Anti-triad legislations in Hong Kong: issues, problems and development

One way to tackle triad societies is through effective legislation. The present article first describes and reviews the legislation dealing with triad activities in Hong Kong – The Societies Ordinance – and highlights the main issues and problems. Four issues are discussed, namely ambiguity in the definition of triad membership, doubtful neutrality of triad experts, outdated triad-related literature cited in the court, and the contradiction with human rights and freedom of expression. The article further examines the effect of the ordinance in suppressing triad activities and argues that the law is not very effective in penalizing senior triad members, thus justifying the need for a new legislation to contain the growth of triad activities and organized crime.     

STRENGTHENING THE REGRESSION DISCONTINUITY DESIGN USING ADDITIONAL DESIGN ELEMENTS: A WITHIN‐STUDY COMPARISON

The sharp regression discontinuity design (RDD) has three key weaknesses compared to the randomized clinical trial (RCT). It has lower statistical power, it is more dependent on statistical modeling assumptions, and its treatment effect estimates are limited to the narrow subpopulation of cases immediately around the cutoff, which is rarely of direct scientific or policy interest. This paper examines how adding an untreated comparison to the basic RDD structure can mitigate these three problems. In the example we present, pretest observations on the posttest outcome measure are used to form a comparison RDD function. To assess its performance as a supplement to the basic RDD, we designed a within‐study comparison that compares causal estimates and their standard errors for (1) the basic posttest‐only RDD, (2) a pretest‐supplemented RDD, and (3) an RCT chosen to serve as the causal benchmark. The two RDD designs are constructed from the RCT, and all analyses are replicated with three different assignment cutoffs in three American states. The results show that adding the pretest makes functional form assumptions more transparent. It also produces causal estimates that are more precise than in the posttest‐only RDD, but that are nonetheless larger than in the RCT. Neither RDD version shows much bias at the cutoff, and the pretest‐supplemented RDD produces causal effects in the region beyond the cutoff that are very similar to the RCT estimates for that same region. Thus, the pretest‐supplemented RDD improves on the standard RDD in multiple ways that bring causal estimates and their standard errors closer to those of an RCT, not just at the cutoff, but also away from it.     

Comparative advantage and trade liberalization in China

The relevance of Ricardo's theory of comparative advantage to the design of trade policy by developing and socialist countries is the subject of heated argument, particularly among Marxists who have yet to produce a satisfactory theory of international exchange based on value analysis. The debates among economists in China on their country's ‘open-door’ policy revealed the complexity of the central and related issues. Besides the possibility of being exploited and becoming dependent on developed economies, on which theorists of unequal exchange have sounded a good many warnings, developing countries also face other problems and dangers when they allow themselves to be guided by Ricardo's doctrine in conducting external trade, as the Chinese experience of trade liberalization in 1979–85 vividly demonstrated. This paper first presents an interpretative summary of the debates among the Chinese economists and then analyses what went wrong in the process of liberalization.     

From support to pressure: The dynamics of social and governmental influences on environmental law enforcement in Guangzhou City,China

This paper examines how changes in governmental and social influences affect environmental enforcement in Guangzhou city, China, between 2000 and 2006. The paper finds that a form of “decentered regulation” has developed. Regulatory enforcement is no longer the sole affair of the government and the regulatory bureaucracy, but has been increasingly influenced by societal forces. The transformation over time shows the promises and limits of decentered regulation in Guangzhou's dynamic authoritarian setting. Analyzing a set of longitudinal survey data and qualitative interviews, the paper finds that by 2006, the rise of civil society and its increased support for protecting the environment had a double‐edged impact on the enforcement of environmental regulations. The paper demonstrates that on the one hand, by 2006, when government support for enforcement was low, societal forces developed an ability to counterbalance such lack of governmental support and positively influence enforcement. However, it also shows that when government support was high, a concurrent rise in societal support created a negative effect on enforcement. Thus too much societal support can become an enforcement burden.     

The use of a virtual learning environment: The Hong Kong experience

This paper argues for the teaching of ethics in financial services law through blended learning comprising face-to-face and online case studies. It draws on the insights of previous blended teaching in business management and corporate law to provide the justifications for its application in the teaching of ethics in financial services law. The measured success for the use of blended teaching in prior situations, the limitations of existing teaching through the conventional lecture method and the coming through of students increasingly exposed to active-based learning via information communications technology further justifies its application in financial law courses. The paper addresses the why, what and how issues in connection with the teaching of ethics in financial services law. It advocates strongly why teaching of ethics should cover hard and soft laws and even beyond to incorporate the relationships at play in the marketplace to provide more balanced and practical insights for law students. Though the article relies primarily on secondary data, it generated significant implications for the teaching of ethics in financial services law through a pervasive approach in contrast to stand-alone legal ethics courses.     

Population data of nine miniSTR loci in Koreans

For highly degraded DNA samples of forensic casework, new miniSTR systems have been developed to supplement the current STR systems. In the present study, nine miniSTR loci were analyzed in 300 unrelated Koreans using three multiplex PCR systems (multiplex I: D10S1248, D14S1434 and D22S1045; multiplex II: D1S1677, D2S441 and D4S2364; and multiplex III: D3S3053, D6S474 and D20S482), and allele frequencies and forensic parameters were calculated. These data demonstrated that D10S1248, D2S441, D22S1045, D14S1434, and D6S474 are as highly informative as the CODIS STRs suggesting that the miniSTRs could be useful for forensic analysis of degraded DNA.     

Organizing a Proficiency Testing Program on Stamp Impressions Examination in Accordance with ISO/IEC 17043 Requirements

Stamps and stamp impressions examinations are based on matching defects and design details on the questioned and control samples. These examinations are routinely carried out by document examiners around the world. International proficiency tests for questioned documents examination have been available for decades while similar programs specifically focusing on stamp impressions examination are rare. This study reported a recent proficiency testing program on stamp impressions examination organized by an accredited provider in accordance with ISO/IEC 17043 requirements. Twenty‐four forensic laboratories registered for the program. Apart from giving details on the design and operation of the program, this study also aimed to provide the limitations and difficulties encountered in sample preparations, homogeneity, and stability tests of the testing materials. Various comments and feedbacks received from the participants, particularly in respect of examination approaches, challenges faced by the participants in forming conclusions and their suggestions for further improvement would be evaluated.     

The Role of Forensic Anthropology in the Examination of the Daegu Subway Disaster (2003, Korea)*

Abstract: Meticulous recovery of victims in the Daegu subway disaster was possible, because charred and fragmented victims were left in situ. Because bodies were piled one over another within the train, appropriate methodology during the recovery was critical to identifying the victims. The disaster area was thoroughly documented with notes, photographs, and schematic drawings of the various locations. The recovery team, comprising two medical examiners and one forensic anthropologist, decided when charred body parts and cremated bones were linked to the same individual based on the anatomy and forensic anthropological examination. Without these recovery procedures, it would not have been possible to efficiently harvest representative DNA sample from most of the victims’ body parts. After the entire process of identification, 136 victims were positively identified, and six victims remained unidentified. This study supports the crucial role of forensic anthropologists in the recovery of victims, especially in fire scenes.     

Microscopic Age Estimation from the Anterior Cortex of the Femur in Korean Adults*

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to develop age‐predicting equations from the anterior cortex of the femur of Korean adults. Seventy‐two femoral samples (44 male and 28 female) were obtained from Korean cadavers and used to develop the equations. The thin sections (<100‐μm thick) were prepared by manual grinding; the sections were not decalcified and were stained with Villanueva bone stain reagent. Analysis of covariance showed no significant differences in age‐adjusted histomorphological variables between sexes. In stepwise regression analysis, osteon population density, average osteon area, and the most anterior cortical width were selected for an age‐predicting equation which produced a high regression correlation (R² = 0.789). The average Haversian canal area was not significantly related to age for any specimen.     

Designing Ethical Online Dispute Resolution Systems: The Rise of the Fourth Party

As the pandemic forces public and private institutions to move online, many court and business leaders are looking to the field of online dispute resolution (ODR) for best practices and lessons learned. Developed over the last twenty years, largely in response to the growth of e‐commerce, the ODR field has generated a deep well of theory and practice while also identifying potential ethical dilemmas and risks. The application of technology, the “fourth party,” plays an increasingly integral role in how we negotiate resolutions to our disputes, with or without a third party. A brief overview of the history of ODR’s development will set the context for the exploration of the range of tools and techniques encompassed by online dispute resolution. Consideration of the ethical challenges raised by ODR practice will illuminate key questions and choices that need to be made in designing ODR systems and in governing their use.