The end of emancipation? CTS and normativity

ABSTRACT

Although CTS can be described as a broad church, scholars working within this approach want to produce knowledge which can help shape, improve, change, or replace contemporary counterterrorism. Guided by Marx’s mantra that the point of theory is not only to interpret the world but to change it, CTS has since its inception challenged the status quo of contemporary counterterrorism on the basis that it is possible to conduct counterterrorism differently, more humanly, and, put plainly, better. The concept of emancipation was identified early on as the foundation and basis for knowledge. However, a deeper debate on emancipation has largely been absent since 2010. Could it be that CTS exhausted the debate on one of its core commitments only five years into its existence? Have we reached the end of emancipation? Or could it be that emancipation is not that attractive at all for CTS and its normative projects? This article begins with a review and a state-of-the-art discussion of emancipation within CTS. While it might be the end of emancipation in its traditional conceptualisation, the article argues that emancipation can be retained as the basis for normative theorising and action within CTS when reconceptualised as a Weberian value-axiom. The article concludes by exploring a transfiguration of the concept of emancipation itself.     

Normative transformations in EU external relations: the phenomenon of ‘soft’ international agreements

Abstract

The European Union increasingly uses ‘soft’ international arrangements rather than formal international agreements in establishing relations with non-EU states. This contribution aims to raise the question of to what extent a move from hard to soft law in relations between the EU and its partners can be seen as allowing the Union to ‘step outside’ the legal framework (if that indeed is what is happening) and disregard the rules and principles that define the way in which EU external relations are to take shape. Possible consequences include the risk that these instruments are not subject to appropriate safeguards, that parliamentary influence (by the European Parliament as well as by national parliaments) is by-passed and that transparency is affected. There are various reasons for the EU not to use formal procedures, but a turn to informality does come at a price.     

Normative power Europe and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the EU’s peacebuilding narrative meets local narratives

ABSTRACT

This article conceives the EU’s normative power in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a narrative that projects views of the international system, the EU’s identity as a peacebuilder, and its positions on specific conflict issues. Highlighting the importance of local narratives as cultural filters, this article argues that a high degree of alignment of local narratives with key elements of the EU’s normative power narrative facilitates positive images of the EU as a normative power in peacebuilding, whilst diverging local narratives tend to give rise to more critical views. Yet, the case of Palestine also shows that strong narrative alignment with the EU may encourage high expectations, resulting in critical views about inconsistencies between the EU’s normative aspirations and its actual foreign policy conduct.     

刑事案件“情况说明”适用现状及其规范路径

刑事案件“情况说明”在刑事案卷中大量存在，但其证据地位尚不明确。本文对刑事案件“情况说明”从含义、特征、功能等三方面进行释义，结合对上海市某区公安分局案卷抽样统计，总结出刑事案件“情况说明”的适用现状及存在的弊端。通过对其所具有的合理性因素分析，从理论上对其证据学属性进行探析，从实务上构建规范路径，从而适应以审判为中心的刑事诉讼制度改革及侦查改革的要求。     

是继承纠纷还是析产纠纷?

文章从一个具体案件是继承或析产纠纷的的不同处理结果发现了继承法条文和司法解释存在矛盾 ,在法律分析基础上提出了解决法律冲突的建议。     

解释犯罪与价值中立

再现犯罪、揭示罪因 ,有益于把决策者和公众拉回现实 ,检讨其对犯罪的反应程度和方式 ;有益于向普通人提供深度关照自己的视角 ;有益于揭示个人、社会和国家极易被害的具体细节 ,使其整体对策选择更具理性     

空白罪状补充规范的范围界定

补充规范的作用就是填补空白罪状缺失的犯罪构成要件,其在一定程度上能够影响刑法的可罚性范围,因此如何界定其范围就成了一个至关重要的问题。通过对法律、行政法规、部门规章、地方性法规、政府规章以及一些规范性非法律文件的分析,补充规范应为在全国具有普遍适用效力的规范性法律文件。     

占有行为的规范分析

占有行为是指占有的取得或丧失行为,它既不同于遗失等可归于自然事实的占有取得或丧失,也不同于埋藏物发现等形式上有占有要素、但该要素并无实质效用的形似行为,还不同于善意占有变为恶意占有等占有变更。占有行为包括了取得占有或丧失占有的目的意思,该意思不能独立于取得或丧失对物支配的事实状态,故占有行为是目的意思不独立的事实行为。尽管占有行为与法律行为相当不同,但它们之间存有协力、制约、衔接、并存等紧密的规范关联。在法律效果归属领域,在适用占有辅助规范和间接占有规范的基础上,还应类推适用代理规范。     

刑事政策考量下的刑法教义学应何去何从——本体论亦或规范论?

刑事政策和刑法教义学究竟有怎样的关系,日益引起学者的关注。刑法教义学是国家对刑事政策目的的反应,现代民主法治国家应选择与之相适应的刑事政策和刑法教义学,德国刑法教义学以Roxin为代表的功能论因提出将刑事政策纳入刑法教义学体系中而备受推崇,与之相对应的Welzel目的行为论并非忽略了刑事政策,其论证过程所基于的本体论更具限制国家刑罚权的功能,故应在本体论基础上发现能更好地保障人权的理性的刑事政策和刑法教义学。     

刑法超法规司法解释的理性选择

罪刑法定要求法律只能适用于制定之后的行为,由于存在立法者能力的限制与预后困难等情况,导致法律必然具有不完满性,即存在漏洞。如何对待这种不完满性,存在着多种选择,而司法者通过超法规解释予以补足的方式被一些国家适用。我国是否也可以通过超法规解释的方式弥补法律的漏洞?文章提出,超法规的刑法解释在不妨碍刑法运行安全的前提下才具有合理性。由于中国的法院解释法律而不是法官解释法律的解释模式,不充分说理的判决模式,法官素质导致的法官解释法律的能力,国家的法治传统缺失等方面原因,导致中国如果允许法院具有超法规解释法律或者立法的权力,就有导致法运行安全性难于保证之虞,而法的安全应当是我国现阶段最重要的价值。因此,中国现阶段承认超法规的刑法解释不具有合理性。