Fact Checking is About What we Change not Just Who we Reach

This article explores how the UK’s fact-checking organisation Full Fact has sought to tackle misinformation since its inception in 2010. Full Fact describes itself as a ‘second generation’ fact-checking organisation with dual aims of seeking to stop the spread of specific pieces of inaccurate information and using the evidence base from fact checking to secure systemic changes that help make misinformation rarer and less harmful. Ultimately, we are pursuing culture change. We are trying to create institutions in societies that can help anchor public debate to reality and to challenge the casual acceptance of deceptive and misleading behaviour.     

Hurdles and Pathways to Regulatory Innovation in Digital Political Campaigning

Targeted online ads, algorithmic analytics tools, clickbait-y social media campaigns, big data voter databases—digital technologies have become a cornerstone of contemporary political campaigns in the United Kingdom. Candidates, party campaigners, and a multitude of other registered campaigners embrace digital campaigning for democratic engagement, mobilising voters and electioneering. Yet, in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it has become clear that these technologies are vulnerable to abuse and deception. Pressing issues surrounding privacy, transparency, and human rights persist, and systems of electoral law have become ill-equipped to enforce good behaviour and compliance with the law. Drawing from empirical evidence ahead of the 2019 UK general election, this article examines systemic obstacles to regulatory innovation. The inquiry provides an analysis of key policy challenges affecting elections and democracy, and develops an analytical framework pathways to regulatory innovation in the digital domain across three dimensions: (1) Institutional structures; (2) organisational processes; and (3) regulatory functions. The article puts forward practical policy recommendations to promote regulatory innovation that is tech-savvy, evidence-based and future-proof.     

Critical Misunderstandings: Ineffective International Governance and the UK Nuclear Industry

In 2017, significant media and political interest was sparked by the UK decision to leave Euratom, the European Atomic Energy Community. While such interest in nuclear matters has to be welcomed, the apparent lack of knowledge displayed in the regulatory governance of the UK nuclear industry is disquieting. This article therefore offers an overview of the publicly funded UK nuclear industry and its regulatory governance including its links with European and global nuclear agencies to inform the debate and to identify critical issues in need of resolution.     

博弈视角下农地流转与农民利益保障机制探析

农地流转制度在巩固存量利益的同时,也带来了可观的增量利益,各个利益主体为分配新增利益势必会展开激烈的竞争和角逐.运用博弈论系统分析利益主体之间的博弈关系,透视现实制度实行中其他利益主体对农民利益的侵害.在策略选择上从宏观、中观和微观角度着力构建三位一体利益保障机制,矫正农地流转利益博弈中的力量失衡状态,促使农民的存量利益能够得到对价支付,确保农民能够公平参与增量利益的分配.     

论农村妇女土地产权的安全性

安全地权由相对权利强度、权利持有持续时间和权利保证性几方面所决定。农民地权常常是不安全的,与农村男性相比,妇女地权更不安全。妇女的土地产权不安全体现在家庭继承、村集体分配和市场交易等三种获得土地途径中。妇女土地产权的安全性一般意义上取决于,在土地产权交易不发达的情况下土地资源位置的固定性和妇女的婚姻流动性、集体土地产权拥挤性与妇女群体的弱势地位、以及影响村社土地制度安排的宏观因素及村社集体特征。     

第二次世界大战后武力使用规范的演进

在国际法体系中,武装冲突法可谓编纂得最为完备的一个分支。经过数百年的积累和铺垫,第二次世界大战后武力使用规范逐渐发展成为完整的规范体系并呈现出四大特征:即为了适应国际关系的新变化武装冲突法扩大了适用范围;使用核武器是否合法成为国际法的重要问题;出现了在武装冲突中"反向"使用武力以达到实现和平目的的新方式——联合国维持和平行动以及在武装冲突中出现了大量作为作战手段而使用的性暴力行为等。然而进入21世纪以后,武装冲突的形态与样式均发生了重大变化,一方面,以无人机、自主作战机器人、纳米生物武器和网络战为代表的新型作战手段方法层出不穷;另一方面,非国家行为体在武装冲突中使用武力的情况有所增加,更出现了私人军事安保公司等法律地位在国际法上尚处于空白的交战主体。以朝核危机为标志,核武器对于国际和平与安全的巨大的潜在甚至是现实的威胁再次凸显,迅速成为国际政治和国际法中的热点核心议题。值得注意的是,即使武装冲突法的基本原则依然相对稳定,但是不断出现的新作战手段和方法,仍然给国际法和国际安全提出了一系列亟须应对的新挑战。     

论契约自由原则的发展及其动因

“契约自由是合同法的灵魂和生命。”它发源于罗马法,确立于资本主义自由竞争时期。进入20世纪后,随着其产生之社会基础的变化．各国普遍对契约自由给予一定的规制,以实现实质意义上的契约公正。从契约自由原则的兴起、确立及现代社会对其的规制,宏观把握契约自由原则发展的历史进程,并洞见其发展动因。     

系统论语境下我国刑事程序的若干反思与重构

在我国当前刑事诉讼中,系统论已经得到一定程度的关注,然而现实中其运行结果与理想还存在很大差距,影响了刑事程序功能的有效发挥。因此,有必要从理念更新和规则优化层面重构我国刑事程序系统,以促使其实现动态、平衡的发展。     

论我国农村土地征用程序的法治化

土地是我国最为宝贵的稀缺资源,也是农民最基本的生产资料,是农村发展和稳定的基础.在我国当前的农村土地征用过程中,行政主体具有极大的自由裁量权.公正的程序是防止权力专横和权力滥用的屏障,也是保障农村、农民土地所有权和使用权的基本要求.当前我国应当从公开性、公正性入手,构建一个科学、合理的土地征用程序,以平衡公共利益和个人利益,实现社会公平正义,带动农村经济和社会稳定、健康发展.     

财政市场、土地资本化与异质性城市化

在以政府为主导的城市化进程中,土地财政成为了地方政府“经营城市”的重要手段。我国土地财政规模大、比例高,其形成不仅源于地方政府财权、事权不对等和地区之间、官员之间的竞争,究其质里,则是政府实现财政市场目标的行为投射。地方政府融资平台也基于相同的逻辑生成,帮助实现了土地财政的本质——资本化,弥补了地方政府的财政缺额。但是,土地的资本化提高了城市化成本,衍生出异质性,形成了空间与人口的矛盾,积累了凝结在城市中的金融、社会和道德风险,亟需引起重视。