches of the Australian, United Kingdom and United States governments in regulating human embryonic stem cell research. To date, these governments have approached the issue through implementing legislation or policy to control research. Similarly, the three jurisdictions have viewed the patentability of human embryonic stem cell technologies in their own ways with different policies being adopted by the three patent offices. This article examines these different approaches and discusses the inevitable concerns that have been raised due to the lack of a universal approach in relation to the regulation of research; the patenting of stem cell technologies; and the effects patents granted are having on further human embryonic stem cell research.     

质疑“规定行政措施”

我国宪法和地方政府组织法授权国务院和县级以上地方各级人民政府可以规定行政措施,该项权力的内涵易生歧义,且与法治行政的若干理念、原则与制度格格不入。宪法和组织法应删除规定行政措施的内容,将其归属于行政立法权和决定、命令制定、发布权范畴内,依法理顺行政机关抽象行为权的内部秩序。     

国家干预家庭暴力的限度研究

鉴于家庭自治的局限性和私权与公共利益保护的迫切需要,国家干预家庭暴力有其必要性和正当性。目前国家干预家庭暴力的态度积极,但是部分干预方式差强人意。国家干预家庭暴力必须保证婚姻家庭内部规则的有效运行,应当秉承切忌法律万能论、尊重家庭自治和适当注意的基本原则,其具体干预方式包括但不限于维持家庭内部秩序、建立家庭自治的约束机制和适当增加强制性措施等。作为国家干预家庭暴力的典型例证,《反家庭暴力法》必须尊重家庭内部规则,建立家庭自治的约束机制,确保国家干预家庭暴力的适时性和有限性,这是《反家庭暴力法》有效运行的基本途径。     

UNCROC and the prevention of childhood obesity: the right not to have food advertisements on television

This article discusses how legal rights-based discourse could inform the response of Australian State and federal governments to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. The authors contend that the principles in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (a treaty which has been ratified but not implemented) are capable of providing a basis for a legislative program to prevent childhood obesity. It is argued that an approach to legislation which is grounded on the basis of children's rights would require that there be restrictions on advertising food to children. The authors set out specific proposals for legislative reforms which the federal Parliament could enact to implement the Convention so as to restrict advertising to children. The scope of the discussion is then expanded to consider the implications of rights-based discourse in broader public health contexts.     

透明度原则及其对中国法治的影响

WTO的透明度原则要求各成员方迅速公布其贸易法律规章和措施,并保证其贸易法律规章和措施的统一实施。中国作为WTO的成员之一,其立法和实践将受到WTO透明度原则的深刻影响。     

The semblance of autonomy: treatment of persons with disabilities under the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act

This Article illuminates the dangers of the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act, which provides a set of model rules designed to clarify and expedite end-of-life health-care decisionmaking for incapacitated patients. The uniform commissioners and many scholars who have commented on the Act have touted the legislation as a model for defending patient autonomy. As this Article will reveal, the impression of autonomy is an illusion. In fact, the Act privileges the perspectives of the able-bodied over those of persons with disabilities, endangers the autonomy of incapacitated patients, and empowers proxy decisionmakers who have incentives to terminate treatment. These risks have become all the more significant with the rise of managed-care programs that create pressures to minimize care. After highlighting the serious risks to vulnerable patients under the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act, the Article offers alternative rules and stronger safeguards to better protect patient autonomy and defend against wrongful health-care decisions. This Article urges states seeking improved end-of-life health-care procedures to codify these or similar protections in order to avoid the lethal shortcomings of the Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act.     

Private thoughts of public representatives: assisted death, voluntary euthanasia and politicians

Assisted death and voluntary euthanasia have received significant and sustained media attention in recent years. High-profile cases of people seeking assistance to end their lives have raised, at least in the popular press, debate about whether individuals should be able to seek such assistance at a time when they consider their suffering to be unbearable or their quality of life unsatisfactory. Other recent developments include a number of attempts to legislate on the issue by the minor parties in Australia and the successful enactment of legislation in a few overseas jurisdictions. However, despite all of the recent attention that has focused on assisted death and voluntary euthanasia, a discussion of the adequacy of existing laws has not made it onto the political agenda of any of the Australian State or Territory governments. This is in spite of the fact that the private views of the majority of our elected Members of Parliament may be supportive of reform. This article explores the role of politicians' views and, as a case study, considers the opinions expressed by a number of Queensland Members of Parliament. In light of the views of these politicians and those of members of the public, as well as considerations arising from current medical practice, the article argues that there is a need for open political debate on assisted death and voluntary euthanasia. The article also suggests ways that such a debate may be achieved while minimising any political impact on governments that are prepared at least to consider this issue.