Civil Society after Democracy: The Evolution of Civic Activism in South Africa and Korea

The phase of democratic consolidation can significantly impact the motives, dynamics and objectives of civil society. Its internal roles, dynamics and power balances are significantly altered by the advent of democracy, due to shifting resources, political opportunities and a general reframing of goals and objectives. By adopting a definition of civil society as an ‘arena’ (which highlights the continuously evolving composition and leadership of civil society) and borrowing a number of theoretical dimensions from social movement theory (which underline the importance of resource mobilization, political opportunities and conceptual framing processes), the article shows that the advent of democracy has posed a number of challenges to civil society organizations in Korea and South Africa. Moreover, the consolidation of democracy has inevitably changed the nature of government–civil society relations. While in South Africa institutional politics reasserted itself in the first years of democracy, thereby sidelining organizations and movements concerned with public accountability and good governance (which have only recently resurfaced through the action of new social movements), in Korea corruption and lack of transparency immediately marred the dawn of democracy, providing civic movements with a fertile terrain to galvanize civic mobilizations vis-à-vis the lack of responsiveness of the political class.     

Problematising UN-local Civil Society Engagement in Peacebuilding: Towards Non-modern Epistemes Through Relationality

ABSTRACT

This article seeks to argue that the problematic engagement between United Nations peacebuilding and local civil society reveals an ontological tension between different forms of conceiving of actors and processes in peacebuilding contexts. Relationality is introduced as a potential analytical breakthrough. The article problematises UN static categorisations as failing to capture the complexity of local civil society and imposing a highly technical form of engagement. Unaware of these limitations, the UN seeks to instrumentalise local civil society to engage it in peacebuilding settings. This pattern is critically presented here as a totalising process through which the UN attempts to secure modernity.     

书面询问制度在日本的移植及其启示

书面询问是德日民事诉讼中证人不出庭情况下的一种证据调查方法。与证人仅仅单方面提供书面证言不同,它通过书面问答的方式,尽可能实现法官与证人、当事人之间的实质交流。书面询问是直接主义、口头主义的例外,在适用条件和程序上有严格的限制,该方法与其他措施一起构成证人不出庭情况下的特殊证据调查体系。日本从德国移植该项制度并根据本国实际情况进行类型化设计,对我国相关司法问题的解决有重要启示。     

大规模侵权民事救济比较研究

目前,世界各国已经面临因高度工业化所引发的各种大规模侵权事件的危害与考验,近年来连续发生在各国的一些大规模侵权事件也预示着风险社会的到来。2008年我国＂三鹿奶粉事件＂、2010年英国石油公司＂墨西哥湾石油泄漏事故＂、2011年日本＂福岛核泄漏事故＂等等。完善大规模侵权中受害人民事救济制度是我国侵权法所面临的重要课题。     

法人精神损害赔偿的正当性

法人精神损害赔偿当取决于民法原则、目的和司法问题之解决,而不仅由单纯的一般概念和法学概念推导决定。民法理论上,民事主体拟制属性和民法公平原则与目的均支持法人精神损害赔偿;司法实践中,填平补偿法人非财产损害、对法人非财产损害引起的大规模自然人精神损害的补偿都急需法人精神损害赔偿之确定。     

浅析诉访分离对政法工作的新挑战

近年来,涉法涉诉信访案件居高不下,“群体访”、“越级访”、“重复访”情况时有发生,信访人及近亲属缠访、闹访情况比较严重.依法妥善解决涉法涉诉信访问题,诉访分离是关键.诉访分离是解决涉法涉诉信访问题的有效途径,政法机关唯有理性改革、整合资源、完善机制、正确面对,才能适应修改后的民事诉讼法和司法改革的需要,才能引导好、处理好、解决好涉法涉诉信访难题.     

把警察权力关进制度的笼子——以警察权力扩张引发涉警群体性事件为视角

警察权力是国家权力的重要组成部分,它来源于公民权利,又服务于公民权利,两者既相互依存,又须保持动态平衡.而近年来涉警群体性事件的频发,从深层原因来分析,主要是由于警察权力的盲目扩张、高度扩张,造成警察权力的滥用,严重侵犯了人民群众自身的利益,因此一定要把警察权力关进制度的笼子,防止其侵害公民权益.     

行政执法证据刑事司法化的现实性浅析

刑事诉讼法在立法层面上首次对行政执法证据司法化予以肯定,但是行政执法证据如何向刑事司法证据合理转化,转化后司法机关如何使用,以及证明效力的延续性等我国法律实践中亟需解决的难题却没有得到根本解决。文章分析了行政执法证据向刑事司法证据转化的必要性和证据转化的种类、方法、规则等,并提出对司法实践具有积极意义的证据转化制度。     

刑事立案监督中存在的问题及对策

刑事立案监督是人民检察院对侦查机关的刑事立案活动进行的监督。然而,这一权力在实际运行中还存在诸多问题,文章提出了解决刑事立案监督问题的对策：拓宽刑事立案监督线索来源渠道;创新工作机制,深入开展监督工作;健全立案监督的内部工作机制。     

减刑假释案件开庭审理程序的完善

减刑假释案件的审理并不是一种纯粹的诉讼,而是对执行机关提出的减刑假释建议的一种司法审查。文章指出减刑假释审理程序应从四个方面加以完善,特殊罪犯减刑假释案件的庭审程序与普通罪犯相比应有所差异。