The Impact of the Hague Conference's Proposed Judgments Convention for Electronic Commerce and Intellectual Property Disputes

Since the OECD and other organizations issued model conventions and guidelines on various aspects of electronic commerce, the quest for harmonization and global agreement for electronic commerce laws and procedures has intensified. International private law has become one of the most contentious issues where the legislative development and practical application of electronic commerce is concerned. When an e-commerce contract (a contract concluded by electronic means) is disputed, questions of jurisdiction and choice of law have arisen with increasing frequency. Indeed, questions of jurisdiction and choice of law are even more pertinent when the parties to the contract are domiciled in different jurisdictions. Equally, when one party acquires an intellectual property right in one country and the infringement of this right is alleged in another country, the question of which jurisdiction the holder of the IP right should be entitled to raise proceedings.     

国际商事合同中法律规避与意思自治的制约与权衡

在国际商事合同的准据法的确定问题上,当事人意思自治原则是各国及国际公约公认的首要原则.但在理论上及有些国家的立法中,对当事人意思自治还有一些不合理的限制,其中包括要求当事人所选择的法律必须与合同有实际联系.当事人通过改变或创设连结点的方式以使其合同表面符合有"实际联系"的要求,被认为构成国际私法上的法律规避.对此问题的澄清有利于正确认识国际私法各种制度存在的价值.通过分析得出,意思自治原则承认当事人有选择法律的自由,就等于接受了当事人有权规避某一国法律的事实.当事人规避"实际联系"并未侵害法律所保护的正当利益.国际私法不能用"实际联系"来限制当事人选择合同准据法的自由.     

SELECTIVE INCAPACITATION,THREE STRIKES,AND THE PROBLEM OF AGING PRISON POPULATIONS: USING SIMULATION MODELING TO SEE THE FUTURE*

Research Summary: The growth of prison populations over the last three decades is a great source of concern for policy makers and observers. One mechanism by which this growth occurs is via sentencing reforms that extend length of stay for certain categories of offenders. This has the effect of aging prison populations, which is problematic for many reasons. Apart from the increased financial burdens entailed in caring for older prisoners, it is also important to consider the intent of reforms in evaluating them. Of late, sentencing reform has become increasingly focused on the selective incapacitation of dangerous offenders. Policies that have the effect of aging the prison population are problematic from this perspective due to the diminishing returns realized with respect to incapacitation as offenders age. Dynamic systems simulation analysis is employed to investigate the likely consequences of recent sentencing reforms that increase length of stay for some offenders. These analyses indicate that the effects of recent reforms may not be as dramatic as some observers have predicted, but they suggest that the consideration of alternatives to incarceration for elderly offenders is warranted from the standpoint of cost considerations as well as that of selective incapacitation. Policy Implications: The results indicate that California's Three Strikes law will not accelerate the rate of growth of the elderly prison population. However, even without increasing the proportional representation of elderly prisoners, the number of elderly prisoners is expected to grow substantially over the next three decades. These prisoners will strain criminal justice system resources while presenting little public safety threat. State criminal justice policy makers and their constituents should closely examine laws that impose very long stays without discretionary release, as these statutes may contribute to the production of elderly prisoners. This problem is particularly pronounced in Three Strikes and other habitual offender laws that use retrospective methods to identify habitual offenders. Additionally, the effects of reforms lengthening stay for some offenders must be considered in light of cumulative effects of sentencing reform resulting in changes to the demographic structure of the prison population overall. Dynamic systems simulation modeling is presented as a valuable policy‐making tool, as it allows the policy analyst to examine the potential impacts of laws in the absence of data suitable for conventional statistical analyses.     

Choice of Law in Tort—Blending in with the Landscape of the Conflict of Laws?

The reformed choice of law in tort rules contained in the Private International Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995 have proved a source of great controversy. This piece attempts to show that there are wider concerns fuelled by the Act. It seeks to demonstrate that one can not reform one area of the Conflict of Laws (such as choice of law in tort) in isolation from other areas (such as jurisdiction in tortious matters and choice of law in contract) and to illustrate the unsatisfactory state that the statutory reforms have had on these other areas. The analysis of the problems generated by the Act may be used as a model for a far more fundamental proposition: namely that the tendency to regard choice of law and jurisdiction as separate areas throughout the Conflict of Laws, rather than as combining to form a coherent law of international litigation, is a critical shortcoming of the study of the subject.     

全球化与国际法律意识

法律全球化是近年来法律领域内的一种明显的客观发展趋势 ,它表现为在经济全球化基础上 ,各国各地区的法律在内在精神、原则、主要标准及主要程序上相互接近、协调、吸收甚至部分同一或统一的现象。这种趋向并不必然地与我国的国家利益相冲突。我们要在主观上适应这种现实 ,从积极的方面思考问题。     

中国民法法典化之反思

本文在简单清理中国民法法典化的现实表现后,列举和分析了我国制定民法典背后的原因,并在探讨我国当前的现实社会法律背景基础上,对我国民法法典化的有关问题进行反思,认为目前尚需要进一步奠定民法法典化的厚重可靠的社会、学术和政治条件根基;在此结论下,提出法律界人士当前的历史任务,是摒弃民法典的神化功能,舍弃在制定民法典过程中可能会获取的一时荣耀,真正面对当今中国亟需解决的法学理论问题和司法实践问题,促进我国民法以及整个法律体制在实践中的有效和协调。     

事业单位聘用合同的法律性质探究———兼论聘用合同与劳动合同的异同简

准确把握事业单位聘用合同的法律性质是完善事业单位聘用合同制度和人事制度的重要前提.目前,我国相关法律法规中虽对聘用合同的法律属性有所涉及,但很模糊,没有真正明确聘用合同的法律属性.本文认为,聘用合同与劳动合同既有相同之处,也存在明显的差异.聘用合同是一种特殊的劳动合同,聘用合同关系是一种特殊的劳动关系.国家应进一步完善聘用合同法制,明确聘用合同的法律属性,制定《聘用合同条例》,并加强相关的配套建设.     

质疑政府采购合同适用《合同法》

从采购人的主体性质、采购资金的来源、采购目的、采购人的权利义务、采购程序等方面来看 ,政府采购合同属于行政合同 ,不同于一般平等主体之间的民事合同 ,因此不能一概适用合同法。此外 ,若适用合同法 ,在某些情形下不利于监督采购主体依法行政、有效保障供应商的合法权益 ,也难以解决采购者的赔偿或补偿责任     

物业管理合同的性质及其法律适用

物业管理合同是我国现行立法肯认的一种有名合同,但因法律规定过于简陋、主体交易经验的积淀欠缺、市场发育不成熟等因素,再加上对该类合同相关问题理论认识不一,导致物业管理合同在履行过程中产生很多纠纷。讨论物业管理合同的法律性质,进一步确定其法律适用规则,在法律适用过程中充分体现对当事人意思自治的尊重,对妥当解决纠纷,彰显民法的基本精神,具有重要意义。     

Promoting a more efficient corporate governance in Nigeria through the law

Corporate governance reforms have been viewed as one of the formal means of improving the economic and social welfare of emerging economies. There have been efforts by the Nigerian government, through its agencies, to promulgate codes of best practices for companies in the country. These reforms appear to be ineffective and the codes do not compliment and are not complimented by corporate law. The aim of this paper is to identify the problems that hinder effective corporate governance reforms in Nigeria within corporate law. Using the doctrinal approach, the paper analyses features of the Nigerian corporate governance framework and identifies the problems bedeviling this regime. It argues that the problems stem from (amongst others), state ownership and control, board independence, poor minority shareholder protection, ineffective judicial system and Incomplete disclosure. The paper, by linking the apparent weakness of the extant framework to the attempt to reform outside corporate law, suggests a hybrid of legislation including hard laws, soft laws and other policy proposals to promote an effective corporate governance regime in Nigeria.     

中国农村土地流转问题的法律思考

近些年土地流转在广大农村悄然兴起 ,它是继安徽凤阳县小岗村土地承包改革之后 ,来自农村的又一创新之举。它是市场经济在农村土地承包制度改革中的进一步深化 ,它不仅抑制了农村土地抛荒 ,而且还解决了农村土地资源的有效配置。但同时又存在着这样那样的问题 ,诸如 ,土地流转无法可依、农民土地承包权得不到有效保障、土地流转形式较乱、造成了一些纠纷等。当务之急是加强农村土地流转的法制建设 ,确认、巩固土地流转改革成果和解决存在的问题。首先是修改现存法律有关内容 ,其次尽快出台《农村土地承包法》 ,再是尽早制定《农村土地流转法》 ,明确土地流转的原则、形式、程序、监管和责任 ,使农村土地流转纳入法制轨道。     

董事多元化与公司社会责任

当今各国公司制度中,已形成董事多元化的格局。董事多元化是弥补公司社会责任理论欠缺可操作性的一项积极的举措,它反映了“公司强行法理论”向“公司合同理论”的转变。在公司合同理论的基础上,辅之以制度经济学理论,对与公司存有利害关系的利益集团代表做具体的分析,看是否应该和如何将其引入董事会,从而使公司的社会责任落到实处。     

Does the Controversy Matter? Comparing the Causal Determinants of the Adoption of Controversial and Noncontroversial Rape Law Reforms

Do the causal determinants of legal change differ for controversial and noncontroversial laws? Using rape law reforms as an example of legal change, I answer this question via a longitudinal examination of the intrastate characteristics and interstate processes that affect the adoption of both controversial and noncontroversial rape law reforms. The results show that the adoption of partial reforms significantly decreases a state's likelihood of passing a stronger version of the reform only for controversial rape law reforms. Other factors, such as women's economic power and the interstate process of diffusion similarly affect both controversial and noncontroversial reforms. Thus, contrary to the idea that the process of diffusion operates differently for controversial reforms, the results indicate that spatial proximity negatively affects the adoption of both controversial and noncontroversial rape law reforms. These findings have important implications for theoretical explanations of legal change, research on rape law reforms, and social movement research and activism.     

论劳动合同的私法性质及其法律适用

传统观点视劳动合同为公法性质的合同,在社会主义市场经济进一步发展和我国劳动制度进一步深化改革的今天,此观点有不合理之处。本文试图从批判“劳动合同公法论”入手,界定劳动合同的私法属性并解决其法律适用问题,以期能够完善我国的劳动合同制度,并将其与劳动法其它相关制度的改革和司法实践更好的衔接起来,真正解决实际问题,顺应社会主义市场经济的要求。     

The changing process and politics of health policy in Korea

Korea recently introduced three major health care reforms: in financing (1999), pharmaceuticals (2000), and provider payment (2001). In these three reforms, new government policies merged more than 350 health insurance societies into a single payer, separated drug prescribing by physicians from dispensing by pharmacists, and attempted to introduce a new prospective payment system. This essay compares the three reforms in Korea and draws important lessons about the country's changing process and politics of health care policy. The change of government, the president's keen interest in health policy, and democratization in the public policy process toward a more pluralist context opened a policy window for reform. Civic groups played an active role in the policy process by shaping the proposals for reform-a major change from the previous policy process that was dominated by government bureaucrats. The three reforms also showed important differences in the role of interest groups. Strong support by the rural population and labor unions contributed to the financing reform. In the pharmaceutical reform, which was a big threat to physician income, the president and civic groups succeeded in quickly setting the reform agenda; the medical profession was unable to block the adoption of the reform but their strikes influenced the content of the reform during implementation. Physician strikes also helped block the implementation of the payment reform. Future reform efforts in Korea will need to consider the political management of vested interest groups and the design of strategies for both scope and sequencing of policy reforms.     

海难救助的性质与法律适用

对于如何认识海难救助的性质,目前存在不同的学术观点,海难救助可根据不同标准划分为不同种类。强制救助的形式属于行政救助,具有强制性和公法的性质;契约救助和雇佣合同救助则具有合同的性质;纯救助则具有无因管理的性质。因此,笔者认为,应该根据不同类型海难救助种类来解决海难救助法律冲突,根据它们不同的性质确定所适用的准据法。目前,我国《海商法》和相关法律规范对海难救助的法律适用原则和规则并没有作出明确的规定．亟待填补这一法律空白。     

海上保险人最大诚信义务初探

最大诚信原则是海上保险法的基本原则之一 ,合同双方当事人应遵循这一原则履行合同 ,互负最大诚信义务。但被保险人的最大诚信义务往往占据了这一原则在立法与司法实践中的主导地位 ,各国学术讨论与理论研究也多未涉及该原则对保险人的具体要求。鉴于此 ,本文拟从我国相关法律规定与司法实践出发 ,借鉴英美法有关法例 ,对最大诚信原则在海上保险人义务方面的具体体现作一初步探讨     

Corporate Groups under Italian Law: A Comparative Approach and the Brand-New “Crisis Code”

This paper provides an overview of the evolution of the harmonization process of European law in the field of group of companies, referring to the development of a national “group of companies law” — from the company law reform to the crisis and insolvency code — with the purpose of examining the main aspects of the regulation in force, considering mainly the possible interaction with the rules on the crisis of the groups of companies introduced by the Legislative Decree No. 14/2019, and with the aim of analyzing its suitability for being devoted to the prospect of harmonization across countries.     

论经济法对格式合同的规制

格式合同作为经济社会发展到一定阶段的特殊合同形态,具有节约交易成本和减损相对人权益的两面性。因此,必须强化法律对格式合同的规制。但是,民法规制格式合同具有一定的局限性,理应对经济法规制格式合同的具体方式进行积极探索,以不断完善经济法对格式合同的规制。     

Contract Governance in the EU: Conceptualising the Relationship between Investor Protection Regulation and Private Law

The instrumental use of private law, in particular contract law, by the EU raises a complex issue concerning the relationship between contract‐related regulation and traditional private law and underlines the need for conceptualising the interplay between the two from the contract governance perspective. The present article aims to apply this new analytical approach in the investment services field where there is considerable tension between the EU investor protection regulation embodied in the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID I and MiFID II) and national private laws. The article explores various models of relationship between investor protection regulation and traditional private law within a multi‐level EU legal order, considering the strengths and weaknesses of each field in pursuing public and private interests involved in financial contracting. This analysis also offers some lessons for the broader narrative of how European integration in regulated areas dominated by public supervision and enforcement could proceed.