The European Court of Justice and its political impact

This article reviews recent advances in the study of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and its political impact at the European and member state levels. New quantitative as well as qualitative analyses show with great empirical precision that member state preferences guide the Court. The article summarises these findings, but argues that greater attention needs to be given to the (over-)constitutionalisation of EU law in order to fully capture the political impact of ECJ jurisprudence. Even if European judges are less activist than is often assumed and individual decisions are more restrained in the face of member state opposition, incrementally, case law evolves in a highly expansive fashion. And, exercising caution regarding unrealistic expectations about quasi-deterministic judicial law-making, it is found that the Court’s constitutionalised jurisprudence impacts heavily on European and member state policy-making.     

Towards virtuous and ethical organisational performance in the context of corruption: A case study in the public sector

With the increasing number of ethical violations reported across the public sector, the emphasis on ethics and values in governance is on the rise. Corruption is widely accepted as a form of unethical behaviour that can have detrimental effects on organisations as well as society at large. Research calls for empirical studies focusing on the contextual factors surrounding corruption. Based on the Contextually Based Human Resource Theory and using the case study method, this paper examines the role of context through a systematic analysis of corruption in a public sector organisation. We integrate corruption and human resource literature to understand employee behaviour, employee relations, HRM strategies, and organisational outcomes in the context of organisational corruption.     

Resettling Refugees in Rural and Regional Australia: Learning from Recent Policy and Program Initiatives

Conscious policy and program support for the resettlement of refugees in regional and rural areas is a relatively recent trend in Australia. Resettlement is a complex process that hinges on the establishment of viable communities. This review suggests that its outcomes, especially for refugee communities, are potentially mixed. However, an appropriately resourced, well managed and well planned refugee resettlement program can potentially provide beneficial outcomes for refugees and host communities. This article draws on existing empirical data and contributions made at a VicHealth Roundtable in late 2007 to thematically explore the challenges facing rural and regional resettlement programs. Given that settlement is a dynamic process and the approaches to rural and regional settlement are evolving, this article provides 12 propositions for a more effective and integrated approach to policy and practice.     

论处置劫持人质案件工作预案

劫持人质案件处置工作具有复杂性,处置结果具有难以明确预见的特点。制定处置劫持人质案件工作预案应当体现超前性、专业性和可操作性,处置劫持人质案件工作预案的程序性作用在于：有利于使警方的处置过程及处置结果接受社会舆论监督;有助于使当事人及其家属接受处置结果;有助于明确民警职责,形成处置人员保护机制。处置劫持人质案件工作预案的实体性意义在于有利于警方高效、有序地开展处置工作,确保处置活动成功,其制作过程包括调查研究阶段、预案形成阶段以及预案评估阶段。     

农村治安新动向及解决途径

转型期农村利益调整,致使暴力性侵财案件、报复性治安案件和群体性事件频发。村级组织软弱涣散,群防群治机制欠缺,执法后续监督不到位,农村公安工作基础薄弱,是影响农村治安的主要因素。创建农村社会治安稳定局面,有待提高农民法制素质,调整农村社会生活中的各种关系,建立健全村、乡（镇）的组织功能,强化农村基层公安派出所的治安保障能力,还可以尝试开展治安承包,通过有偿方式和市场行为辅助解决农村治安防控问题。     

民事诉讼受理制度改造的理性视角

民事诉讼受理是纠纷进入司法程序的初始必经阶段,对于当事人诉讼权利保障意义重大.随着经济体制改革的深化和经济的快速发展,许多深层次的矛盾不断出现,民众的诉求越来越多,而我国的法律体系和社会保障机制还不够完善,人民法院作为解决矛盾纠纷的专门机构,应当担负起为构建和谐社会提供有力司法保障的历史任务,最大程度地吸纳化解矛盾纠纷.然而,现行民事诉讼受理制度所规定的起诉条件,既包括实体内容又包括程序要求,确定性有余而灵活性、包容性不足,虽然能够一定程度地起到过滤纠纷,节约司法资源的作用,但其对于新型权利诉求进入诉讼渠道的阻隔作用日益显现,甚至为个别地方限制当事人正当诉权的行使提供了借口.在改造方案的设计方面,应当理性审视现有司法资源和司法环境,更宜采渐进式而非跃进式的方案,避免由于准备不足而导致司法不堪重负,制约正常功能的发挥.     

司法实证分析

纯理性的、纯思辨的分析在法学研究中的局限性越来越明显,司法实践越来越需要实证分析的方法.实证分析的方法,就是如何获得知识的知识,怎样获得一个研究成果的过程和方法.实证分析强调三个意识:样本意识、量化意识、半知意识,还必需具备三个条件:理论资源、案例资源、量化分析手段.     

民事申请再审案件受理程序规范化改造

2007年民事诉讼法修订以来,关于再审程序划分的“三阶构说”日渐占据民事诉讼学界的主导地位.应从“三阶构说”的理论基础出发,结合现有法律规定,深入研究并完善民事申请再审案件受理程序具体内容,并针对其中若干疑难问题展开讨论,提出进一步完善申请再审案件受理程序的理论方向和具体构想,力求建立起更加完善、更具有操作性的民事申请再审案件受理程序.     

视频侦查技术工作的现状和思考

视频侦查技术是继刑侦、技侦、网侦之后的第四大侦查技术,给公安工作带来了新的破案技术支撑和增长点.视频侦查技术是强化社会治安控制的有效手段,对提高侦查机关打击犯罪的效能具有重大意义.尽快将这一新兴的侦查技术广泛应用到公安实战,发挥其巨大作用,是当前研究的重点.     

Integration of the Family Therapy Specialist into Public School Pupil Personnel Services

SUMMARY

The integration of a full-time family counseling specialist into the Pupil Personnel Service (PPS) Team of the modern public school is described. The roles of the present specialists are delineated as well as the problems inherent within the present Pupil Personnel Services Team. Inclusion of a family counseling specialist on the PPS Team would help schools avoid the antagonist position they find themselves in when a family opposes their suggestions and interventions. In such cases, the PPS Team attempts to wrest control of the case from the parents which subjugates the family, limiting the family's inherent resilience and strength. The family comes to resent the PPS Team, seeing them as blameful and controlling. Conversely, the PPS Team comes to resent the family, claiming it is “dysfunctional” in some way and using diagnostic labels to satisfy themselves that their “expert” actions are justified. This antagonist position in the schools arises more out of fear of litigation than good case management. We propose a new integration of family system and school system. Creation of a family counseling specialist who is highly trained in systems, narrative and structural/strategic family therapy could ameliorate this antagonist problem. Numerous functions for such a new specialty are listed as well as suggestions for including this member into PPS Team work.