Global Administrative Law: The Quest for Principles and Values

There is currently much interest in the question whether a globaladministrative law is coming into being and, if so, whetherthis is desirable or otherwise. This paper addresses the questionof principles for a global administrative law. It considersfour potential sources and their suitability as a foundationfor a global administrative law system: first, the largely proceduralprinciples that have emerged in national administrative lawsystems, notably the principle of legality and due process principles(Section 3); second, the set of rule of law values, promotedby proponents of free trade and economic liberalism (Section4); third, the good governance values, and more particularlytransparency, participation and accountability, promoted bythe World Bank and International Monetary Fund (Section 5);and finally, human rights values (Section 6). The paper endson a sceptical note, concluding that a universal set of administrativelaw principles is difficult to identify and not especially desirable.First, administrative law is primarily a Western construct,protective of Western interests. It may impact unfavourablyon developing economies. Secondly, the evolution of global administrativelaw in adjudicative forums is leading to an undesirable ‘juridificationof the political process’. The paper concludes that diversityand pluralism are preferable.     

Transforming Public Health Law: The Turning Point Model State Public Health Act

Law is an essential tool for improving public health infrastructure and outcomes; however, existing state statutory public health laws may be insufficient. Built over decades in response to various diseases/conditions, public health laws are antiquated, divergent, and confusing. The Turning Point Public Health Statute Modernization National Collaborative addressed the need for public health law reform by producing a comprehensive model state act. The Act provides scientifically, ethically, and legally sound provisions on public health infrastructure, powers, duties, and practice. This article examines (1) how statutory law can be a tool for improving the public's health, (2) existing needs for public health law reform, (3) themes and provisions of the Turning Point Act, and (4) how it is being used by public health practitioners.     

公法共同价值论要

研究公法的价值,具有重要的理论和实践意义.通过多角度的研讨,笔者认为自由、平等、正义、民主、秩序、效率,乃是公法的共同价值追求.     

An Exploration of Conceptual and Temporal Fallacies in International Health Law and Promotion of Global Public Health Preparedness

In February 2007, Indonesia withheld sharing H5N1 viral samples in order to compel the World Health Organization and Member States to guarantee future access to vaccines for States disproportionately burdened by infectious diseases. This article explores conceptual and temporal fallacies in the International Health Regulations (2005) and the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, as relates to global public health preparedness. Recommendations include adopting laws to facilitate non-pharmaceutical interventions; securing the rights of affected populations; and fostering inter-State collaborations to promote intra-State public health capacity building.     

The New International Health Regulations: An Historic Development for International Law and Public Health

The adoption of the new International Health Regulations (IHR) in May 2005 represents an historic development for international law and public health. This article describes the IHR revision process and analyzes why the new IHR constitute an advance in global health governance.     

Public Good, Private Protections: Competing Values in German Transplantation Law

Organ transplantation has become almost routine practice in many industrialized countries. Policy, ethical, and legal debates tend to center on fairness of allocation rules or alternatives to promote greater numbers of donations. There are also certain beliefs about the use of bodily materials that are often presumed to be homogenous across Euro–American societies. In Germany, however, the idea of using the bodies of some for the good of others, and the right to proclaim some bodies dead for large–scale medical and political purposes is highly charged. This is due to the historical context of medical experimentation, selection, and euthanasia under National Socialism, and the former East German socialist policies which intervened in the private lives and bodies of citizens. This article is based on an ethnography of organ procurement practices during the period when German policymakers struggled with writing a transplant law. Active public resistance revealed deep concern about state intervention in private matters and amplified the growing unrest over definitions of moral community in a changing, post–reunification society. The article shows how public disputes about health policy become a way through which societies deal with other social conflicts.