Constitutional authority and prospects for social justice for high-tension religious communities

By regulating religious practice, the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment challenges the authority of religious communities who may not have adopted American pluralism in favor of their own religious particularism. While the power of the Constitution is manifested in physical modes, its historic symbolic and socially constructed meaning elevates it as a competing transcending authority that challenges religious communities. Often labeled American civil religion, this authority either coerces non-mainstream religious communities to adopt modes of religious expression that mirror those of the dominant culture, or requires them to adopt a strategy for coping with its overwhelming social and political power. The Constitution's mechanism for guaranteeing religious free exercise thus serves as a method to limit religious particularism by coercing limited cultural orthodoxy through legal orthopraxy.Teach the [Constitution's] principles, teach them to your children, speak of them when sitting in your home, speak of them when walking by the way, when lying down and when rising up, write them upon the doorplate of your home and upon your gates. John Quincy AdamsRepeated by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger (Franklin, 1987). The passage is a slight alteration of Deuteronomy 6:7–9.     

The freedom of navigation in international law and the utility of international society discourse

In the international law of the sea, the emergence of new actors and systems influencing relations between states has lead to evolving rules and calls for the redefinition of the traditional issues such the allocation of jurisdiction and rights to states in its maritime zones. In the maritime domain, this is seen thrice in the evolution of the various maritime zones in the United Nations Conferences for the Law of the Sea （UNCLOS I, II and III）. In the maritime domain, there are certain actions that are not dependent on any state＇s consent. One of such is the rule of freedom of navigation. This paper, argues for the possibilities of concomitance between international law and studies in international society based on the growing recognition of the importance of examining the sociological and historical element in rule development. This paper focuses on a rule in the international law of the sea with the aim of determining the extent to which norms have caused changes in rule development, if any. This method, known as the English School method of international relations, acknowledges the benefits of international law positivism in highlighting generality with the benefits of a normative discourse in highlighting alternatives and the utility of compliance. So, although the maritime domain is rooted in a state system, one where the parts interact as a whole, a branching-out analysis towards the normative discourse in the development of this rule will facilitate more understanding, as the case-specificity of most issues in the maritime domain cannot be overemphasised.     

试论行政信息公开在构建和谐社会中的作用

行政信息公开是建设高效、廉洁政府的保证,他对构建和谐社会有着极为重要的作用。制定和完善法律法规需要通过信息公开了解利益相关人的需求和建议;公民自觉守法又是建立在广泛知晓法律、法规信息基础之上;信息公开可以有效遏止腐败;行政信息公开亦是政府的责任,它保证了公民的知情权。     

马克思的法律社会理论及其当代启示——以《〈黑格尔法哲学批判〉导言》为分析对象

法律社会理论是在法律社会学所提供的经验素材的基础上对整个现代社会的法律机理和法制系统进行总体性分析与批判,对现代法律关系下的人与物的关系、人与人的关系以及社会总体关系进行一种前瞻式的研究。马克思的法律社会理论深入到社会结构及其关系的内部,对人是人的最高本质这一核心命题进行了深刻解析,是一种关于法律的社会批判理论,并从批判中得出了法律之抽象性、矛盾性和世俗性等现代性问题。     

论迁徙自由立法的例外规定

迁徙自由原则一直以来都是国际移民法的重点原则，也是世界公认的一项基本人权，对迁徙自由权可以从一般性规定。限制性规定和保护性规定三个方面来阐述，其中后两者即例外性规定是政策制定与司法实践过程中的焦点，其目的是为了更有效地保障公民的迁徙自由权。本文通过对《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》，各国特别是美德两国关于迁徙自由权限制性，以及限制之限制规定的立法模式和立法内容的分析，给例外规定的中国化提供了借鉴，以更全面地保障中国公民的迁徙自由权。     

关于农村民主选举中监督主体的定位

监督是为了保证一项程序合法、公平、公正的进行,通过对程序的监控和督导来实现实体正义。我国农村民主选举是一种群众自治性质的选举,关系着我国的基层民主治理,因此应当得到广泛关注。我国的村民自治制度包括四个环节:民主选举、民主决策、民主管理、民主监督。其中,民主监督贯穿于民主自治的全过程。本文着眼于我国村民民主选举的现状,阐述并分析了我国农村民主选举监督主体定位的意义和角度,对农村民主选举提出了相应的对策。     

Freedom of Religion and Minority Religions in Hungary

Religiosity in Hungary is not especially high; however, the vast majority of the population has a denominational identity. There has been a religious revival since the early 1980's, both in the mainstream churches and due to some religious groups newly active in the country. Religious claims are mostly accommodated on an individual basis. Legal entities called churches can be founded for the purpose of exercising religion, but the registration of a church is not a condition of the free exercise of religion. Religious freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution. The Hungarian state regards itself neutral in matters concerning ideology and religion. Church and state operate separately. The state, however, appreciating religious phenomena, provides support for churches and is open for cooperation with them on a sophisticated legal basis. A new method of offering state support for religions using taxpayer choices is described, which shows some interesting patterns of support for minority faiths as well as traditional ones.     

遏制行政自由裁量权滥用的对策探讨

依法行政是法治国家的重要标志,建设法治国家,实现依法行政,就必须对行政自由裁量权进行合理地控制,从完善行政立法、加强行政执法队伍建设、培养和提高民众的法治意识、加强行政监督、分离行政权与经济权等方面,遏制行政权力的异化和行政行为人的腐败,从而维护相对人的合法权益。     

侵犯著作权的惩罚性赔偿与表达自由

著作权侵权具有易发性、难以预防和控制、侵权成本低与维权成本高的特点。传统民法认为,侵权损害赔偿只具有填补损害的功能。然而,作品作为一种典型的公共产品,著作权人对作品的控制较弱,补偿性损害赔偿难以为著作权提供足够保护。因此,在著作权侵权救济中应引入惩罚性赔偿。同时,考虑到惩罚性赔偿有可能会不合理地限制作品的传播进而影响到社会公众的表达自由,在惩罚性赔偿的适用范围和条件上应当做出一定限制。     

规范分配秩序构建和谐社会

收入公平是整个社会公平的根本内容,也是构建和谐社会的基石。我国当前收入差距悬殊的问题在城乡、地区、行业、社会群体之间及其内部普遍存在;收入不公对构建和谐社会会产生不利影响,容易诱发社会的不稳定因素;当前需要完善收入分配制度、规范收入分配秩序、落实收入公平分配措施,以此促进社会的和谐发展。     

Sustaining freedom,security and justice – from terrorism to immigration

This article focuses on two areas central to sustaining freedom, security and justice: terrorism and immigration. Their inter-relationship and the instruments and measures adopted to prosecute them have significantly advanced judicial co-operation, communitisation of security, and re-assessment of the nature and requirements of EU governance in an EU committed to human rights, liberal democracy and realising sustainable freedom, security and justice. The article outlines the background to EU involvement in judicial co-operation. It then explores EU competence, instruments and measures developed to (i) combat terrorism and international organized crime; and (ii) immigration and asylum. It concludes that the inextricable linkage between the two has serious implications for future EU democratic governance. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

电子信息时代侵犯著作权罪的入罪标准研究

以电子信息技术侵犯著作权的犯罪往往由多个无意思联络的行为人共同实施,单一化的传统入罪标准难以有效规制。基于该类犯罪高度分工化的特征,犯罪主体可以被划分为网络服务提供者和侵权资源提供者两大类型。网络服务提供者怠于履行其内容审查义务、情节严重的行为应当被认定为犯罪,内容审查义务的边界是确定其入罪标准的核心,但同时需要注意入罪标准、内容审查义务与信息传播权间的界限。大部分侵权资源提供者的行为仍然适用传统的入罪标准,但其中非法经营额所涵盖的范围需要适当扩张。     

彰显信访作用 构建和谐社会

当前,既是我国发展中的“黄金机遇期”,又是我国发展中的“矛盾凸显期”,信访工作面对前所未有的挑战。新时期,做好信访工作有利于创新符合和谐社会构建要求的利益表达机制、社会管理体制、社会运行机制、群众工作方法,促进社会和谐的发展。为此,要实现信访观念的创新,树立为民观念、畅通信访渠道;要实现信访体制的创新,建立“大信访”、完善“责任制”;要实现工作机制的创新,实现标本兼治,完善信访功能;要实现信访方法的创新,注重情理兼顾、突出依法办访。     

和谐社会的宪政学解读——关于不断提高我党构建社会主义和谐社会能力的几点思考

中国市民社会发育发展与政治国家的关系决定了和谐社会状态的实现必然地要表现出与西方社会不同的发展路径。市民社会的和谐与政治国家的互动及政治国家的理性运作是社会和谐状态实现的重要前提条件;西方社会中的政治国家是从市民社会中分离出来的,与之不同的是,中国市民社会与政治国家之间的关系却表现为市民社会从政治国家中分离出来;中国封建社会至今的国家高度中央集权、市民社会发育不成熟的客观历史,决定了中国和谐社会的建构进路必然地不同于西方社会,和谐社会的建构进路必然地要表现为伴随着法治国家建设进程的不断深化,采取由执政党政策指导的国家引导型,主要靠政府自律实现社会和谐的实际进路。     

民主政治--现代法制的政治前提

民主政治以个人自由为中心价值取向,自由与民主具有内在统一性.以自由为中心价值取向的现代政治与现代民主法制具有着有机联系,它构成现代法制的基础,为现代法制的建立提出要求,现代法制又为这种民主政治提供根本保障.     

提高政府公信力是构建和谐社会的关键

构建和谐社会,就是要达到经济、政治、文化等社会各系统之间的和谐发展以及各子系统内部的和谐发展。政府公信力是构建和谐社会能力的重要组成部分,对构建和谐社会具有重要的作用。当前,应该把提高政府公信力作为构建社会主义和谐社会的紧迫任务,认真研究、采取得力的措施加以解决。     

重塑行政体制与构建和谐社会

和谐社会是现代政府、责任政府提供的首位公共产品。在构建和谐社会的过程中,需要加强政府的主导地位,即政府要保障公共产品的和谐供给与和谐需求。和谐社会能否建成的关键还在于能否建立适应社会主义市场经济的行政体制。而公共财政的建立又是构建适应社会主义市场经济的行政体制的要务。     

法团主义、公民社会以及中国民主转型

在分析国家和社会关系的诸多路径中,公民社会以多元主义假设为基础,强调社会之于国家的独立性并以此作为对国家权力的制约;法团主义则关注国家对社会的控制以及二者之间制度化通道的建立。较之公民社会,法团主义的路径选择从民主发生学、制度基础以及体制改革等方面与中国民主转型更为契合,因此更具有现实意义。     

政治参与：和谐社会的基石

公民政治参与具有表达功能、妥协功能、教育功能和监督功能,它是和谐社会的基石。当前,与构建社会主义和谐社会的要求相比,我国公民的政治参与还存在不少问题,如:动员型参与比重过大、非理性参与时有发生、政治参与的程序化建设任重道远、政治参与的不平衡现象还很突出等。这些问题都会影响政治参与在和谐社会构建中发挥应有的作用。我们应该从培育社会主义政治文化、扩大公民知情权,实现信息公开、尊重和开通新的参与渠道、使政治参与和公民的切身利益紧密结合等几方面着手推动中国公民政治参与的更快发展。     

Policing protest,security and freedom: the 2014 G20 experience

This article examines the policing of a major international political event (the G20 Meetings in Brisbane, Australia in 2014) from the perspective of the police and representatives of demonstrator groups who participated in the event. The article locates the policing of the 2014 G20 meetings within the history of the policing of major international political meetings in other countries. It analyses the legal framework within which the policing of the Brisbane G20 meeting was undertaken, comparing and contrasting these with legal frameworks developed for similar meetings and associated demonstrations in other jurisdictions. In the case of the Australian G20 Act, the legislation prioritized security over human rights, including the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. The strategies and planning processes applied by police in the lead up to the G20 are discussed, including the efforts made to ensure policing responses were respectful of the democratic rights of protesters. Drawing on interview and other data, the article reveals a diversity of perspectives on the ‘human rights’ policing and dialogue models, and provides an assessment of ‘Operation Southern Cross’ based on the post-event review of the G20 legislation undertaken by the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission. The authors conclude that the policing of G20, based on extensive dialogue and minimization of coercive public order strategies, fostered a peaceful G20 event. The article concludes with observations about the perceived success of G20 policing in Australia, and indicates some lessons learned for best practice policing for future global events.