Legal and ethical considerations of biometric identity card: Case for Mauritius

The highly connected nature of the current era has raised the need for more secure systems, and hence the demand for biometric-based authentication methods. In 2013, the Mauritian Government invested massively in the collection of data, and implementation of the national biometric identity card scheme. The latter has suffered a number of contestations among the population, and several cases were consequently filed at the Supreme Court of Mauritius to oppose the use of this biometric card. The main concern was the collection of biometric data which posed threats to the privacy of individuals. Additionally, the collection and retention of biometric data lead to security issues. In this paper, the challenges with respect to the usage of the biometric card are analysed. The laws governing data protection are discussed, together with the legal framework used for data collection and retention. Following the court decisions, several amendments have been made to the existing laws in order to cater for the usage of biometric data for the public interest. Finally, recommendations are made with regards to a legal framework which will enhance the security of biometric data, and eventually encouraging public acceptance of this biometric identification system.     

Legal outcomes of all suspected neonaticides in Finland 1980-2000

This nationwide study examined legal outcomes and possible psychiatric diagnoses of suspected cases of neonaticide. Neonaticide is commonly defined as the killing of a newborn on the day of its birth, and is considered to have not only a low prevalence but also a high level of concealed criminality. This hidden nature guided us to find out what the final legal outcomes of suspected neonaticide were. It was a comprehensive, retrospective, register-based study of all 44 cases of suspected neonaticide that occurred 1980-2000 as recorded by Statistics Finland. The 44 cases were ascribed to 40 suspects, three of whom died themselves during the offence. Twelve cases (27%) were eventually prosecuted and the accused convicted of neonaticide. Their mean sentence was 617 days (SD 216, range 300-1095 days). Fourteen offenders (35% of offenders) underwent a forensic psychiatric examination, out of which four (29%) were diagnosed with a psychotic disorder and 10 (71%) with a personality disorder. Six of the 14 women were not sentenced as criminally irresponsible and three of them were committed to involuntary hospital care. Nine cases (20% of cases) were still unsolved, and in eight (18%) cases the offence title had changed into something other than neonaticide. We concluded that since only 41% of suspected neonaticides completed the court process as neonaticides, the previous results from studies on neonaticide may present a subgroup of offenders, not the whole picture. Therefore, further discussion and research is needed to elucidate this perplexing, sad, and utterly redundant offence in modern society, to prevent it, and develop treatment programs for the offenders.     

Legal Theory for Legal Empiricists

There is a widespread view that one does either theory or empirical work, and that theory and empiricism represent distant concerns, opposing worldviews, and perhaps distinct mentalities or personalities. This prevalent view has deep roots and is also the result of pragmatic and understandable tendencies toward division of intellectual labor. Against this view, this essay suggests that the relations between theory and empirical study ought to be understood as more intimate and that making legal theory an explicit focus can improve empirical scholarship. We pursue this claim by articulating a basis for legal theory and by showing how that basis illuminates both the application and design of empirical research on law. Legal theory, we argue, follows jurisprudence in interrogating the law as a set of coercive normative institutions. The upshot of this approach is a recognition that an interdisciplinary analysis of law must rely on both a theory (explicit or implicit) of the way law's power and its normativity align and an account of the way in which this discursive cohabitation manifests itself institutionally. We thus argue that legal theory is necessary in order to draw fruitfully on empirical research and further claim that legal theory provides guidance both for setting up an empirical research agenda on law and for designing research into specific topics.     

关于构建“应援尽援”法律援助体制的思考

我国现行法律援助制度主要实行的是最低保障和特例援助的体制,即生活在县以上人民政府规定的最低生活保障线以下的公民、并且其法律服务事项必须在法律法规限定的援助范围之内才能获得法律援助。该体制的一个突出问题是,法律援助的门槛太高,使一些确需法律服务的困难公民不能得     

... And justice for all

African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, and European American students rated their procedural preferences in response to a hypothetical conflict scenario and then recalled a real dispute in which they had been involved. Subjects of all four ethnicities and of both genders preferred persuasion and negotiation to other options. There were significant, ethnic and gender differences in preferences, as well as differences for the nature of the relationship and the nature of the issue, but these differences were small in comparison to the overall pattern of procedural preferences. Reports of actual procedure use also showed differences in procedure use across genders, ethnicities, and relationship type, but the differences were relatively small. Procedural fairness was the strongest predictor of both procedural preference and affect toward actual procedure use.     

Legal Meaning Assumptions – What are the Consequences for Legal Interpretation and Legal Translation?

In this article, I discusssimilarities and differences between legaltranslators and legal interpreters. Thediscussion is centred around the impact thatthe choice of background assumptions as tomeaning of linguistic items in legal texts hason the way lawyers and translatorsconceptualise their own work, respectively. Thedispute between proponents of a strong and aweaker approach to legal meaning in legalinterpretation is presented and the relationsto legal translation is investigated. By way ofconclusion I present some of the majorconsequences for legal translators of optingfor the empirically more easily justifiableweaker approach.     

法教义学中法律解释性命题的可接受性证立

法教义学研究是对实在法尤其是实在法规则进行解释和体系化的研究,法律解释性是法教义学考察的核心命题,是对规范陈述在具体案件事实当中意义的研究。法律解释性命题的有效性证立除了需要满足自我证立的融贯性要求之外,也要符合相关理性论辩规则的规制,尤其需要满足可接受性法律证立的修辞论证需要。解释性法律命题的有效性是以法律解释结果的可接受性为基础的,阿尔尼奥的法律解释证立理论正是在此探讨理路上展开的。     

论人工智能法律主体的法哲学基础

当下人工智能主体学说面临诸多问题,需从法哲学视角予以审视。就人工智能本体而言,其行为具有自主性,不宜纯粹以客体相待;从他者期望视角观察,人工智能拥有道德责任能力,系道德主体。法律主体理论经历了由自然人有限人格到全面人格,再到自然人、法人综合人格的演化过程,呈现客观化趋势,不唯理性、意志等主观要素论,其为人工智能法律主体提供了栖居空间。在目的论意义上,人工智能能够推动积极向善,助力美好生活,实现显著的经济社会价值,作为法律主体具有合目的性。在当代,传统主体哲学转向,人的哲学危机引发新思考,尤其是人类中心主义的主体-客体范式发生变化,客体主体化的历史经验及当代实践显现一种哲学可能性,即主体不限于人,从而强化了人工智能法律主体的可能性。     

电视节目模板的法律保护

电视节目模板已经在国际上形成了一个巨大的产业,但人们对它本身的认识及其法律保护问题仍存在着巨大的分歧。在各国现行的法律框架下,虽然电视节目模板的某些元素分别受到不同法律的保护,但电视节目模板作为一个整体往往不符合版权法的保护标准,也很难受到反不正当竞争法的保护。     

论诉讼欺诈行为的法律责任

诉讼欺诈行为不仅违背了诉讼当事人的诉讼义务 ,干扰了正常的民事诉讼秩序 ,而且有可能使受诉人民法院对案件事实作出错误认定 ,进而在实体上作出错误的判决。诉讼欺诈行为的社会危害极大 ,但目前司法实践对于诉讼欺诈行为的处罚力度远远不够。对于诉讼欺诈行为 ,行为人应分别不同的情况承担相应的法律责任。     

史诗作品的法律保护

史诗是一种重要的民间文学艺术表达形式,是我国民族文化的重要组成部分,是传承民族文化之根。很多史诗在我国至今仍被广为传唱。有无必要为我国史诗作品提供著作权框架下的特别权利保护,如何确定相应的客体和主体,如何设置相应的权利和义务,都属应予关注的方面。对此中国特色问题的探究可望有助于为世界传统知识和民间文学保护提供借鉴。     

论实现清洁生产的法律保障

清洁生产是发展循环经济的基本手段,是建设资源节约型社会的基础,也是实施可持续发展战略的关键环节。实施清洁生产能够达到环境保护与经济增长的双赢,因此,必须通过立法为清洁生产的推行与实施作出制度上的保障。     

Legal aid for coroners' inquests

Inquests held into deaths perform important functions, not only in determining the facts relevant to the death, but also in investigating and making recommendations on matters of public safety. Coronial legislation allows a number of parties to appear at inquests but a right of appearance without the possibility of legal representation is an illusory right. There are persuasive arguments for allocating funding for grants of legal aid to persons appearing at inquests and particularly to families. However, the demands on public legal aid funds are overwhelming and there are many competing needs. Historically, legal aid has not been available at inquests. Justifications for this are considered and whether government legal aid funding for advice and representation should be available to individuals involved in coroners' inquests and in what circumstances. The nature of the inquest process, indications of need for legal assistance, the level of assistance currently provided, defining what is the "public interest" for legal aid purposes in an inquest and the detriment suffered by individuals or the community if assistance is not available, are examined.