Online collaboration as a pedagogical approach to learning and teaching undergraduate legal education

Legal education is in a period of rapid development driven by changing industry demands and developing technologies. This paper will describe an innovative pilot study which utilises new technologies to provide an alternative mode of teaching and learning to meet growing industry demands for graduates who are technologically savvy and have strong communication and collaboration skills. The pilot study redesigns a law unit combining a more traditional approach with an approach in which online collaboration is critical to student learning as a teaching and assessment tool. After completing an online collaborative activity as part of their assessment for the unit, students completed an online survey to identify their perspectives of the online collaborative experience. The online survey data was analysed to identify common themes and the experiences of students are shared in this paper. The paper provides an example of how instructors might take advantage of a learning design process, online tools and infrastructure to develop educational experiences which promote communication and collaboration within the law discipline. It will also include five recommendations to consider when including online collaboration in unit design for law students.     

宪政审查中法院与民主的矛盾及解决方式评析——一种比较法的视角

法院与民主之间的矛盾是实行宪政审查制度的国家面临的共同问题,本文从三个方面阐述矛盾的存在:对议会立法进行审查的必要性,由独立的司法性质的机构——法院作为审查主体的正当性和宪政审查实践中存在的法院与民主之间的紧张关系;从比较法的角度对解决矛盾的方式——修宪和法院的自我约束进行了评析,以期对我国的宪政建设有所帮助。     

诊所法律教育在卫生法学教学中的应用研究

发源于美国的诊所法律教育借鉴了医学院学生在医疗诊所临床实习的做法,倡导在实践和经验中学习法律和律师的执业技能。法律诊所教育不仅在美国,在全球其他国家也产生了深远的影响。法律诊所教育发展到今天,它的价值不仅体现于课程本身,更体现为一种教学方法的变革。诊所法律在我国移植和推广的过程中,如何根据我国教学的实际情况,结合具体课程展开富有实效的应用研究,改革课程的教学方法,提高教学效果具有现实价值。     

违宪法律的效力

违宪法律是否具有效力,并非完全取决于“违宪”的判断结论,而视乎无效决定之效力状态。各国对于违宪法律应否具有效力的处理方式有所不同,但仍存在一定的规则：违宪法律的对象效力范围,与维护宪法秩序和保障个人权利这两种法律价值观密切相关,并有一般无效与个别无效两种不同的法律处理;违宪法律的时间效力范围取决于“构成说”与“宣示说”这两种无效学说下的不同规定性,而违宪法律的自始无效与将来无效则成为各国设计违宪法律的时间效力范围时必须面对的关键问题。     

Building a new paradigm in law education in term of upholding the rule of law in Indonesia through clinical study

Clinical legal education or CLE is known long enough in Indonesia by establishing Legal Aid Body named Lembaga Bantuan Hukum （LBH）, which aimed to train and prepare student to work in the real world especially in contributing and supporting marginal people （low-income people）. This mission was in line with the rule of law principle, which has characteristic values of supremacy of law, equality before the law, and due process of law. Recently, CLE is linking practical experience and legal theories to provide students with comprehensive understanding of legal aid and its goals, in particular, the implementation of the rule of law in Indonesia.     

A common law fly on the transsystemic wall: observing the integrated method at McGill Faculty of Law

Law schools attempting to prepare students for a more global practice are generally advised to tailor a law curriculum to their individual resources. When offering comparative perspectives, some law school programmes have pedagogical advantages arising out of a mixed legal heritage, such as McGill Faculty of Law’s transsystemic approach. What does the transsystemic approach entail, and can aspects of the transsystemic approach, which is grounded in Québec’s bijural and bilingual context, be practised at national-focus law schools? In order to consider this question, the author observed classroom dynamics in first year transsystemic courses. The McGill experience cannot be imported, but its pedagogy offers key lessons for common law national-focus law schools, including the need to make alternative visions of law necessary for understanding.     

The decision of the Italian Constitutional Court on numerus clausus: A matter for Community law

This article discusses the recent decision of the Italian Constitutional Court on the numerus clausus issue, containing the first relevant pronouncement by the highest jurisdiction on the constitutional legality of the measures adopted so far by the Ministry. The Constitutional Court considers these measures in conformity with the Constitution to the extent that they implement Community law, and especially certain directives on the recognition of qualifications. Thus, Community law is deemed to provide the proper legal framework to adopt certain regulations, amongst which restrictions to access. This article argues that, in the context of litigation on access to university, Community law has been used improperly and that, in any event, a convenient solution to the issue could have been found in national law. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Place of Legal Positivism in Contemporary Constitutional States

The aim of the paper is that of discussing some recent antipositivist theses, with specific reference to the arguments that focus on the alleged incapability of legal positivism to understand and explain the complex normative structure of constitutional states. One of the central tenets of legal positivism (in its guise of methodological or conceptual positivism) is the theory of the separation between law and morality. On the assumption that in contemporary legal systems, constitutional law represents a point of intersection between law and basic moral values, antipositivists contrast legal positivism with two main arguments. First, on a more general level, the positivist theory of the separation between law and morality is questioned; then, and consequently, the neutrality thesis in the juristic study of law is rejected. The author discusses both these antipositivist arguments, and offers a brief defence of methodological positivism.     

Academic perspectives on teaching international family law in higher education institutions in England and Wales

ABSTRACT

The increasing prevalence of family law disputes in England and Wales with an international element is well documented in the development of domestic legislation, case law and family practice. However, despite changes to the legal landscape and the academic recognition of international family law as a legal subject, it is still often disregarded within the undergraduate family law curriculum or as a standalone module. This article explores the development of international family law in England and Wales and presents the findings of a national questionnaire into whether international family law is taught as part of the undergraduate curriculum. The article also explores what barriers exist to including international family law topics. To conclude, the author offers some general advice about incorporating these topics into the curriculum to ensure that students are equipped to deal with the realities of family practice in England and Wales.     

提单权利善意取得构成要件的法律分析

立足于提单权利善意取得的特殊性,结合普通动产及票据权利善意取得的既有理论,对提单权利善意取得的存在依据、构成要件等基本问题展开分析。     

区际贸易障碍的法经济学分析与宪法规制

区际贸易障碍是国家内部贸易自由、统一市场形成与功能发挥的最大障碍之一。区际贸易障碍产生于公权力配置的非科学性和公权力行使的异化。区际贸易障碍直接导致市场经济结构受损、区域经济差异拉大和社会福利净损失生成。考察美国规制州际贸易障碍的经验和我国《反垄断法》的规定可知,在我国有效规制区际贸易障碍的路径既不是选择私人诉讼,也不能依赖行政管制,其根本解决之道只能是凭借宪法性规范的完善。     

Implications of electronic developments for distance and face to face learning. Ten statements on the use of electronics in law teaching

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the teaching of legal professionalism in Ireland using interview data from the principal stakeholders in the legal profession education system including students (the trainee solicitors). The data was analysed phenomenographically in order to determine the extent to which there was variation in perceptions among these stakeholders as to what professionalism means and how best to teach or instil the notion. The findings indicate diverse perceptions among stakeholders that reflect a lack of shared understanding of professionalism and how to teach or instil professionalism. The study critically discusses the findings in light of relevant literature and concludes that a coordinated approach to understanding and fostering professionalism will help bridge this gap in perceptions and raise professional standards.     

宪政视野里的主体行为范式解读——关于合法与违法概念的辩证及其在宪政话语里的特殊蕴涵

合法性所强调的是行为主体的行为有法律的根据,违法所表达的是主体的行为违背了法律的规定。在宪政体制下,对主体行为的法律评价因主体的性质不同而有区别,对公权主体的行为范式的要求是行为合法,对私权主体的行为范式的要求是行为不违法。     

Investigating the feasibility of using student reflective journals to understand how clinical legal education can develop the ethical competence of law students

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this small-scale empirical study is to gain an insight into how to explore the contribution clinical legal education (CLE) can make to teaching legal ethics to law students. CLE provides real or simulated opportunities for students to provide legal advice and learn through application, practice and reflection in work-integrated contexts, for example through student law clinics and CLE modules. Previous empirical studies in this area, which have focused on whether CLE can develop a sense of ethical competence in law students, have argued persuasively that CLE provides an effective vehicle for teaching ethics, and this is now generally supported by academic opinion. However, hardly any attention has been given to how CLE develops the ethical competence of law students. This study, which is concerned with conducting a feasibility study of the use of reflective journals within CLE to determine whether and how a full-scale study can be done, is aimed at addressing this gap.     

Enhancing student performance and employability through the use of authentic assessment techniques in extra and co-curricular activities (ECCAs)

The paper advocates the use of authentic assessment techniques, delivered in extra and co-curricular activities (ECCAs), to augment and improve student performance on academic law degree programmes. A combination of formative and summative methods in ECCA assessment provides the optimum environment to measure and improve the crucial critical reasoning skill – the key transferable skill to academic degree success. This skill, when developed in students, is also highly prized by prospective employers, and therefore, the use of authentic assessment improves graduate employability rates.     

我国高等教育管理法律规范体系的内容及完善

我国高等教育管理法律规范体系主要指《中华人民共和国教育法》、《中华人民共和国高等教育法》等法律法规中调整高校与学生之间关系所涉及的高校的法律地位、高校的主要权利和义务、学生的主要权利和义务、学生权利的救济等方面内容的法律规范的总和。本文通过解读并分析其主要内容,探讨了我国高等教育管理法律规范体系在内容和形式方面的立法缺陷,提出了相应的完善对策,以期有利于保障高校依法治校。     

新加坡法下仲裁协议的效力研究

仲裁协议的效力由其所适用的法律决定,不同国家或地区的法律在认定仲裁协议的法律效力时所采取的标准亦有所区别.从新加坡有关仲裁协议的成文法规范出发,结合新加坡法院就仲裁协议法律效力争议所作的判例,在研究新加坡法院对“病理性仲裁协议”效力认定时所采取的基本原则后,认为新加坡法律具有“亲仲裁”特性.这是新加坡在国际商事仲裁和国际海事仲裁领域取得令人瞩目发展成果的重要原因之一.     

The impact of economic theories on the law in market relations

The impact of economic theories on legal development, thinking and practice is undeniable. This is particularly true for neo-classical and institutional economics. Neo-classical economics are based on model assumptions of human behaviour such as pursuit of personal advantage, individualistic goals, complete information and at the same time law obedience which are the foundations of the functioning of the market mechanisms. The assumption leads to an almost mystical belief in the self-regulatory power of the market and a strong disdain and disapproval of the State. The concepts of a minimal State and de-regulation of all social relations follow from there. This article argues that model assumptions are valid scientific tools, as long as they are not taken to reflect the real world which is populated by real people that are not necessarily behaving like homines oeconomici. Preaching de-regulation and the dismissal of the State can prove simplistic and even dangerous and may lead to financial and economic crises like the ones witnessed in recent years. Institutional economics part from these empirical findings. They do not question individualism and the pursuit of egoistic objectives of market-participants, but they insist on inherent risks of this mechanism which stems from opportunistic behaviour, lack of information and transparency and the limits of trust. Property economists deduct from there that sustainable and dynamic economic development is unthinkable without well defined property title, the distinction of property and possession and credit securities. These institutions cannot be self-regulatory but need a clear legal frame, in other words rules established by a State. Transaction costs economists understand the danger of opportunistic behaviour and a corresponding systemic lack of trust in the negotiation, conclusion and execution of contracts. They underline the necessity of institutions which are capable of limiting these dangers and thus reducing transaction costs. Institutions may be customs, informal arrangements and formal law. At the end two examples are presented-real estate transactions and post-patriarchal family relations-to test the utility of these considerations.     

比例原则的理论基础探析——以宪政哲学与公法精神为视角

比例原则不是凭空而来的,其产生、发展都离不开一定的文化传统背景。作为一个公法上的原则,由于其探讨的是国家权力与公民权利的关系,而国家权力与公民权利之间的关系是宪政哲学乃至公法哲学的基础,因此,比例原则是立基于宪政基础之上的。此外,在现代公法体系中,法治原则、宪政思想的确立及人性尊严、基本权利保护的确立,成为现代公法精神的载体,是公法追求的内在价值,这些也为比例原则提供了坚实的法精神基础。     

改革开放三十年法学教育的发展及其当前改革

改革开放三十年，中国法学教育成就卓著。目前，法学教育与现实政法工作目标之间存在不和谐之处，因此仍有不断改革现行法学教育之必要。有鉴于此，应建立以法律职业为目标导向的法律教育管理体制和法律人才培养模式，强化政法机关对法律教育的指导管理职能，优化法律人才培养层次结构，实行二阶段国家司法考试和职业培训制度。