European national news

The regular article tracking developments at the national level in key European countries in the area of IT and communications – co-ordinated by Herbert Smith LLP and contributed to by firms across Europe. This column provides a concise alerting service of important national developments in key European countries. Part of its purpose is to compliment the Journal’s feature articles and briefing notes by keeping readers abreast of what is currently happening “on the ground” at a national level in implementing EU level legislation and international conventions and treaties. Where an item of European National News is of particular significance, CLSR may also cover it in more detail in the current or a subsequent edition.     

Data protection in Malaysia and Hong Kong: One step forward,two steps back?

Continuing rapid developments in information communication technology has led to an ever increasing amount of personal information being collected, processed, stored and used, without the individual even knowing about it. For countries which have domestic legislation relating to privacy and data protection, it has afforded the opportunity for a review. For others, it has opened up the opportunity to legislate. The aim of the paper is three-fold. First, the paper aims to deal with data protection regime in Malaysia and in Hong Kong by examining the salient features of the newly enacted Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act 2010 and the recent recommendations for legislative reform to the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance in Hong Kong. Second, it considers whether the laws are more concerned with legitimising data protection practices of organizations and businesses rather than the protection of individuals' privacy interests. Finally, the paper briefly considers whether the laws adequately address the impact to individuals' data privacy brought about by technological advancements before providing a conclusion.     

浅析突发事件中的信息自由与信息管制

信息自由作为一项基本人权理当受法律保护,但基于个人隐私、国家利益、社会安全等法理,对信息的搜集、传播、公开,进行一定限制也是必要的。以我国突发事件中政府保障信息自由和限制信息流动的实际为出发点,透过比较法的视角,对政府在突发事件中保障公众信息自由的适宜路径,政府实施信息管制的正当性法理、具体标准以及程序要求等法律问题进行探索,具有实际意义。     

人身侵权债权在破产清偿顺位中优先受偿之思辩

在调整人身侵权债权的各种制度中,为人身侵权债权在破产清偿顺位中找寻优先清偿点是次优制度选择,因为无论人身侵权债权定位在哪一个清偿层面都是后序债权人为破产企业的非法行为买单。为此,在其他法律制度足以保护人身侵权债权人权益的前提下,在破产清偿顺位中为人身侵权债权人设置优先受偿权实属不必要。但是其他法律制度不足以保护人身侵权债权人的权益时,我们可以考虑在破产清偿顺位中采用将人身侵权债权与劳动者债权同序的方式来保护人身侵权债权人的合法权益。     

政府信息公开的若干法律问题探究

《中华人民共和国政府信息公开条例》的施行,对于保障公民知情权、提高政府工作透明度、促进依法行政意义重大。但在执法实践中,正确界定政府信息,明确政府信息的公开范围和方式,科学甄别政府信息公开的其他排除范围,厘清该条例与相关法律的适用关系,以及掌握政府信息公开与＂卷宗阅览权＂、＂隐私权＂保护的关系至关重要。     

我国商事信托信息披露制度的问题及其对策

我国的商事信托信息披露制度实施过程中,由于立法的简约和外部成本的存在,导致信托公司信息披露状况与社会需求之间的现实差距。在遵循公开性和保密性相结合原则的提前下,其改进措施应体现在信托公司内部治理机制的完善、规范性法律文件的统一以及信息披露民事赔偿义务的具体化等方面。     

权利冲突的解决——由一则案例引发的对公权力与私权利冲突的思考

权利必然以利益为前提,当法律规定的权利边界具有模糊性的情形下,为了减少和消除公权力与私权利的社会利益冲突,在进行利益的权衡和价值的选择时,应努力使法律所确认的个人权利的内容和社会整体利益的需要相一致。     

人权保护视野下的侦查理念

侦查理念是人们对如何开展、怎样开展侦查活动的认识结晶。侦查理念指导侦查机关的侦查活动,是侦查机关依法行使侦查权力、办理刑事案件的行动指南。当前树立人权保护的侦查理念并让其转化为侦查机关的自觉行动是十分必要的。我们要树立正确的权力观念,正确行使权力,要对一切合法的权利给予同等的尊重和维护。     

刑事合理性原则初探

法律上的合理性原则,一般与自由裁量权紧密联系。在刑事法律领域,合理性原则与罪刑法定原则一样,其出发点在于对国家行使刑罚权进行必要的限制。在现代刑法理论中,罪刑法定原则最能体现出合法性原则对刑事裁量权的制约。但是,罪刑法定原则也存在一定的不足,这需要合理性原则加以补充;并且,在合法性的前提下,刑罚权的运用、法律解释以及刑事司法中的法官释法、自由裁量等,还需要以合理性加以限制,才不会出现形式的公正造成了实质的不公正的局面。     

Why are highly informed citizens sceptical of referenda?

Past work on attitudes toward the use of referenda finds that the most politically informed citizens are more sceptical of its use than their less informed counterparts. An intriguing tension presents itself in that those citizens who may be best equipped for referendum voting, the highly informed and politically sophisticated, are the least likely to support the use of this tool of direct democracy. Using data from Canadian Election Studies, we consider three explanations for relative referenda scepticism among political sophisticates. Our analyses provide evidence to support a confidence in government explanation and a concern for minority rights explanation, but not an incompetent public explanation – a curious finding considering the centrality of citizen competence in the theoretical literature on referenda.