Consent in escrow

Disasters such as flash flooding, mass shootings, and train and airplane accidents involving large numbers of victims produce significant opportunity for research in the biosciences. This opportunity exists in the extreme tails of life events, however, during which decisions about life and death, valuing and foregoing, speed and patience, trust and distrust, are tested simultaneously and abundantly. The press and urgency of these scenarios may also challenge the ability of researchers to comprehensively deliver information about the purposes of a study, risks, benefits, and alternatives. Under these circumstances, we argue that acquiring consent for the immediate use of data that are not time sensitive represents a gap in the protection of human study participants. In response, we offer a two-tiered model of consent that allows for data collected in real-time to be held in escrow until the acute post-disaster window has closed. Such a model not only respects the fundamental tenet of consent in research, but also enables such research to take place in an ethically defensible manner.     

Food distribution's socio-economic relationships and public policy: Mexico City's municipal public markets

Traditional food supply systems, like municipal public markets (MPM), are in crisis. Nevertheless, MPMs continue to demonstrate importance in the lives of the cities. In this article we discuss the case of Mexico City and the importance of the public markets for its neighbourhoods. We present the results of two research projects, completed in Mexico City at two different historical times and interpreted longitudinally. The results demonstrate the importance of socio-economic relationships for MPM's survival and potential. The article concludes with public policy recommendations to permit conservation, given the MPM's importance for the city's social cohesion.     

This land is my land: the Ethio-Sudan boundary and the need to rectify arbitrary colonial boundaries

Ethiopia and Sudan share a common boundary of over 1600 km which was drawn through a series of treaties between Ethiopia and the colonial powers of Britain and Italy. To date, this boundary has not been clearly demarcated. In 2007, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, the current ruling government, entered into a secret agreement with the Sudan to make adjustments on the border. This paper identifies the major factors that have frustrated efforts to address the Ethio-Sudan boundary problem and also proposes solutions on how Ethiopia and Sudan could resolve their differences. The analysis reveals that political, social and cultural factors; the decision to adopt the western concept of the boundary; and the failure to recognise the historic and cultural constructs have contributed to the frustration of negotiations on the border. The paper proposes that Ethiopia and Sudan embrace the African Union Border Program, which encourages mutual cooperation, regional integration and the building of communities with strong economic and cultural ties.     

日本知识产权高等法院研究

知识产权高等法院的设立是日本“知识产权立国”政策最大的亮点,其主要目的是建立技术类知识产权案件二审的专门法院,并设立了大合议、法院调查员和专门委员制度。由于特许厅在专利的数量控制上占优势,故特许厅的审判前置在确保专门性这一点上仍具有独立的价值。另一方面,知识产权高等法院为实现多元集中化进行了各种尝试,然而该尝试时常受到大合议的干扰,因此需要避免大合议过早干预,同时须处理好知识产权高等法院与最高法院的关系,形成良好的运行机制。     

本质上政府的职能

在政府职能的外包中,关于什么职能可以外包,而什么职能应该由政府履行,一直争论不休。美国行政法上提出了"本质上政府的职能"作为外包的限制。本文梳理了美国法律和政策上关于"本质上政府的职能"的界定。不过,随着时间、思想观念等不同,该职能的界定也不相同,而是需要综合考虑语境才能决定。同时,政府职能的外包也意味着公法价值的在某种程度上的外包。     

行业协会腐败治理及其刑事责任追究

行业协会有一定的行政管理和服务职能,也有经费来源,故有腐败的条件。行业协会腐败形式多样,对行业协会腐败的治理措施主要是政社分开、加强监管以及对腐败活动追究行政和刑事责任。其中,《刑法》对以个人名义进行的腐败活动有相应的罪名惩处,而很多腐败活动以协会名义进行,《刑法》缺乏对这类腐败的罪名规定。要提高对行业协会腐败治理的效果,应在《刑法》中增设相应的行业协会单位犯罪的罪名。     

浅论政治协商在民主执政中的重要作用

当代中国的民主本质上是一种协商性民主.在当代中国,作为协调不同利益关系的政治协商,正是一种符合民主执政要求的形式.作为符合有中国特色社会主义民主政治要求的一种选择,政治协商对于坚持和完善民主执政具有重要意义.     

侦查程序分流机制研究

程序分流机制是近年来刑事诉讼法学理论研究的新热点。我国学界对此研究并不充分和深入，特别是对于侦查阶段的程序分流机制的探讨更是近似空白。应从程序分流机制的基础理论出发，结合西方法治国家最新研究成果，理论和实际相结合，探讨在我国设立和完善侦查阶段程序分流机制的必要性和可行性，并进一步提出具体设想。     

浅析当前农村建立稳定教师队伍的困境及对策

当前我国农村地区存在着严重的师资力量不足等问题,大批优秀大学生到落后地区支教,可以相对缓解当前农村教育的部分问题,但却无法从根本上解决当前农村教师队伍建设问题。建立稳定的农村教师队伍有如下对策:解决经费短缺和工资拖欠问题;改革工资评定制度;建立城市与农村教师双向流动制度;定期对教师进行教育培训。     

监狱严管效能渐趋式微及对策——从刑罚宽严相济视角解读

对极少数抗拒改造、行为恶劣的罪犯实施严管是保证监狱改造秩序,促进这部分罪犯改恶从善的必要惩戒措施,就狱内违法违纪的惩戒而言,它的指向并非是绝大多数积极改造的群体,它涉及刑事处罚的再犯罪毕竟少之又少,故严管措施确有其主流手段及相对严厉的惩戒效能。但是我们越来越体会到执法管理者的力不从心,严管罪犯的"不过如此"心态,严管效能渐趋式微。通过数据统计和理性分析,从宽严相济的视角出发,在罪犯心理、监狱相关措施、执法体系及教改手段等层面进行诱因探求,并在对策层面作一些探索,具有现实意义。