Export processing zones and corporate environmental performance in emerging economies: The case of the oil,gas, and chemical sectors of Trinidad and Tobago

Export processing zones (EPZs) are increasingly being established to promote economic growth in developing countries. However, they remain controversial and are often criticized for being associated with a “race to the bottom” characterized by the easing of labor and environmental standards. This paper investigates whether the decision to locate facilities inside these zones is associated with higher corporate environmental performance. Findings indicate that facilities operating in Trinidad and Tobago’s EPZs are more likely to show higher corporate environmental performance than those outside. Additionally, firms in state-managed zones appear to show higher corporate environmental performance than those located in privately managed zones. Enhanced institutional pressures from regulators, local communities, and fellow tenant firms may explain these differences. These results suggest that environmental policy makers and environmentalists can take advantage of already established EPZs to promote enclave enhanced institutional pressures associated with superior corporate environmental performance.

论新刑诉法司法鉴定问题的修改

2012年新《刑事诉讼法》对司法鉴定问题作出几处修改:将"鉴定结论"改为"鉴定意见",确立了生物样本采集制度,对鉴定人之出庭范围、人身安全保护、拒不出庭后果作出具体规定,并增设有专门知识的人参与刑事诉讼制度。修改之处在转变盲目依赖鉴定的观念、增强鉴定质证、吸纳当事人主义合理因素等方面呈现诸多亮点,但有关生物样本采集程序以及鉴定人出庭效果等方面依然有待完善。     

擎制与突围:法院受理环境公益诉讼案件动力机制的缺陷与重塑

理论界和实务界对环境公益诉讼的研究普遍忽视了法院/法官对于环境公益诉讼案件的认知与态度,当前法院与法官普遍对于环境公益诉讼持有保守与拒绝的态度,其原因在于法院受理环境公益诉讼案件的动力机制存在缺陷:法律依据不足、专门环境诉讼机制缺位,法院排斥群体性诉讼,环保法庭的制度突破难以获得法官群体的广泛认同.因此,必须从完善环境公益诉讼的法律依据、构建系统的环境诉讼机制体系、进行专业培训和环境问题的社会建构等几个方面开发与重塑法院受理环境公益诉讼案件的动力机制.     

论刑事诉讼法修正案草案中发回重审制度之建构

刑事诉讼二审中的发回重审制度一直是人们争论不休的课题.新草案对二审中的发回重审仅仅提到了一点,即限制因事实不清证据不足而发回重审的次数.但这种蜻蜓点水式的修改依然不能令人满意,而且存在着理解上的歧义.文章比较分析了草案前后对发回重审的不同规定,并结合草案和现行刑诉法关于二审中发回重审的规定分析了发回重审存在的矛盾,最后借刑诉法修改之际提出了自己关于二审中发回重审的修改意见,希望新法能够对此进行明确合理地规定,让正义能够以看得见的方式实现     

多措并举加强适用简易程序刑事案件公诉人出庭支持公诉

适用简易程序办理被告人认罪的刑事案件,是解决近年来检察机关案多人少矛盾的必然选择,也是维护司法公正,保障当事人合法权益的必然要求。本文旨在通过对简易程序刑事案件公诉人出庭现状进行分析,解读刑事诉讼法修改对基层检察院工作带来的影响和挑战,探求践行简易程序刑事案件公诉人出庭支持公诉的新举措。     

我国刑事司法鉴定制度的新发展与新展望

2012年《刑事诉讼法修正案》中有关刑事鉴定制度的新发展主要体现在确立了“鉴定意见”的称谓、建立了鉴定人作证的特定保护制度、完善了鉴定人出庭作证制度、取消了省级人民政府指定医院的鉴定权、创建了专家辅助人制度等。这些新发展在确保鉴定结果的真实性与合法性、保障鉴定人、当事人等的合法权益、促进刑事司法鉴定制度乃至证据法制的现代化发展等方面具有积极意义。但从长远角度来看,未来还应在立法技术、司法鉴定启动模式、鉴定人出庭作证、强制鉴定以及司法鉴定期间等方面继续推进。