Looking Back and Forward on Asbestos Claims

There have been many developments in the asbestos claims arena. Asbestos costs have been affected by a number of important developments in the past two years, and it is expected that activity level will be high this year. Particularly significant in 2014 was the Garlock case, which set a precedent for increased transparency of relevant facts in asbestos litigation. In addition, there are legislative activities at the federal and state levels that include increasing transparency. This article focuses on trends in asbestos litigation, and highlights that there are environmental insurance products available for new exposure to asbestos.     

对日本改宪问题的回顾与前瞻

1999年7月29日,日本众参两院通过修改国会法决议,决定在国会成立宪法调查会.2000年1月20日,宪法调查会在众参两院正式成立.国会设立的宪法调查会,虽然没有议案提出权,但是,却是日本国宪法施行后,在国会专门对宪法进行广泛、综合的调查机构,因此,不能不引起我们足够重视.     

回望70年:经济法制度的沉浮变迁

以1978年开始的改革开放为界,可将新中国70年的发展历程分为前30年和后40年两个阶段。在前一阶段,随着计划经济体制和集中统一经济管理体制的推行,以及经济宪法对计划经济的强调,经济法制度日渐衰微、沉降,几近于无。在后一阶段,随着市场经济体制和适度分权经济管理体制的确立,以及经济宪法对计划与市场等重要关系的重新定位,经济法制度日益强盛、浮升。经济体制、经济管理体制、经济宪法对政府与市场的关系具有直接影响,它们是导致经济法制度变迁的三大因素。经济法制度的兴衰与沉浮、荣枯与有无、多少与强弱,与上述三大影响因素的变动具有内在一致性。历史、系统地分析经济法的制度变迁,尤其有助于经济法的理论深化和制度完善,从而推动新时代中国特色社会主义经济法治的发展。     

后现代的制度向往

现代制度文明是西方文化数千年来艰辛探索的智慧成就,然而,它在当下却遭遇了现代性和后现代时空环境移位的双重冲击,显出了转型期的困惑与窘境。在分析了西方现代性发生的历史原因与逻辑,辨析了西方制度文明的长短优劣之后,可以得出结论,这种文化和制度形态与后现代有根柢性的缺陷。因故,后现代的制度文明当有他途综合与重构的必要。其中,东方的文化和制度形态,有不可多得的模型意义及价值。     

Call for Papers: The First 20 Years of Law and Human Behavior

Law and Human Behavior -     

Call for Papers: The First 20 Years of Law and Human Behavior

Law and Human Behavior -     

Call for Papers: The First 20 Years of Law and Human Behavior

Law and Human Behavior -     

Looking Forward to Play: The Persuasive Strategies of a Dog

The author analyses, with semiotic tools, the behaviour of a dog that she observed in Trieste, along the famous promenade called “Barcola”. The animal had been playing with its masters on the seashore and then brought back onto the avenue ready to go home. The dog repeatedly tried, with different strategies, to convince its masters to return to shore and continue their play. The tripling of the trials that is so typical of fairy tales was observed to have been enacted: exactly three times, the dog reproduced the sequence of running towards the parapet, glancing over the sea with guile, running towards its masters, jumping and imploring in front of them, renouncing and walking in a backward position with a lolling head. It is argued that this behaviour demonstrates a highly structured semantic, narrative and communicative competence. This study aims at connecting Semiotics and the ecological approach to cognition that takes into account not only strictly cognitive activities but a wider spectrum of strategies through which an animal develops the adaptive behaviour requested by specific environmental conditions.     

回首迎接“依法治国，建设社会主义宏治国家”方略的确立

我于1949年4月参加革命，1995年10月离休。在我革命生涯的最后十余年有幸参与迎接党和国家确立“依法治国，建设社会主义法治国家”方略的伟大转折。回首过往，感慨万千。     

在法律之内寻求社会效果

从逻辑上说,社会效果既可以通过法律获得,也可以在法律之外获得,但在司法中寻求社会效果应当主要通过法律或法律之内实现;只有在特殊情况下,并在严格的规则和程序导向下,才可以"变通适用法律"。事实上,在法律之内存在着满足社会效果实现的巨大空间,只要本着良知,充分、正确地运用多种可行的方法,就可以将社会效果最大化,当然,这要具备一定的条件。     

The Kosovo Case and International Law: Looking for Applicable Theories

The Kosovo problem represents a formidable occasion to re-examinesome basic tenets of international law, such as the so-calledright to humanitarian intervention, the right to self-determinationand the right of recognition. It will be shown here, however,that many proposals suggesting the need of a radical departurefrom traditional positions are ill-conceived. Nonetheless, itis the uniqueness of many facets of the Kosovo problem thatrequires the analyst to look for new solution. It is now upto the International Court of Justice to show the way in a politicallymuch loaded case. In particular, the right to self-determinationshould find a re-interpretation corresponding to the needs ofthe twenty-first century.     

寻求法律与社会的平衡——论民国时期亲属法、继承法对家族制度的变革

南京国民政府时期,家族制度变革从政治、社会、立法、司法等层面全面展开,直接效果就是《中华民国民法》"亲属编"、"继承编"的制定颁布及司法上的实际运作。政治层面上,近代中国面临的收回治外法权的压力,资产阶级民主革命的需要,迫使中国不得不创制新型法律,改革传统家族制度;社会层面上,传统家族观念及习惯仍普遍存在,但业已高涨的废除家族制度的呼声及新型社会阶层的出现,为家族制度的变革创造了一定的社会基础;立法层面上,在1929～1930年两年的时间内,国民政府即推出完整的民法典,效率之高,速度之快,世所罕见,超前性明显;司法层面上,司法主体既要遵循依法定案的原则,又要兼顾历史因素及社会实际,尽其所能,调和情、理、法的关系,实现法律与社会平衡。尽管民国时期家族制度的变革还存在诸多不平衡性或差异性,总体趋势则是渐进改革,全面推进。家族制度的变革特征体现为:政治引领风气,社会缓慢跟进,立法实施保障,司法调和新旧。     

Jurilinguistics: Ways Forward Beyond Law,Translation, and Discourse

International Journal for the Semiotics of Law - Revue internationale de Sémiotique juridique - This is the guest editors’ introductory paper to the special issue “Situating...     

对我国合同责任归责原则的再认识

合同责任性质和内涵界定是合同责任归责的基础,合同归责服务于其功能的实现。过错在我国合同责任的支柱性意义,免责事由的严格性规制,使得我国合同法仍有坚持以过错推定责任为主要归责原则的必要性。     

Commercial Choice of Law in Context: Looking Beyond Rome

English courts are frequently criticised for their flexible approach to the finding of implied choice and the use of the escape clause in the context of the Rome I Regulation/Convention on the law applicable to contractual obligations. This paper argues that such criticism is misplaced. Based on empirical evidence, the article shows that those choice of law decisions are directly influenced by their procedural context and respond to the need to balance the multiple policy issues generated by international commercial litigation. In particular, English decisions need to be assessed in light of three distinct factors: the standard of proof required at different stages of the procedure in England, the national policy to promote England as a center for commercial dispute resolution and the incentives to export English law in certain strategic industries. The use of implied choice and the escape clause to achieve these ends constitutes a legitimate practice that does not frustrate the aims of the EU choice of law regime.     

人民法院独立审判的回顾和展望

回顾人民法院独立审判50年来特别是改革开放20多年来所经历的曲折过程,我们党对人民法院独立审判的认识也经历了一个逐步提高的过程。我们要通过认真总结这段曲折历史的经验教训,更加深刻地认识到人民法院独立审判来之不易和它的正确性,进一步理解和把握独立审判在依法治国中的地位和作用。...     

法律人格的伦理变革——来自罗马法又回到罗马法

法律人格与伦理的关系状态反映了法律对人的态度。人格属性历经古代罗马法、近代欧陆民法以及现代社会化民法的发展过程,分别表现为"反伦理化、泛伦理化、去伦理化"倾向。人格概念的伦理价值判断功能应该让位于它的法律技术功能。通过承继并改造罗马法人格制度建立现代民事主体制度。     

Human Rights Law: Australia and Slovenia

The human rights legal framework of Australia and Slovenia are vastly different. This article explores the evolution of human rights laws of Slovenia and Australia. While the study and comparison of Australia and Slovenia is uncommon, and not often used as an example to highlight aspects of human rights, both states have a long history of cooperation. The first Slovenian reportedly arrived in Australian in 1855. Since then, and particularly following World War Two, there has been a steady stream of Slovenian’s migrating to Australia. Slovenia upon independence prepared a new constitution that reflected the democratic human rights of the European Union, in 1991, and ratified the European Convention on Human rights in 1994. This article highlights how the opportunity Slovenia had to develop a new constitution, they were able to include many human rights that are often found in legislation. Australia’s constitution came into effect in 1901. Being more than 100 years old, there has been no attempts to revise the Australian constitution and expand the current express human rights. This article will determine whether the European Union’s human rights laws have not only influenced Slovenia’s human rights laws, but also Australia’s. This article suggests that Australia has much to learn from the Slovene experience, but is constrained by its constitution and region. This article highlights how a state formed in recent times, has had the opportunity to develop a constitution that reflects modern day human rights while an older state with longer established democracy has fallen behind in its protection of human rights.