The Right to Representation by Criminal Defense Counsel in Ethiopia: A Critical Analysis

This paper explores and critically reflects on the legal foundations and the practice of criminal defense in Ethiopia within the overall due process framework of a fair criminal trial. A brief review of Ethiopian constitutional history shows that the right to representation by legal counsel has been one of the fundamental due process rights granted to accused persons in criminal proceedings. The constitutional right to counsel is, however, not specified by detailed legal provisions. A logical consequence of this is that the enjoyment of this right is fraught with legal and practical problems. While the legal problems, among other things, include obscurity regarding the scope and content of the right, the practical problems include absence of public defense offices at district levels where the vast majority of criminal proceedings take place. Consequently, accused persons appear during trials without the aid of legal counsel; they are in fact deprived of their due process rights and marginalized. This has a number of legal ramifications both to the accused and the criminal justice system. In sum, the constitutional provision of the right to criminal defense counsel is undelivered and remains a hollow promise. It is therefore difficult to uphold the constitutional norms which underlie criminal trial process such as procedural justice, as well as the legitimacy of the government. The justice sectors are responsible to ensuring due process and equal protection. Substantial justice reforms are needed at all levels.     

律师在场权研究

世界上越来越多的法治国家的刑事诉讼法或判例都承认了律师在场权的正当性。律师在场权的价值体现在实现刑事诉讼保障人权的目的上,实现实体真实和程序正义,以及诉讼效率的提高上。律师在场权是通过设立侦查机关告知义务、完善法律援助制度、建立值班律师制度等具体形式实现的。     

Local Politics and the Provision of Indigent Defense Counsel*

In this study we examine the decisions of local governments regarding the form and funding of indigent defense programs. We draw theoretical propositions from the literature on state and local policy making, and we test these propositions using data from Georgia. We find that the provision of indigent defense counsel by local governments is influenced by both economic and political factors: by the wealth on which counties can draw for revenue, which produces interjurisdictional disparities; and by the political resources that interested parties can bring to bear on the policy process. These findings add to a growing body of literature that maps the relationships between trial courts and their political environments. The analysis may also have implications for the allocations of functional responsibilities among levels of governments.     

侦查程序中律师帮助权若干问题研究

侦查程序中 ,犯罪嫌疑人的人权最容易被忽视。就我国的司法实践而言 ,起诉和审判在很大程度上依赖侦查的结果 ,侦查程序是真正决定犯罪嫌疑人、被告人命运的关键程序。我国刑事诉讼法在增加庭审抗辩色彩的同时 ,却没有相应地增加侦查程序中的对抗因素 ,犯罪嫌疑人在侦查程序中的律师帮助权与其他国家相比尚存在亟待改进之处。     

刍议独立的国家证明权

众所周知,我国的公证体制正处于不断深化的改革当中,公证制度一方面期望从传统的行政体制模式中挣脱出来,另一方面又正在探寻着进一步前行的道路.公证制度何去何从,一时成为上上下下关注的焦点问题.包括立法者在内,人们对公证制度的蜕变与重塑,皆拿不定主意和立场,甚至有迷茫之感.公证制度的改革提出了国家权力的构成、分化以及行使方式等问题,同时也提出了国家权力社会化、社会权力国家化等深层次问题.因此,对公证权性质的研究,不仅有助于人们更加深化地认识国家权力的结构模式及其转型,甚至也触及新时代下国家权力的功能转换问题.与此同时,对公证权法律属性的准确界定,也是建构我国科学合理、运作良好的公证制度所必须完成的前提性理论课题.值此<公证法>颁行之际,本文拟结合<公证法>的有关规定,就公证权的独立性和国家性进行初步探讨,以期能够把握我国公证改革的根本方向.     

COERCIVE AND NONCOERCIVE ABORTION DETERRENCE POLICIES: A Comparative State Analysis

The Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade ( 1973) limited the authority of states to prohibit abortions during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. Although they can no longer prohibit abortions, state legislatures have adopted a variety of coercive and noncoercive policies that might operate to alter the utilities associated with having or providing abortions. This article analyzes the relative impacts of these policies on two measures of abortion behavior: (1) state abortion rates in 1976 and (2) trends in states' abortion rates from 1973 to 1976. Multiple regression analysis reveals that neither coercive nor noncoercive policies are strongly related to these aggregate measures of abortion behavior .     

"国家尊重和保障人权"的宪法分析

人权是公民基本权利的来源,公民基本权利是对人权的宪法化。人权保障条款的入宪要求公民基本权利体系保持开放性和包容性。尊重和保障人权的主体为各国家机关。人权保障条款对人权保障功能的实现有赖于建立完善的宪政体制,而其关键在于宪政理念的转变、解决国际人权公约在我国的实施机制以及建立有效的宪法监督制度。     

宪法化的政治权利——参政权

我国宪法中的"政治权利"的概念直接来源于政治用语。对政治概念不加区分地法律化,引起概念逻辑的混乱,并导致了对权利的肆意破坏。因此,应当抛弃传统的"政治权利"概念,而提出"宪法化、法律化的政治权利"概念,即参政权体系。     

价值体系中的堕胎规制——生命权与自我决定权、国家利益的宪法考量

堕胎的规制模式大致可分为国家放任模式、国家许可模式和有限制的国家放任模式。这些模式的背后都有着自身的一些独特考量,模式的选取与其社会传统、对胎儿是否为人、宪法权利是否具有积极性、国家是否负有某种保护义务等诸多因素的认知密切相关。目前我国基本上是放任孕妇堕胎。然而,宪法却要求国家履行其对生命的保护义务。鉴于法律应该在社会现实和价值诉求之间寻求合理的互动和对话,我国应该在保护胎儿的生命、孕妇的自我决定权以及国家利益之间进行更为适当的权衡,对我国所施行的堕胎规制模式做出适当的调整。     

论受教育权的国家给付义务

尊重、保护和给付三层次性的国家义务结构论已为社会各界所广泛认同,而在有关受教育权的国家义务理论中,唯独受教育权的国家给付义务却很少被人论及,且其法律规制现状也比较紊乱。所以,对这一领域空缺的充实与完善实有必要。从受教育权得到充分保障的角度来看,其国家给付义务的内容体系建构与履行行为的监督机制是两大关键性问题。前者主要包括物质性给付、服务性给付和制度性给付三个方面;后者分为国家义务机关自行纠错、公民监督权的行使和公力救济三种途径。     

知识产权与物权比较研究

在知识产权领域,传统民法中的一些法律制度有适用与不适用两个方面,这种“不适用”在相当程度上是由于知识产权不同于物权的特点造成的,知识产权所具有的“无形”这一重要特征,决定了与占有有关的一些民事法律制度以不适用于知识产权为一般,以适用于知识产权为例外。至于诉讼时效,知识产权的侵权损害赔偿之诉当然适用诉讼时效,而权利确认之诉则不适用诉讼时效。知识产权与物权同为绝对权和支配权,树立知识产权是绝对权和支配权的理念,对于知识产权保护具有重要意义。     

论参加文化生活权利的权利内容与国家义务

作为诸多国际人权文书中都予以规定的一项人权,参加文化生活权利在现实中却处于一种被忽视和不发达的地位,而权利内容不明确是其主要原因之一。根据国际公约的规定及世界各国的保护实践,阐明参加文化生活权利主体享有的人权和国家承担的义务,有助于加深对参加文化生活权利的认识,并促进其实现。     

表达渠道权与民主政治

表达渠道权是公民或社会组织为公开发表和传递信息而使用各种传播媒介、手段与方式的一项法律权利 ,也是民主进程中私人所有的一项基本权利。其能够丰富公众讨论 ,便利个人成长和民主进程的运转 ,进而保证民众对政治的广泛参与 ,使国家与公民之间建立良好的关系。然而 ,不可避免的是政府在创造和分配表达渠道权时会产生不适当地操控言论市场的情形。因特网的出现在一定程度上解决了这一民主进程的两难选择 ,实现了对言论自由的较少侵害和对公众讨论的丰富。     

The Right to Counsel in Juvenile Court: The Conundrum of Attorneys as an Aggravating Factor at Disposition

In re Gault provided procedural safeguards in juvenile courts, including the right to counsel. Decades later, judges continue to resist appointing lawyers. And, when they do appoint counsel, lawyers appear to be an aggravating factor when judges sentence youths. In 1995, Minnesota enacted law reforms, including mandatory appointment of counsel. As a cost‐saving strategy, the law also converted most misdemeanors into status offenses and restricted judges’ sentencing authority in order to deny juveniles a right to counsel. This study compares how juvenile courts processed 30,270 youths in 1994—the year before the changes—with how they processed 39,369 youths in 1999 after the amendments. We assess changes in appointment of counsel and their impact on sentencing practices. We report inconsistent judicial compliance with the mandate to appoint counsel and a positive decrease in the number of youths removed from home.     

残疾人政治参与权利研究

残疾人政治参与权利的行使对于提高残疾人社会地位和政治地位起着举足轻重的作用。残疾人所享有的包括政治参与权利在内的所有政治权利都应该得到充分的尊重和保障,这是衡量一个国家文明程度的重要标志,也是建设社会主义政治文明和法治国家的必需。     

适足住房权实现之国家义务研究

适足住房权是指公民有权获得可负担得起的适宜于人类居住的、有良好的物质设备和基础服务设施的、具有安全、健康和尊严,并不受歧视的住房的权利。它主要包括:居住权、安全与健康权(或称舒适权)、住宅公平权、住宅隐私权、住房选择偏好权、住宅救济权以及住宅不受侵犯权和自由处分的权利。人权实现与国家义务之间存在密切的内在关联,对于人权的实现国家既具有消极义务,更具有积极义务。我国政府在公民适足住房权实现上具有不可推卸的义务,应从尊重、保护、促进和实现四个方面对国家义务进行分析,使之具有较强的体系性和可行性。     

美国、德国隐私权宪法保护比较研究

美国和德国是世界上隐私权宪法保护比较成熟的国家,但是由于历史文化和法律传统的不同,两国隐私权的宪法保护在基本理念、具体含义、宪法保护方式和保护效力方面存在着很大的不同,比较研究两国隐私权的宪法保护对于我国隐私权的宪法保护的完善有借鉴意义。