Dealing with Wayward Desire

The exercise of synchronic self-control is the way in which an actor can attempt to bring a desire into alignment with his better judgement at the moment and during the interval of time over which, but for the exercise of such self-control, the desire would become the actor’s preponderant desire, which the actor would then translate into an act contrary to his better judgment. The moral psychology of an actor who fails to achieve such self-control can be analyzed in two ways. One way is meant to be consistent with compatibilist metaphysics; the other with libertarian metaphysics. The implications of these analyses for the criminal law are complicated, but perhaps the most important is this: the criminal law should in principle recognize a partial excuse for an actor who exercises synchronic self-control but who gives up his effort because he believes that he can no longer continue to resist. His effort to achieve self-control thus fails, and he ends up translating into action the very desire he set out to control.

论遗嘱处分在财产继承中的优位效力——与法定继承相比较

相对于法定继承而言,遗嘱处分在财产继承中具有优先适用的效力。这种优位效力,不仅体现在继承立法上,而且也反映在具体的司法实务中;遗嘱处分的优位效力取决于私法自治及其支配下的遗嘱自由原则。     

论善意取得构成中的善意且无重大过失要件

善意是指对特定的物权信息的不知 ,善意与无重大过失应予区分 ,作为相对独立的两个要件。善意与否及有无重大过失 ,均应由权利人负担举证责任。无重大过失的判断 ,可采用“疏忽之人”的标准     

“生前预嘱”概念体系梳理及立法选择

我国目前正处于生前预嘱概念推广阶段,尚未建立生前预嘱制度及预先医疗指示制度,因此需要我们在立法前做好充分的理论准备。首先要重视生前预嘱概念的准确性,生前的表述并不准确,应予重视概念所属制度体系的逻辑性、合理性。有些学者的理论表述并不严谨,将预先医疗指示与生前预嘱等同,其实这对概念是包含与被包含的关系,在对制度进行立法选择时要坚持正确的理论基础。我们还要重视制度内容上的一些特别问题,如孕产妇的生前预嘱效力问题,以及生前预嘱的灵活适用问题,为我国相关制度的立法选择提供帮助。     

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.     

论合同解释对当事人自治否定的正当性与矫正性制度安排

法官在解释有争议合同条款时 ,是以“合理第三人”为标准的客观解释而得出的意思 ,如果这种意思被当事人所接受 ,也可以说是当事人的新的意思。也可能以“合理第三人”为标准而得出的意思因异于双方意思不被双方当事人所接受 ,但双方当事人又不愿意因错误而撤销合同 ,即愿意保持原来合同的有效性 ,法官就只能依被解释出的意思进行裁判。在法官对合同进行补充解释中 ,当事人因未约定缺漏内容 ,根本无所谓合意。因此 ,在补充解释中 ,如果说是当事人的意思 ,就显得更加牵强。在这种时候 ,当事人承担了一种根本不是源于其约定的权利义务 ,在这里已经从实际上消灭了当事人自治 ,而代之以以裁判为目的的“规范性意思”。那么 ,如果这种解释已经完全背离了当事人的意志 ,应当通过撤销制度来维护意思自治的完整性。     

从“自由意志”到“社会利益”——民法制度变迁的法哲学解读

康德的“自由意志”理论是传统民法哲学的基础。“自由意志”以“自主决定”与“自己责任”为原则 ,并衍生出近代民法的三大原则以及逻辑严密、体系完备、内容浩瀚的民法体系。但是 ,“自由意志”论在理论上与现实上都遭遇到了困境 ,民法制度随时代而变迁。庞德的“社会利益”学说是解说这种变迁的有力理论。依据庞德的理论 ,民法从专注于个人自然权利转向兼顾社会利益 ,民法价值出现了从个人自由到保护信赖的变化 ,民法的终极目的也出现了从人格的健全与发展转向社会秩序的和谐 ,并实现在人们需求冲突时的调整的变化。现代民法的内在体系因之形成以“自由意志”为内容的“常规法”和以“信赖保护”为内容的“矫正法”的二元结构。     

民事诉讼时效制度的正当化理由探析

诉讼时效制度的正当化理由仅在于保护不应再履行义务的债务人。这本是德国民法早已解决的问题,但在我国却总结出督促权利人行使权利、稳定社会秩序、方便案件审理、利于物尽其用四大理由。有学者更夸张地列出减少纠纷、保护一般债务人、保护债权人、保护第三人、进行市场调节等项理由,并牵强地与公平原则和诚实信用原则相联系。诉讼时效制度正当化理由的原理还包括其必然性根源和负面性影响等内容。这些原理对审判实践有重要的指导意义。     

Defending the Criminal Law: Reflections on the Changing Character of Crime, Procedure, and Sanctions

Recent years have seen mounting challenge to the model of the criminal trial on the grounds it is not cost-effective, not preventive, not necessary, not appropriate, or not effective. These challenges have led to changes in the scope of the criminal law, in criminal procedure, and in the nature and use of criminal trials. These changes include greater use of diversion, of fixed penalties, of summary trials, of hybrid civil–criminal processes, of strict liability, of incentives to plead guilty, and of preventive orders. The paper will assess the implications of these changes for the function of the criminal law, assessing the reasons behind them, and examining whether or not they are to be welcomed. Identifying the larger import of these changes draws attention to the changing relationship between state and citizen as well as changes in the nature of the state itself. These can in turn be attributed to a jostling among the different manifestations of the authoritarian state, the preventive state, and the regulatory state. These changes have profound normative implications for a liberal theory of the criminal law that require its re-articulation and its defence. A modest start may be to insist that where the conduct is criminal and the consequences are punitive the protections of criminal procedure and trial must be upheld.

Decision Costs, Contract Excuse, and the Westinghouse Commercial Impracticability Case

The literature on performance excuses does not consider the cost of determining whether the conditions established for contract excuse are met. We must incorporate these costs to determine which contract laws are efficient. I show that while the costs of determining whether the conditions for excuse are met will rise with the value of the contested performance, the benefits are unrelated to the value of performance. I conclude that the court should not allow excuse if the value of the contested performance is large.     

论单位犯罪的刑事责任

我国刑法的通说将“经单位集体讨论或单位负责人决定实施的危害社会的行为”作为单位犯罪的核心要件。但是 ,这种理解具有难以划清单位代表或机关成员的犯罪和单位自身犯罪之间的界限、扩大或缩小单位负刑事责任的范围、不符合现实社会中的单位犯罪的实际情况、无法适用于规模较大的现代企业等弊端。在追究单位犯罪的刑事责任时 ,应从追究单位自身固有的责任角度出发 ,除关注单位集体决定和单位负责人的决定之外 ,还应考虑单位的目标、业务范围、规章制度、防范措施等单位自身制度方面的情况。这样 ,才能准确地把握单位的真实意志 ,正确地认定和处理现实中所发生的单位犯罪。     

意思自治原则确定涉外合同准据法比较研究

意思自治原则作为确定合同准据法的首要原则,已为绝大多数国家的立法及有关国际合同法律适用公约所确认。意思自治原则的内容已相当丰富,涉及的问题众多。目前我国立法过于简单粗疏,应结合各国立法及国际公约的规定进行分析和比较研究,以完善我国相关立法。     

The irresponsible criminal in Norwegian medico-legal discourse

This article discusses discourses on criminal responsibility in Norway in the 19th and 20th centuries, in light of Michel Foucault's regimes of power and knowledge: the apparatuses of law, discipline and security. The passing of two criminal codes, in 1842 and 1902 marks a development from neo-classical law to a law influenced by positivist criminology. In these consecutive ways of thinking law, the figure of the irresponsible criminal constituted a contentious issue. From being a figure marking the limits of the law, the irresponsible criminal became an object to be disciplined and a security threat. This redefinition of criminal responsibility created or was created by new groups of experts speaking from positions increasingly close to the criminals. The most important professional group was of course the psychiatrists, that emerged in Norway as a distinct professional group in the second half of the 19th century, and whose influence in the legislative process culminated in the 1920s.     

单位犯罪中单位行为与单位意志的认定

界定单位犯罪中的两个重要概念是单位行为和单位意志。特别对单位行为的构成、单位行为与个人行为的界限、单位意志的整体性的体现、利益归属的团体性等问题应着重加以梳理。     

刑法学者的使命与刑法学的深度展开——评陈兴良、周光权教授的《刑法学的现代展开》

就目前而言,中国刑法学的表面繁荣的背后暴露出理论创新的贫乏与回应实践问题乏力的危机。所以刑法学人的首要任务,就是建立刑法学科的属于自己“专业槽”,刑法学只有成为“最精确的法律科学”,①才能有自己的核心技术与工艺流程的“专业槽”,只有最精确的刑法学,才能最精当地解决实践中棘手的刑法问题。陈兴良教授和周光权教授合作完成的《刑法学的现代展开》一书正是对此的回应。作者站在时代与学科的前沿,多维度立体式展示了两代刑法学人对超规范的刑法学的基础命题、规范刑法学的前沿问题与实践课题的最新思考,展示了理论“突围”与专业槽建设的努力。突出展示了罪刑法定原则视角转换、死刑问题的观念引领、刑事政策的深刻洞见等内容。全书“充满了人文气息及高度学术性”,是践行刑法学者使命,体现刑法学创新与突围的一部力作。     

现代法治社会的刑法理念

刑法理念在刑事法治建设中占据着极其重要的位置。我国一直偏重于刑法规范的法治化,而忽视了与之相应的刑法理念的法治化,使得传统刑法理念仍依着惯性持久地存在,并深刻影响乃至困挠着我国当代的刑事法治建设。为此,我国应当致力于破除传统刑法理念,树立人权保障观、刑法谦抑观、社会防卫观、刑法理性观等现代刑法理念,并以此指导开展刑事立法、司法工作,以进一步推进我国的刑事法治建设。     

归责何以可能:人工智能时代的自由意志与法律责任

自由意志是归责的基础,以基因编辑技术为代表的基因工程、医疗性人工装置和人工智能构成了对自由意志的根本挑战,对法律责任的认定影响甚大。这些挑战是根本性的,而不是工具意义上的。它们在法哲学上可以分为两个方面:一是现实的挑战,即以基因工程和弱人工智能为代表的新兴科技引发了人类在自由意志方面的争议;二是未来的终极挑战,即强人工智能体被认为具有和人一样的自由意志,能够成为法律主体,从而承担完全的法律责任。现实的挑战构成了责任承担的新的"宽恕"条件;而未来的挑战也值得认真对待,因为自由意志不仅关乎责任,也关乎人性尊严。     

再论法律行为的概念体系

在研究法律行为的意志性的同时,不可避免对于法律行为概念进行必要的分析,因为特性总是从概念中引申而来。     

论意思自治的根基

意思自治构成现代合同效力的正当性基础,意思自治的本身值得做出历史和支撑理论的分析.在理论上,意思自治的兴起与教会的盟约思想相关,并经教会法而发展.在现代,意思自治的合理性有四个方面的理论支撑,分别是:自由主义;理性人,即人是理性动物,会趋利避害地处理自己事务;奉行自由经济政策导致西欧发展的理论与实证;从心理学证明意思自治的可能.奠定合同法自由性格的意思自治在此基础上获得了证立.     

论单位故意犯罪的意志因素

单位故意犯罪的本质特征是整体性，形式特征是程序性。单位故意犯罪意志具有整体性、程序性和双重性三个特征，具有一般形态和特殊形态两种犯罪意志形态。单位犯罪意志的实现机制由于单位犯罪意志形态的不同而不同。