诉讼保险：二十一世纪新型诉讼救助

诉讼费用是民事诉讼中一项极为重要的制度 ,它甚至关系到司法制度的根本。但长期以来该制度却始终未受到重视 ,立法和实践中问题重重。很多人由于不合理的诉讼费用而不能或不愿进入诉讼 ,出现了“费用排斥诉讼”的现象。传统诉讼救助措施的不得力呼唤着新制度的诞生。结合微观经济理论 ,建立诉讼费用保险机制 (简称诉讼保险机制 ) ,让多数人来分担诉讼费用的风险 ,实现诉讼费用的微观自救 ,不失为一个切实可行的方案。     

我国商事立法模式之选择——兼论《商事通则》的制定

在我国 ,由于智识、经验和立法技术的欠缺 ,法律调控的社会领域不断扩展以及对英美法律的不断继受 ,制定完全意义上民商合一的民法典已经没有可能 ;而效法欧洲大陆国家分别制定独立的民法典和商法典或者效法美国制定一部美国式的商法典的模式 ,亦是一种不识时宜的想法 ;只有在制定民法典的同时制定一部《商事通则》 ,用以规范基本的商事法律关系 ,才是立足现实和着眼未来的最佳选择     

马来西亚政局突变的混沌学解读

2008年的马来西亚大选,出现了所有政评家都意想不到的结果,即执政的国阵失去数十年以来一直保有的多数国会议席和五个州政权.本文运用混沌理论对此"不规则"现象进行解读,先后分析选前形势,印度人示威及其对其他族群选民的影响,网络传播与政治动员的关系等.本文认为,政治领域和其他领域一样,也存在"混沌"或"不规则", "网络政治"特点,使当代政治的"不规则"日渐增多,传统定常的政治分析方法面临着新的挑战.     

卢梭的“瞬间”与“公民宗教”

文章意在研究“公民宗教”对于卢梭“社会契约论”的意义。从自然状态过渡到公民社会的“瞬间”,就形成了公意,但学者们在解释公意的形成和实质时,通常过分强调了契约观念的重要性。通过对《社会契约论》文本的细致解读,作者指出,“立法者”和“公民宗教”比契约观念对于卢梭的“社会契约论”更为重要和根本,并指出了卢梭的“立法者”和“公民宗教”与古代的异同。     

新形势下加强维稳工作的思考

新形势下,探索维护社会稳定的基本方略是当前一项具有战略意义的课题。笔者认为,构建社会主义和谐社会,必须全力维护社会稳定,以科学发展观为统领,树立和落实辩证的稳定观,以公平正义、安定有序为目标,以解决民生问题为根本出发点和落脚点,规范执法行为,积极建立和完善和谐社会科学有效的利益协调、诉求表达、矛盾调处、权益保障等机制,构筑社会治安立体防控格局,落实"科技强警"战略,强力推动基层基础建设,深入开展平安建设活动,进一步加强党对维稳工作的领导,建设高素质的政法队伍,不断提升构建和谐社会的能力,创造安定有序的社会发展环境。     

香港中文大学的大学通识教育

通识教育虽已有百余年的历史,其理念也得到了广泛的认同,但在实践中却困难重重。香港中文大学自1963年创校以来,一直把通识教育作为本科学位课程中的有机组成部分。1986年香港中文大学对通识教育全面改革,通识课程由大学通识与书院通识组成。2002年,进一步对大学通识教育作出全面检讨,厘清中大通识教育的目标与要求,重新规划整体课程和确立有效管理与素质保证的机制。现时中文大学的大学通识教育课程,由七个学院四十多学系提供二百多门通识科目。各科教师来自不同的专业领域,开设的通识科目都以专业的深度和修养为基础;学系开办通识课程时,除考虑本科教学的目标外,更要注意学科知识与其他学科的联系,以及和现代社会生活经验的关联。同时所有科目均有严格机制定期审视,以保证通识学科的素质。     

论行政法法典化的路径选择——德国经验与我国探索

行政法法典化存在三种方案,即行政法总则法典化,行政程序法典化和行政法全部法典化。包含总则和分则的行政法全部法典化既不可能,也无必要,但可以通过法律汇编的形式进行。无论从德国经验还是我国目前立法水平来看,行政法总则法典化并不存在不可逾越的技术难题,是一定时间内可达到的目标。与行政程序法典化相比,其不仅能够更加完整地将行政法体系实定化,而且可以更好地回应行政管理的最新发展和新行政法的要求,是我国行政法法典化的最佳路径。制定行政法总则,具有体系功能、创新功能、减负功能、学术推动功能、立法功能和公开与宣传功能,但也存在去法典化之风险、难以兼顾地方特性与行政自主性以及减损弹性与灵活性等弊端。从我国目前形势来看,制定行政法总则利远大于弊。     

Watchdogs as Satellites of Parliament

Australian legislation indicates a special relationship between Parliament and independent watchdogs such as the Auditor General and Ombudsman. These statutory provisions are reviewed and a new model conceptualizing watchdogs as satellites of Parliament is presented and assessed in the context of the debate about where these watchdogs fit in our system of government. The model assists consideration of the interdependence of Parliaments and watchdogs and tensions in the relationship. It is identified that giving primacy to the relationship with Parliament mitigates some risks and creates others, and that it provides a democratic legitimacy to the watchdogs. The article concludes that there can be benefits to the community where primacy of the role of Parliament is embedded in legislation.     

Examining general strain: Using subjective and objective measures of academic strain to predict delinquency

General Strain Theory (GST) places importance on the experience of negative emotional states resulting from exposure to stressful and/or negative events. Subsequent research has suggested that identifying strain might be contingent upon the use of objective or subjective measures of strain, and that the types of delinquent outcomes assessed might mediate the significance of the findings. Using a sample of nontraditional high school students, this study examines whether objective or subjective measures of academic strain will explain involvement in both substance use (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs) or delinquent offending. We conclude with results and policy implications.     

EU General Data Protection Regulation: Changes and implications for personal data collecting companies

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force in the European Union (EU) in May 2018 to meet current challenges related to personal data protection and to harmonise data protection across the EU. Although the GDPR is anticipated to benefit companies by offering consistency in data protection activities and liabilities across the EU countries and by enabling more integrated EU-wide data protection policies, it poses new challenges to companies. They are not necessarily prepared for the changes and may lack awareness of the upcoming requirements and the GDPR's coercive measures. The implementation of the GDPR requirements demands substantial financial and human resources, as well as training of employees; hence, companies need guidance to support them in this transition. The purposes of this study were to compare the current Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC with the GDPR by systematically analysing their differences and to identify the GDPR's practical implications, specifically for companies that provide services based on personal data. This study aimed to identify and discuss the changes introduced by the GDPR that would have the most practical relevance to these companies and possibly affect their data management and usage practices. Therefore, a review and a thematic analysis and synthesis of the article-level changes were carried out. Through the analysis, the key practical implications of the changes were identified and classified. As a synthesis of the results, a framework was developed, presenting 12 aspects of these implications and the corresponding guidance on how to prepare for the new requirements. These aspects cover business strategies and practices, as well as organisational and technical measures.