审判委员会“审批案件”制度应予取消

按照人民法院组织法的规定,各级人民法院设立审判委员会。审判委员会的任务有三:一是总结审判经验,二是讨论重大的或者疑难的案件,三是讨论其他有关审判工作的问题。可是,在长期的审判实践中,"审批案件"已成为人民法院审判委员会的"主要任务"。针对这一现状和审判委员会在"审批案件"过程中存在的诸多问题,作者认为,为了有效地实现"公正与效率"的世纪主题,人民法院审判委员会"审批案件"制度应予取消,相应地应强化合议庭和独任审判员的职权,并建议尽快修改法院组织法,重新明确审判委员会的职责和议事规则,对审判委员会的人员组成及回避制度的执行、讨论案件的范围、条件和规则、启动审判委员会讨论案件的程序、经审判委员会讨论案件的裁判文书的署名等,提出了自己的见解。     

基层法院审委会讨论刑事案件应注意……

1986年,我院审理的刑事上诉、抗诉案件,因事实不清、适用法律不当发回原审法院重新审判的44件,改判的36件,分别占二审结案的13.1％和10.7％。我们对这些案件进行了分析发现,所以造成错判的一个重要原因,就是有的区、县法院审判委员会讨论案件时把关不严,甚至作出错误的决定。存在的主要问题是:     

论我国审判委员会制度的问题及完善

审判委员会(以下简称审委会)作为我国法院内部的最高审判组织,在司法审判工作中发挥着重要作用。审委会的存废之争在我国已经持续了近30年。我国现行的审委会的成员构成非专业化,所受理的案件泛化,讨论案件的程序简单化,做出决议所遵循的原则行政化,因而影响了审委会的社会形象。我们应当推动实现审委会委员的专业化,受理案件的特殊化,讨论程序的法律化,组织原则的民主化,不断完善审委会的工作机制,提升审委会的社会地位。     

基层法院院庭长讨论案件机制研究

在审委会讨论案件逐年下降的背景下,院庭长讨论案件成为一种重要的司法决策方式.院庭长讨论案件机制在现阶段有其合理的一面,如刑事审判的诸多特征为院庭长讨论案件机制的存在提供了制度上的可能,院庭长讨论案件机制承载了一定的功能,同时,司法腐败等因素的存在决定了院庭长讨论案件机制的现实必要性.但院庭长讨论案件机制不符合刑事司法的运行规律,且其规制刑事裁判权的功能有限.未来对其的改革可以从长期和短期两个方面来考虑.     

制作《移送起诉案件审查报告》的几点思考

《移送起诉案件审查报告》(以下简称《审查报告》)是检察员对其承办的刑事犯罪案件审查工作情况的全面汇报,是公诉科(处)、检察委员会讨论案件的基础和依据。《审查报告》的质量直接关系到讨论和处理案件的质量。在多年的审查起诉工作中,笔者发现,一些检察员在制作《审查报告》中,普遍存在简单化和片面性的问题。反思许多出现质量问题的案件大都与审查报告的质量有关系,笔者认为,如果不正视这一问题,就难以提高和保证案件的质量。现针对我区《审查报告》制作工作普遍存在的最明显的几个问题,谈以下几点改进意见,与同行共交流。一、切忌只报…     

讨论案件时的发言要注重实效

讨论案件是司法机关办案中的一个基础程序,也是具体运用法律政策、研究处理案件的一项重要的诉讼活动。而讨论案件时的发言则是集群智、防错漏,提高办案质量的重要环节。实践中常有因讨论发言时方法不当或走过场而影响讨论效果的。为此我的粗浅体会是: 一、要言之有理。发言前,通过仔细听取承办人对案情的介绍,对案件事实以及各类证据材料全面分析判断,哪些可以认定?哪些符合证据要求?做到心中有数,把案情吃透,以     

审判委员会制度改革路径实证研究

审委会"讨论案件并决议"的类审判职能因其非亲历性和不可追责性等缺陷而饱受争议并成为历次司法改革的重点攻坚对象。规范分析表明,由于法律设计和司法解释未能一以贯之,该项职能在实践中渐趋泛化和错位。实证研究显示,人员组成的高行政性与讨论议题的重影响性,使得审委会更倾向于保障政治安全和社会稳定;而大量讨论个案,不仅影响其宏观职能的发挥,易成为司法责任的黑洞,而且把控案件质量的实际作用并非如愿。长远看,改革路径在于还权赋能,通过逐步取消审判职权,全面强化指导功能,实现审判权完整回归合议庭和独任庭,重塑审委会作为审判中的咨询者和规则制定中的决策者两大角色。这一变革应在法制框架下分"三步走"平稳实现,再通过修法予以固化并推广。     

检委会讨论案件工作应改进

检委会讨论案件工作应改进鲁海宝，肖骅人民检察院组织法虽赋予了检察委员会讨论决定重大案件的权力，但至今仍缺少一个统一而有操作性的工作细则，使得各地检察院在具体做法上不尽一致。当前，检察委员会讨论决定案件工作不规范，主要表现在：１、讨论程序不严格没有讨论...     

浅谈集体审议案件制度

保障和提高案件质量,离不开科学民主的决策程序,审理意见的形成过程同样要遵循科学民主的决策程序。党纪有关规定明确提出,要＂健全集体研究讨论案件制度＂、＂凡涉及违纪事实或者重要证据的认定、案件处理、销案以及其他重大、疑难问题,必须经过集体研究讨论＂。     

陇县法院:“五个一”建设提升案件质量

<正>陕西省陇县人民法院注重案件质量提升,面对近几年来涉诉信访数量居高不下、申请申诉再审案件持续增多、司法公信力不高的现实问题,重点突出审判管理在法院管理中的中心地位,提升审判管理理念,特别是把法官办案质量评查作为审判工作的重中之重来抓,大力推进审判管理改革创新,促进审判管理水平提升。该院涉诉信访总量大幅度下降,司法公信力和群众满意率明显上升。     

On the desirable degree of detail in the law

The desirable degree of detail in the law has not been previously discussed. The point of this article is to begin the discussion by raising a number of problems. The first deals with the fact that a highly detailed law cannot, of course, be remembered and, in fact, may be very hard even to discover. Second, if the law is not highly detailed, it is apt to be uncertain in marginal cases, of which there should be many. Detail can be added to the law either by judicial decision or legislation or by some kind of special body as in France. In any event, however, there will certainly be cases in which it is not clear what the law is and there will be at least some obscurities in the law. These problems are discussed and not solved in this paper. It is intended to start the discussion, not finish it.     

Gunshot injuries of the brain caused by air pressure guns

The article describes the historical and legal basis, as well as the ballistic criteria of injuries caused by air-rifle shots to the head. Six of our own cases of craniocerebral air-gun pellet injuries are discussed and critically assessed, using the results communicated in other papers as the basis of the discussion. The different post-traumatic complications, including the histopathological reaction of the brain to lead-pellets, are considered. The literature is reviewed and the indications for stereotactic removal or craniotomy of intracranial air-gun pellets are discussed. Air rifles, while occasionally the cause of serious head injuries, are rarely thought of as lethal weapons. However, this article illustrates the potential penetrating power of the air-gun pellet, a fact not always appreciated by physicians.     

Central pontine myelosis. Morphology and forensic importance

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) evidently occurs more frequently than had been assumed up to now owing to the cases that have been substantiated solely on the basis of pathological anatomy. Its genesis is still unclarified. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance methods allow detection of the foci while the affected person is still alive. They are clearly capable of regression and are not automatically accompanied by a poor prognosis. Since an iatrogenic factor (forced compensation of hyponatremia) is increasingly under discussion as the cause of CPM, the condition also has substantial significance from a forensic point of view. On the basis of a prospective study on CPM confirmed in 100 brains of alcoholics, as well as 4 further cases from the forensic autopsy material, it is shown that hyponatremia is not likely to be the sole triggering factor. The course of the condition in the cases investigated shows that the capacity for action may be preserved up to death (which has occurred for other reasons) in not very pronounced CPM. In questionable violent and other unclear deaths, CPM must also be considered a possible cause of death. The various hypotheses on its etiology in the extensive literature are compared with the findings in our own cases and discussed.     

A Communication Model of Taxpayer Honesty

Sample surveys report that admitted tax evasion remains widespread and shows no sign of declining. An analysis of communication effects among Oregon adults suggests divergent, not convergent patterns among the users of mass media and personal information channels. Mass media exposure is strongly related to fear of getting caught and is directly related to taxpayer honesty. Personal discussion, however, is associated with low fear perceptions and is unrelated to compliance. Low fears are related to taxpayer dishonesty. No relationship is reported between mass media use and interpersonal discussion. Personal discussion does not appear to reinforce media messages as one would expect in a convergent communication model. Communication strategies for fostering compliance are discussed.     

Identification of human remains by comparison of frontal sinus radiographs: a series of four cases.

The value for identification purposes of the radiographic frontal sinus outline, which is unique to each individual and remains constant throughout that individual's lifetime, is discussed. A general discussion of identification using frontal sinus X-rays is presented, along with four cases.     

Crime under hypnosis. Considerations on the problem of the ability to resist according to paragraph 179 of the Penal Code

Following the discussion of various hypnosis theories and taking into account physiological, psychological, and behavioral-sociological theory on the basis of five cases, the question of inability of intent in the sense of Paragraph 179 of the Penal Code is discussed, and resistance incapability is rejected.     

Searching for Equilibrium: The Tenuous Nature of the Outcome Test

Based on Engel's critique of the outcome test and Persico and Todd's response, the underlying assumptions critical to the outcome test are summarized and discussed. It is argued that many of these assumptions are not met when applied to police search data. The key underlying assumption—the principle of equilibrium—is examined in detail, and several additional concerns are raised. Thereafter, the proper interpretations of outcome test analyses are reiterated, and discussion regarding the types of racial bias demonstrated by these analyses is further explored.     

The Contentious American Debate: The First Amendment and Internet-based Hate Speech

This essay reviews the debate over what constitutes hate speech and whether or not such speech is protected by the American First Amendment. First, the concept of white racialism and white supremacy is defined and illustrated. Then after a brief discussion of the legal debate, the nature and problematic definition(s) of hate speech is presented. The unique speech environment of the internet is reviewed alongside attempts to limit and censor topics available on the internet. The arguments for and against restricting first amendment protection are discussed, with a focus on Michael Israel's five criteria for withdrawing first amendment protections. The work concludes with a discussion of the difficulty in constraining discourse on the internet.