英美海诉法中的对物诉讼制度及对我国的借鉴意义

英美海事诉讼中的对物诉讼制度以其灵活方便的诉讼模式及时有效地保护了海事请求人的利益,提高了海事诉讼的效率.通过分析英美对物诉讼制度的具体规定认为对物诉讼的真正目标是人,它在实质上是对人诉讼的一种形式;我国的<海事诉讼特别程序法>在诉讼主体、海事请求保全以及管辖权方面均借鉴了英美特别是国际公约对物诉讼的内容,构建出我国特有的海事请求保全制度.     

环境公益诉讼的海外经验

美国是当今世界上公益诉讼制度最完备的国家,其环境公益诉讼无论是在立法还是司法实践方面均有很大影响力。20世纪70年代以来,美国通过的涉及环境保护的联邦法律,都通过"公民诉讼"条款明文规定公民的环境公益诉讼的诉讼主体资格。比如,1970年的《清洁空气法》和1972年的《清洁水法》弥补了政府实施环境法的缺陷,放宽了对环境民事和行政起诉权的限制,在世界上首创了环境公民诉讼制度。根据"公民诉讼"制度,原则上利害关     

美国证券欺诈赔偿检诉制度对我国的启示

美国的证券欺诈赔偿检诉制度是由检察官提起私诉的做法,这种私诉形式具有强化市场公开竞争、恢复公平交易秩序,促进社会财富实现最大化的价值.从法律经济学的角度看,检察官提起证券欺诈赔偿诉讼可以最大限度节省管理诉讼和弥补错误疏漏的成本,并且在社会收益和诉讼效率方面都有所提升,能够最大限度恢复交易秩序、促进社会财富的再分配.反观我国的证券欺诈赔偿民事诉讼,在诉讼成本控制、社会收益获取、诉讼效率提升以及法律供需均衡方面都有待提高.为此,借鉴美国的证券欺诈赔偿检诉制度,探索我国的检察机关提起证券欺诈公益诉讼,是解决证券欺诈赔偿纠纷的一条新路.     

浅析诉讼欺诈行为的定性与处罚

在法学理论界和司法实务界关于诉讼欺诈行为研究意见的多元性使诉讼欺诈行为的定性与处罚陷入了"法无明文规定不为罪"的尴尬局面,诉讼欺诈行为侵犯了国家司法审判制度和公私财产所有权,有严重的社会危害性,<刑法>应通过增设新的罪名予规制.同时,对于诉讼欺诈行为,民事法律与刑事法律调整相互协调与统一必然可以保证对诉讼欺诈行为的处罚到位.     

我国环境公益诉讼立法存在的问题及其对策——美国判例法的新近发展及其经验借鉴

美国是世界上首创环境公民诉讼制度的国家,其判例对该制度的创新和发展起着非常重要的推动作用。1992年联合国环境与发展大会以来,美国环境公民诉讼判例法在诉讼目的的实现途径、原告的范围、起诉权的要件、法院的受案范围、诉讼的请求、律师参与诉讼的支持机制等技术层面具有一定的发展和变化。相比之下,中国的相关立法则很不发达。发展我国的环境公益诉讼立法,在法律体系方面,不仅应修订《宪法》、《环境保护法》、《民事诉讼法》和《刑事诉讼法》,还应当修订单行环境立法,发挥司法解释的作用;在具体规定方面,要明确规定环境公民诉讼的受案范围、主体要件、前提条件、程序规则、诉讼请求、举证方式和条件,不仅应承认公民的环境权,扩展环境损害的范围,扩大社会团体以及非直接利害关系人行使起诉权的案件范围,还要建立介入诉讼、环境公诉制度及有利于律师参与和代理诉讼的收费标准。     

诉讼欺诈行为能否够成诈骗罪

民事纠纷日趋复杂化,诉讼欺诈现象时有发生,诉讼欺诈严重干扰了司法活动。但因我国法律对诉讼欺诈行为定性没明确规定,致使司法实践中防止、惩处诉讼欺诈效果不明显,故应将严重诉讼欺诈行为纳入刑事惩罚程序。     

环境公益告发研究

环境公益告发制度有一个中心任务,那就是促使企业行为合乎环境法的规定,促进环境法的执行。该制度还有两个要点:一个是对告发者的激励,另一个是对告发者的保护。环境公益告发普通程序包括企业内部告发程序和企业外部告发程序两个部分,内部告发优先。环境告发人诉讼属于环境公益告发的特别程序,应允许告发人在告发失败后提起告发人诉讼,并在胜诉后分得一定比例的罚金。此外,对告发人进行保护是环境公益告发制度最重要的部分,各个国家在这方面的立法方式各不相同,侧重点也各有不同。     

美国公民诉讼的原告资格及其借鉴意义

美国环境法领域中的公民诉讼制度建立于20世纪70年代,至今已有近40年的历史.其中,关于原告资格的争论一直是公民诉讼制度中最重要的问题.联邦最高法院通过Lujan和Laidlaw两个案件确立了宪法第3条所称的公民诉讼原告资格的基本判断标准.公民诉讼制度对于保障环境法律的实施具有重要的作用.对中国而言,一方面可以借鉴美国的相关经验,尽快建立我国公民诉讼制度;另一方面应当制定严格的标准,防止该制度被滥用.     

英国的股东派生诉讼:历史演变和现代化改革

英国的派生诉讼起源于普通法,"福斯诉哈尔波特"案件及其后来的判例中所创立的规则及其例外,成为普通法上派生诉讼的基本规则.成文法从1948年<公司法>开始引入股东救济制度,并逐步形成1985年<公司法>上的派生诉讼制度.由于普通法和成文法貌似相同的两套规则导致了法律的模糊和不确定性,英国政府对派生诉讼制度进行了改革,并在2006年新公司法中形成了新的派生诉讼制度.与原有的规则相比,新的派生诉讼程序实现了更现代、更灵活和更易于理解的改革目的.     

我国证券欺诈集团诉讼之可行性分析

通过美国证券欺诈集团诉讼典型案件"中国人寿案"、"前程无忧案"与国内证券欺诈共同诉讼典型案件"大庆联谊案"的比较研究,探讨美国证券欺诈集团诉讼制度在我国的可行性.由于证券欺诈案件原告众多而损失相对小额等特点,我国现有共同诉讼制度无法有效地解决证券欺诈侵权纠纷,有必要理性借鉴集团诉讼,重新思考我国证券欺诈案件的审理方式与结果.     

Drugs in injured drivers in Denmark

As part of the project Impaired Motorists, Methods of Roadside Testing and Assessment for Licensing (IMMORTAL) under the European Commission's Transport RTD Programme of the 5th Framework Programme [I.M. Bernhoft, Drugs in accidents involved drivers in Denmark, D-R4.3 of the project Impaired Motorists, Methods Of Roadside Testing and Assessment for Licensing (IMMORTAL), www.immortal.or.at, 2005], a study regarding drugs in accident-involved drivers was carried out in Denmark. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to collect and analyse samples from injured drivers for the presence of drugs; (2) to give an indication whether drugs may have contributed to traffic accidents; and (3) to get information on the drug-positive drivers and their drug use. This paper focuses on objective 1. Injured drivers who were treated in hospital were asked to give a saliva sample, a blood sample or both. The samples were screened for the following substances: opiates, amphetamines, methamphetamines, incl. MDMA (ecstasy), cannabinoids and metabolites, cocaine and metabolites and benzodiazepines. Screenings were carried out by means of Cozart Microplate EIA kit. Positive screenings were confirmation analysed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) or liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). In total, 26 out of 330 patients were confirmed positive for one or more of the six drug groups. However, three patients were excluded from the survey for various reasons. Of the remaining 23 drug-positive patients 15 were found positive for one drug group, and in five of these cases alcohol was present in a concentration over the legal limit in Denmark (0.05%). The other eight patients were found positive for two drug groups, and in four of these cases, alcohol was also present in a concentration over the legal limit. Alcohol was found both in combinations with medicinal drugs, with illegal drugs and with both. Based on the saliva or blood concentrations, we estimate that there is a strong suspicion of impairment in 9 out of 23 cases, and in another six cases it was likely that the drivers were impaired.     

Fatal poisoning in drug addicts in the Nordic countries in 2007

The frequency of medico-legally examined fatal poisonings in 2007 among drug addicts was investigated in five Nordic countries; Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The number of deaths, age, sex, place of death, main intoxicant, and other drugs present in blood samples were recorded to obtain national and comparable Nordic data, as well as data to compare with earlier studies in 2002, 1997, and 1991. Norway had the highest incidence of drug addict deaths by poisoning followed by Denmark, with 8.24 and 6.92 per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively. The death rates in Finland (4.02), Iceland (4.56), and Sweden (3.53) were about half that of Norway and Denmark. Compared with earlier studies, the death rates were unchanged in Denmark and Norway, but increased in Finland, Iceland, and Sweden. In all countries, fewer deaths (29-35%) were recorded in the capital area compared with earlier studies. Females accounted for 11-19% of the fatal poisonings. Iceland deviates with a more equal distribution between men and women (40%). Deaths from methadone overdoses increased in all Nordic countries, and methadone was the main intoxicant in Denmark in 2007, accounting for 51% of the poisonings. In Norway and Sweden, heroin/morphine was still the main intoxicant with a frequency of 68% and 48%, respectively. In Iceland, 3 deaths each were due to heroin/morphine and methadone, respectively. Finland differs from other Nordic countries in having a high number of poisonings caused by buprenorphine and very few caused by heroin/morphine. The total number of buprenorphine deaths in Finland doubled from 16 in 2002 to 32 in 2007, where it constituted 25% of deaths. The general toxicological screening program showed widespread multi-drug use in all countries. The median number of drugs per case varied from 3 to 5. The most frequently detected substances were heroin/morphine, methadone, buprenorphine, tramadol, amphetamine, cocaine, tetrahydrocannabinol, benzodiazepines and ethanol.     

Trustees in Cyprus regulated in 2007

Trust and company service providers in Cyprus are followingin the footsteps of their European counterparts and will toobe regulated at the beginning of 2007.     

2008年中国法治亮点巡礼

2008年，是中国法治进程稳步推进和稳健发展的一年，也是法治亮点频频闪现的一年。2008年的立法景观依然多姿多彩，科学立法、民主立法继续推进，公民对立法工作的有序参与进一步扩大，已出台的十一届全国人大常委会立法规划值得人们期待。此外，实施不久的《政府信息公开条例》、全面开展的监狱体制改革，以及此起彼伏的问责风暴等都是值得我们关注的法治亮点。     

Differences in female and male involvement in lethal violence in Russia

Relatively little is known of the distributions of homicide event characteristics in non-Western nations in which women relative to men are involved. This article utilizes unique homicide narratives drawn from Russian court and police records to compare homicide victim, offender, and event characteristics by sex of victim and separately by sex of offender. Results from logistic regression show that homicides in which a female was the victim or offender were more likely to occur between intimates and to occur in the home, whereas homicides involving males were more likely to occur in a public place, to be alcohol-related, to involve a firearm, and to involve a victim and offender who did not know each other well. These results not only present an important first glimpse at women as homicide victims and offenders in Russia specifically, but also provide a point of comparison with findings from similar analyses undertaken in the West, and present further initial observations upon which to construct a cohesive theory about female involvement in serious violent events.     

Trends in Non-Muslim Divorces in Singapore

This article examines the trends and patterns in the way thesecular divorce law has been utilized by couples in Singaporeseeking to end their marriage. Social and demographic featuresof the divorcing couples, as well as the ‘fact’relied on in support of their divorce petitions, are studiedand compared to earlier analyses. It is found that while somepatterns observed by earlier researchers have remained intact,others have changed. This article suggests explanations forthese observed patterns and contributes to the discussion onwhether and how the divorce law can be improved in Singaporeand elsewhere.     

Competence in caring in legal practice

This article is concerned with the stories of female solicitors working in Queensland, Australia, and their account of ethics in practice. These narratives were sought and made in the context of our project investigating complaints received against practitioners in this jurisdiction. Our interviews with female lawyers were intended to provide more insight into complaints matters. Yet this discussion revealed broader insights into ethical questions about the nature of lawyer–client relationships and legal professionalism. This article considers these accounts by reflecting on the concept of ‘care’ and its fit with legal practice requirements today. In doing so, we consider the difficult gendered question of the relationship between caring and ‘women's’ practice. We do not assert a true woman's working style; we seek to contextualise our empirical research by tracing the complex effect of gender on lawyering roles. Finally, we suggest that the adoption of caring practice is a valid approach to lawyering and call for a caring approach to be re-valued in the legal professional context as an ethical proposition.