An Incomplete Victory: The Implications of QT v Director of Immigration for the Protection of Gay Rights in Hong Kong

QT v Director of Immigration is the most important decision on gay rights in Hong Kong since the unequal ages of consent between heterosexuals and homosexuals were held to be unconstitutional 10 years ago. The Court of Appeal of Hong Kong affirmed the right of same‐sex couples married or in a civil partnership overseas to be treated on an equal basis with married heterosexual couples. This note considers the strengths and shortcomings of the Court of Appeal's reasoning, in terms of its potential significance both to the rights of sexual minorities and to the wider protection of human rights by means of the common law.     

Marr v Collie: The Ballooning of the Common Intention Constructive Trust

The decision in Marr v Collie represents a significant expansion of the common intention constructive trust doctrine. Unsupported by authority, it relaxes the requirement that the property be acquired for a ‘domestic’ purpose, and widens the doctrine to encompass all property, whether real or personal. The decision's abrogation of the ‘purpose’ restriction redraws the line between the common intention constructive trust doctrine and the presumed resulting trust doctrine and expands the former to the greatest possible extent. This exacerbates a doctrine already apt to adversely affect both individual litigants and the justice system as a whole, and which creates incongruous theoretical divisions within the law of intentionally created trusts. As the doctrine is reliant on the proposition, unsupported by authority or legislation, that conveyance of a title to land into joint names necessarily gives rise to a trust, it is hoped that a future apex court will reconsider the doctrine's proper scope.     

香港法院的司法审查权

香港原来的司法审查制度类似于英国。香港回归祖国后 ,在香港基本法的框架下并无“违宪审查”发展的空间 ,因此 ,香港特别行政区法院无权审查香港特别行政区法律是否违背香港基本法。     

香港监禁刑罚执行制度研究——兼评对内地监狱的改革

我国香港地区根据刑罚体系的不同设计了不同的刑罚执行体系。惩教署是监禁刑罚的执行机构,其根据性别、年龄和保安等级的不同对惩教机构做了不同的分类,以适应不同的罪犯。同时,惩教署开展教育改造、劳动感化、心理服务、宗教服务、善后辅导、中途宿舍、太平绅士巡狱制度和社区参与等一系列的惩教措施来实现对罪犯的教育和改造。对比香港监禁刑罚的执行情况,值得内地监狱借鉴。     

以香港為視角看兩岸四地司法協助制度

随着内地与港澳对一国两制下司法协助新模式的积极探索和2008年以来两岸关系的历史性转折,内地和港、澳、台四地间的司法协助成效显著。尤其是近年来,两岸签署了经济合作框架协议等一系列协议,四地间经济、文化等交流日趋紧密,涉及司法协助的案件整体上增长势头明显,数量上远超国际司法协助案件。2012年人民法院办理涉港文书送达司法协助案件1515件,涉澳文书送达和调查取证司法协助案件81件,较2008年分别上升了38.5%和72.3%。2009年6月25日两岸司法互助协议生效后,当年人民法院办理的两岸司法协助案件数量即突破1000件,此后每年都在6000件以上。四地间司法协助工作的全面开展,既有利于区际司法合作的深入推进,也为四地的融合和经贸关系发展提供了制度保障和动力。本期特选取温嘉明律师关于四地间司法协助制度的文章,梳理区际司法协助的法律基础和发展历程,研讨其取得的成就及尚存的不足。     

港澳行政主导政制模式的确立与实践

本文探讨了港澳采取行政主导政制模式的缘由 ,分析了港澳基本法所设计的政制模式 ,即以行政主导为特色的行政长官制及其表现 ,本文认为港澳特别行政区行政机关与立法机关之间相互制衡和互相配合都是在行政主导原则下的制衡和配合。同时 ,在行政主导下 ,行政对司法有一定的制约。香港回归后的金融保卫战使行政主导政制模式得到有效验证。     

Anti-triad legislations in Hong Kong: issues, problems and development

One way to tackle triad societies is through effective legislation. The present article first describes and reviews the legislation dealing with triad activities in Hong Kong – The Societies Ordinance – and highlights the main issues and problems. Four issues are discussed, namely ambiguity in the definition of triad membership, doubtful neutrality of triad experts, outdated triad-related literature cited in the court, and the contradiction with human rights and freedom of expression. The article further examines the effect of the ordinance in suppressing triad activities and argues that the law is not very effective in penalizing senior triad members, thus justifying the need for a new legislation to contain the growth of triad activities and organized crime.     

On the constitutional foundations of Hong Kong

Hong Kong law is characterized by a mixture of legal sources and traditions, originating from the constitutional government-based structure in the mid-1800s to the new laws, which were promulgated at the beginning of the 20th century. Since Hong Kong’s return into the People’s Republic of China in 1997, the development and forms of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Laws have been influenced by the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China of 1982, the Sino-British Joint Declaration of Hong Kong issues of 1984 as well as the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of 1990. The government of China continues to undertake measures, promoting a high degree of autonomy within the Hong Kong as well as its political stability and economic prosperity. All these measures contribute to the promotion of the rule of law and unification of China.     

Prevalence of spouse aggression in Hong Kong

The present study explored the extent of spouse aggression in Chinese families in Hong Kong. Subjects were 246 female and 136 male undergraduate students who reported on the various forms of interparental aggression and violence. About 75% of the subjects reported interparental verbal or symbolic aggression and 14% indicated the use of physical violence between parents. In general, compared to mothers, fathers engaged in more verbal aggression against their spouses. Mothers were as likely as fathers to use actual physical force toward their spouses. Interparental responses to family conflicts did not vary with children's gender except that female subjects observed that fathers reasoned less but engaged in more insulting, throwing, smashing, hitting, or kicking things than mothers.     

School bullying and tackling strategies in Hong Kong

In view of the rising problem of school bullying in Hong Kong, scholars have endeavored to study the prevalence, causes, and tackling strategies of school bullying. This article highlights some typical incidences of school violence and reports research results of school bullying. It is noted unresolved school bullying problems are often a precursor of school violence and delinquency. Based on results from local studies of bullying, this article identifies risk and protective factors that contribute to the emergence and continuation of the bullyvictim problem in Hong Kong. The article argues that suppressive tactics, such as reprimanding bullies, calling parents to school, and suspension, are ineffective. Other than suppressive tactics, adopting a comprehensive antibullying strategy such as assisting students to develop adequate self-competency, strong social skills, and good relationships with parents and teachers seems to be a useful antiviolence strategy.     

Gay Visibility and the Law in Hong Kong

This article draws on the ‘visual turn’ in legal studies to argue for the centrality of visibility in the analysis of the regulation of gay and lesbian identities, with a specific focus on Hong Kong. Part I gives an overview of the ways in which gay visibility operates within the cityscape of Hong Kong. Parts II and III then focus on the case of Cho Man Kit v. Broadcasting Authority to examine the ways in which questions of visibility emerge in the courtroom.

     

衡平法、用益与信托:英国信托法的早期史概说

英美信托制源自用益制。在用益和信托的早期史上,大法官法院基于拯救受托人的良心的衡平管辖权赋予了用益和信托以法律上的保障,而衡平法从"良心到衡平"的变化通过塑造衡平权益使得信托得以制度化。     

内地司法判决终局性:难以逾越的障碍--以香港法院Chiyu Banking Corp Ltd v.Chan Tin Kwun案为中心

终局性问题已成为内地司法判决在香港顺利得到承认和执行的主要障碍。目前内地提出的解决方案似乎未能摆脱成文法思维的惯性,忽视了普通法司法过程的内在规定性,难以有效建立两地间法律对话和沟通的平台。本文从普通法确定判决理由的基本理论出发,结合其他普通法法域在终局性问题上的晚近发展,对香港法院确立终局性判断标准的ChiyuBankingCorpLtdv.ChanTinKwun案的司法过程进行批判性分析,对该终局性标准的妥当性提出了质疑,以此寻求解决不同法律文化和法律体系间民商事法律冲突的新视角。