Made to measure? An analysis of the transition from Disability Living Allowance to Personal Independence Payment

As part of the government’s programme of welfare reform Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people of working age. This will have a significant impact on a wide range of disability benefit claimants. This article examines the government’s rationale for replacing DLA with PIP, the key technical differences between the two benefits and the role that disability benefits can play in reducing poverty. The introduction of PIP has led to considerable debate in the social welfare law sector about the scope, purpose and assessment of social security benefits for the disabled. These issues are explored with reference to the first Gray Review of PIP (2014) and the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Inquiry (2016) into the impact of the UK Government’s policies on disabled people.     

冷战后澳大利亚对东帝汶政策的评析

在东南亚地区,随着束埔寨问题的解决,东帝汶问题就成为该地区最主要的安全问题之一。东帝汶问题自1974年印尼入侵东帝汶以来一直是地区热点之一。在东帝汶走向独立的过程中,外部大国特别是澳大利亚发挥了特殊的作用。本文试图通过对东帝汶独立过程中澳大利亚外交政策的演变来探究澳大利亚作为中等强国的外交逻辑。     

论律师独立的实现条件

律师独立的实现条件主要体现为政治条件、社会经济奈件以及文化条件。法治社会的建立是律师独立实现的政治条件,市场经济的建立是律师独立实现的社会经济条件,民众信仰法律与职业文化的形成是律师独立实现的文化条件。     

科索沃政治发展:从托管到“独立”

科索沃的政治发展在两个层面上运行,一是在政治权力归属上,由联合国向欧盟和科索沃当局过渡;二是在政治体制建设上,构建并实行议会制和三权分立、并关注社群权利保护的体制模式.在这两个层面的发展中,科索沃独特的国际地位和内部环境既提供了动力,也构成了障碍.     

论“台独”话语权对岛内政治生态的影响

“台独”分子炮制种种谬论而建构起了一套“台独”话语体系,通过不断推广和强化这套理念,掌握了岛内的意识形态领导权,并对岛内的政治生态产生了重大影响。民进党虽然始终不放弃“台独”主张,但随着“台独”话语权的强弱而不断调整两岸论述;国民党在“台独”话语权的压力下,也不得不进行“本土化”论述。“台独”话语权作为一种重要的权力形态,对公共权力的运行产生强力的制约作用,严重破坏了正常的民主秩序,成为两岸关系和平发展的巨大障碍。     

略论邓小平的对外战略思想

邓小平的对外战略思想是建设有中国特色社会主义理论的重要组成部分,是我国外交工作的指导思想。他强调中国的发展与强大离不开世界;坚持在任何时候中国必须在独立自主原则下确立自己的国际战略;创造性地提出一系列关于反对霸权主义的新思想。新时期的外交实践证明,邓小平的对外战略思想是英明、正确和富有远见的。     

The Four Nations: Interrelations*

Historically and contemporaneously the interrelations of the nations of the British Isles are as important as their differentiation. Modern revisionist historians, Irish and British, understand this better that many politicians and publicists. Nationalism as separatism and strong national consciousness are commonly confused when the English media consider Scotland. Gordon Brown stresses ‘Britishness’ to preserve the union but this is counterproductive. All his examples of British events are English, none Scots or Welsh, and his British values are mainly universal. A true construction of Britishness is to see it as a strong but narrow practical legal and political framework within which different cultures, old and new, can both flourish and intermingle. So strong are both social and economic interrelations that Scottish independence could be less consequential than commonly supposed.     

20世纪初韩国的和平思想——日本的“东洋和平论”批判和韩中日间合作的探索

20世纪初期,在日本帝国主义进行侵略和扩张的过程中,伊藤博文政府为了建立"东洋和平"和西方势力抗衡,主张在韩中日之间开展合作。但事实上这种主张不过是把当时以日本为中心的东北亚地区秩序合法化的说辞。针对这一点,安重根、安昌浩、申采浩等韩国独立运动家指出国家正处于丧失国权的危机之中,在对日本主张的"东洋和平"进行批判的同时,强调只有在韩国等周边国家的独立得到保障的情况下才有可能实现真正意义上的"东洋和平"。1910年日本帝国主义强行合并韩国以后,申采浩、朴殷植等韩国独立运动家在指出日本合并韩国的非法性的同时,还强调韩中日等东北亚地区国家间建立在信任基础上的交流和合作的重要性,主张韩国的独立有利于"东洋和平与世界和平"。尤其值得一提的是,柳麟锡在强调韩中关系在东北亚的重要性及中国作用的同时,还提出了韩中日三国在相互信任的基础上朝着共生关系发展的构想。     

The politics of history in West Papua - Indonesia conflict

This study examines how history is used as a source of legitimacy and a political instrument in the sectarian conflict between the Indonesian government and the West Papua nationalists. This paper explores the debate surrounding two historical aspects relevant to West Papua’s demand for independence: first, West New Guinea’s past as part of the Dutch colony and its relations with Indonesia and second, the 1969 referendum, the so-called Act of Free Choice, to decide West Papua’s fate. The Indonesian democratization in 1998 provided momentum to revise the narration of West Papua’s history. Democracy has empowered the Papuans as the victims of a power struggle to challenge the previous Indonesia’s monolithic narration of history. The Papuans’ alternative narration of history also serves as a medium of liberation from oppression by the Indonesian government. The Papuan story counters the theory that the narration of history is a privilege of the ruler and the winner.     

试论我国行政审判体制的改革与完善--以建立独立的行政法院为路径的思考

我国行政诉讼法的实施过程中出现了审判难、执行难、案件受理数量低、撤诉率高的现象.之所以出现如此状况,原因在于我国的行政审判体制存在弊端负责审理行政案件的一些审判组织和审判人员既缺乏必要的独立性,难以对抗来自行政机关的不当干预;又缺乏必要的专业知识和审判经验,难以保证行政案件的审判质量.改革我国行政审判体制的出路在于设立独立的行政法院.目前在我国设立独立的行政法院既有必要性又有可行性.