Investment Treaty Law and the Fear for Sovereignty: Transnational Challenges and Solutions

This article addresses the vagueness, and the interpretative challenges associated with, international investment agreements (IIAs) and develops a new normative framework for interpreting these treaties. It focuses on the historical embedding of investment protection as a means of facilitating economic development as well as upon its synthetic public law nature. The analysis shows that a teleological approach to interpretation imposes boundaries on the meaning of substantive IIA provisions. The article then elaborates how the transnational dimension of IIAs provides a benchmark, which is the level of protection offered to economic actors against interference by the state in countries with the highest rule of law standards. The article then shows how the resulting challenges of comparative public law could be addressed through the methodology of re‐ and pre‐statement of transnational uniform ‘principles’: sophisticated and detailed rules striking the proper balance between private economic interests and the public regulatory interest, so as to provide more legal certainty for both investors and host states.     

Fatal Intoxication with Methoxetamine

Methoxetamine (MXE) is a new synthetic drug of abuse structurally related to ketamine and phencyclidine. A case of a 29-year-old male with acute toxicity related to the analytically confirmed use of MXE is reported. The man was found dead at his residence. Biological material was analyzed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The concentration of MXE in urine of the deceased was 85 μg/mL. Despite the vial containing the blood sample being destroyed during transportation and the blood leaking out into the cardboard packaging, the blood level of MXE was estimated. After determination of the cardboard grammage (approx. 400 g/m³) and the mean mass of the blood obtained after drying (0.1785 ± 0.0173 g per 1 mL), the estimated blood concentration of MXE was found to be 5.8 μg/mL. The high concentration of MXE in blood and urine and the circumstances of the case indicate an unintentional, fatal intoxication with this substance.     

The Impact of Daubert on the Admissibility of Forensic Anthropology Expert Testimony

Forensic anthropologists anticipated a significant impact from the 1993 Supreme Court Daubert decision, which addressed the standard of admissibility for expert testimony. In response, many forensic articles cited Daubert in the search for objective techniques or a critique of established subjective methods. This study examines challenges to forensic anthropological expert testimony to evaluate whether Daubert has actually affected the admissibility of such testimony. Thirty cases were identified that addressed the admissibility of the testimony, including 14 cases prior to Daubert and 16 after Daubert. Examination of these cases indicates that post‐Daubert cases do not result in more exclusions. Yet, this lack of exclusions may instead be viewed as a manifestation of the field's overall surge toward more objective and quantifiable techniques in a self‐regulating response to Daubert.     

区域法治还是区域法制?——兼与公丕祥教授讨论

区域法治发展的概念忽略了法治与主权的关系,在逻辑上不能自洽,区域的范围也难以准确划定,而且概念内涵也无法与地方法治进行有效区分。目前区域法治的研究带有强烈的问题导向,但无论是发展意义上的区域法治,还是协调意义上的区域法治,抑或是地方法治意义上的区域法治,都没有能够在法学视角下把握区域问题的本质。区域问题集中在区域合作、区域竞争和跨域公共事务治理等三个领域,它表明以地方政府为主体的区域关系事实上已经处于紊乱状态。因此,需要从中央立法、地方联合立法、区域行政和区域纠纷解决等四个方面加快区域法制建设。     

马来西亚《举报人保护法案（2010）》评析

举报人对遏制贪污腐败犯罪和其他不法行为的重要作用已被广泛认同。越来越多的国家开始注重和加强举报人保护法制的研究。马来西亚《举报人保护法案（2010）》是该国在反腐败法制建设方面的最新成果,是英、美等发达国家关于保护举报人的实践经验和先进理念同马来西亚国内实际的结合而成。该法案成功经验与失败教训值得我们深入探讨,以助于进一步夯实我国举报人保护法制建设的基础研究。     

“万能制造机”背后的冷思考--3D打印技术安全风险及法律规制研究

3D打印作为一种快速成型技术,近年来发展迅速,有着良好的发展前景与应用空间。然而技术革新的背后潜在隐藏着知识产权、刑事犯罪以及人类伦理等多方面的安全风险,利用法律、政策规制3D打印技术迅猛发展可能带来的安全风险,既是保障社会治安管理秩序的关键,更是3D打印技术进一步发展与革新的前提与基础。     

警察介入家庭暴力法律制度之完善

家庭暴力法律规制,不仅涉及公权和私权的平衡、法律规制的方式方法,而且还关涉介入主体的安排和权限等。我国反家庭暴力在法制上存在明显的缺失与不足。通过对当前法律体系的反思,提出了一系列完善我国警察介入家庭暴力的法律制度构想。     

国家与乡村社会关系的演绎与1959-1961年的农业危机

1959-1961年的农业危机是在国家控制力极强、乡村社会自治性极弱的政治格局下,基层民众被迫执行国家一系列非理性政策的结果.近代以来,国家政权建设表现为单方面的国家权力下沉态势,地方社会的自治性不断削弱.随着1949年新政权的建立,国家对乡村社会的控制达到前所未有的规模与深度,二者演变为控制与被控制、挤压与被挤压的极端不对等关系.在此状态下,国家权力极度扩张而发生非理性的行为,乡村社会"缓冲地带"消融,面对外界的过度索取失去免疫力,无力抵抗,最终酿成农业危机.     

论自然垄断行业中企业合并的法律控制标准问题

由于自然垄断行业诸多的特殊性,有关这些行业中企业合并的法律控制标准问题相对比较复杂。它不仅涉及到反垄断法上控制标准与行业法上控制标准的适用,而且还涉及到因自然垄断行业的公益性而产生对控制标准的特殊需求。我们有必要适度借鉴相关国家和地区的做法来完善我国相关内容,保证自然垄断行业的健康发展。     

高校法制教育的性质与目标探析

高校法制教育是德育的重要内容、是素质教育的重要组成部分,该项教育是一个复杂的长期的系统的教育工程,其目的在于培养具有社会主义法治理念、知法、守法、护法的社会主义事业合格的建设者。正确定位高校法制教育的性质、明确法制教育的目标,对于采用合理的培养模式和途径,实现法制教育的深远目标具有十分重要的作用。