Beyond deterrent enforcement styles: Behavioural intuitions of Chinese environmental law enforcement agents in a context of challenging inspections

This article extends the study of regulatory enforcement on three levels. First, it separates enforcement style elements during inspections and sanction decision‐making work, creating a more realistic measurement. Second, it focuses on how these elements function in a context where it is hard in practice to achieve deterrence. Third, it assesses how agents view the effectiveness of combinations of style elements in such a context. To do so, it uses survey and interview data with street‐level environmental officials in Guangzhou, China. It finds that the agents studied practise enforcement that goes beyond deterrence and uses education and persuasion more effectively. It finds that the behavioural assumptions of these agents are to a large extent in line with the available regulatory literature, although agents are very unlikely to have consulted such studies. Therefore, the article concludes that law enforcement agents can develop nuanced and appropriate behavioural intuitions through their everyday work experiences.     

Sequence analysis of STR polymorphisms at locus ACTBP2 in the Taiwanese population

A highly polymorphic sequence structure is reported in the human beta-actin related pseudogene 2 (ACTBP2) (SE33) locus in members of the Taiwanese Han population. A total of 100 unrelated members of the Taiwanese Han population were used in the study. Alleles that shared the same size but differ in their sequence are described to allow for inter laboratory sharing of data. PCR products amplified from this locus were separated by single-strand conformation polymorphism electrophoresis, the single-stranded DNA bands were excised from the gels, a second amplification performed, and then the PCR products were sequenced. All the alleles differed by either 2 or 4 bp. Sequence variations were observed as deletions or insertions in the repeat units AG (or AA) and AAAG. Additionally, transitions in the flanking regions were recorded. A total of 27 alleles with 71 associated genotypes were recorded if the alleles were defined by size, but 68 alleles with 88 associated genotypes were noted with the alleles were scored on the basis of sequence variation. The power of discrimination (Pd) of this single locus was 0.9874 making the human ACTBP2 a good alternative marker for individual identification and paternity testing.     

Erbguth/Schlacke: Umweltrecht

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Die Haftung für Umweltschäden an Arten und natürlichen Lebensräumen

Zusammenfassung  Durch die Umsetzung der Umwelt-Haftungsrichtlinie (UHRL) wurde in das deutsche Recht ein Umweltschaden an Arten und natürlichen Lebensr?umen eingeführt. Dieser Schaden tritt im Wege einer Fiktion nicht ein, wenn die nachteiligen Auswirkungen der T?tigkeiten eines Verantwortlichen auf diese Arten und Lebensr?ume zuvor ermittelt und im Rahmen bestimmter verwaltungsrechtlicher Entscheidung genehmigt wurden oder zul?ssig sind. In dem Beitrag wird dargestellt, welche Personen und Organisationen für derartige Sch?den haften und welche Voraussetzungen an eine “Enthaftung” nach § 21a Abs. 1 S. 2 BNatSchG zu stellen sind.     

对澳门特区立法会议员质询的分析:1999—2008

本文描述了质询制度在澳门特别行政区的确立和变迁,重点对1999—2008年9个立法会会期内的质询材料进行了统计分析。文章发现,尽管特区立法会曾采取了减少书面质询、增加口头质询的措施,但却出现了书面质询大幅增加、口头质询并不活跃的状况。作者认为,澳门特区的选举制度及议员所代表的利益对议员的书面质询有较大的影响,口头质询则由于程序设计原因数量有限,为此,政府应对书面质询作出积极回应,立法会可通过定期召开质询会议、建立顺畅的口头质询与辩论的衔接机制等措施完善口头质询制度。     

债权实现中的利益平衡——以汶川震后银行贷款处理为中心

汶川地震使得银行的巨额债权难以实现,舆论认为应当进行债务豁免,商业银行则更希望其债权能得到保护,冲突解决的关键在于如何平衡债权人的合法权利与债务人的生存权,但现行法律及司法解释对此的规定或者不够精细,或者其风险分配值得商榷。债权人与债务人的风险分担应该满足公平原则与效率原则,其核心就是使个体所承担的风险最小化。短期看,可以通过比较债务豁免、债务延期、强制执行等策略的优劣来选择最为实用的措施,政府应当明确其能与不能的边界;长期看,需要个人破产、巨灾保险等制度的建立与完善。     

INSTITUTIONAL REFORM IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE SYSTEM OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA: Service Organizations as an Alternative for Administrative Enhancement

The economic reform in the PRC inaugurated by Deng Xiaoping in 1979 has changed the landscape of the regime's environmental governance by putting it in a more market‐oriented context. As a strategy to strengthen administrative capacity in a situation heavily circumscribed by the limited resource support from local governments, the environmental protection authorities at all levels have established a sizable number of service organizations to provide them administrative support. These service organizations have to sponsor their own operation by engaging in revenue‐generating or fund raising activities. This has led to the emergence and proliferation of service organizations in the environmental governance system in the last decade. This article will examine, from a state capacity perspective, institutional reform in the environmental governance system of the PRC¹.     

Mass media and politics in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Before the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from Britain to the People's Republic of China, many people of Hong Kong and observers were pessimistic regarding freedom of the press in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). After July 1, 1997, however, press freedom in the HKSAR appears to persist and it seems as if the optimistic scenario of media autonomy has been neglected by many Hong Kong residents and observers. Nevertheless, media autonomy in the HKSAR is dependent on a number of factors. This article suggests that a contingency perspective can be adopted to comprehend the dynamics of media autonomy in the HKSAR.