African Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Human Rights: Implications for Higher Education,Based on the South African Experience

ABSTRACT

Africa has rich traditions and knowledge systems founded on the principles of caring for one another and the spirit of mutual support embedded in the African philosophy of Ubuntu. These collective values tend to be marginalised in international human rights standards built on western values. The standards were developed without broad-based consultation of the different value systems in Africa. Therefore, in order to inspire sustainable implementation among diverse cultures, dialogue to develop universal human rights and obligations based on the diversity of cultures and ways of knowing is needed. Using South Africa's experience at two universities, the extent to which these institutions have attempted to incorporate African indigenous knowledge systems (AIKS) and human rights into the higher education curriculum is investigated. The implications for higher education and the human rights and development paradigms built on western knowledge systems are investigated. North-West University has been the pioneer of integrating AIKS into higher education in South Africa and is the only higher education institution in South Africa with an accredited IKS Teaching Programme at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels – which has been notably successful, albeit with some challenges. AIKS has also been integrated into research and teaching at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has registered significant successes since 2012. The need to embed AIKS in the curriculum of higher education institutions is affirmed.     

Public Support for Democratic Governance in Southeast Asia

Abstract

The transition and consolidation of democracy in Southeast Asia has proven fragile and tenuous some 30 years after the current wave of democratization began. A critical ingredient in the process of democratization is the role of public opinion and the extent that the public supports the democratic ‘rules of the game’. This study uses 2006 and 2007 public opinion data from the AsiaBarometer Survey of six Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia and Singapore) to examine popular perceptions of democracy and democratic principles and practices. Specifically, it seeks to shed light on the following interrelated questions: Do democratic institutions in Southeast Asia work well in the short and long term? To what extent are citizens in these countries satisfied with various political and civil freedoms? Do citizens trust specific institutions to operate in the best interests of their society? Does the current political system and government perform well?     

Intellectual Property Counterfeiting and Piracy – Response of Small Commonwealth Jurisdictions∗

This article provides an analysis of some recent developments relating to Constitutional law in Jamaica, including the legal issues arising from tied elections and the dual nationality of parliamentarians. It also discusses a case relating to the failure to incorporate the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime (the Palermo Convention). In this case, though the Palermo Convention contemplates investigations by agents of one country on the territory of another for certain crimes, one state party found it was unable to carry out such investigations on the territory of another. Although the latter country, a CARICOM member state, was also a party to the Convention, it had not enacted the required implementing legislation     

违反治安管理行为人陈述申辩权保障之探析

陈述和申辩权是治安管理处罚决定作出前向违反治安管理行为人进行处罚告知法定必经程序的重要内容,是对违反治安管理行为人的一项重要的"事前救济"权利。执法实践中存在的诸多问题严重影响了违反治安管理行为人对该权利的行使,损害了其合法权益。加强法治理念,提高程序公正意识,加强执法监督和责任追究以及律师介入等,对于保障违反治安管理行为人的陈述和申辩权、促进公正执法意义重大。     

Property in Body Parts and Products of the Human Body

An intriguing question, which until recently had not been directly explored by the courts, is the extent to which English law recognises body parts and products of the human body as property capable of ownership. Although the common law currently recognises no general property in a dead body (and only limited possessory rights in respect of it), this apparent “no-property rule” provides no justification, it is submitted, for denying proprietary status to parts or products of a living human body. The recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Yearworth v. North Bristol NHS Trust ([2009] EWCA Civ 37) lends strong support to the view that genetic material (as the product of a living human body) is capable of ownership, at least in the context of a claim in the tort of negligence and bailment. This article examines the various issues by reference to both English and Commonwealth authority.

Relativierung des Rechts durch Digitalisierung

Das Recht ist in modernen Gesellschaften ein wichtiges Steuerungsmittel. Schon bisher ist es allerdings nicht das einzige Instrument gewesen, um gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen und individuelles Verhalten zu beeinflussen. Es gab und gibt Bereiche, die sich selbst organisieren und in denen staatliches Recht aus unterschiedlichen Gründen nicht das entscheidende Steuerungsmittel ist. Dieser Beitrag untersucht, wie sich die zunehmende Digitalisierung der modernen Gesellschaften auf die Steuerungsfähigkeit des Rechts auswirkt. Er kommt dabei zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Bedeutung des Rechts in der digitalisierten und hoch fragmentierten Welt abnimmt. Das Recht muss sich deshalb Verbündete in anderen Bereichen der Gesellschaft suchen, um weiterhin Steuerungsfunktionen für die Gesellschaft wahrnehmen zu können. Der Beitrag skizziert, wer als Verbündeter des Rechts in Frage kommt und wie die notwendigen transrechtlichen Kooperationen aussehen könnten.     

《中华人民共和国物权法》背景下在建船舶抵押权的实现

《中华人民共和国物权法》给在建船舶抵押权的担保范围、变更、物上代位、行使条件和方式、顺位、行使期限等抵押权实现问题带来一定影响,弥补了《中华人民共和国海商法》关于实现在建船舶抵押权的许多空白,修订了在建船舶抵押权的实现原来适用《中华人民共和国担保法》相关规定时的不合理之处。但关于在建船舶抵押权对抗第三人的范围、在建船舶浮动抵押制度、在建船舶的接管转让等方面仍存在不足,应对上述内容进行特别法上的修改,使在建船舶抵押权的实现更符合法理,更适应造船业发展的需要。     

技术标准垄断的法律控制

在知识经济条件下知识产权对经济生活的作用日益凸显,并在高新技术的快速发展中不断得以扩张与强化,其与技术标准结合所形成的技术标准垄断,对市场竞争的危害日益严重,迫切需要反垄断法予以规制。但产生并发展于工业经济时代的反垄断法并无直接针对技术标准垄断的具体规则,导致法律适用中的严重困惑与障碍,难以适应新条件下控制技术标准垄断的要求。2007年8月我国颁布的《反垄断法》虽然规定作为知识产权垄断表现形式之一的技术标准垄断"应受"该法规制,但同样未能解决"如何"规制的问题。因此,在反垄断法的现有制度体系中构建新的控制技术标准垄断的制度规则,是解决这一问题的重要途径。该制度规则概括讲主要包括两大部分内容:一是对技术标准中的知识产权人规定特别的反垄断义务;二是对技术标准制定与实施中的垄断行为予以反垄断审查与惩处。     

论对犯罪收益的民事没收

民事没收是一种对物不对人的制裁措施,它所针对的是一类特殊的财物,即犯罪收益。民事没收可以在没有刑事案件的情况下没收财产,即便被告人已经死亡或者在逃,甚至即便还不知晓谁实施了违法行为。民事没收适用民事诉讼的"谁主张谁举证"原则,要求那些声称对财物享有合法权利的人员承担相应的证明责任,并且只要求法官"根据优势证据"的标准证明裁断有关财产是否应被没收。我国应当借鉴外国的民事没收制度以及相关的成功经验,尽快建立针对犯罪所得或者违法行为收益的、独立的财产没收制度。     

论破产中尚未履行完毕的合同

尚未履行完毕的合同在破产中的处置,有不可自由选择和可自由选择两种。不可自由选择的合同的范围,主要是出于维护交易安全和保护合同当事人的预期而划定,如委托合同、附所有权保留的买卖合同、房屋租赁合同和知识产权许可使用合同等。对可自由选择的合同,完善的破产立法一方面应规定选择权,明确其性质,另一方面也应区别不同情形对其做适当的限制,在追求破产财产最大化的同时兼顾合同债权人利益的保护。在上述各个方面,我国《破产法》均有改进的余地。