Constitutional Comparisons by A Supranational Court in Flux: The Privy Council and Caribbean Bills of Rights

This article examines how the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council makes constitutional comparisons between ‘related’ constitutions that are or were within its jurisdiction, deploying its own precedents, as a pragmatic method of resolving idiosyncratic questions that arise across multiple constitutions. In particular, it considers the Committee's approach to the longstanding question of the interpretation of the opening section of Caribbean constitutional bills of rights, which has far reaching implications for the scope of constitutional protection of human rights. The JCPC's answer over time to this question reveals the fault lines for this supranational constitutional court as its jurisdiction peters out yet remains. The gaze of comparativism is very harsh as older constitutions are evaluated in light of newer ones and also as fossilised constitutional interpretations presented in earlier JCPC cases where the Committee no longer has jurisdiction are given new life in contemporary cases.     

预防性行政诉讼

现行行政诉讼法规定的事后救济型行政诉讼,常常无法排除或修复行政活动对原告造成的严重损害后果,导致原告合法权益得不到有效保护,直接威胁到行政诉讼救济的有效性和社会稳定与和谐。应尽快弥补这个法律缺失,建立以事前和事中救济为特征,旨在对抗威胁性行政行为和事实行为的预防性行政诉讼制度,真正实现权利有效保障。     

公民请愿权基本问题研究

请愿权是公民所享有的一项基本政治权利,广泛性、强制性、公共性及参与性是其基本特征。在现代社会,请愿权具有重要的宪政价值,已经为越来越多的国家宪法和一些国际人权公约所确认。请愿权入宪不仅对我国当前的改革、发展与稳定有着特殊意义,而且还具有现实的可能性。为此,我国应当在宪法典中明确承认请愿权概念,并制定专门法律,规范请愿权的行使。     

Explaining constitutional garrulity

Constitutions differ dramatically in length although they serve very similar functions everywhere. This paper tries to identify some determinants of constitutional length. It contains a new dataset spelling out the length of 135 constitutions in words. It turns out that a common law legal origin significantly increases the length of the constitution, whereas countries in the Middle East and North Africa have significantly shorter constitutions. Further, having been a British or Spanish colony is correlated with longer constitutions, a higher share of Protestants with shorter constitutions.     

社会福利保障的宪法路径选择

世界各国宪法保障社会福利有两种模式,一种是在宪法中列举各种社会权利的"社会权"保障模式,另一种是仅在宪法中明确建设社会国家的原则或者类似条款的"社会国"保障模式。从我国《宪法》的现有规定及其变迁、宪法的解释与学界的解读看,我国属于"社会权"模式。"社会权"保障模式的缺陷是随着民众追求平等意识的成长、市场机制的扩展和公民权利意识的增强,社会福利可能借助宪法无序、无限地扩张。通过淡化社会福利的权利性质、转变社会权的合宪性审查的方向、扩展反射利益推进社会福利以及贯彻宪法设立的可承受性、适度性原则,可以推进我国社会福利宪法保障模式由"社会权"模式向"社会国"模式转换。     

Whose Constitution? Constitutional Self‐Determination and Generational Change

Constitutions enshrine the fundamental values of a people and they build a framework for a state’s public policy. With regard to generational change, their endurance gives rise to two interlinked concerns: the sovereignty concern and the forgone welfare concern. If constitutions are intergenerational contracts, how (in)flexible should they be? This article discusses perpetual constitutions, sunset constitutions, constitutional reform commissions, and constitutional conventions, both historically and analytically. It arrives at the conclusion that very rigid constitutions are incompatible with the principle of intergenerational justice. Recurring constitutional reform commissions at fixed intervals would give each generation of citizens a say without leaning too much on the side of flexibility.     

论基本权利的发展趋势

基本权利是宪法的核心和关键,是宪法的生命和价值所在,是宪法之所以成为根本法的原因.通过历史和实证分析,探讨近代宪法和现代宪法在确认和保障公民基本权利方面的若干发展趋势,即由自由权发展到社会权,由法律保障发展为宪法保障,由国内保障发展为国际保障.基本权利的这些发展趋势对我国的宪政制度建设提出了若干引人深思的问题.     

关于西方宪法史研究的几点思考

关于西方宪法史的研究,很大程度上就是对于西方宪法历史的阐释。它涉及如何理解宪法的涵义,如何理解历史上宪法事件或者具有宪法意义的事件,如何理解宪法性事件之间的因果关系等等。这些先决性命题,决定了西方宪法的历史图景及其线索。古代希腊以降的早期宪法思想与宪制实践,为西方宪法的成熟奠定了良好的基础。近东一带的政治法制实践,对于西方宪法思想的形成和发展产生过重要的影响,这些早期的宪政因子对于西方宪法制度和宪法思想提供了重要的知识渊源。     

论社会保障基本权

社会保障基本权是指公民所享有的依照宪法请求国家等公共主体提供援助以保障其基本生活或提高生活水平的基础性权利,它可被区分为缴纳性权利和非缴纳性权利、给付性权利和非给付性权利.由于社会保障基本权以维护人道主义价值为目标,并倚重于国家等公共机构,所以,它是一种社会基本权.不同社会保障基本权的实现对普通法的依赖程度有差别,但是,它们都具有对国家机关、社会组织及公民的直接效力.如果社会保障基本权未能被立法权、行政权具体化,或者具体化地不充分,或者具体化行为违宪,一旦该权利受到侵害,那么,就可通过宪法诉讼予以救济.     

成文宪法中的宗教内容比较研究

宗教信仰自由权是世界范围内各成文宪法保护的重要内容。与其他人权的宪法保护不同,宗教信仰自由权在各国宪法中具有扩散性保护特征。只有综合考量宪法规范中的宗教内容,才能准确理解宗教信仰自由权的宪法规范保护。通过在各成文宪法中查找与宗教相关的关键词,可以发现宗教信仰自由权成文宪法保护具有普遍性。以宗教信仰自由权为核心,辅之以政教关系的相关规定,构成了宗教问题宪法保护的基本框架。从内容上看,成文宪法保护的宗教信仰自由权具有内容的绝对性与相对性相统一、主体自主选择与结社自由相结合的特点;从属性上看,宗教信仰自由权具有入世性与政治性并存的特征。     

论文化权利的宪法保护

公民的文化权利与公民所享有的政治、经济和社会权利一样,都是公民作为国家和社会主人翁所必须享有的法律利益。我国是社会主义国家,保护公民权利是社会主义事业一贯的宗旨。从宪法角度来保障公民的文化权利,最主要的是应当加强相关的制度建设。应当在宪法文本中明确文化权利的基本权利宪法地位,明确国家和政府在保障文化权利方面应当承担的职责或义务,加强对文化权利的平等性的保护以及应当制定文化基本法律,来保障文化权利的实现真正做到有法可依。     

中国宪法权利“新”类型的划分、解释与应用

关于中国宪法权利的研究存在着诸多缺陷,而导致研究缺陷的一个重要原因就是对中国宪法权利的分类针对性与科学性不足。基于规范依据,可将中国宪法权利划分为单一宪法权利与复合宪法权利;基于权利内容,可将中国宪法权利划分为基本权利与非基本权利。运用"新"分类所蕴含的关系原理,既可对中国宪法权利本体问题及衍生的关系问题作出解释,也可对中国宪法权利的护卫机制进行设想与展望。     

Disproportionate Sentences as Human Rights Violations

The article explores the concepts of disproportionality and gross disproportionality in sentencing. Several constitutions or human rights documents prohibit grossly disproportionate sentences, either expressly or impliedly. The draft constitution of the European Union has a Charter of Fundamental Rights that includes the right not to be subjected to a disproportionate sentence. The possible meaning and application of this are discussed by reference to the development of related constitutional jurisprudence in other jurisdictions.     

我国公民基本权利之立宪发展

一个国家对基本权利采用何种立宪形式往往同该国的历史积淀、立宪的人文背景、当时的权利意识存在极大的关联。纵观基本权利在我国历部宪法中的发展,可以发现宪法对公民权利趋于全面规定、宪法对个人权利空前重视、公民的人身人格权利上防御性的规定模式形成、公民的经济社会文化权利上国家义务被强调。为了宪法保障基本权利的价值得到实现,在公民基本权利的立法模式上,我们需要改变宪法不断确认权利的传统思维、强化国家义务、提供公民权利的救济原则和基本途径、明确公民权利受限制等等。如此才符合国家追求法治状态的价值目标、符合立宪规律。     

论刑事司法权利的宪法保护

公民受刑事追究时享有一系列程序性权利 ,涉及人身自由和安全的保障 ,属于基本人权范畴。此类权利应当具有防范国家司法权力侵害的防御功能 ,因此仅仅通过刑事诉讼法予以确定和保护是不够的 ,还应当由宪法加以确定和保障。保障公民的刑事司法权利应当是尊重和保障人权的核心内容。借鉴各国宪法的规定以及有关国家宪法实践 ,我国应当完善公民刑事程序权利宪法保护。     

European Writers on Their Meetings with Stalin

The Constitution of the Russian Federation states that citizens are to exercise their rights of local self-government by means of referendums, elections, and other forms of direct expression of their will through electoral and other local self-government bodies. The Law on General Principles of Organization of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation of 28 August 1995, adopted as an extension of constitutional norms, defines the following: the role of local self-government in establishing democracy; the legal, economic, and financial foundations of local self-government; and the general principles of its organization.     

La construcción de una democracia respetuosa de los derechos humanos. reflexiones a partir del modelo constitucional adoptado por la república de timor oriental

This paper proposes to show the benefits of adopting a constitutional model that incorporates fundamental rights and judicial review systems in order to build a democracy respectful of human rights. Such goal will be achieved analyzing the constitutional model adopted by the young republic of East Timor. To that end, first we will explain briefly the political background and the roots of the Constitution of this country. Further on, we will present some of the characteristics of the constitutional model of East Timor. Specifically, we will show that this Constitution: i) it is not made up only of rules, but also includes values and principles which are directly applicable, and works as validity standards for the whole legal system; and ii) it recognizes some legal contents -related to human rights- that limit the rules, decisions and actions made by authorities and citizens. Finally, we will point out some challenges that this constitutional models usually face when reviewing authority decisions.     

地方“土地财政”之合宪性控制

地方"土地财政"的宪法基础,不仅在于"租税并存的财政分权体制",更在于宪法文本所确立的"赶超型战略"。其不仅促进了社会经济高速增长等宪法上"国家目标规定"之实现,亦在实质上侵害到公民的"自由权"、"生存权"等基本权利,其间已经隐含了宪法规范的效力冲突。为此,我国需依循"人权保障"的宪法理念,在整个财税法制领域贯之以"量能课税(费)"、"生存照顾"等法治原则,建立规范化的财政转移支付制度,并推进法治化的财政支出制度改革,以消减地方"土地财政"的扩张冲动,遏制其负面效应之滋生。     

《人权宣言》中的行政法思想

《人权宣言》不仅对世界宪法发展产生了重大影响,而且体现了丰富的行政法思想。它不仅是对天赋权利的法律确认,而且将自由作为行政法的前提,蕴涵了正当法律程序的雏形,通过宪法性文件的形式规制了行政法的方向。     

Constitutional democracy and the legitimacy of judicial review

It has long been argued that the institution of judicial review is incompatible with democratic institutions. This criticism usually relies on a procedural conception of democracy, according to which democracy is essentially a form of government defined by equal political rights and majority rule. I argue that if we see democracy not just as a form of government, but more basically as a form of sovereignty, then there is a way to conceive of judicial review as a legitimate democratic institution. The conception of democracy that stems from the social contract tradition of Locke, Rousseau, Kant and Rawls, is based in an ideal of the equality, independence, and original political jurisdiction of all citizens. Certain equal basic rights, in addition to equal political rights, are a part of democratic sovereignty. In exercising their constituent power at the level of constitutional choice, free and equal persons could choose judicial review as one of the constitutional mechanisms for protecting their equal basic rights. As such, judicial review can be seen as a kind of shared precommitment by sovereign citizens to maintaining their equal status in the exercise of their political rights in ordinary legislative procedures. I discuss the conditions under which judicial review is appropriate in a constitutional democracy. This argument is contrasted with Hamilton's traditional argument for judicial review, based in separation of powers and the nature of judicial authority. I conclude with some remarks on the consequences for constitutional interpretation.I am indebted to John Rawls and Burton Dreben for their helpful advice and their comments on an earlier draft of this paper.