Koushal v Naz: Judges Vote to Recriminalise Homosexuality

In Koushal v Naz the Indian Supreme Court overturned a High Court judgment which had declared unconstitutional section 377 of the Indian Penal Code criminalising ‘carnal intercourse against the order of nature’. In doing so, it has rebranded gay and transgendered Indians as criminals. This case note explores some of the structural problems that led to this judgment. The first problem is the transformation of the Indian Supreme Court into a populist, quasi‐legislative, institution that sees itself as a tool of governance. This has put significant pressure on its counter‐majoritarian role. The second relates to the sheer size of the Court's docket (given its wide jurisdiction and lax standing rules), coupled with the Indian legal academy's inability and unwillingness to continuously demand judicial fidelity to the law. These factors have led to the normalisation of unreasoned or poorly‐reasoned judgments and a breakdown of stare decisis.     

宽带协议存在的问题及法律规制

在宽带协议中,消费者权益保护不周是多方面共同作用的结果。电信运营商的强势地位和垄断地位是造成保护不足的根本原因,监管缺位和宽带协议作为格式合同自身的特点是消费者权益保护部足的重要因素。为更好的保护消费者利益应该从这些原因入手,完善监管机制,引入竞争机制,落实普遍服务义务,完善在处理宽带协议纠纷时对消费者合法权益的保护。     

‘Together in the National Interest’: The Rhetoric of Unity and the Formation of the Cameron–Clegg Government

Following the formation of the Conservative–Liberal Democrat government in May 2010, David Cameron and Nick Clegg sought to persuade party members, the electorate and a sceptical media that their partnership would hold together for the duration of the parliament. Taking as its starting point Kenneth Burke's theory of rhetoric as identification, this article explores the strategies employed by senior Coalition figures to construct and present an image of unity to these different audiences. Of particular concern are appeals to the parties’ shared values and to the ‘national interest’, as well as the narrative of Britain's ‘debt crisis’. This narrative served to minimise inter‐party divisions by inviting MPs and supporters to unite behind the cause of deficit reduction, in opposition to the ‘fiscally irresponsible’ Labour party that had allegedly wrecked the economy. The article concludes by reflecting on the lessons for the partners in a future UK coalition government.     

Scotland's Future Political System

Debates on Scottish constitutional reform go hand in hand with discussions of political reform. Its reformers use the image of ‘old Westminster’ to describe ‘control freakery’ within government and an adversarial political system. Many thought that the Scottish political system could diverge from the UK, to strengthen the parliamentary system, introduce consensus politics and further Scotland's alleged social and democratic tradition. Yet the experience of devolution suggests that Holyrood and Westminster politics share key features. Both systems are driven by government, making policy in ‘communities’ involving interest groups and governing bodies, with parliaments performing a limited role and public participation limited largely to elections. The Scottish government's style of policy‐making is distinctive, but new reforms are in their infancy and their effects have not been examined in depth. In this context, the article identifies Scotland's ability to make and implement policy in a new way, based on its current trajectory rather than the hopes of reformers.     

城市基础设施建设投融资体制改革的法律原则、问题及路径

城市化进程的加快要求进行城市建设投融资体制改革。公共性是当前城市基础设施建设必须遵循的宪法原则。我国当前城市基础设施建设面临缺乏统一的城市基础设施建设投融资基本法、地方政府城市基础设施建设投融资平台设立和运行等制度不健全以及改革后政府的公共性职责不清等弊病。应当进一步完善相关法律制度、推动政府城市基础设施建设投融资平台组织革新并以公共性为原则完善政府的监管职责。     

从利益本位入手看经济法独立部门法的地位

对于经济法的基本理论,法学界历来都存在较大的争论。本文旨在从利益本位出发,通过分析经济法与民法、行政法的区别与联系,研究经济法的本质特征,进而认识经济法在整个法律体系中独立的部门法地位,促进经济法这一新兴部门法的发展。     

欧盟利息税指令及其对我国的借鉴

利息税是影响资本流动的一个重要因素,欧盟长期以来致力于协调成员国间的利息税制度。欧盟利息税指令的出台历经坎坷。利息支付情况的信息交换制度是该指令的核心,同时指令还在过渡期内规定了可选择的预提税制度,从而有效地协调了支付地国、税收居民国和受益人之间的利益。指令在对利息支付的定义、预提税的计算以及祖父条款的适用方面存在一定的问题,还需进一步完善。指令对我国利息税制度的健全完善尤其是利息税协调制度的建立有着重要的借鉴意义。     

The legislative choice on the right of priority

The right of priority, or preemption, is the security interest of priority claim enjoyed by the creditor to the ordinary or particular properties of the debtor provided directly by law. It can be distinguished clearly from similar rights and can be stipulated in the Law on Property Rights. The right of priority falls into the category of security interests. Though it differs from the guaranteed security interest or lien, the right of priority, taking the property as its object, the guarantee of the performance of particular creditor’s right as its aims, possesses the basic characteristics of the security interests. Thus, such a rule shall be stipulated in the Law of Property Right. The right of priority is instituted directly by the law in consideration of the social legislative policies. Such considerations are necessary to the realization of social fairness and justice and the protection of public interests and social welfare. From the perspective of legislative polices and techniques, it is more reasonable to institute the right of priority in the Law of Property Right than resort to other replacing rules in order to secure particular creditor’s right. Instituting the right of priority in legislation will not increase the risk of deals; on the contrary, it will help the parties concerned foresee risks. Therefore, it helps safeguard the safety of the deals.     

我国土地征收立法模式之反思

土地征收的立法模式有集中型模式和分散型模式之分,集中型立法模式颇具特色;我国分散型立法模式存在诸多弊端;我国土地征收立法应采集中型立法模式,在制定统一的征收法典时,既要注意法典与现行立法和相关政策性规定的协调与整合、又要注重法典的创新与突破、还要注意法典内容的具体而全面。