Criminal Law beyond the State: The European Model

This article will analyse two models of criminal law beyond the State, which are here termed ‘eunomic’ and ‘dialogic’. It will then focus on one case study, European criminal law, which was inherently ‘dialogic’ until the last decade of the past century but has now quite unique features. In accordance with classic liberal views, criminal law has always been conceptualised as one of the most salient attributes of the sovereign State. The monopoly on the use of violence was to be legitimised by the State's concern for the sphere of autonomy of the individual. It is submitted in this article that it is precisely this condition that is lacking in the current European model, which promotes security‐oriented paradigms of self‐fulfilment and effectiveness. However, criminal law, if properly conceived, could in theory function as a powerful vehicle of integration.     

The European Redistributive State and a European Law of Struggle

Its more central involvement in the government of economic and fiscal policy requires a new public law for the EU. This must be alive to the positive, negative and intractable qualities of conflicts associated with these fields. Such a law would internalise conflicts within the political process so that their irresolution and ongoing struggle become the dynamo endowing the Union with qualities of political engagement, imagination and justice. The recent reforms make mediation of conflicts a central mission of the Union but still use the public law structures of the regulatory state which lack these three qualities.     

The Constitution of a European Democracy and the Role of the Nation State

Starting from the presupposition that European democracy is necessary to the survival and development of the European Union, the author deals with the process which may entail a European constitution, and discusses the elements of the present legal structure of the EU which are conducive to a European Democracy. In particular, the author focuses on the incomplete, polycentric, and dynamic character of a possible EC/EU constitution, and on the duality of its legitimating principle. This claim is that these characteristics necessitate some institutional modifications of democratic principles if compared with national democracy, and that Euro-democracy is possible if we do not simply apply the standards of democracy valid for Member States, but succeed in developing criteria which are adequate to the institutional qualities of the EC/EU. Finally, the author maintains the legal character of the regulatory power of the Community, and invokes the mutual legal bonds linking the Member States and their peoples as the source of the Community.     

Responsibility Beyond Borders: State Responsibility for Extraterritorial Violations by Corporations of International Human Rights Law

States routinely provide support and assistance to their corporate nationals in their global trade and investment ventures. While states may not intend to allow corporate nationals to violate human rights in their extraterritorial operations, by their actions or omissions, states may facilitate, or otherwise contribute to, a situation in which such violations by a corporation occur. This article investigates the extent to which the extraterritorial activities of transnational corporations (TNCs) that violate international human rights law can give rise to home state responsibility. The analysis shows that home states of TNCs have obligations under international law in certain situations to regulate the extraterritorial activities of corporate nationals or the latter's foreign subsidiaries and can incur international responsibility where they fail to do so.     

The State of Gender Equality Law in the European Union

Abstract:  This article assesses critically the recent law and policy initiatives in European Union gender equality. As a fundamental right, the principle of gender equality is to apply in all areas of EU law. Its scope has been extended to the access to and supply of goods and services and, according to the European Court of Justice, to the Third Pillar. Despite efforts to render the principle visible and accessible, a number of provisions remain unclear and contradictory. The contribution of external actors in this field is set to help safeguarding and enhancing the Community gender equality acquis .     

论欧盟法在成员国的适用

欧盟法主要由欧盟与成员国签订的基础性条约、欧盟与第三国或国际组织签订的条约和欧盟通过的条例、指令和决定组成。在欧盟内部,欧盟法可以直接适用,具有直接效力,并处于优先地位。欧盟法与成员国法的关系既不同于国际法和国内法关系,也不同于联邦法与成员邦法的关系。欧盟成员国各自适用欧盟法的实践,反映了欧盟法独特的适用方式,表明国际法日益得到普遍的尊重与遵守,主权国家自觉灵活适用国际法以维护国家利益,国际组织在国际法国内适用方面发挥重要作用。这是对现代国际法的丰富与发展。     

消失的国家:海平面上升对国际法的挑战及应对

气候变化和海平面上升给国际社会特别是低洼沿海国家带来严重威胁,也对国际法带来重大挑战。低洼、偏远的(发展中)小岛屿国家可能将逐步被淹没,引发包括海洋边界、国家主体地位、新的无国籍状态、跨境气候难民人权保护等诸多复杂法律问题。海平面上升可能从根本上改变海岸线,给岛屿、基线和全球海洋边界带来不确定性,增加国家间海洋权益争端。《联合国海洋法公约》尚未澄清导致领海基线后退的海平面上升是否会影响沿海国管辖海域的外部边界。海洋法、国际环境法、国际人权法等尚未能为国家应对该危机提供规则支持。《维也纳条约法公约》第62条不支持将海平面上升作为国家可单方面终止边界条约的情势变更。永久固定或冻结基线将促进海域边界的稳定并有利于海洋划界。一个领土"物理"丧失或不适宜居住的国家应能继续保持其"国家"地位,但其生存与海域管辖权行使将面临难题。     

民族/国家视角下的立法主体质疑

法律经历了一个由私向公再到私的转化过程;以主权确证国家的过程中经历了一个主权观念由弱到强再到弱的过程。立法主体在这一转变中经历了一个从个人担当到国家机关立法,再到多元主体立法的发展过程。     

Promoting Human Rights within the Union: The Role of European Private International Law

Abstract:  This article aims to contribute both to the 'Refgov' project, which is focused on the ambition to find ways of promoting human rights within the EU, but also, more in general and apart from the project, to an improved understanding of the crucial place conflict of law rules occupy in the building of a common Europe—a highly political question behind apparently technical issues. In the study the author deals with the parameters, points of interest, etc in relation to private international law which should be heeded if European Member States 'look at' each other's laws, and—in the context of the 'Refgov' project—if the idea is to exchange 'best practices' or harmonise substantive law, or to harmonise private international law, etc further through a type of open method of coordination. The contribution also shows that private international law issues are decisive in respect of every evaluation of the impact of European integration on human rights, both if this integration process takes place through 'negative' harmonisation (for example by falling back on the principle of mutual recognition) and through 'positive' harmonisation.     

欧共体司法改革的法治国家走向

一、欧洲法院组织的共同体化 《尼斯条约》(der Vertrag von Nizza)对《欧共体条约》(der EG—Vertrag)(以下简称EGV)中有关欧共体法院的规定(EGV第220条及其以下条款)作了大量的修改，从而成为欧共体法院制度全面改革的开端。EGV220Ⅱ结合EGV225a对特别案件的审判庭设置作了规定。这其中到底存在着何种司法制度建构的可行方案，可以通过对相关法律规范的概览获得清晰的了解。...     

欧洲一体化对英国国际私法的影响

随着 1973年英国步入欧洲共同体 ,英国国际私法不应再被孤立地看待 ,它与欧洲联盟统一国际私法及欧洲联盟成员国中的大陆法系国家的国际私法紧密地联系在一起。它们相互影响、相互渗透、相互作用、相互促进。作为欧洲联盟 15个成员国中仅有的两个普通法法系国家之一 ,而且是普通法发源地的英国 ,其国际私法受到了欧洲一体化空前的、巨大的影响。这种影响主要体现在 :推动了英国国际私法制定法的新发展 ;开拓了英国国际私法的新法源 ;创立了英国冲突法案件的新类型 ;提供了英国解决冲突案件的新方法     

Jurisdiction and Enforcement in International Family Law: A Labyrinth of European and International Legislation

Netherlands International Law Review -