Wrongful life actions: the legal and ethical hurdles

This article discusses the various legal and ethical issues arising out of the cause of action for wrongful life. This action involves a claim by a child that but for the negligence of the doctor, hospital or other medical institution, his or her mother would have terminated the pregnancy and he or she would not have been born. The courts have generally rejected this cause of action on the basis of legal, ethical and policy considerations. The author proposes that the legal hurdles can be overcome and that the ethical and policy considerations do not outweigh the desirability of upholding wrongful life claims.     

"Wrongful life" a la francaise

A recent decision of the French supreme court has recognised what has been termed in the common law system, a "wrongful life" action. Intentionally provocative, the decision shows how the desire for equitable or "corrective" justice poses a threat not only to established legal principles on civil liability, but also to the ethical framework in which both the medical and legal professions must operate.     

Wrongful termination lawsuits: the employers finally win a few

Much attention has been given of late to the erosion of the "employment-at-will" doctrine. Exceptions to this doctrine began to emerge when courts held that at-will employees could sue if their termination violated public policy. The at-will doctrine was further eroded by court rulings that a contract requiring good cause in order to terminate could be inferred from employee handbooks, company personnel policies, and circumstances of employment. As the initial flood of wrongful termination lawsuits now reaches the appellate level, some guidance on the standards employers must observe can be drawn from court decisions. The authors examine these decisions as well as the legislative reform being proposed in response to them.     

案外因素对催生刑事冤案的作用力分析——以美国1188件冤案的结构性分布与案外成因为参鉴

司法刑事体制内原因并非导致刑事冤案的决定性因素,从刑事冤案的结构性分布观察,凶杀案等暴力性犯罪更易于产生冤案。中美两国洗冤机制的实效存在相似之处,例如冤案的结构性分布、证据审查标准以及无辜者洗冤的低成功率等方面。从美国冤案的实际原因来看,案外因素对司法过程的渗透过程不可低估。中国式冤案主要是公共政策、国民对犯罪的基本立场、错误的司法理念、实践中的潜规则、设证式证明的混用等诸多因素综合作用的结果。     

纯粹经济利益还是生育自主权:错误怀孕和错误出生诉讼的恰当路径

在典型错误怀孕、错误出生案件中,父母所受损害为纯粹精神损害和纯粹经济损失。妊娠分娩本身并不构成身体权受侵害,而在人格权体系里也没有所谓生育自主权的存在余地。就生育事务的意志自主属《最高人民法院关于确定民事侵权精神损害赔偿责任若干问题的解释》第1条第2款所规定的其他人格利益,只有加害行为违背社会公德,父母方得请求精神损害赔偿。就纯粹经济损失最主要的内容而言就是孩子的抚养费用,应考察父母接受相关医疗服务的目的以判断能否得到赔偿。德国法院遵从的规范保护目的说与美国部分判例倡导的动机分析思路相同,乃为恰当法律路径,唯前者于目的解释上失之于宽,后者更合乎法的价值取向。