网络传销犯罪的司法认定逻辑及其修正

基于传销犯罪的诈骗本质以及网络传销所衍生的诸多形式,原有的组织、领导传销活动罪的界定已经无法适应惩治网络传销犯罪的需要,应当基于体系与实践的双重考量,对网络传销犯罪的立法和司法作出相应的调适。组织、领导传销活动罪与集资诈骗罪系交叉竞合关系,两者在量刑上应保持平衡。网络传销犯罪在法益侵害程度方面未必高于传统传销犯罪。司法解释性文件对于网络传销犯罪的认定不应囿于组织内部参与传销活动人员30人三级的标准。网络团队计酬不应当构成犯罪。对于混合型传销,则应当结合"骗取财物"的要件予以全面判断。对为网络传销犯罪提供网络服务的行为,应区分情况适用共同犯罪、非法利用信息网络罪与帮助信息网络犯罪活动罪。对网络传销犯罪作证据综合认定时,应优先客观性证据,确立互联网电子数据的中枢证明作用,修正逐一收集参与传销活动人员的言词证据规则。     

回归法律规范:刑事值班律师制度适用问题再反思

目前我国刑事值班律师制度规范背后折射出有权机关抑制辩方权利的倾向。根据法律规范意旨,只要被追诉人没有辩护人,国家就应“强制指派”值班律师介入案件。将“约见”解读为国家指派值班律师需以被追诉人申请为前提,这混淆了律师会见与介入案件的关系,且将国家责任转嫁给个人,弱化了对被追诉人获得最低限度法律援助权利的保障。相关规范性文件将值班律师阅卷权能限定为“查阅”,但基于法律援助法第37条的文义、控辩平等之程序公正底线要求等因素,值班律师阅卷权能还应包括“摘抄”“复制”。《法律援助值班律师工作办法》第10条第2款规定,值班律师有量刑异议时,只要其认可犯罪嫌疑人认罪认罚的自愿性,就应在具结书上签字。这是对值班律师功能“见证化”的公开宣示,与2018年刑事诉讼法第201条的意旨以及值班律师实质性参与量刑协商的改革要求相矛盾。值班律师应被赋予拒绝签字的权利。“实质性参与”应是目前完善值班律师制度的基本方向。     

“直接证据”的迷思

将直接证据与间接证据等区别开来,强调前者的重要性和优越性,是一种流布甚久的普遍观念。能否进行这种区分、如何区分以及这种区分是否具有规范意义等问题,在近年来也受到了理论研究的关注。从诉讼证明的认知构造来看,"直接证据"的界说应当区分严格的理解和日常习惯的理解;无论哪一种界说,都没有多少实际的规范意义。比较而言,关于直接证据的诸种传统界说多是有问题的;近年来的论争,无论是何种论说,都未能促进人们更好地理解此方面的问题。应当放弃在日常习惯理解意义上界分直接证据与间接证据等的视角来制定相关证据规则的努力,注重对前者的证明力进行审查。     

The 2019 General Election in Northern Ireland: the Rise of the Centre Ground?

The experience of the 2019 general election in Northern Ireland took a very different course to that of the rest of the UK and, indeed, to the pattern of electoral politics typical of the region. Coming after almost three years with no functioning devolved government, combined with intense disagreement and uncertainty about Brexit, voters were ready to give a message to the two largest parties. Both Sinn Féin and the DUP suffered losses in the election, with the headline outcome being that unionism no longer holds the majority of seats for Northern Ireland in Westminster. More generally, there was a swing from both sides towards centre ground voting, which brought significant gains for the Alliance Party and the SDLP. This article summarises the reasons for this broad trend, focussing on the conditions and electoral pacts which brought it about. It also considers what it might mean for the prospects for Irish unification, noting that a referendum on unification will only be passed by attracting votes from those who tend to see themselves as neither unionist or nationalist.     

The effects of national cultures on two technologically advanced countries: The case of e-leadership in South Korea and the United States

The increased use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has triggered enormous innovation in the public sector and created positive public value at the managerial, delivery of services, and policy levels. However, these positive outcomes do not automatically accrue simply by adoption of ICTs as public leaders can fail to adopt relevant new ICTs, use them poorly, or use them in ways that actually diminish public value, which raises the question of the importance of e-leadership. This article examines e-leadership and innovation capacity at the individual public manager level and fills in some gaps about the practice and implementation of ICTs in the public sector. We explore eight research questions useful in theorizing about e-leadership, develop constructs of e-leadership, and describe the current development of e-leadership. By comparing e-leadership in two country settings (South Korea and the United States), we also overcome the limitations of the existing Western-oriented studies about innovations in the public sector. In addition to the growth of e-leadership use and requirements for a variety of competencies equivalent to, but separate from, traditional communication competences, we find that national cultures exert significant influence on the major constructs of e-leadership, which implies that an effective e-leadership strategy should consider cultural contexts seriously.     

Political Trust,Ideology, and Public Support in the United States for Government Spending on Health Care

The U.S. health-care costs have increased at a rapid rate over the last several decades. How much responsibility the government should bear with the increase in health-care costs is one of the main questions that lack consensus among the American people. Utilizing the 2016 General Social Survey data, this study shows that over two-thirds of Americans want to see more or much more spending on health care by the government. An ordered logit regression model shows that political trust and ideology are significant correlates in predicting attitudes toward government spending on health care. The policy implications of the findings are discussed in the “Conclusion” section.     

盗窃罪中“数额较大”的认定规则

“数额较大”的认定是盗窃罪定罪量刑中的关键问题之一。司法解释采用了数额属性多元化的认定方法,既缺乏理论基础,也难以有效指导实务。司法裁判虽倾向于重视处罚的实质合理性,但并未形成统一的认定规则。通过梳理不同立法例下“损失”要素的定位,可以形成“占有转移”与“财产损失”两种视角下“数额较大”认定的理论方案。基于整体财产保护理念的以客观实质损失作为认定基准的方案,存在忽视我国刑法不同条款对“数额性后果”表述上的差异、对司法实践的认识以偏概全、不能妥适处理轻微实施盗窃的出罪等问题。相对而言,立足个别财产保护思想、以占有转移数额为基础,同时考虑主观指向数额的方案凸显了主观要件对不法和责任的制约,能周延地应对各种案型,值得肯定。该方案的具体规则是:先确定基础性数额即占有转移的财物价值“较大”,以此作为数额上限,再考察故意、排除意思、利用意思等主观要件指向的数额,各数额均需达到“较大”,最终的“数额较大”,是经此多种数额共同认定的结果。     

Public Administration Research in Mainland China: A Systematic Review of Chinese Public Administration in English Language Journals (1996–2016)

This study provides a systematic review of the development of Chinese public administration in English language journals. An analysis of articles in the top 25 English-language public administration journals worldwide from 1996 to 2016 confirmed increases in both the number and significance of studies of Chinese public administration. A systematic content analysis of abstracts of previous studies was performed and showed that social development and administrative reform were among the most important topics. With respect to the methodology of this study, qualitative methods were more frequently used than quantitative or mixed methods. Finally, implications for future research on Chinese public administration are discussed.     

职务型传染病防治犯罪的立法问题研究

我国当前关于职务型传染病防治犯罪的刑法立法严重滞后,难以满足有效治理职务型传染病防治犯罪的需要,存在主体范围狭窄、行为类型单一、处罚不协调、罪刑阶梯简单等问题,急需改进。在改进职务型传染病防治犯罪的刑法立法时,应当坚持刑法的明确性原则、法益保护优先原则、预防为主原则和协调性原则。在这些原则指导下,职务型传染病防治犯罪刑法立法需要专门化,不但应当将主体调整为国家工作人员,而且将滥用职权纳入行为类型,同时应当从犯罪客观方面和罪过形式两个层次设置三级罪刑阶梯。