The right to choose to die with dignity

Advances in medical science have done much to improve the quality of life but in some cases medical treatment may result in the prolonging of death rather than the enhancement of life. Patients may wish to refuse or withdraw from medical treatment even though they realise that this will lead to an early death. Medical attendants may, however, see it as their legal or ethical duty to impose medical treatment in the interest of preserving life. At a broad level two crucial interests come into headlong conflict--the patient's right to self-determination and society's interest in the preservation of human life. In this article the legal principles which are invoked to resolve this conflict both at common law and under recent Victorian legislation, the Medical Treatment Act 1988, are discussed and the thesis advanced that, in relation to competent patients, the law favours the right to self-determination.     

认真对待侦查讯问——基于实证的考察

讯问中的高认罪率是封闭空间下长时间讯问的结果。侦查人员对犯罪嫌疑人认罪的追求反映了在客观证据获取能力不足的情况下侦查对讯问的依赖。讯问制度的改革从中短期考虑,应当平衡讯问查证功能与保障犯罪嫌疑人权利;从长期来考虑,应当在保障犯罪嫌疑人权利的前提之下开展讯问。     

冲突量刑情节适用原则的反思

刑事个案中多个量刑情节冲突为常见事态。《最高人民法院关于常见犯罪的量刑指导意见》试图通过量化的量刑范式为司法实践提供指引,如此做法的合理性值得商榷。在责任主义的视野之下,有效区分预防刑情节和报应刑情节在个案中的作用与影响,坚持罪刑均衡原则、一般与特殊相统一原则及基本公正原则是解决量刑情节冲突的可行之路。     

Coming to terms with facial reproduction

The process of building human faces by applying clay to skulls to generate leads for identification of unknown human remains is plagued by the use of a number of terms which are already used for other purposes. Reconstitution, reconstruction, restoration, death mask, moulage, and sculpture have all been used, but each is used in another context in forensic science. "Facial reproduction" is suggested as a term which is not already in use in forensic science, which is precise, and which would thus be preferred over any of the other terms.     

慎重对待沉默权

应否确立沉默权是我国刑事诉讼法学界近年激烈讨论的热点问题。并且随着我国１９９８年对联合国《公民权利和政治权利国际公约》的签署 ,这种讨论进一步走向深入。如果说在这以前 ,学者们主要侧重于对沉默权在国外的规定及运作状况进行客观介绍的话 ,那么在１９９８年以后 ,则有大批学者纷纷撰文明确要求在我国确立沉默权。应当肯定 ,从必要性的角度来说 ,部分学者所提出的确立沉默权的理由是完全成立的。然而 ,任何制度的生成和运作都是在一定的政治、社会和文化背景下实现的。虽然沉默权制度的建立的确有利于提升被追诉者的程序主体地位 ,…     

承租人不付租金时船东的对策

针对当前租船市场的行情急转直下,直接导致船东与承租人之间的纠纷和争议纷纷涌现,特别是在长期期租合同下,部分遇到资金困难的承租人会以各种借口提早还船,更有甚者则会拒付到期租金的情况,对承租人不付租金这一问题进行讨论,并着重分析和论述船东所能行使的对策.     

复行为犯的着手问题

简要分析比较前一行为说、后一行为说、具体分析说之后 ,通过案例的分析 ,得出赞同前一行为说的结论 :复行为犯中 ,数实行行为都是构成行为的一部分 ,开始实施了前一实行行为 ,尽管未实施后一行为也等于开始实施了构成行为 ;与此同时 ,行为人的前一行为已经有导致危害结果发生的现实危险性 ,否则 ,刑法规范就没有必要给予前一行为“构成要件要素”这样高度的评价 ,而只需采取单一实行行为的规定方式 ;而且行为人主观上的直接犯罪目的业已确定无疑地在前一行为中得到充分表现。     

承租人不付租金时船东的对策

针对当前租船市场的行情急转直下,直接导致船东与承租人之间的纠纷和争议纷纷涌现,特别是在长期期租合同下,部分遇到资金困难的承租人会以各种借口提早还船,更有甚者则会拒付到期租金的情况,对承租人不付租金这一问题进行讨论,并着重分析和论述船东所能行使的对策。     

领导干部如何提高新闻执政力

在媒体事件发生频率越来越高、影响越来越大的网络时代,领导干部作为执政者,要切实尊重新闻舆论的传播规律,把舆论引导作为执政能力建设的重要内容,真正实现善待媒体、善用媒体、善管媒体,进而提高新闻执政能力。     

An evaluation of expert reports with regard to adherence to current quality standards

In early 2008 the penal system of Lower Saxony established a specialised department responsible for risk assessment regarding all prison inmates in that state. The department generates approximately 200 risk assessment expert reports per year, mainly on questions such as the inmates' aptitude for social therapy, relaxation of imprisonment conditions, and transfer to an open prison. Prof. Dr. Konrad and Dr. Heering (from the Charité's Institute for Forensic Psychiatry) have been accompanying the work of this department scientifically for at least 2 years by offering a scientific exchange and by reviewing random samples of the risk assessments and verifying the application of current standards. It is of particular interest to examine which methods are used and which topics are discussed with the inmates during the exploration for risk assessment expert reports, whether or not standardised risk scales are applied, and finally which conclusions are drawn from the results of the exploration and the information which could be gathered from court and prison files.     

关于提高依法治军水平需要解决的主要问题

党的十六大报告在明确提出发展社会主义民主政治,最根本的是要把坚持党的领导、人民当家作主和依法治国有机统一起来,依法治国是党领导人民治理国家的基本方略的同时,首次提出“坚持从严治军,健全军事法规体系,提高依法治军的水平”的任务,这是对军事法学界多年来积极探索、宣传依法治军理论的充分肯定,在军事法制建设史上具有里程碑意义。其中明确要求我们“提高依法治军的水平”,其含义是十分深刻的,表明我们在贯彻落实依法治军方针的进程中还存在一定的差距。在国防和军队建设的一些重要领域中,由于军事法规体系的不完备,还存在着许多“无法可依”的问题;许多军队干部特别是领导干部的法律素质和守法水平仍然难以适应贯彻依法治军方针的要求;有法不依、执法不严、违法不究,仍旧是军事法制建设中的薄弱环节;军事法制机构     

坚持调解优先 着力构建多元化矛盾纠纷解决机制

周永康同志最近指出，要着力把调解优先的原则更好地体现在依法调解经济社会关系中，有效化解矛盾纠纷。吴爱英部长也指出，要始终坚持调解优先原则，把有效化解矛盾纠纷作为司法行政工作的主线。坚持调解优先原则化解矛盾纠纷是新时期政法工作执法思想、工作方法的深化，是依法治国和以德治国方略在政法工作中的生动体现，符合我国社会矛盾纠纷发展规律，反映了大众趋和决事的心理，符合新时期群众工作本质要求，对有效化解矛盾纠纷，构建和谐社会具有重大战略和现实意义。     

Homicide with special reference to alcoholic intoxication and relation to time of day

112 cases of homicide (around 4%) are presented from material of approximately 3000 psychiatric expert-opinions for criminal proceedings. The data of 107 committers were usable and could be evaluated statistically. 63% of the homicides were executed, 37% were attempted. 14% of the committers were considered to be psychopaths. The circumstances surrounding the crimes were further subdivided in imitation of Rasch and especially tested for daytime linkage. 53% of the males but only a very small percentage of the female committers were alcoholized. Neither alcoholization nor personality had influence upon the success of the crime. For most of the psychotic committers the attempt failed to succeed. There was a tendency that some of the assaults were performed during night-time. This was more pronounced in alcoholized than in sober committers. No linkage to the night hours could be found neither for criminal actions of psychotics or child murder, nor for murder or robbery. In conclusion we assume that certain forms of human aggression underlie a diurnal rhythm.     

Conundrums with penumbras: the right to privacy encompasses non-gamete providers who create preembryos with the intent to become parents

To date, five state high courts have resolved disputes over frozen preembryos. These disputes arose during divorce proceedings between couples who had previously used assisted reproduction and cryopreserved excess preembryos. In each case, one spouse wished to have the preembryos destroyed, while the other wanted to be able to use or donate them in the future. The parties in these cases invoked the constitutional right to privacy to argue for dispositional control over the preembryos; two of the five cases were resolved by relying on this right. The constitutional right to privacy protects intimate decisions involving procreation, marriage, and family life. However, when couples use donated sperm or ova to create preembryos, a unique circumstance arises: one spouse--the gamete provider--is genetically related to the preembryos and the other is not. If courts resolve frozen preembryo disputes that involve non-gamete providers based on the constitutional right to privacy, they should find that the constitutional right to privacy encompasses the interests of both gamete and non-gamete providers. Individuals who create preembryos with the intent to become a parent have made an intimate decision involving procreation, marriage, and family life that falls squarely within the the right to privacy. In such cases, the couple together made the decision to create a family through the use of assisted reproduction, and the preembryos would not exist but for that joint decision. Therefore, gamete and non-gamete providers should be afforded equal constitutional protection in disputes over frozen preembryos.     

多元化适用:证明妨碍法律效果的选择路径

法律效果是构建证明妨碍制度的关键环节。诉讼实务操作的多样化和诉讼理论见解的不统一导致关于证明妨碍法律效果的讨论由一元化走向多元化。根据多元化观点,不宜采取划一性的方式制裁妨碍者,法院应当本着诚实信用原则,仔细斟酌妨碍者的主观心态、实施方式、可归责程度及被妨碍证据的重要性等因素,在结合其他证据的基础上采取自由心证的方式对事实作出认定。法院可以选择推定举证人的主张为真实、或者直接认定妨碍者拟制自认,或者针对该等事实降低证明标准,甚至在必要时转换证明责任,或者采取罚款、拘留或直接强制等强制措施。     

Nigeria--Judge denies woman with HIV access to courtroom

In February 2001, a judge in the Ikeja High Court in Nigeria barred an HIV-positive woman from entering her courtroom out of concern for transmission of the virus.