Judicial Responses to Bright Line Rules in Social Security: In Search of Principle

This article considers judicial responses to the use of 'bright line' rules in social security law. It analyses, within the framework of judicial deference, the receptiveness of the judiciary to an argument by the executive that a rule is justified as being administratively convenient to operate. The article questions the proposition that the judiciary is at its most deferential when complex issues of socio-economic policy or resource allocation are raised in the context of social security law. A contrast is drawn between cases involving an issue of statutory interpretation and those applying a proportionality test. The article tests the presumption that a difference in approach should be discernable in these two situations. It concludes by criticising the courts for failing to articulate clearly the values at stake and by arguing for the need for greater transparency and a broader public debate concerning the use of bright line rules.     

刑事被害人国家救助制度刍议

刑事被害人国家救助制度的建立,标志着我国刑事司法的重点从单纯的被告人权利保障的同时也注意到对被害人合法权益的同等保护,而这也是刑法社会保护价值诉求的具体直接体现,也是和谐社会刑事政策的必然要求,为真正创立一个体现公平、效率、秩序的和谐刑事司法环境奠定了坚实的基础。     

Aggressive Patrol: A Search for Side-effects

Recent interest in the possible deterrent effects of aggressive or proactive policing raises the issue of such strategies' consequences for individual liberties and police-community relations. This study examines the latter—specifically, the effects of four neighborhood-level measures of an aggressive patrol style on citizens' evaluations of police and citizens' propensities to report crimes. The results suggest that, for most citizens, aggressive patrol has almost no effect on either evaluations or reporting behavior. Surprisingly, one form of proactive patrol, the neighborhood rate of suspicion stops, seems to have a positive effect on the evaluations of police made by young black men.     

刑法解释对从旧兼从轻原则适用的影响及对不当影响的纾解

刑法解释结果的不同可能影响从旧兼从轻原则最终的适用结果。溯其根源,从旧兼从轻原则不是对刑法规定的简单比较而是涉及到行为评价。刑法司法解释等有权解释的介入也完全可能改变从旧兼从轻原则的适用结果。刑法解释对从旧兼从轻原则适用的影响可能会造成司法不统一的不良局面,并且破坏从旧兼从轻原则适用的基本逻辑。刑法解释对从旧兼从轻原则适用的影响虽不可绝对避免,但是部分不当影响应当得到纾解。具体而言,应当避免通过刑法司法解释等有权解释进行司法入罪,同时在立法竞合化越来越多的情况下,可强化立法必要性的论证,提高立法技术,从而减少刑法解释对从旧兼从轻原则适用的不当影响。     

关于社会救济立法的思考

现代社会保障制度的建立、形成和普遍发展,是社会文明进步的一种表现,但是我国目前所采用的福利型社会保障制度由于缺少必要的经济基础作保障而显得步履维艰。因此,积极建立以社会救济制度为核心内容的新型社会保障法律体系已是必然。     

权利的救济和获得救济的权利——救济权的法理阐释

救济权是基本的法律术语，但是与人们对救济权这一名词的高度熟悉和救济权在法律中的基础性地位形成对照的是，对救济权的专门研究很少，甚至迄今为止，关于救济权的为数不多的概念界定仍然是模糊不清或带有浓重的部门法色彩的。基于救济权是人权的重要内容，有必要对其依基本法理作出阐释，以明晰其确切所指和作为一种人权的基本属性，从而为救济权保护的理论模式和制度设计给出基本的理论前提。     

为什么私力救济

本文运用经济分析等跨学科方法 ,从成本、收益、效率、机制、功能等角度对私力救济和公力救济进行系统、全面、深入的比较 ,解释了为什么私力救济 ,提出私力救济行动内含着一种经济逻辑。从私力救济角度切入 ,结合一个民间收债案例 ,本文论及司法和法治的基本问题 ,展现了司法的弊端和改革的紧迫性 ,并指出一些可能的发展方向     

国家为何要救济刑事被害人——对东莞地区重大刑事案件的调查分析

对东莞地区五年来1650件重大刑事案件的犯罪类型、犯罪性质、犯罪主体情况及其家庭结构、经济状况以及刑事被害人被害事实进行调查分析,发现目前刑事法律规定的对刑事被害人损失进行救济的手段作用非常有限,绝大多数刑事被害人根本无法得到救济.这不仅使刑事判决不能满足日益增长的刑事被害人群体的司法需求,也影响到司法判决的法律效果与社会效果,更加深了刑事被害人作为维权的弱势群体与政府或国家机关之间的矛盾,引发出刑事政策观念层次的矛盾和冲突.在刑事被告人经济能力有限刑事被害人获赔落空的情况下,由国家对刑事被害人弱势群体进行救济就显得特别必要.     

Ancillary studies in amniotic fluid embolism: a case report and review of the literature

The incidence of amniotic fluid embolism during pregnancy is approximately 1/50,000 and has a mortality rate in excess of 80%. The postmortem diagnosis of amniotic fluid embolism can be challenging for forensic investigators and pathologists. At autopsy, usually signs of disseminated intravascular coagulation suggest an amniotic fluid embolism. A definitive diagnosis of amniotic fluid embolism cannot be made until ancillary studies are performed on the decedent's tissues. We report a case of a 37-year-old G3P2 white female who was 36 weeks gestation when her membranes spontaneously ruptured. She suddenly became breathless, went into cardiogenic shock, and died. The autopsy revealed gross and microscopic findings of amniotic fluid embolism, which was confirmed with ancillary studies consisting of special stains, immunohistochemistry, and a serum tryptase level. The authors hope this case report, including gross and microscopic autopsy findings with procedural and ancillary studies, and review of the literature will help investigators and pathologists in the diagnosis of amniotic fluid embolism.     

贯彻司法为民彰显人文关怀——关于刑事被害人救助制度若干问题研究

现代刑事被害人国家救助制度源于英国,是体现司法人文关怀的一项重要措施。在我国,现代意义上的刑事被害人救助制度肇始2004年,2009正式建立。随着实践的发展,司法实务部门和理论界对刑事被害人救助制度的研究也不断深入,取得了不少可喜的成果,对一些重大问题的认识也渐趋统一,但对我国刑事被害人救助制度究竟应当如何定位,也就是说我国刑事被害人救助制度的法律属性是什么,还需要进一步明确。作为一项新生事物,我国经济、社会发展的实际情况决定了刑事被害人救助制度在我国的发展必然是一个渐进的过程,短期内不可能期望该制度全面解决刑事被害人所面临的各种困难,因此必须要将刑事被害人救助制度与现行的其他制度结合起来,形成一整套刑事被害人保障机制。     

法理:法实践的正当性理由

法理是由人的理性认识所凝练、证成法实践的正当性理由。法理是一个实践性概念,它生成于、作用于、发展于法实践,面向法实践绽放理论生命、成就学术体系、彰显话语魅力,深入法实践充实法律思维、供养法治思维、锤炼法理思维。法理概念在数千年中华法治文明发展进程中萌生、流淌、跃动,在新时代全面依法治国、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的征程中苏醒、焕发、升腾,是法理复兴之路与良法善治之景的和韵,是东方文明之光与马克思主义真理之光的交辉。     

Putrefaction: An Additional Complicating Factor in the Assessment of Freshwater Drownings in Rivers

Background hypothesis: That bodies immersed in freshwater (rivers) may show greater changes of decomposition than bodies immersed in saltwater (sea). Fifty de‐identified river drownings and 50 sea drownings were randomly selected from autopsy files at Forensic Science SA, Adelaide, Australia and assessed for decomposition. Results: The river cases consisted of 43 males and seven females (M:F 6:1); age range of 2–92 years (mean 46.8 years); decomposition—16/50 (32%); postmortem interval 1–14 days, average 3.8. The sea cases consisted of 36 males and 14 females (M:F 2.6:1); age range of 9–81 years (mean 50.7 years); decomposition—2/50 (4%) (p < 0.001%); postmortem interval 1–6 days, average 2.8. As decomposition reduces information obtained at autopsy, postmortem examination of deaths in rivers may be less informative than deaths that have occurred in the sea. The reasons for less decomposition in the sea include cooler temperatures, exposure to salt and shorter postmortem intervals.     

Search for the Hidden Punishments: An Alternative Approach to Studying Alternative Sanctions

Objectives

Most existing studies of sentencing focus on the decision of whether or not to incarcerate a convicted individual. However, many cases do not involve incarceration, and there is a considerable amount of freedom to mete out alternative sanctions as part of a sentencing decision. This study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the patterns of sentences among those individuals not sentenced to prison.

Methods

This study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify unobserved “classes” based on packages of sentences, which may involve both jail and non-incarceration alternative sanctions imposed on defendants not sentenced to prison. This study also demonstrates the potential use of LCA by (1) comparing and contrasting the results of LCA and the sentence severity scale approach, and (2) investigating how class membership could be explained by legal and extralegal characteristics of the cases.

Results

LCA identified four latent classes among individuals who were not sentenced to prison, two of which could not be differentiated by the severity scale approach. Regression models demonstrated that legal variables were better at explaining the incarceration decision, whereas extralegal variables were better at explaining some of the margins between the classes.

Conclusion

Compared with the incarceration models and severity scales, LCA revealed variations that could not be detected by either of the approaches. LCA also has the potential to be a helpful tool in future analysis of sentencing decisions utilizing large-scale, administrative datasets.