Getting a `Get' – the Limits of Law's Authority? N. v. N. (Jurisdiction: Pre-Nuptial Agreement) [1999] 2 F.L.R. 745

This note examines the decision of the Family Division of the High Court in N. v. N. (Jurisdiction: Pre-Nuptial Agreement) in which, in the context of Jewish divorce proceedings, the Court found that it had no jurisdiction to order a husband, by specific performance of a marriage agreement, to go through the procedure to obtain a ‘get’ (a hand-written bill of divorcement) allowing his wife to remarry. First, discussion of the case is contextualised broadly within the debate on the (de)merits of employing legal means in order to redress social wrongs. Secondly, adopting a theoretical perspective upon the difficulties involved in using law to achieve social change, the note goes on to examine more specifically why women from minority cultures may choose to go to the law of the dominant culture in order to obtain relief. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Divorcing Responsibly

In this article I argue that Part II of the Family LawAct 1996 gives expression to a new form ofresponsibility. I begin by suggesting thatresponsible behaviour has shifted from prohibiting orrequiring particular actions: we now exhibitresponsibility by our attitude towards our actions. I then examine where this new conception ofresponsibility has come from. Through an examinationof the work of post-liberal theorists, principallyMichael Sandel, I argue that a changing view ofpersonhood within post-liberal theory has led to aquestioning of the possibility of choice, and that theabsence of choice necessitates a shift in thedefinition of responsible behaviour. If we are createdby our decisions then we cannot be held to account forour decisions, but only for the care we have takenover them. Responsibility is therefore measured notby our level of self-control but by our level ofself-awareness. Finally I examine the consequences ofthis shift in the meaning of responsibility. Withinthis framework autonomy is illusory thereforedecisions do not need to be respected. This explainswhy the implementation of Part II of the Family LawAct 1996 has been called into question. Within thisframework responsibility is relative therefore itextends indefinitely. This enables the Family Law Actto be uniquely intrusive and judgmental: everydivorcing couple, on being held up to scrutiny, isfound lacking.     

中国近代民事诉讼法探源

从知识传统的角度来看 ,我国民事诉讼法基本的概念、术语、原则、制度与理论框架主要渊源于西方的法典类型。它在我国新型法律体系以及在大学学科课程中的地位 ,是在本世纪最初十余年间以挽回法权为主旨的立宪修律活动的直接推动下 ,通过日本法律顾问的讲授和留日法科学生的译释等途径 ,迅速确立起来的 ,并由此为中国民事诉讼法近代传统的形成奠定了基础。     

国家自卫权的实施与打击国际恐怖主义

国家自卫权的实施限制是:受到武装攻击;自卫应在安理会采取必要办法之前;向安理会报告实施的自卫措施并在安理会的监督下进行。此外,国家自卫权的实施必须符合国际法已确立的"必要"和"相称"的原则。在反恐实践中,受害国已经成为武力攻击的主体;武力攻击主体和自卫对象出现不一致;实施国家自卫权的地域延展;实施国家自卫权的时间已经不限于武力攻击的当时或较短暂的准备期之后;国家自卫权的实施主体更加复杂,强度超过必要、合理和不过分的要求。打击恐怖主义是国际社会的一项长期而艰巨的任务;国家自卫权只是合法使用武力的一种例外情况;在未来的国际法发展中,对国家自卫权的实施仍应予以严格的限制。     

再识“责任”与经济法

经济法责任制度是经济法理论研究的重要问题之一,也是法学界论证经济法是否为独立法律部门的重要依据.法律责任的历史发展经历了与其他社会责任分离、责任逻辑的完善、责任方式的基本定型等过程,这使得部分学者按传统法律部门作为划分标准,否认经济法责任的存在,进而否认经济法为独立法律部门.按社会活动领域和法律调整宗旨的标准划分法律部门,责任方式并非划分法律部门的绝对标准.经济法具有独特调整方法,其责任制度的精髓集中于"责权利效相统一"的原则.经济法责任不仅在不同程度上综合运用民事、行政、刑事责任方式而形成独特的责任制度,而且将责任制度前置于主体制度,增强经济责任制,形成其鲜明的调整特色.     

国际私法研究机构:国际私法成文化法典化的推动力——英国国际私法发展的实践启示

成文化法典化是当今国际社会国际私法发展的普遍趋势。素来坚持判例法传统的英国 ,在近 30年来 ,其国际私法成文法也正日益取代判例法的主要地位。英国国际私法的变化主要是各种国际私法研究机构推动的结果。英国的实践对我国国际私法立法发展有启示意义 :必须加强中国国际私法学会的工作 ,发挥其在国际私法改革中的骨干作用 ;积极参加统一国际私法的各种国际组织的立法活动及其制定的公约 ,采纳国际社会的普遍实践 ;以“普遍主义”作为我国国际私法法制建设的指导思想 ,加大国际私法改革中的对外开放度。     

论行政执法

行政从“管理”到“执法”的转变是我国二十多年经济体制和政治体制改革的产物 ,是从几千年的人治逐步走向法治的标志。行政的“执法”性质和“依法”特征是由市场经济、民主政治和法治国家的发展目标所决定的。“行政执法”的实质是行政主体实施行政行为要有法律根据 ,受法律规范制约。行政执法改革不仅涉及执法方式、方法 ,而且涉及执法体制、范围、目标及执法主体与相对人的关系 ,是整个执法机制的转换。     

Individual Dismissals in Europe and the United States: A Model on the Influence of the Legal Framework on Firing Costs

In this article, we present a model of individual dismissals based on the workers' right to file a suit against their employer arguing that the dismissal is unjustified or unfair. The model is a standard pre-trial bargaining game between a firm and a worker. We study two cases: when the law states the severance pay for unfair dismissal (the European case), and when judges can decide freely on the compensation to be paid to the worker (the American case). The model provides some guidelines for Labour Law reforms. In the European case, a decrease in the severance pay for unfair dismissals fixed by law will decrease the severance pay offered by the firm, and only under some assumptions will decrease the expected firing cost and will increase the settlement probability. In addition, the transition from the European to the American case is likely to increase the probability of settlement (and to decrease it in the opposite case) with ambiguous effects on agreed severance pay and expected firing costs.     

犯罪概念及其特征的结构分析

犯罪是事实特征与法律特征的统一,也是内容特征和形式特征的统一。事实特征或者说内容特征,并不仅限于社会危害性,而是社会危害性这一个质的因素与应受刑罚处罚性(简称当罚性或应罚性)这一个量的因素的统一。法益侵害与社会危害性具有相通性。     

论国家赔偿法错拘、错捕规定的完善

《国家赔偿法》第 1 5条第 1项、第 2项的规定在表述上不严谨 ,易产生歧义 ,对无罪推定的国家赔偿问题缺乏明确规定。对此建议作如下修改 :具有下列情形之一的 ,受害人对其在刑事诉讼中受到的羁押可请求国家赔偿 :人民法院作无罪判决或作证据不足 ,指控的犯罪不能成立的无罪判决的 ;人民检察院作无罪不起诉或罪证不足不起诉决定的 ;公安机关等侦查机关认定无罪作撤销案件决定的