Duty of care in immunisation against biological warfare agents

In peacetime, the Crown owes a duty of care to members of the Armed Forces to provide adequate medical support. This includes the provision of safe and effective vaccines. A Serviceman who considers himself harmed by immunisation against biological warfare (BW) agents would have access to legal action in the tort of negligence. However, the outcome would be uncertain because of the absence of clear precedent in respect of the Crown's duty of care in the period of transition between peace and war and the statutory right of the Government to bar proceedings against the Crown for alleged negligence during time of war. Moreover, no claimant has yet succeeded in any common law action in the United Kingdom for vaccine damage because of the difficulty of proving causation. The Serviceman would not be covered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation (Overseas) Scheme. Likewise, he would not be eligible for payment under the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979 unless the Act was amended. The Serviceman would therefore have to rely on the current pension system that is accessible, relatively generous and, until recently, independent of the Ministry of Defence.     

A proposal for cadaver organ procurement: routine removal with right of informed refusal

In order to alleviate the shortage of vital organs for transplant, we propose a system of routine removal of cadaver organs with an option of informed refusal by family. Unless an individual registered an objection during his or her lifetime, or unless the family objected to the procedure, clinicians would be permitted routinely to salvage vital organs for transplant. Our proposal charts a middle path between the current ineffective policy based on "encouraged voluntarism" and "presumed consent" policies that promise effectiveness at the cost of violating traditional ethical and legal principles. In this article, we analyze the failure of the current regime, articulate a policy of routine removal subject to the right of informed refusal, and defend this policy against several possible objections.     

Beyond the property debate: animal welfare as a public good

Abstract

Animal protection is socially constructed through laws specifying which animals should be protected and how. Most jurisdictions codify animal abuse by specifying the legal protections granted to animals. While these vary between jurisdictions, western legal systems generally provide for better levels of animal protection by incorporating animal welfare and wildlife crime laws into criminal justice systems. UK legislation has long held that animal welfare is a public good, thus animals should be protected in the public interest. However, despite the protective provisions of animal protection laws they generally fall short of giving animals actual rights, protection exists only to the extent that animal and human interests coincide. Animals’ legal status as property dictates that much anti-animal abuse and wildlife crime legislation is about allowing animal exploitation commensurate with human interests. However, UK legislation in the form of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 subtly shifts this position in respect of domestic animals by imposing a duty of care towards companion animals. This paper argues that by requiring owners and responsible persons to give active consideration to the needs of individual companion animals, the Animal Welfare Act provides animals with a level of protection that amounts to a form of legal rights.     

论微信群主的民事责任承担

微信群主与群成员之间是一种法律调整之外的情谊关系,两者行使微信平台赋予的比如建群、退群或移除群聊等功能权限的行为属于情谊行为。但这并不意味着微信群不受法律调整,法规范层面已对群主和群成员权利义务作出规定。对于群主而言,因其对微信群负有法定管理职责,若群成员之侵权行为损害他人合法权益,则群主应当承担共同侵权责任。群主对于微信群内可能产生的风险具有较强的控制力,其管理职责本质上属于一般注意义务的范畴,这与以一般注意义务为理论基础的安全保障义务具有内在关联性。微信群内的群聊行为与《侵权责任法》第37条规定的群众性活动性质上均属于不特定多数人参加的活动。因此,当群成员侵害他人合法权益时,群主应当承担补充侵权责任。但如果群主已经在功能权限范围内采取了必要措施,则认为其尽到了管理义务,应予免责。     

Expansion of state home care for parents of a child who died while serving in the armed forces. Final rule

This document amends Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations concerning the payment of per diem to a State for providing nursing home care to eligible veterans. The amendments remove a restriction on VA's payment of per diem, which required all non-veteran residents of a State home to be spouses of veterans, or parents of veterans all of whose children died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States. Under this final rule, non-veteran residents of the State home must be spouses of veterans, or parents of veterans any of whose children died while serving in the Armed Forces.     

为公共利益进行的房屋拆迁中被拆迁人利益的保护——兼论国家征收行为的特权法规制

本文通过对为公共利益进行的房屋拆迁行为的定性分析,结合对保护被拆迁人利益的法理思考,指出保护被拆迁人利益是物权法的职责;同时,本文将对公益拆迁行为的探讨推广至国家征收行为,并对我国物权法的制定提出了建议。     

司法何以如此尴尬——以一起医疗纠纷案件审理为例

不断增多的医疗纠纷及其引发的种种愤懑,使得各种利益纠葛、体制冲突、伦理诉求和法律管制之间形成了一种较之从前更为复杂而微妙的关系。对医患关系的社会调查显示,目前我国医患双方的关系并不融洽,双方缺乏高度的信任感,一旦患者未达到其预期的疗效,势必为双方的矛盾、冲突和纠纷埋下伏笔;医患双方在具体运用知情同意权法则时产生的强烈的错位,使得知情同意权在减少医患纠纷、构建高度信任基础上的医患和谐关系的功能大打折扣。而对实践中的一个真实案例的审理的剖析则反映出我国法律和司法在知情同意权方面是如此的苍白无力,使得知情同意法则的建立迫在眉睫。我国知情同意权法则的理想构架应该包括:知情同意权法则的基本原则,医生的告知义务,患者的同意以及违反告知义务的构成要件。     

公司收购中目标公司控股股东的诚信义务探析

目标公司的控股股东既可以通过股东大会的表决机制作出有利于自身,但对其他股东不利的决定;也可以利用直接或间接任免高级经营者的人事权,支配经营者在面对收购时是否采取行动上,优先考虑其利益,漠视公司和其他股东利益,将目标公司置于被掠夺、蚕食的境地,少数股东则沦为被压榨、排挤的对象。为了公平地维护和实现公司、少数股东的利益,就必须使前者对后者承担诚信义务。虽然控股股东与董事的诚信义务在内容上均由忠实义务和谨慎注意义务构成,但二者并不完全相同。在不同的收购类型和各种具体的反收购行动中,控股股东诚信义务的内容也各有所侧重。     

Battle in the name of privacy and security: A comment on Tencent vs. Qihoo (Supreme People's Court of China 2014)

One strategy for companies competing in Internet industries is to attack the privacy and security problems of products or services provided by a competitor and then to deliver remedial software to attract consumers. The recent ruling of the Supreme People's Court of China (SPC) establishes legal constraints on this strategy, recognising that a company owes a high duty of care when criticising the privacy and security policies of its competitors and identifying the line between legal technological innovation and unfair interference with the business of competitors. This article provides a summary of the background, facts and court conclusions as well as relevant comments on the impact of this judgement and identifies the issues that require further clarification.     

试论医疗机构及其医务人员的伦理困境与法律对策——以法定医疗伦理损害责任为背景

在医疗伦理损害责任背景下,医疗机构及其医务人员在具体履行医疗告知义务时、患者(特定情况下其近亲属)知情不同意时、以及面临具体法之局限性时,常常陷于对患者的知情权、生命健康权、自主决定权、乃至自身的法律责任风险进行个人抉择的伦理困境。尽管导致伦理困境的原因是多方面的,但从法律视角来看,制定明确、规范的医疗伦理行为指引,建立解决医疗伦理困境的常设机构,健全医疗风险规避、医疗社会保障和医疗伦理督察制度,应是现实可行的应对之策。     

Researcher liability for negligence in human subject research: informed consent and researcher malpractice actions

Two sets of federal regulations, the "Common Rule" and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, govern human subject research that is either federally-funded or involves FDA regulated products. These regulations require, inter alia, that: (1) researchers obtain informed consent from human subjects, and (2) that an Institutional Review Board (IRB) independently review and approve the research protocol. Although the federal regulations do not provide an express cause of action against researchers, research subjects should be able to bring informed consent and malpractice actions against researchers by establishing a duty of care and standard of care. Researchers owe human subjects a duty of care analogous to the special relationship between physicians and patients. The federal regulations should provide the minimum standard of care for informed consent in human subject research, and complying with them should be a partial defense. In contrast, expert testimony should establish the standard of care for researcher malpractice, and IRB approval should be a partial defense.     

UK court rules government erred in denying housing assistance to woman with HIV

In March 2002, the English High Court of Justice ruled that municipalities have a duty to use their powers to provide assistance where refusal to do so would infringe an applicant's rights under the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.     

论经济法域中的利益平衡

利益具有尺度的功能,它衡量人类活动的有效性,也衡量法律的正当性。由于不同的目的、精神与价值取向,在我国法律体系中的每一个法律部门都侧重保护不同的利益层次与结构。民商法以保护个人利益为本位,行政法以保护国家利益为本位,经济法旗帜鲜明的以保护社会利益为本位。经济法对社会利益的关怀,要求它必须在个人、国家、社会之间进行利益的平衡与调整。     

《民法典》与知识产权法的适用关系

《民法典》与知识产权法之关系既有普通法与特别法的共性,更有知识产权特质带来的个性。知识产权法的适用需要民法视野,更需要保持其个性,且其个性更多源于公共政策性,并以此与其他民事权利保护相界分。合法、公平、诚实信用原则适用于知识产权法,但又被赋予知识产权特色和内涵。知识产权法开放性地保护法益,是法益保护的重镇,但法益保护以合法为前提,并应对保护的正当性进行实质性衡量,非法行为不产生法益。诚实信用原则有广泛适用性,但又需要保持适用上的边界与谦抑。知识产权与物权在权利外观上有相似之处,但二者的原理和规则迥然不同,在理念与制度上不能简单类比。     

论人权公约中的禁止歧视

禁止歧视是联合国人权公约的重要内容,反对歧视的斗争也是联合国人权活动的中心,人权法与人权理论必须认真对待歧视的问题。歧视的核心规定性是“不合理的和主观的区分”,在人权公约中,禁止歧视有双重属性,既是附属性的,又是独立的。禁止歧视的理论基础是平等,核心是获得法律平等保护的权利。平等权的法律保障有积极和消极两个方面,国家负有不歧视的义务并有义务采取积极行动使人们免于歧视。     

义务冲突——艾滋病防治中的伦理法律难题

随着艾滋病预防对策的深入研究,新的伦理难题——义务冲突凸显出来。一方面,放弃艾滋病患者的隐私将其患病实情告之其性伴侣以保护其生命权、健康权还是保护艾滋病患者的隐私而漠视其性伴侣的人身权利？同时,鉴于当前艾滋病人犯罪已成为一种新型、危害性比较大的犯罪形式,是保护病人自主、保障艾滋病患者的隐私,还是维护公共健康、放弃艾滋病患者的隐私权？利益权衡中,只能取救死扶伤的道德、法律义务而舍弃保护患者隐私的法律义务,取公共健康而放弃个人权利。     

The pregnant woman and the good Samaritan: can a woman have a duty to undergo a caesarean section?

Although a pregnant woman can now refuse any medical treatment needed by the fetus, the Court of Appeal has acknowledged that ethical dilemmas remain, adverting to the inappropriateness of legal compulsion of presumed moral duties in this context. This leaves the impression of an uncomfortable split between the ethics and the law. The notion of a pregnant woman refusing medical treatment needed by the fetus is troubling and it helps little simply to assert that she has a legal right to do so. At the same time, the idea that a pregnant woman fails in her moral duty unless she accepts any recommended treatment or surgery--however great the burden--is also not without difficulty. This article seeks to find a way between these two somewhat polarized positions by arguing that, instead of being a question primarily about whether legally to enforce moral obligations, the 'maternal-fetal conflict' begins with previously unrecognized difficulties in determining when a woman's prima facie moral rights invoked in the treatment context should 'give way' to the interests of the fetus. This difficulty is mirrored within the law. Thus, how can we tell when a pregnant woman has the moral or legal duty to submit to a caesarean section? Seen in this way, the conflict is a problem which lies at the interface between moral and legal rights and duties, showing that there are important conceptual links between the ethics and the law. Against this background, this article explores the limits of a pregnant woman's right to bodily integrity by focusing upon the idea of her moral duty to aid the fetus through her body. Here we find difficulties in determining the existence and extent of this somewhat extraordinary duty. Such a duty is contrasted with both negative and positive duties toward others in the course of 'general conduct.' Attention to the social context of pregnancy and the refusal of treatment within this is also instructive. Overall, the purpose is to foster understanding and acceptance of the current legal position.     

寻找被遗忘的法益

法益本是构建民法理论体系的一个重要概念,但却长期被忽视乃至遗忘。国内学者常对法益有广狭义之分,这种区分从理论到实践都是错误的,应予抛弃。以能否进行相同的类型化处理为标准,民事法益可分为权利和未上升为权利的法益。明确这种区分,我们才能对包括侵权责任法在内的中国民法学发展中所遇到的一些问题给出更合理的答案。     

论环境利益“双轨”保护制度

环境利益属于公共利益。传统法律理论认为,公共利益的保护是政府的职权和责任,只有政府是公共利益的代言人。本文认为,除了政府可作为公共利益的代表外,也应当允许社会公众作为公共利益的代表,直接参与公共利益的维护,即建立环境公益的政府和公众的双轨保护制度。为此,特别应在环境保护立法中建立和完善公众参与制度,赋予公众独立的环境保护主体资格和相应的权利义务。     

In the Interests of Clients or Commerce? Legal Aid,Supply, Demand,and ‘Ethical Indeterminacy’ in Criminal Defence Work

As a professional, a lawyer's first duty is to serve the client's best interests, before simple monetary gain. In criminal defence work, this duty has been questioned in the debate about the causes of growth in legal aid spending: is it driven by lawyers (suppliers) inducing unnecessary demand for their services or are they merely responding to increased demand? Research reported here found clear evidence of a change in the handling of cases in response to new payment structures, though in ways unexpected by the policy's proponents. The paper develops the concept of ‘ethical indeterminacy’ as a way of understanding how defence lawyers seek to reconcile the interests of commerce and clients. Ethical indeterminacy suggests that where different courses of action could each be said to benefit the client, the lawyer will tend to advise the client to decide in the lawyer's own interests. Ethical indeterminacy is mediated by a range of competing conceptions of ‘quality’ and ‘need’. The paper goes on to question the very distinction between ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ in the provision of legal services.