The European Court of Justice and its political impact

This article reviews recent advances in the study of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and its political impact at the European and member state levels. New quantitative as well as qualitative analyses show with great empirical precision that member state preferences guide the Court. The article summarises these findings, but argues that greater attention needs to be given to the (over-)constitutionalisation of EU law in order to fully capture the political impact of ECJ jurisprudence. Even if European judges are less activist than is often assumed and individual decisions are more restrained in the face of member state opposition, incrementally, case law evolves in a highly expansive fashion. And, exercising caution regarding unrealistic expectations about quasi-deterministic judicial law-making, it is found that the Court’s constitutionalised jurisprudence impacts heavily on European and member state policy-making.     

传媒监督权行使如何法治——从“宜黄事件”切入

"宜黄事件"是一起因传媒监督而具有法律意义的典型事件。对该起事件的调研及对相关新闻内容的梳理表明,其传媒监督权行使的信息基础存在瑕疵,有违新闻报道的基本要求;相关传媒也未能坚持中立的立场,报导中未能做到尽可能的客观公正,未能兼顾冲突双方的话语权。因此,该案传媒监督权的行使出现了法治偏差。这与传媒介入的特性有关,更与传媒追求商业利益的倾向有关。社会和公共领域中的政治力量,也可能影响传媒监督权的立场。承担公共表达职能的传媒,是现代法治国家共同价值的维系纽带之一,因此需要平衡商业利益和政治力量的制约,塑造传媒监督的健康立场。这可以通过职业伦理约束和法律规范的共同作用来实现。     

B. F. Skinner's utopian vision: behind and beyond walden two

This paper addresses B. F. Skinner's utopian vision for enhancing social justice and human well‐being as it was introduced in his 1948 novel, Walden Two. In the first part, we address the historical, intellectual, and social context that situates the book in the utopian genre, the critiques of its premises and practices, and the fate of intentional communities patterned on the book. In the second part, we review practices in Skinner's book that advance social justice and human well‐being under the themes of health, wealth, and wisdom, and then focus on contemporary practices that are the legacy of his vision. His vision was neither the a priori truth of a particular premise about human behavior or a necessary practice (blueprint) for an intentional community but rather the use of empirical methods to discover premises and practices that work to advance the health, wealth, and wisdom of individuals and survival of the culture.     

Turkey – from tutelary to delegative democracy

Guillermo O’Donnell’s influential work ‘Delegative Democracy’ set the discourse on a peculiar type of democracy. Lying between representative democracy and authoritarianism, the uniqueness of delegative democracy lies in its features, including an absence of horizontal accountability, strong centralised rule, individual leadership with unchecked powers, a cult figure embodying the nation and clientelist practices. While delegative democracies seem to arise out of presidential systems, Turkey, though a parliamentary system, has also displayed the distinctive features of delegative democracies. This paper identifies three characteristics of delegative democracy, which are responsible for the lack of democratic consolidation, if not the erosion of democracy itself: anti-institutionalism, an anti-political agenda and clientelism. Arguing that delegative democracy is the best concept with which to examine contemporary Turkey, the paper lays out how, post-2011, Turkey has demonstrated the three elements of delegative democracy. The final section discusses the implications of the Turkish case for scrutinising the very possibility of delegative democracy in parliamentary regimes.     

欧盟过境货物知识产权保护最新态势——兼评欧洲法院“NOKIA”案和“PHILLIPS”案

自2008年10月以来,在欧盟一些海关屡屡发生过境货物遭到扣押的事件,尤其是荷兰海关屡次扣押印度等国的过境药品,引起国际社会的极大关注.英国和比利时法院分别在审理“NOKIA”案和“PHIILIPS”案过程中对过境货物是否扣押产生疑问,并向欧洲法院提出咨询.近期欧洲法院对两案合并审理,做出一项里程碑意义的判决,厘清了过境货物、 “虚拟制造”理论等基本问题,对欧盟海关的知识产权执法和法院司法都有很好的指导作用,对于我国政府和企业也不无裨益.     

The European Union in Sudan: A Missed Opportunity?

Abstract

International organisations active in Africa are often criticised for their ineffectiveness. So too is the European Union (EU), which is also accused of failing to assume a more prominent conflict management role in war-torn countries. This article examines the EU’s capacity and readiness to take on such a role in one such country, the former Republic of Sudan, home to Africa’s longest-running civil wars and the first ‘genocide’ of the 21st century. It begins by outlining the EU’s record in Darfur and the North–South Peace Process. Drawing upon 25 interviews and Hill’s ‘capabilities–expectations model’, it then questions whether the EU’s ‘capabilities’ (resources, instruments, unity) were ‘fit for purpose’ in Sudan’s hostile target setting. It concludes by identifying settings that have been more propitious for a conflict-related management function and by suggesting that the EU should better manage expectations about future security roles.     

论期待可能性理论在我国适用范围的限定

期待可能性理论源于德国,在日本得到发扬.但现阶段期待可能性在德日刑法理论与刑事司法实践中的适用受到严格限制.然而期待可能性理论在我国方兴未艾,却出现了滥用之势,有必要厘清其适用之范围.首先,不能以是否具有期待可能性检验罪过存在与否;其次,没有法律依据不能以缺乏期待可能性作为出罪根据;再次,期待可能性理论只适用于稀罕案件...     

论公安执法中的公正原则

公安行政执法是公安机关及人民警察为了实现公安行政管理的目的，依照法律、法规、规章规定的职责、权限、程序实施的影响行政相对人权利与义务的活动。因此，只有坚持执法公正原则，才能真正维护最广大人民的根本利益，从而实现社会的和谐、稳定。     

论检察活动的原则

检察活动原则是对检察工作根本性、整体性的要求,贯穿于检察机关法律监督工作的各个方面和各个环节,体现了检察机关的性质,规范着检察机关行使法律监督职能活动,对检察机关正确行使检察权具有重要作用。检察活动原则主要有法治原则、检察一体原则、依法独立行使检察权原则、客观公正原则、理性原则和正当程序原则等,这些原则不仅对检察活动具有普遍指导意义,也是检验检察权行使合法性和合理性的重要标准。     

能动司法的实现条件——一个中美比较的视角

近年来,司法能动作为一种与司法克制相对的司法意识形态,引起国内法学界和实务界的关注,很多学者和法官倡导在司法实践中应该充分发挥法官的自由裁量权,实行＂能动的司法＂。但是,能动司法的实现需要多方面条件和因素来支持,否则实行能动司法于法治是不利的。通过比较中美两国在法律文化、法律制度等方面的差异,分析美国能动司法的实现条件,发现中国的不足,有利于推动中国实行有限的＂能动司法＂,构建和谐的法治社会。