Procedural justice,obligation to obey,and cooperation with police in a sample of Jamaican citizens

ABSTRACT

Procedural justice theory plays a central role in understanding police–citizen relationships. To test the universality of procedural justice theory, researchers have tended to assess the relative impacts of normative and instrumental models of policing in different geopolitical contexts. Building on Reisig and Lloyd’s study in Jamaica, we test in the current study the relative impacts of procedural justice (a normative factor) and police effectiveness and risk of sanctioning (instrumental factors) on Jamaicans’ obligation to obey the police and willingness to cooperate with police. We found that procedural justice predicted both obligation to obey and cooperation, although obligation did not predict cooperation. And while effectiveness predicted obligation, it was not significantly related to cooperation. Lastly, older citizens were more willing to cooperate with police. The study’s implications for policy and future research are discussed.     

“韦伯命题”之争及其启示

上世纪初,韦伯提出并论证了韦伯命题——中国司法属于非形式主义的卡迪司法。近百年以后,中国大陆就这一命题的真伪进行了长达10多年的高水准学术论辩。如果正确理解了韦伯社会学思想的核心概念——理想类型——及其衍生的卡迪司法的真谛,并运用整体的观念来评价中国司法,则韦伯命题的成立是无可置疑的,否定论者所列举的实证材料,并不是韦伯立论的基点。韦伯命题之争有复杂的时代背景,它的背后涉及法律文化是否存在普适性价值、不同时空中的法律文化是否存在可比性、如何客观认知和理性对待本族法律文化传统、法律现代化是否可欲及其价值取向等重大的法理问题,特别是对形式主义司法的认知与评价这一重大的司法哲学问题。这些与中国司法未来走向息息相关的时代性问题都值得法学界认真对待。     

少年司法国家责任论纲

由于国家责任的缺失,限制了我国少年司法制度的宏观规划、整体布局与协同进步,以致法律体系不完善、地域差别较大、部门协作壁垒等问题一直存在。国家责任更具“宣誓”意义和政策指引价值,其与政府责任、司法机关责任存在主体不同、责任内容不同、责任实现方式不同等区别。从国家责任角度出发,应加速制定“儿童福利法”,完善儿童福利制度,理顺刑事诉讼法内部规则,细化收容教养制度,协调刑法、刑事诉讼法与其他部门法的衔接;少年司法所需经费可实行国家财政统一拨付,国家应统筹发展少年司法模式,并大力发展中西部少年司法社工组织及少年司法社工;明确司法机关、政府相关部门的责任分配,强化家庭、学校作用的发挥,积极推动公安、司法机关、政府部门与少年司法社工组织的协同发展。     

Pathway to resilience: hands and hearts for peasant livelihoods and fair relations between humans and nature

Abstract

Peasants and rural communities are on the front lines of most climate catastrophes taking place nowadays worldwide; at the same time, we have been the ones taking care of our common planet over generations. This article begins with a brief overview of the current situation of land use in the world today and links it to climate issues. It then describes some of the solutions to climate threats being negotiated between national governments and the private sector. It then highlights solutions that communities are already implementing and concludes with the reasons why systemic change is needed in order to achieve agrarian and climate justice.     

Why Do States Commission the Truth? Political Considerations in the Establishment of African Truth and Reconciliation Commissions

Although the use of truth and reconciliation commissions (TRCs) has grown considerably over the last 3 decades, there is still much that we do not know concerning the choice and the structuring of TRCs. While the literature has focused primarily on the effects of TRCs, we examine the domestic and the international factors influencing the choice of a commission in sub-Saharan Africa from 1974 to 2003 using pooled cross-sectional time series. We find that states which adopted a TRC prior to South Africa were generally repressive centralized regimes which used the truth commission as political cover. However, since South Africa’s TRC, democratizing states have been more likely to adopt a truth commission as a form of transitional justice.

污染区居民如何扭转环境不正义——美国北卡罗来纳州华伦郡多氯联苯掩埋场个案分析

环境不正义的决策过程与结果,使社会弱势聚居之小区更容易受到环境污染的伤害,而环境污染为小区所带来的各种影响,又使得小区居民更加弱势。环境正义运动的主要诉求之一,就是要使民众有意识地参与环境政策过程。本文以此为基础,观察美国北卡罗来纳州华伦郡多氯联苯掩埋场抗议事件的发生,与其後二十几年的发展。本文从四个方面观察华伦郡这段抗议与矫正环境不正义的历史,分别是诉求观点、专业能力、政治结盟以及政策回应。研究结果得出四点结论：首先,能够引起广泛共鸣的环境正义诉求,是帮助小区内外联盟的重要基石;其次,小区居民专业知识与态度的培养,有助于提升居民与政府部门沟通的层次与地位;再次,弱势居民政治力的提升与政治结盟,是提高居民受害事实与基本权益能见度的重要管道;最後,政府的正面响应提升了民泉与政府共同合作解决小区污染问题的可能性。     

情理与法律冲突时的利益衡量

情理与法律,既相对立,又相统一。情理是法律的基础,而法律是情理的升华与体系化。法官在适用法律解决纠纷中的重要使命,就是发现、阐明并应用蕴含于法律规则之中的“理”。这种理是法律的精神力量所在,也是司法权威的精神来源。法官在审理案件时,要在掌握法律基本原理的前提下,深刻领悟法律规则背后无形的法律精神。通过创造性的、合理的解释去弥补和完善法律存在的不足,能够平衡互相冲突的利益,实现法律与情理的和谐统一。     

关于搞好行政执法与刑事司法衔接的刍议

加强行政执法与刑事司法衔接的法律监督,是检察机关法律监督职责的重要方面,构建这方面的监督机制,是新时期保民生、保稳定、保发展,学习实践科学发展观的要求,也是法律监督发展的必然要求。为此,要加强监督、转变观念、摆正行政执法与刑事司法的关系,建立监督机制,形成执法监督合力。