Regional psychiatric boards in Israel: expectations and realities

As laid down by Israeli legislation, the Regional Psychiatric Board constitutes one of the chief instruments in the monitoring of compulsory hospitalization, of compulsory outpatient treatment and of the quality of all inpatient care of the mentally ill. This article presents the findings of a study into the working of these boards. Taking a sample of every second application (N=168) over a 6-month period to one of Israel's six existing Regional Psychiatric Boards, an examination was made of the decisions issued by the board and of other aspects of its functioning. Explanations for the findings of this analysis are suggested, and generalizing from these findings, recommendations are offered for the improvement of the future functioning of all six Boards.     

刑事诉讼制度改革中的“底限正义”——对中国刑事诉讼制度改革理路的质评

我国刑事诉讼法修改在即,但是关于刑事诉讼制度改革我们始终缺乏一种方法论上的指引。“底限正义”理论是一种指导刑事诉讼制度改革的有效方法和策略,它一方面认可人类社会存在着最低限度的正义要求,从而为以法律移植为主要内容的我国刑事诉讼制度改革提供了理论依据;另一方面又承认正义的相对性和多元性,承认法律制度移植的可选择性,从而为我国当前刑事诉讼制度改革提供了微观操作步骤。同时,“底限正义”理论对我国刑事诉讼法学研究的深入拓展也有着重要的借鉴意义。     

选举权上的差别对待和农民的“国民待遇”——兼论《选举法》再次修改的必要性

农业人口选举权是城市居民的1/4,这是他们的人均收入不足城市居民的1/4、政府对基层农村卫生经费投入人均不到城市的1/4,以及农民在其他方面长期没有享受到“国民待遇”的重要原因之一。而要给农民以“国民待遇”,必须重视选举权对改变农民弱势地位的重要作用,同时相信中国农民的民主能力。在将来再次修订《选举法》时,凡是对农业人口有歧视规定的条文,都在必要修改之列。     

清末修订《刑事民事诉讼法》论考——兼论法典编纂的时机、策略和技术

《刑事民事诉讼法》的修订,本是为了回应守旧大臣的批评,适应当时改革的即时之需。为此,它被定位为一部暂行章程,这导致了它简单、务实的立法风格。不过,与这种风格不协调的是,立法者又显然试图将一些时人并不熟悉的制度引入中国。《刑事民事诉讼裁判等项法律》的发现,为我们进一步了解《刑事民事诉讼法》的起草过程提供了线索。根据现有史料,不足以断定伍廷芳就是《刑事民事诉讼法》的起草人;督抚对该草案的批评,也不能简单归结为“礼教派攻击法理派”。这次立法最终以一种“不了了之”的方式终止,但是,作为法典编纂的一个失败案例,它却给后人以长久的启示。     

对治安调解若干问题的思考

治安调解是我国治安管理处罚中一个重要的辅助措施。全面把握治安调解的条件,准确界定“民间纠纷”的内涵和外延,正确理解“因打架斗殴或者损毁他人财物等”及“情节轻微”的含义,是公安机关正确执行治安调解这一法定措施的前提。     

Civic Participation and Citizenship in Turkey: A Comparative Study of Five Cities

This study explores whether and how participation in civil society organisations (CSOs) has transformed citizenship attitudes in different cities in Turkey, and how civic participation and citizenship attitudes are affected by local politico-cultural dynamics. The analysis is based on interviews conducted with representatives of 36 CSOs in five Turkish cities: Konya, Edirne, Diyarbakir, Trabzon, and Izmir. Our comparative analysis of the five cities reveals that civic life is more active in cities marked by high levels of religiosity (Konya) and politicised by conflict (Diyarbakir). On the other hand, politicisation of civic life through party dominance and clientelism, as in Edirne and Trabzon, undermines trust and discourages participation.     

The Proper Purpose Rule as a Constraint on Directors’ Autonomy – Eclairs Group Limited v JKX Oil & Gas plc

The recent case of Eclairs Group Limited v JKX Oil & Gas plc highlights the pressures faced by company directors in change of control situations, in which they may be tempted to take action to prevent or discourage such change. The Supreme Court decision provides important clarity on the scope of the proper purpose rule in these (and other) situations. We explore the implications of different judicial interpretations of the proper purpose rule for the autonomy of directors in their decision‐making. We do this by focusing on the scope of the proper purpose rule, whether a subjective or objective test is employed in the application of the rule and the test for causation where a director is motivated by mixed purposes.     

Is more institutional coup-proofing better or worse for regime protection? Evidence from the Philippines, 1986–1987

Is more institutional coup-proofing (ICP) better or worse for leaders’ chances of political survival? Are coups less or more likely to occur and succeed as a state’s military structure becomes increasingly divided into rival branches, organizations, and factions? The article evaluates two competing perspectives on the effectiveness of counterbalancing as a regime protection measure. Seeing strength in numbers and the prospects for divide-and-conquer tactics, most scholars take a more-is-better view, suggesting that higher levels of ICP should increase the effectiveness of counterbalancing. Some scholars, however, advance a more-is-worse perspective, suggesting that collective action problems confronting larger numbers of military organizations decrease the effectiveness of counterbalancing. Through a qualitative analysis of eight coup events in the Philippines during 1986–1987, strong evidence is found in support of the causal mechanisms and predicted outcomes for the more-is-better view.     

Confederates and Yankees under the Southern Cross

Following the Civil War in the United States of America, colonies that were predominately ‘Yankee’ and Confederate sprang up in Brazil. In contrast to the subject's historiography, we seek to show how these colonies were the result of in the first case, the actions of Imperial diplomacy and in the second case, spontaneous interest by Southerners due to the existence of slavery in Brazil. This proposition is supported by primary sources, as they indicate the presence of significant teams of slaves in the Confederate colonies in Brazil, while slavery was prohibited in their ‘Yankee’ counterparts.     

刍议侦查程序中的转处制度

侦查阶段的转处制度是一种重要的刑事诉讼转处措施。相对而言,它更有利于提高诉讼效率,保障诉讼双方当事人的合法权利,以及实现预防犯罪的目的。在我国侦查程序的各环节均有转处的可能性,可借鉴国外的成功做法构建符合我国国情的转处制度。