Mietvertragliche Erhaltungs- und Endrenovierungspflichten nach der 4. "Klausel-Entscheidung"

In einer 4. "Klausel-Entscheidung" wurde jüngst vom 2. Senat – neben der Zul?ssigkeit eines standardvertraglichen generellen Tierhaltungsverbotes in einer Wohnung – auch über die Zul?ssigkeit von in einem Mietvertragsformular enthaltenen Erhaltungs- und Endrenovierungspflichten des Mieters abgesprochen. Im folgenden Beitrag werden die von der Entscheidung diesbezüglich eingenommenen Rechtsstandpunkte n?her analysiert und gewürdigt. Zudem wird ganz allgemein auf den einschl?gigen status quo in der h?chstgerichtlichen Judikatur Bezug genommen und die Sinnhaftigkeit einer legistischen Intervention diskutiert.     

Does terror increase aid?

This article investigates empirically whether, and in what ways, donors in the Development Assistance Committee respond to transnational terrorist incidents and the onset of the War on Terror by changing aid effort and aid allocation. First, an analysis of 22 donor countries shows that aid effort increased during the War on Terror period, but did not respond to the actual number of terror events. Second, using aid allocation equations, we find that countries where terror originates are not more likely to receive aid as a consequence, but if they are selected, they receive larger amounts of aid. Our results imply that politicians may still have to learn from economic research. To the extent that development aid can effectively combat terror across the world, as recent research suggests it does, politicians would be well-advised to target aid to those countries where terrorist groups exist in abundance.     

Empathy in sexually sadistic offenders: an experimental comparison with non-sadistic sexual offenders

Previous studies suggest that severe sexual sadism and psychopathy are phenotypically different, although both are characterized by deficits in emotional processing. We assessed empathic capacity in a sample of 12 sexual sadists in comparison with 23 non-sadistic offenders using the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET). All participants were forensic patients under mandatory treatment orders who had committed sexual offenses. The MET is a computerized rating task that differentiates and measures cognitive and emotional components of empathy, or perspective-taking versus compassionate components. To identify the effects of possible empathy deficits caused by psychopathic traits, we controlled both samples for psychopathy as a covariate, measured by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). According to our results, sexual sadists did not differ from non-sadistic sexual offenders with regard to emotional empathy for either positive or negative stimuli. The results suggest that severe sexual sadism is a distinct, pathological sexual arousal response, not a deficit in emotional processing.     

Rechtzeitige Rüge bei fehlerhafter Gerichtsbesetzung

Bei Beurteilung, ob dem Beschwerdeführer der die Nichtigkeit nach § 281 Abs 1 Z 1 StPO begründende Tatumstand schon vor (oder sp?testens bis zum Ende) der Hauptverhandlung bekannt geworden ist, ist auf objektive Kriterien, n?mlich die Zug?nglichkeit des Tatsachensubstrats abzustellen. Nichtigkeit iSd § 281 Abs 1 Z 1 StPO liegt nur bei willkürlichem, mithin sachlich ungerechtfertigtem Austausch der Laienrichter vor.     

Die gesetzliche Ausgestaltung der mietvertraglichen Erhaltungspflicht und die Grenzen ihrer Disponibilität (2. Teil)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

The European policy-making machinery in the Berlin republic: hindrance or handmaiden?

This article examines European policy-making in the Berlin Republic. The basic puzzle explored is whether the policy machinery is able to facilitate the projection of a ‘new European policy’, characterised by greater emphasis upon national interests. In order to suggest answers, the article reviews the origins of the policy machinery and the changes made in the pre-unification period. It then explores the current situation in the Berlin Republic. It argues that the legacies of the past – institutional pluralism and the post-war adoption of a European identity – are not easily cast off. Although the machinery has been reorganised since 1990, notably under the Schröder/Fischer coalition, and there have been some adjustments to bilateral relations, a new European policy has not yet emerged, although it is a possible future scenario.