马萨诸塞州诉美国联邦环保局案的述评

马萨诸塞州诉美国联邦环保局案是美国第一件具有里程碑意义的气候变化公益诉讼案件,该案体现了美国各州和民间力量通过公民诉讼方式促进政府采取温室气体减排行动的艰巨努力。该案从联邦上诉法院一审到联邦最高法院再审,始终存在较大争议,其中关于原告诉讼资格的争议更是人声鼎沸。在联邦最高法院判决中,原告仅以微弱优势胜诉。尽管关于原告胜诉的理由仍有颇多争议,但该案在明确温室气体属于《清洁空气法》的调整范围、拓展气候变化公民诉讼原告的诉讼资格以及确立公民诉讼可以促进政府采取减排行动等方面,都具有非常积极的意义。     

保单贴现的法律规制路径

保单贴现制度具有其他保单变现方式所不具有的优势,其实质是投保人将保险合同转让至保单贴现公司或保单投资人,并将保单受让人变更为保单受益人。但是,基于人寿保单的特殊性,保单贴现交易的开展突破了合同权利义务概括移转的一般规则,无需取得作为合同相对人的保险人的同意。保险利益原则及保单贴现等待期可有效解决源于陌生人的人寿保单所引发的问题;为兼顾规制源于陌生人的人寿保单与减少保单贴现当事人之间的纠纷这两项功能,保单贴现等待期为自保险合同成立之日起2年;为保障保单贴现人等弱势交易群体的利益,应当设置相应的最低保单贴现率;此外,为便利对保单贴现市场的监管,维护保险消费者权益,应要求从事保单贴现业务的相关公司取得许可;主治医师声明及证明文件不必作为规制保单贴现的工具。     

从Madey诉杜克大学案谈实验使用抗辩原则的适用——兼论我国大学知识产权政策的调整

2002年美国巡回上诉法院对Madey诉杜克大学案的判决使得专利法中"实验使用抗辩原则"的适用缩小到一个十分"狭窄"的范围,以至于大学几乎难以再用"实验使用"对专利侵权请求进行抗辩.同美国一样,世界各国的专利法中都存在着实验使用抗辩原则,因而对于Madey一案的争辩可能会对世界范围内大学与产业之间的合作关系产生微妙的影响,同时将增加大学知识产权办公室的重要性.本文从Madey诉杜克大学一案的法院判决及其影响出发,通过实验使用抗辩原则的国际制度比较,解析了适用实验使用抗辩原则的动因与困境.文章最后指出了Madey一案对中国大学知识产权政策的启示我国专利法相关规定应作适当修改;大学必须重视技术转移工作;大学应制定灵活务实的知识产权政策.     

The Troika: The Interlocking Roles of Commission v. Luxembourg and Belgium,Van Gend en Loos and Costa v. ENEL in the Creation of the European Legal Order

Through comparisons with dispute resolution procedures in the North American Free Trade Area's Side Agreements, and with the debate over the direct effect of World Trade Organization obligations in the European legal order, this paper demonstrates that three of the European Court of Justice's most important decisions—Commission v. Luxembourg and Belgium, Van Gend en Loos and Costa v. ENEL—should be understood as combining to reorganise general international law's relationship between the EU Member States by substituting national court application of European obligations for the use of interstate retaliation as an enforcement mechanism, and thus providing the foundations for the EU's distinctive legal order.     

Lochner v. New York and the Challenge of Legal Historiography

This essay reviews three works addressing the famous case Lochner v. New York: David E. Bernstein, Rehabilitating Lochner: Defending Individual Rights Against Progressive Reform (2011); Howard Gillman, The Constitution Besieged: The Rise and Demise of Lochner Era Police Powers (1992); and Victoria Nourse, “A Tale of Two Lochners: The Untold History of Substantive Due Process and the Idea of Fundamental Rights” (2009). The author argues that a comparison of these three works raises historiographic issues relating to legal historians’ deployment of assumptions about the continuity of legal development, the role of key actors or social forces, and the autonomy of legal development in relation to other societal events. Further, the essay argues that there is a tendency toward “law school historiography,” referring to the selection of historiographic approach to suit a preconceived jurisprudential narrative that appears when the subject is the history of legal and, especially, constitutional doctrine.     

A Foetal Right to Life? The Case of Vo v France

This article examines the scope of application of Article 2of the European Convention on Human Rights, to the unborn foetus.The focus of the articles is on the case of Vo v France, and,in particular, on the jurisprudence of the European Court ofHuman Rights on a state's obligation to protect life in respectof both voluntary and involuntary, negligent terminations ofpregnancies. The last part of the article reviews abortion lawsin Europe and the US and suggests that a gradualist moral perspectiveon the status of the embryo could justify the imposition ofcriminal penalties for foetal death caused by violent conductagainst a pregnant woman without prejudice to the rights ofthe woman.     

The Meaning of Home: A Chimerical Concept or a Legal Challenge?

'Home' is not an easy concept to pin down. Although the term is instantly familiar, and the physical reality of home is an important and omnipresent feature of our everyday lives, the legal conception of home has received surprisingly little attention. The relative neglect of home is particularly striking, however, in light of the substantial body of research which has been carried out on the subject of home in other disciplines. This article discusses the meanings of home which have evolved from interdisciplinary research. It is argued that this research could provide a starting point for the development of a more clearly articulated socio–legal understanding of the meaning and value of home to occupiers. It is suggested that a legal concept of the meaning of home would be useful, for instance, when considering the conflict of interests between the occupiers of a property 'as a home', and other parties with 'non–home' interests in the property, for example, creditors. This article seeks to identify some of the values of home which might inform a legal concept of home, and so be 'weighed in the balance' on the occupier's side when decisions involving conflicts between home interests and commercial interests are considered.     

法律生活的哲学观照:法哲学的智慧

法哲学的智慧与旨趣在于对真实的人的法律生活的哲学观照。这种哲学观照体现为在对真实的人的法律生活的现实理解的基础上,对人的法律生活进行的价值改造,从而在思想上对人的法律生活进行理想型塑。     

不动产一物二卖问题研究

对于不动产一物二卖,社会一般观念认为,出卖人失信背义,应保护第一买受人。学说与判例的主流观点则认为,第二买卖合同的效力并不因第一买卖合同的存在本身而受影响,若第二买受人先完成登记,即可取得标的物所有权。不动产的一物二卖应区分不同情形,产生出卖人交出其第二次出卖所获利益、第二买受人不能取得所有权以及出卖人与第二买受人承担侵权损害赔偿责任等法律效果。在这一背景下,当前学说与判例的主流观点殊值检讨与修正,以重回守信与公平的轨道。     

论法治中国对法律合理性刑罚目的之双重期待

法律合理性,即在法的基础上对理性的认识、理解以及实现、展开的活动.异言之,即指法的发动具有正当合理的根据.法律合理性可分为形式合理性(Formal Rationality又称工具合理性)和实质合理性(Substantial Rationality又称价值合理性).作为法的一种具体表现形式的刑罚也不例外,有形式合理性和实质合理性之分.由于形式合理性与实质合理性二者的不可或缺,当今世界各国的刑法典呈现出将二者相结合的趋势.毫无疑问,法治中国对刑罚目的之形式合理性与实质合理性有着双重期待.     

亲权、法定监护、法定代理之界定

亲权作为身份权的一种,是父母基于身份关系对未成年子女所生之权利,原则上不得由他人代为行使,但日本民法第833条和第867条则有例外规定,即父母均为禁治产人时,其亲权应由父母的法定代理人代为行使。法定监护是监护的一种,它归于民事主体制度,是指根据法律的直接规定而进行的监督、保护等民事活动。立法例上,一些国家既规定亲权又规定监护,而另一些国家只规定监护。法定代理是基于法律的直接规定而进行的代理,它兼具民事主体与民事法律行为双重内涵,是各国法律均予规范的内容。民法理论上,亲权、法定监护和法定代理三者之间在诸多方面存在着牵连与叠合,同时又具有严格的界限和适用范围,它们对民事法律制度的协调与完善起着互补作用,是民事法律制度不可或缺的重要组成部分。     

双重可诉规则：进退之际

双重可诉规则的演变是侵权冲突法理论发展的枢纽所在。双重可诉规则试图融合侵权行为地法和法院地法这两个系属公式的优点,但不利于平等保护双方当事人的利益,而且有悖于现代侵权法的基本职能。放弃双重可诉规则,强化侵权行为地法的作用,是侵权冲突法发展和我国法律改革的方向,但对于涉外诽谤侵权和损害赔偿限额等问题,双重可诉规则仍有局部保留的价值。     

法律位格、法律主体与人工智能的法律地位

法律人格概念的发生学机制,涉及到法律位格的古今学说史。古典罗马法中,法律位格从未被规定于普遍意义上的"个体—主体—实体"之"人",而是依据"身份地位"的不同层次,从上往下分配位格的各种减等形态,形成多层次、差序化的法律位格体系。现代的法律人格和法律主体概念摒弃了古典罗马法根据实践需要而设置法律位格,并灵活分配不同行为能力的传统。现代法律主体的诞生,是法律位格的简化和一元化的收缩过程,原本差序结构的法律位格被收窄到世俗化的人类中心主义的法律主体位格。人工智能革命也可尝试在法理学上纳入这一法律位格的拟制传统。根据物种位阶的规范主义立场,现代法人制度通过"位格加等"把人为设置的团体组织提升到具有一定法律位格的地位;"智能机器人"概念是对"智人"概念的模仿和拟制,人工智能概念是通过"位格加等"把机器人提升到自然人的法律位格。法律主体学说之现代性立场有其限度,从法律主体概念回归法律位格概念,是人工智能时代法理思想变革的重要契机。     

Legal Neutrality,Public Benefit and Religious Charitable Purposes: Making Sense of Thornton v Howe

Thornton v Howe (1862) concerned a trust to promote the works of Joanna Southcott, a millenarian prophetess. Sir John Romilly's assertion of legal neutrality towards religion sits uneasily with the outcome of the case, but a contextual study shows that Romilly was sincere and that in its heyday Southcott's sect was a significant group with particular attraction for women. By the time of this litigation, however, her dwindling following was ill-equipped to administer the inadequate trust fund and prolonged litigation. Although Romilly's neutrality approach was correct at the time, it was overtaken by the impetus for greater scrutiny of religious charitable purposes through a requirement of public benefit.     

A century of the The German Society of Forensic Medicine or Legal Medicine

On 20 September 1904 the Section of Forensic Medicine of the former Society of German Natural Scientists and Physicians decided in Breslau to found an independent "German Society of Forensic Medicine". The constituent assembly was held in Meran on 25 September 1905, with Fritz Strassmann from Berlin being elected as the first president. According to section 1 of the first statutes the object of the association was to "offer a platform for joint scientific work". Later the name of the association was changed several times; the last change (to "German Society of Legal Medicine") was made in 1968. The close relationship between legal medicine and criminalistics is demonstrated on the background of the historical development.     

The Role of Culture in Legal Languages,Legal Interpretation and Legal Translation

The aim of this short essay is to highlight and concisely explore—but not address in depth—some cultural aspects related to legal languages, legal interpretation and legal translation. We would like to consider briefly the following questions: How can elements of legal language, as exemplified by proper names and euphemisms, be connected with cultural (extra-linguistic) factors influencing language units’ formation? How can judicial discourse reflect the culture of a given justice system? How can the legal interpretation affect the degree of legal culture? Are theories of legal interpretation universal or applicable to specific legal cultures? What is the impact of culture on the context of legal translation? How can the cultural background affect the decision to use terms in translation? How does cyberculture impact legal translation?