The Acquired Rights Directive and Compulsory Competitive Tendering in the UK: An Economic Perspective

This paper considers neglected economic aspects of the conflict between the desire of EU Member States to extend competitive tendering in their public sectors and EC law which guarantees terms and conditions of employment for workers who are transferred to a new employer. Whilst the Acquired Rights Directive explicitly contains reference to economic considerations, the debate concerning its revision has largely neglected economic analysis. Concentrating upon UK experience, we show how differences in the interpretation of the term economic in the Directive can give rise to a clash between principles of economic and legal decision-making.     

Personal data protection in employment: New legal challenges for Malaysia

The purpose of this article is to discuss and apply data protection principles in the context of employment. The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), passed by the Malaysian Parliament in 2010, has affected many aspects of life in Malaysia, including employment. Storage of data by employers is rampant. Management, as the data user, is duty bound to safeguard the employees' data according to the PDPA. Likewise, the employees, as data subjects, enjoy some rights under the PDPA. The author also examines issues of privacy law: whether such law exists in Malaysia and, if so, whether it can be reconciled with the PDPA's principles. The author adopts legal methodology anchored in exploratory analysis, with the legislative text as the main reference point.     

跨境破产法统一化方式的多元化

跨境破产法的统一历来是法律统一化的难点。以往的研究成果多从统一化的内容方面进行研究和论述,而忽视了法律统一化的方式。实际上,对于跨境破产这种利益冲突集中的领域,“形式”与“内容”均会对法律统一化的效果产生重要的影响。回顾跨境破产法统一化的历程,条约、示范法、超国家的法逐一登上历史舞台,在不同的历史阶段、不同的情境下发挥各自的作用,表现出明显的法律统一化方式多元化的特征。这种多元化的统一方式正在形成一种“合力”,共同推动着跨境破产法律统一化的进程。     

Bankruptcy Regulations and the New German Insolvency Law from an Economic Point of View

Some fundamental incentive effects are analyzed which result from alternative insolvency law arrangements. Thereby ex-ante effects, which refer to decisions before the occurrence of the insolvency—in particular the credit decisions and the use of credit, are distinguished from ex post effects, which refer to the time after insolvency has begun—in particular the utilisation of the seizable assets of the debtor. A brief discussion of some fundamental criticism of the former West German bankruptcy and composition regulations follows and the essential changes of the new Insolvency law which has come into effect on January 1, 1999 are presented. Finally a procedure is discussed which could contribute to the solution of some further existing incentive problems.     

论银行监管机构的侵权责任——以银行破产和英美法为例

监管者在银行破产中享有巨大的权限。在许多国家,利益受损的股东或存款人针对监管者提起侵权之诉,银行法赋予监管者豁免是受害人败诉的主要原因。给予监管者一定程度的保护是必要的,但是这种保护不应使得受损方不能获得实质的救济。从经济、政策或正义层面来看,给予监管机构侵权责任的绝对豁免并不合适,绝对豁免与金融体系稳定、效率和正义的目标是背道而驰的。在维持效率的同时,应当分析受害人和监管机构在损害过程中的角色,而不能采取过于僵硬的绝对豁免的方式,以实现分配正义和纠正正义的统一。     

Opportunistic termination of employment contracts and legal protection against dismissal in Germany and the USA

When analysing labour law most lawyers tend to focus on the protection of existing employment relations and neglect the feedback on ex ante incentives, whereas most economists focus on the incentives to create new jobs without knowing the regulations and relevant court decisions in detail. This paper starts with a simple model that discusses some potential ex post and ex ante effects of protection against dismissal and reconsiders the question of rigidity and flexibility with respect to German and US labour law. Special attention is paid to investments in specific human capital. It is shown that the legal protection against dismissal in Germany is in general characterised by relatively high expected dismissal costs with a low variance, although some court decisions have increased uncertainty for the parties to the employment contract. In the USA legal protection against dismissal is in general characterised by relatively low expected dismissal costs with a high variance, i.e. a high degree of uncertainty. This corresponds to the typical differences in employment relations between Germany and the USA with respect to external mobility, internal flexibility, capital intensity, labour productivity and long-term unemployment.     

Deploying the Classic 'Community Method' in the Social Policy Field: The Example of the Acquired Rights Directive

The use of the Community method of legislation, in particular the deployment of directives, has for a long time been at the core of EC labour market policy. This article seeks to reflect on the lessons to be learned from the experience of the adoption and operation of one particularly significant directive, namely the Acquired Rights Directive, and on the experience of its transposition in one Member State, Ireland. Among features noted at the EU level are the watering down of the Commission's initial legislative ambitions; the substantial lacunae, failures to address issues and ambiguities incorporated in the text of the directive, the consequent enlarged role for the Court of Justice and the apparent difficulty in changing policy direction in the event of errors being made. As regards the Irish experience of transposing the directive, lessons learnt have included the importance of the means of implementation chosen by the Member State; the obstructive effect which national industrial relations systems may have on the evolution of a common European approach; the significance which attaches to national sanctions and enforcement mechanisms; the importance attaching to the degree of collective organisation in workplaces where the implementing legislation is sought to be relied upon; and the potential which the implementation of a directive has for disruption of the harmony of a national policy approach. Finally, the use of a form of social dialogue in the implementation of employment-related directives in Ireland is also commented upon.     

The New Insolvency Law and Governance of Corporate Legal Person

Start of the insolvency proceedings influences the two basic problems of corporate governance: restriction about the “soft budget” of corporation and “information asymmetry” between the interior and exterior person. In fact, the insolvency law is a mechanism of the potential exterior supervision. In the insolvency proceedings, most of the information is open to the creditor and to the superintendent, who is liable for protecting the interest of the creditor. The key problems of corporate governance are transparency and information disclosure. The insolvency law provides the power of supervision to the creditor when corporation insolvency. Of importance is that power is conducted by collectivity and supported by judicatory and professional organization. In June 2004, the finance committee submitted the new draft of the insolvency law to the standing committee of the national people’s congress. There are many articles about corporate governance. These articles are generally divided into two kinds, one is restriction on conduct of the supervisors in the period of the insolvency proceedings, and the other is examination of the conduct before the start of the insolvency proceedings. Translated from Jurist Review, Vol. 2, 2005 (in Chinese)     

区域性人权保护制度与国际人权保护制度之比较

区域性人权公约与全球性国际人权公约都规定了国家指控制度、个人申诉制度以及国家报告制度。与全球性国际人权保护制度相比,区域性人权保护制度更具可行性。由于区域内各国历史传统、政治、经济、文化、宗教等都比较接近,区域内人权标准更统一,所保护的权利主体也更具体,区域性人权保护制度在人权保护中取得了显著成绩。尤其是个人申诉制度,丰富了国际法与国际人权法的主体体系,对人权的国际保护产生了重大影响。     

弱势群体权利保护国际立法初探

就弱势群体的生存现状、法律的发展演进、各国立法与研究现状进行了较全面的介绍之后 ,深入分析了弱势群体权利保护所面临的问题和法律发展趋势 ,以期能引起人们对弱势群体权利保护状况的关注与重视 ,并努力改善之。作者指出 ,某些民族和宗教的固有传统由于与现代人权观念相冲突而成为改善弱势群体人权状况的最大障碍之一。文章最后深刻指出了弱势群体权利保护的三个发展趋势 ,即对弱势群体权利保护的加强、相关法律的趋同化、国际社会本位观念的贯彻执行。     

全球化环境中的知识产权保护——全球化与知识产权保护国际会议综述

全球化环境下知识产权保护存在很多值得探讨的问题。由中国政法大学民商经济法学院举办、中国政法大学民商经济法学院知识产权法研究所承办、美国Kenyon&Kenyon LLP和National Economic Research Associates,Inc.提供赞助的全球化与知识产权保护国际会议于2007年1月20—21在北京召开,近二百名国内外知识产权专家学者探讨了全球化环境下知识产权保护的一系列问题。本次会议对于推动国内外知识产权理论与实践问题的研究具有深远意义。     

论善治对人权的促进与阻碍

善治在西方治理理论中占有重要地位,其基本要素包括合法性、透明、责任、参与等。善治与人权具有内在的关联性。善治通过提高政府能力增强政府保障人权的能力,并减少对人权的侵害。善治还能推进公民对公共管理的参与,提升人权的实现水平。由于善治侧重于市场和经济治理,与人权原则存在差异,所以二者会产生冲突,善治计划可能导致政府过度集权以及产生新的腐败,阻碍对人权的保护。     

WTO对知识产权国际保护制度的继承和发展

ＷＴＯ在继承既有知识产权国际公约所规定的基本原则和制度的基础上,从贸易的角度构建知识产权法律体系,对各种知识产权的国际保护作了若干新的规定,并对知识产权保护水平提出了更高的要求,从而丰富了知识产权国际保护制度的内容。     

On the Rights Protection of Vulnerable Groups Under the Prevention and Control of a Public health Crisis: A Literature Review and Perspective for Future Directions

The legal system for prevention and control of a public health crisis rests on two pillars: human rights protection and good governance. This duality is well illustrated by substantively equal treatment of vulnerable groups in a pandemic from the perspectives of public service, social inclusion, accessible environment, gender equality, and right to health. A review of literature on this topic shows that current research needs to address the gap between “life supremacy” and “equal protection” in the area of human rights protection, and the gap between “putting people first” and “strict control at the grassroots level” in the area of good governance. The research should employ intersectional methodology to highlight the rights logic of the socialist legal system and the key role of the Communist Party of China’s leadership in balancing individual versus community rights, enhancing the governance capability for participation by multiple social agents, ensuring equal protection for disadvantaged groups, promoting inclusive and sustainable development, and realizing the common prosperity of all the people.     

论少数人权利

文章阐明少数人权利的概念,权利的保护,权利的未来,并以为全面充分保障少数人权利,是实现人类社会和平共处、共同发展之最终目标的主要途径之一。     

论非洲区域性人权保护机制

为了促进人权和民族权利,使这些权利在非洲得到有效保护,非洲统一组织制定了相关人权文件,建立了一套比较系统的人权保护机构和制度.与全球性国际人权保护制度相比,非洲区域性人权保护制度更具可行性,尤其是个人申诉制度对国际人权保护的发展产生了重大影响.但不可否认的是,非洲区域性人权保护机制也还存在着一些缺陷.     

国际知识产权保护和我国面临的挑战

在全球化中知识产权保护不断强化、中央提出建设创新型国家的大背景下,我国的知识产权保护面临着挑战和机遇。基于对世界上主要国家、地区知识产权制度与相关国际条约及其对我国的影响之考察,对各国及国际的知识产权保护中值得借鉴之处的分析,我们应当做的是:一方面利用知识产权制度业已形成的高端保护推动国民在高新技术与文化产品领域搞创造与创作这个“流”,另一方面积极促成新的知识产权制度来保护我们目前可能处优势的传统知识及生物多样化这个“源”。这样,才更有利于加快我国向“知识经济”与和谐社会发展的进程。     

论欧洲理事会的人权保护制度对建立和完善国际人权保护制度的影响

欧洲理事会采取集体办法促进和保护人权的理论和实践对建立和完善国际人权保护制度产生了深远的影响 :区域性人权保护办法是在区域层面上施行《世界人权宣言》的有效途径 ;国际人权机构应通过改革不断提高人权的可司法性 ;主权国家应在采取集体办法保护区域人权方面积极行使主权权利 ;人权国际保护内在地要求增强个人的权利主体意识 ;国际人权保护机构应不断提高其工作效率。随着欧洲理事会的人权保护制度的不断完善 ,它在人权国际保护中的“领跑者”的形象和影响将得以继续显现。     

青少年在线权利的法律保护

不良信息对青少年身心健康的侵蚀是不容忽视的。网络虚拟世界、网络社会对真实世界、现实社会的依附性决定了人类对网络虚拟世界、网络社会具有控制和规范的能力。就青少年而言,他们有获得有益于其身心健康、文明向上的精神产品的权利;就社会而言,为青少年提供文明、健康的精神产品是社会的义务和责任。而法律介入是保护青少年在线权利的必由之路。     

从民事权利 看私有财产保护

中国《1982年宪法》,通过了第四次修正案,第一次明确地将"公民的合法的私有财产不受侵害"纳入到国家根本大法之中.从民事权利的角度看,宪法的原则规定,不能代替普通法律的颁布和实施,为此,我们要从社会意义和法律地位上对私有财产的保扩加以完善,这是现代法治社会的关键所在,也是落实宪法修正案的当务之急.