In Search of the Responsible Subject: History, Philosophy and Social Sciences in Criminal Law Theory

This paper examines the way in which English criminal law's conception of responsibility has changed since the eighteenth century, and explores the relationship between changes in legal framework, changes in processes of criminalisation and punishment, and broader social, political and economic changes. It argues that the development of ideas of individual responsibility for crime are responses to problems of co-ordination and legitimation faced by systems of criminal law, and that these problems can be expected to change according to the environment in which the system operates, with important factors including the distribution of political interests and economic power; the prevailing cultural and intellectual environment; the organisation and status of relevant professional groups and the vigour of alternative means of social ordering. Substantively, the paper explores the hypothesis that criminal responsibility has shifted from a conception founded in ideas of character to a capacity-based conception over the relevant period. Methodologically, the aim is to historicise the structure as well as the content of criminal law within a socio-theoretic framework, constructing a dialogue between criminal law theory of a doctrinal and philosophical temper and socio-historical studies of criminal justice.     

Internet auction fraud: The evolving nature of online auctions criminality and the mitigating framework to address the threat

Online auctions have emerged as one of the popular segments of e-commerce. The popularity of this technology-aided business model is evidenced by the continuous growth of eBay and other e-auction markets. However, this growth of online auctions has also led to a corresponding rise in deception and online criminal activity. This paper presents the findings of an original experiment undertaken to examine the evolving criminality associated with eBay auctions. The article examines eBay’s existing fraud prevention framework and evaluate its effectiveness in mitigating the risk. The research has identified foundation of eBay’s fraud problem - the inability of eBay’s fraud prevention architecture to identify and eliminate rogue traders with obscure identity and questionable reputation. The authors have proposed a proactive and holistic e-fraud prevention typology to enhance trader’s authentication to fight online auction fraud.     

从平衡保险双方利益的角度看中国海上保险人的法定解除权

从法定解除权的产生条件、行使后果以及消灭三个层面分析中国有关海上保险人法定解除权的现行规定在平衡保险双方利益方面的合理性与不足,并尝试提出完善现行立法的建议。     

家务责任法律化的思考与立法建议

家务是家庭存续的重要方式,长期以来一直处于由女性承担的不公平状态。家务劳动的繁重性与无偿性严重阻碍女性进入社会生产领域,限制女性的发展,并成为引发家庭矛盾的重要原因。但我国相关法律对此还少有提及。家务责任法律化在我国不仅重要,而且将会具有特别的意义。     

专利保护平衡机制的实现——兼议最高人民法院相关司法解释

因文字语言表达的限制,专利权人较难通过权利要求足够好地描述其发明构思,在权利要求公示的基础上,通过引进等同物来扩大专利权的保护范围,充分保护专利权人的发明构思,成为各国的通行做法。在构建等同侵权的要件、确认等同侵权的例外方面,遵循公平原则始终是平衡专利权人与公众利益的标杆。现有技术抗辩中采用"容易推导"代替"新颖性"标准,等同侵权中以"置换容易性"代替"无创造性"要件,法官在评价"容易推导"及"置换容易"时参考所属技术领域技术人员的专家证言,可实现双方利益的平衡。     

舆论与刑法的偏差式互动:刑事责任年龄个别下调的中国叙事

降低刑事责任年龄的舆论诉求与刑法回应已然发展成为一对既密切关联、又有所区别,甚至存在矛盾冲突的新力量,深度嵌入未成年人罪错行为治理的复杂格局之中。引入长短期记忆网络(LSTM)对14058条新浪微博相关评论文本进行情感分类,分别统计正向、中性、负向情感的高频词,可以数据化呈现社会舆论的具体诉求与刑法回应的实际效果。面对社会舆论对刑法功能的过度期许、对保护理念的极度排斥、对规范设置的明确否定,刑法采用了分散式功能叙说、不能“一放了之”的话语体系置换、年龄整体下调与多重限制并行的回应策略。然而,这一回应策略导致社会舆论对刑法的功能期许不降反升、保护与惩戒的理念认可度更加失衡、限制性规范存在异化风险。刑法应在理解、尊重社会舆论的演化逻辑与核心诉求的前提下,逐步缩小功能诉求与治理供给的偏差,以惩戒理念的强调带动保护理念的培植,寻找支持个别下调的正当性基础,探索“舆论诉求—刑法引导—社会互动”的“杜鹃—鸳鸯模式”。     

Human capital and social capital in criminal networks: introduction to the special issue on the 7th Blankensee Colloquium

This essay and review on criminal network analysis provides an introduction to the special issue “Human Capital and Social Capital in Criminal Networks”. It traces the history of the application of network analysis in the study of organized crime since the early 1970s. It argues that while criminal network analysis has brought a new level of methodological rigor to the study of organized crime, a number of limitations have become apparent. These include the problem of missing data and the challenges encountered in adequately capturing latent structures, individual characteristics of network members and socio-ecological conditions.     

宪法基本国策条款如何进入税法“总则”——规制时代税收法典化的困境及其破解

税法“总则”是落实税收法定原则、实现税法体系化的基本形态,亦是税收法典化的基础性工程。然而,规制时代下“解法典化”的趋势,使得税收法典化陷入规范封闭性与现实开放性之间矛盾的困境。宪法基本国策条款的客观法秩序性质,使得其在具备规范拘束力的同时能够保持结构的开放性,赋予国家义务的同时通过“反射性利益”及其主观化来保护公民的权利。由此,宪法基本国策条款可以成为破解税收法典化困境的有效路径。具体而言,宪法财政基本国策条款确立的发展导向需要通过税法“总则”的立法目的条款予以具体化。在坚持适度法典化的通则法定位基础上,以量能课税原则、受益原则和国家辅助原则的多元互补重塑税收公平的内涵,并在程序保障之下,通过立法沟通机制,最终形成“规则—责任”相衔接的立法体例。     

法学本科实践教学的反思与深化路径

传统的法学本科教学模式在教学目录中列有实践教学课程,但是,来自于司法实务界和社会实践的反馈表明,法学本科重理论说教、轻实践操作运用的教学模式培养出的法学本科生大多都难以适应国家法治建设和经济建设发展的需要。面对新世纪国家法治建设和经济全球化的现实,本文认为,高等学校法学院应当转变传统的教学模式,进一步深化和完善法学本科实践教学机制,以培养符合时代需求的应用型法律人才。     

When it pays to be honest: How a variable period of good conduct can improve incentives in personal bankruptcy proceedings

Consumer bankruptcy regulation in the United States as well as in many other countries allow consumers to petition for a partial debt discharge. Usually, a debt release is possible when the debtor behaves in the creditors’ best interest and after filing for bankruptcy signs over her entire disposable income for a fixed period. Depending on the country the period lasts between three and six years. We show that a fixed period distorts the consumer’s ex-post incentives to work hard. Instead, we suggest to adequately reduce the outstanding claim and to make debt release contingent on payment. When the consumer manages to pay back the reduced amount, the rest of the initial debt should be discharged immediately. In effect, the consumer becomes the residual claimant of her endeavors. The period of good conduct is effectively variable. JEL classification D18. D91. K29     

中国法律史研究的可能前景:超越西方,回归本土?

近代以降,西方的法律概念和法学理论随着坚船利炮不断“侵入”中国,并逐步支配了中国的法制建设和法律教育。在西方法学宰制下,固有的中国法律史研究范式也被取而代之,从而深刻地影响了我们对中国法律史的理解和叙述。为了克服西方法学宰制下的中国法律史研究的弊端,真正理解和深刻领悟中国法律史的独特性和真精神,很有必要采取“超越西方,回归本土”的态度。在这种情形下,我们既要用“内在视角”来认识中国法律史的固有内涵,又要用“外在视角”来照亮中国法律史的独特意蕴。     

“皮筋”变“钢尺”：对规范行政处罚自由裁量权的思考

在行政执法中如何克服随意性,正确行使自由裁量权,增强行政处罚透明度,提高行政执法效能,是所有行政机关一直深入研讨的课题。现实的自由裁量权是＂皮筋＂,期望中的自由裁量权是＂钢尺＂,＂皮筋＂变为＂钢尺＂的过程,是漫长的,需要立法监督、司法监督、行政自身监督、舆论监督等的共同努力,从而最大限度地制约、压缩执法人员手中的＂弹性空间＂来实现的。     

A Tale of Two Debtors: Responding to the Shock of Over‐Indebtedness in France and England – a Story from the Trente Piteuses

England and France have developed distinct treatment systems to address the shock of a substantial increase in over‐indebted individuals since the mid‐1980s. In France, Over‐Indebtedness Commissions, with the Bank of France playing a central role in their management, now dominate the system. A more fragmented system of private and public providers of remedies developed in England, with innovation driven by private actors modifying existing commercial procedures and increased access to bankruptcy relief a side‐effect of government promotion of entrepreneurialism. This article explains the differences between these countries in terms of the influence of interest groups, including state actors, and ideologies. Historical contingency also plays a role. The distinct responses were not hard‐wired to legal origins and the article argues that analysis of the interaction of interest groups, state actors and ideology in shaping institutions, which in turn structure future change, provides a productive approach for future comparative research in this area.