THE REFORM OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM IN CHINA IS CONFRONTED WITH A CRUCIAL PERIOD OF STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES

On November 23, 2014, the Humanities and Social Sciences Forum of China, hosted by Renmin University of China and organized by Renmin Law School, was held in Yifu Conference Room of Renmin University of China. The theme of the forum is “China’s Rule of Law: Move Forward the Modernization of Regulatory Institutions and Regulatory Capacities of China.” The purpose of the forum is to further implement practices according to the spirits of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and to modernize the country’s regulatory institutions. Professor XIAO Yang, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court of China, has delivered a keynote speech on “The Reform of the Judicial System in China Is Confronted with a Crucial Period of Strategic Opportunities.” He stated that currently China was experiencing a complicated and diversified period of transformation and that the rule of law should become a social consensus. To rule the country by law, first and foremost, it is critical to do so according to the Constitution; and to administer the country by law, it is essential to administer according to the Constitution. Good law and governance are the two basic aspects of the rule of law and should have a benign interaction in practice. Additionally, the top-level plans shall first be well-designed based upon the spirits of the Fourth Plenum and the constitutional rules, and then the judicial reforms shall be actively, smoothly, and gradually carried out according to the plans. This has become a new model of legal construction. Moreover, the relations among the various aspects shall be resolved correctly. Those aspects include the judicial systematic reforms and the working institutional reforms, the protection of judicial authority and the enhancement of supervision over governance, the relations among different interest groups from the long-term development perspective, and the systematic and cultural constructions of the law. Finally, he emphasized that the rule of law needed faith and dream and wished to see more young people to inherit the dream of the rule of law.     

九九修宪与依法治国

九九修宪前夕，围绕宪法的稳定性与适应性、经济发展优先还是法制改革优先等问题， 人们展开了激烈的争论， 认清了修改宪法的必要性。九九宪法修正案确立了邓小平理论在国家中的指导地位， 明确了在现阶段的中国坚持社会主义就是坚持初级阶段、中国特色的社会主义， 稳定了家庭承包经营为基础、统分结合的双层经营体制， 确认了非公有制经济应有的法律地位。依法治国， 建设法治国家， 不仅要求我们从理论上区分法治与法制的概念， 明确法治与人治的分野， 坚持宪法确立的法治原则， 尤其要求我们在实践中建立有效的权力制约机制。     

THE FAMILY LAW EDUCATION REFORM PROJECT FINAL REPORT

The Family Law Education Reform Project (the FLER Project) is co‐sponsored by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the Center for Children, Families and the Law at Hofstra Law School. This Final Report is based on a series of dialogues between family law academics and practitioners from many disciplines, a FLER Project survey, and research conducted by law students at Hofstra University and Northeastern University. 2     

中国法律文化研究会成立

2010年1月30日,北京市第一个以研究中国法律文化传统、弘扬中国优秀传统法律文化马目的的学术团体-北京市法学会中国法律文化研究会,在中国人民大学明德楼举行成立大会。北京市法学会常务副会长周信、中国人民大学法学院党委书记林嘉教授到会祝贺,来自近三十个北京市高校、科研机构、出版单位、新闻媒体的会员和特邀嘉宾共50余人出席了成立大会。     

关于完善中国缺陷产品召回制度的若干问题

Defective product recalling system is a new regime in modern civil law, characterized by its special functions to prevent and eliminate the harms concerning consumers’ body and property due to potential defects of products. In legal nature, it is necessary to define “recalling defective products” as the obligation rather than the liability of manufacturers or sellers, so as to encourage both manufacturers and sellers to take effective remedies immediately upon defective products. Product recalling is of two categories, i.e., active recalling and compulsory recalling, and the breach of such recalling obligation will lead to a series of legal liabilities. Considering the importance of the recalling system and the economic development of China, it is strongly proposed that China shall formulate the Law of Defective Product Recalling. Wang Liming, Ph.D of Law, is currently a vice president of Renmin University of China and dean of the Law School. Prof. WANG is also a member of the Law Committee of 10th and 11th National People’s Congress, vice president of China Law Society. Prof. WANG is a leading expert in the drafting and formulating important civil laws in China, such as the Law of Real Rights of PRC. His main research area is civil and commercial law. Quite a number of his monographs won national academic achievements award, including but not limited to Study on Civil Law Regime (Renmin University of China Press, 2008), Study on General Principles of Civil Law (Renmin University of China Press, 2003), Draft of Law of Real Rights and its Interpretation (China Legality Press, 2001), etc. He also has 100 or so articles published in law journals home and abroad.     

《中华人民共和国反垄断法》析评

The Anti-Monopoly Law of the People’s Republic of China has provided to prohibit monopoly agreements and abuse of dominant market position, control concentration of business operators and fight against administrative monopoly. The transformation of China’s economic system is incomplete, and the Anti-Monopoly Law has many flaws. At the initial stage of enforcing the Anti-Monopoly Law, severe challenges will occur in legislative purposes, enforcement authorities, fighting against administrative monopoly and handling of the relationship between anti-monopoly enforcement and industry supervision. Thus, the promulgation of the Anti-Monopoly Law is only the first step in the legislation on anti-monopoly. Wang Xiaoye held a bachelor’s degree of philosophy from Inner Mongolian Normal University (1981), LL.M. from Renmin University of China (1984) and Doctor Juris magna cum laude from the University Hamburg (1993). Since 1984, she works at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). From 1988 to 1993, she studied in Germany based on Max-Planck Institute for Comparative Private Law. As visiting scholar she spent a year at Max-Planck Institute for Comparative Intellectual Property and Competition Law, and a year at Max-Planck Institute for Comparative Social Law in Munich. In 2004, she was invited to the US by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. In 2005, she was invited to the European Union Visitors Program, and awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to spend a year at the Chicago-Kent College of Law. Prof. Wang works in the areas of economic law, international economic law, and focuses on competition law. Her publications include: Monopoly and Competition in the Chinese Economy — A conception for merger control in China in view of the American and German practices (J C B Mohr, 1993); Monopoly Problem in the Merger of Enterprises (Law Press, 1996); On Competition Law (China’s Legal Publishing House, 1999); Competition Law of European Community (China’s Legal Publishing House, 2001); Economic Law (Social Sciences Academic Press, 2005); Competition Law (Social Sciences Academic Press, 2007). She also has over 200 papers published in Chinese, German and English languages. Prof. Wang has served as vice president of National Association for Economic Law of China, the head of the Consultant Committee for WTO Trade and Competition Policy of the Ministry of Commerce, and member of the Expert Advisory Board for Anti-Monopoly Legislation of the State Council and the National People’s Congress. In her honor, she once lectured on competition law for the Standing Committee of the Ninth and Tenth People’s Congress. In international academic activities, she is a founding member of Academic Society for Competition Law (ASCOLA) and of the Asian Competition Forum, and member of International Advisory Board of the CUTS C-CIER. She lectured on Chinese law at ABA, IBA, IPBA, ACF, Harvard University, Columbia University, Washington University (St. Louis), New York University, KFTC, Chatham House, LIDC, IDRC and other institutions.     

论中国《反垄断法》实施中的相关市场界定

Defining relevant markets is the foundation of establishing main antimonopoly regimes and the key issue in enforcing antimonopoly law, which often reflects the leniency or strictness of enforcement. In the process of defining relevant product market, the main factors to be considered include physical function and use purpose of product, product price, consumers’ preference and substitutable possibility of product supply. In defining relevant geographic market, the main consideration involves transportation cost and product characteristics, product price, consumers’ preference and barriers to market access. On the occasion of forthcoming enforcement of the Antimonopoly Law of China, the enforcement authorities should draw up a specific rule of the definition of relevant markets. Wang Xianlin got his Ph.D from Law School of Renmin University of China (2001) and is a Fulbright visiting scholar at Law School of George Washington University (2007–2008). Prof. Wang is a director of Economic Law Institute and a doctoral tutor in Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Law. He was once a member of the advisory committee of antimonopoly legislation of the Legal Affairs Office of the State Council of P.R.C. and is a standing director of the Economic Law Academy affiliated with China Law Society. His research focuses on competition law and intellectual property law. He has ten books published individually or cooperatively, including the monograph, such as the Intellectual Property and Antimonopoly Law—Studies on antimonopoly issues of abuse of intellectual property rights and WTO competition policy and Chinese antimonopoly legislation and abuse of intellectual property rights and its regulation. Moreover, he has released over 100 papers in academic journals. In recent years, his research is focused on China’s antimonopoly legislation and the abuse of IPRs of multinational companies in China.     

Reprinted from Vol. 44 No. 4 in Honor of Professor J. Herbie DiFonzo. The Family Law Education Reform Project Final Report†

The Family Law Education Reform Project (the FLER Project) is co‐sponsored by the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and the Center for Children, Families and the Law at Hofstra Law School. This Final Report is based on a series of dialogues between family law academics and practitioners from many disciplines, a FLER Project survey, and research conducted by law students at Hofstra University and Northeastern University. 2     

论行政法的宪政基础——对行政法与宪法之间关系的再认识

在对行政法与宪法之间关系的认识上,我国行政法学界的主流观点存在一定的片面性。事实上,行政法与宪法具有作为公法的同一性;两者之间也存在作为部门法的差异性;最为重要的是,“宪政国家是行政法的前提”,行政法必须构建在宪政基础之上——行政权的合法性来自于其在宪政结构中的地位与职能、宪政控制行政法治的性质与方向、宪政决定并塑造行政法的风貌与品格。中国行政法同样需要具备宪政基础。     

法治原则在中国宪法文本中的嬗变

法治原则作为世界多数国家宪法所普遍贯穿的一项基本原则,在我国历部宪法文本中经历了由法制到法治的发展演变。现行宪法对法治原则的规定表现为直接和间接两种方式。而法治原则在宪法文本中的价值可区分为宪法文本内和宪法文本外两个层面：在宪法文本内,法治原则是协调统一宪法规则的标尺和确立宪法权威的依据;在宪法文本外,法治原则要求规范和控制国家公权力的运行,保障人权与公民权的实现。     

文化产品、版权保护与贸易规则

Cultural products are commodities with cultural contents, which are neither equivalent to cultural relics nor ordinary articles. Such dual natures bring forth divergences in trade policy, mandating the generality and particularity of trade rules. The WTO rules lay more emphases on free trade while the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization put more stress on the free exchange and diversity of cultures. Nations enjoy cultural sovereignty over their cultural policies and administrative measures. The rules of intellectual property rights also influence trade in cultural products. To develop trade in cultural products, science and technologies shall be employed to create diversified and competitive products of distinct cultural values. Han Liyu, Ph.D, is an associate professor of law, and director of International Law Teaching and Research at Renmin University of China, Vice Secretary-General of WTO Section in China Law Society, and member of China’s International Economic Law Society. Mr. Han teaches and does research on international economic law and WTO law, publishing several monographs and articles on the US trade law and the WTO law. For many times, Mr. Han did research as visiting scholar in American universities and UNIDROIT. Mr. Han got a post-graduate diploma in Common Law from Hong Kong University.     

REVIEWS

Not in Feather Beds . By the Viscount Radcliffe, p. c ., g. b. e . Libel and Academic Freedom . By Arnold M. Rose . The Correspondence of Jeremy Bentham : Vol. 1, 1752–76, Vol. 2, 1777–80. Edited by Timothy L. S. Sprigge . Directives and Norms . By Alf Ross . The Logic of Choice . By Gidon Gottlieb . The Origins of the Fifth Amendment . The Right Against Self -Incrimination . By Leonard W. Levy . A Basic History of the U.S. Supreme Court . By Bernard Schwartz . On Law and Justice . By Paul A. Freund . The Supreme Court and Administrative Agencies . By Martin Shapiro . The Law of the Individual According to Age and Sex . By Colin A. Coode, m. a . The British Cabinet . By John P. Mackintosh . Australian Federalism in the Courts . By Geoffrey Sawer , Professor of Law, Australian National University. Australian Federal Constitutional Law . By Colin Howard , Hearn Professor of Law in the University of Melbourne. The Law of Theft . By J. G. Smith . The Theft Act 1968. By Edward Griew . The Mentally Abnormal Offender . A Ciba Foundation Symposium. Edited by A. V. S. de Reuck and R. Porter . C.I.F. & F.O.B. Contracts . Volume 5 of British Shipping Laws . By David M. Sassoon . Labour Law : Old Traditions and New Developments . By Otto Kahn -Freund , Professor of Comparative Law, Oxford University. Foreword by H. W. Arthurs, Professor, Osgoode Hall, Law School of York University. Preface by Otto Lang, Dean of Law, University of Saskatchewan. Manual of Public International Law . Edited by Max Sorensen , Professor of International and Constitutional Law in Aarhus University. The First British Workmen 's Compensation Act 1897. By David G. Hanes . Modern Diplomatic Law . By Michael Hardy . Justice and the Legal System in the U.S.S.R. Soviet Studies Series, edited by Robert Conquest . The Legal System of Israel . By Henry E. Baker . The Relevance of International Adjudication . By Milton Katz , Henry L. Stimson Professor of Law and Director of International Legal Studies at Harvard Law School. The Critical Problems of the Indian Constitution . By The Hon . Mr . Justice P. B. Mukharji . Religion , Law and the State in India . By J. Duncan M. Derrett . Selected Judgments of the Supreme Court of Israel . Volume III 1959/60. Edited by Asher Landau and Peter Elman .     

中国东海法律问题

In the most range of the East China Sea, the exploiting oil and gas have been blocked for decades by conflicting claims to the boundaries and islets by China and Japan. For the sake of addressing conflicts in a comprehensive cooperation by bilateral and multilateral agreements aiming at reducing rising tensions and harvesting resources in disputed areas, it has become a key issue worthy of research. Zhou Zhonghai is a professor of international law and director of the International Law Center in China University of Political Science and Law. He was a senior visiting scholar of the Law School, University of Virginia (1991). As a legal adviser of the Chinese delegation to the third UN conference on the law of the sea, he once attended the drafting committee conference. His main works include Comments on International Law (2001), International Law of the Sea (1987), Legal Problems on International Economic Relations (1993), Peace, Justice and Law (1996), Technologic Progress and Development of the Law of the sea (1998), Law Dictionary (1998), Business Law in China, Trade, Investment and Finance (1997), On the Case of Agusto Pinochet Ugarte (1999). In addition, he has published many essays, for instance, Zhonghai Zhou’s essays on international law (2006), Jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (2005), International law and its functions in international relations (1997), On diplomatic protection for the overseas investments (2007).     

中国宪法学的学术使命与功能的演变——中国宪法学30年发展的反思

宪法学的历史源远流长,不同时代的宪法学承担不同的学术使命。在改革开放的背景下,中国宪法学以其学术逻辑与主体性,推动了社会发展与进步,确立了自己的历史方位与功能。通过对宪法学学术使命与功能演变过程的分析,对宪法学30年发展中的若干基本问题进行了学术反思,提出“后30年宪法学”发展的基本课题。     

徜徉于哲学与法学之间-“事实与证据：哲学与法学的对话”国际研讨会综述

近年来,中国证据法学的研究取得了长足的发展。但随着讨论主题范围的日渐扩展以及程度的不断加深,证据法学研究中的许多问题越来越难以通过法学这一单一学科予以解决,急需与其他学科的学者进行对话,在这一背景之下,“事实与证据：哲学与法学的对话”国际研讨会在华东师范大学顺利召开。围绕“如何运用证据认定事实”这一问题,本次研讨会从“证据”和“事实”的基本含义及其相互关系、“司法认识论”、“事实认定的规则与方法”、“司法证明的标准”、“概率与证明”等五个方面进行了精彩的观点交换与交锋,在讨论中各位学者既达成了一些基本共识,也引出了许多有待深入研讨的话题。     

死刑威慑力的犯罪学分析

Death penalty is the most effective deterrence to grave crimes, which has been the key basis for the State to retain death penalty. In fact, either in legislation or in execution, death penalty can not produce the special deterrent effect as expected. With respect to this issue, people tend to conduct normative exploration from the perspective of ordinary legal principles or the principle of human rights, which is more speculative than convincing. Correct interpretation based on the existing positive analysis and differentiation based on human nature which sifts the true from the false will not only help end the simple, repetitive and meaningless arguments regarding the basis for the existence of death penalty, but also help understand the rational nature of both the elimination and the preservation of death penalty, so as to define the basic direction towards which the State should make efforts in controlling death penalty in the context of promoting social civilization. Zhang Yuanhuang is a professor of law at Beijing Normal University, and a doctoral tutor and director of the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Policy. He has been to Paris II University as a senior visiting scholar. He is an executive director of Chinese Criminological Society and a director of the Chinese branch of International Association of Penal Law. His main publications include: Basic Issues of Modern Criminology (China Procuratorial Press, 1998), Principles of Criminology (Law Press, 2^nd ed. 2008), Criminology (Renmin University of China Press, 2008); and he has more than 70 articles published in law academic journals.     

国际合同法上的实际履行制度研究

实际履行是合同法中一项重要的违约救济制度。考察实际履行的性质以及在两大法系国家合同法中的地位,实际履行在1980年《国际货物买卖合同公约》中的具体体现和特点,研究该制度在公约之后的发展趋势,有助于进一步完善中国的实际履行制度。     

论植物人的法律人格及权利行使和保护

Although human vegetables lose their capacities of will and do not have the intrinsic attribute of civil subjects, they still have legal personalities and the status of civil subjects. The law has not provided for defects of their legal personalities, and thus civil law shall include human vegetables as objects of guardianship. The system of adult guardianship shall be constructed to supplement and correct the legal personalities of human vegetables. When human vegetables enter into a permanent vegetative state or state of brain death, law may declare the termination of legal personalities of the human vegetable. Due to the unique life state and capacity of act of human vegetables, the exercise of their civil rights faces a series of legal difficulties and challenges, mainly involving important issues such as the right of treatment for life rescue, marital right and reproductive right. The civil law shall ensure that the civil right of human vegetables can be fully enjoyed and effectively protected. Zhang Li, associate professor in civil and business law at Fujian Normal University, and also an invited researcher on civil law, international economic law and international private law, co-operated with Law School of Renmin University of China. Till now, she’s already released 23 theses in law journals and a monograph of the Survey of International Private Law. In addition, she was a member in doing studies (2006) on the legislation of Chinese tort law and presides over the researching (2007) of the legal personality and rights of disabled persons.     

判例在中国传统法中的功能

In traditional Chinese law, cases are the judicial decisions of general effects determined by special procedures. Before the Period of Spring and Autumn and Warring States, the main form of Chinese law was cases. After that period, Chinese legal system had gradually accommodated various forms in coexistence, with codes as the main body but cases as supplementary. Such a system maintained for a long time. Those cases in the codification era were based on codes and functioned to broaden the scope of legislation, supplement the legislative techniques and strengthen the effect of rules. As to the relationship between the establishment rule and the recurring rule of cases, ancient Chinese law persisted in the recurring rule and thus it maintained a relatively steady supply of rules while maintaining an inner stable legal forms. Wang Shirong, professor, head of the Research Department of Northwest University of Political Science and Law (NWUPL), Standing Director of the Legal History Society of China, Vice-director of the National Clinical Education Committee, Honored Professor of Gansu Institute of Political Science and Law, Consultant of Xi’an Intermediary Court, a project manager of the legal clinic program of NWUPL. His Major researches cover: Chinese legal history, the legal history of criminal law and the clinical legal education. His representative works include: A Study of Chinese Court Decisions in Ancient Time (1997, CUPL Press), A Study of Ancient Cases in China (1997, CUPL Press), Legal Cases and Law Development (2006, Law Press), and more than 20 papers released in key journals.     

普法、法盲与法治

历史传统和现实条件的特殊性决定了中国的法治进程具有不同于西方的特点。中国已经从“变法型”法治阶段进入“普法型”法治阶段 ,中国法治的基本问题已经从“变法、法治及其本土资源”的问题变为“送法下乡”的问题 ,普法及法治不是民众与国家权力之间简单的服从与被服从关系 ,它必须走群众路线 ,必须尊重和体现广大人民群众的主体地位及能动作用。为此 ,必须反对脱离中国国情的法治模式和法治精英主义 ,同时需要一种全新的法理学。