The Presumption of Proportionality

This article challenges the assumption that the burden of demonstrating that a limitation of a fundamental right is proportionate rests on the public authority seeking to justify the limitation. After considering the operation of burdens and presumptions in European human rights case‐law it notes the difficulties British domestic courts have had in rigorously applying proportionality tests. It suggests that the concerns which lead judges to weaken the requirement of proportionality would be better met by recognising that certain circumstances give rise to a presumption of proportionality, where the burden of demonstrating disproportionality rests on the right‐holder. Five categories of case in which this applies are proposed, and one which has recently been judicially accepted is rejected. Clarifying the types of case in which a presumption of proportionality applies is a preferable strategy to blurring the standards of justification to be met by those seeking to limit the enjoyment of rights.¹     

权利冲突的司法化解

法定权利之间的冲突并非一个伪命题,其在司法实践中颇为常见。受到立法者的有限理性、社会的变动性以及法律语言的模糊性等多重因素的影响,某些情形下权利的边界未被立法者清晰界定,并由此引发法定权利之间的冲突。权利冲突的实质是利益冲突和价值冲突。权利冲突的存在导致了法律适用的难题,法官需要借助个案中的法益衡量来确定权利边界并进而化解权利冲突。法官在进行法益衡量时,可以参考权利位阶来作出判断,然而权利位阶秩序缺乏整体确定性,仅有有限的参考价值,因此法益衡量还需诉诸比例原则。比例原则包括适当性原则、必要性原则和狭义的比例原则三项子原则。比例原则能够指引法官对权利作客观和理性的衡量,最大限度地缩小法官的裁量余地。鉴于个案中的法益衡量具有决策性质,法官必须在司法能动主义与司法克制主义之间维持恰当的平衡,在解决权利冲突时不能逾越司法的限度。     

我国个人信息匿名化的法律标准与规则重塑

大数据时代,匿名化规范既是个人信息保护中风险预防的手段,也是我国数据经济发展中数字流通的法律基础,但匿名化的法律标准在我国法律中还有待明确。欧盟已通过《一般数据保护条例》提出明确的匿名化标准,但该条例基于流程设置的标准适用于欧盟境内尚可,适用于我国或显得过于严苛,有碍数字经济的发展。我国个人信息匿名化法律标准与规则的重塑应当考虑环境、再识别风险,建议进行功能性匿名化。将比例原则应用到我国匿名化法律标准和规则的重塑之中,并将其引入到评估匿名信息接收者的风险等级,有助于降低个人信息被再识别的风险亦有利于匿名化的法律标准制定和规则构建。     

论英国的犯罪信息公开制度——以加拉格尔案为切入点

在英国,犯罪信息公开制度一直是一个备受争议的话题。《欧洲人权公约》第8条规定,每个人都享有隐私权,任何侵犯隐私权的行为必须以“合法”和“必要”为前提。2019年初,在加拉格尔系列案的上诉程序中,犯罪记录披露措施是否违反《公约》第8条规定成为英国社会关注的焦点。在该案判决中,英国最高法院虽然支持了前科被披露人员的请求,驳回了上诉,但是,法官们对于犯罪信息公开制度是否符合合法性和必要性标准却存在明显的分歧。通过对该案的基本案情、主要争议点、英国最高法院法官的不同意见的分析,可以为发展和完善我国犯罪记录登记和查询机制提供参考依据。     

CRITICAL THINKING ABOUT THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE IN CHINA’S FOOD SAFETY LAW

We are living in a risk society where people devised the Precautionary Principle in order to minimize the harm caused by risk ex ante. Compared to the previous Food Hygiene Law (FHL) and the 2009 Food Safety Law, the 2015 revised Chinese Food Safety Law (FSL) made a real breakthrough in the sense that it legitimates an important principle in food safety governance. Apart from laying down the fundamental importance of this principle in food safety regulations, the FSL 2015 also invented arrangements from different aspects in order to implement this principle. In other words, the FSL 2015’s incorporation of the Precautionary Principle in a very real sense marked a transition from a demonstrative preventive food safety management regime to a more effective precautionary regime. However, the Precautionary Principle needs to be adopted in a “precautionary” way since this principle has its own limitations and defects. Incautious application of the principle may create new risks. This article compares the European approach in implementing the Precautionary Principle, and examines China’s legal arrangements against negative impacts brought by the Precautionary Principle. Three perspectives are discussed: independence of scientific institutes; proportionality in risk management measures, and the shift of burden of proof for market authorization.     

非损害赔偿侵权责任方式的法理与实践

我国采取物权请求权与侵权请求权竞合的模式,侵权责任法亦承载预防损害的功能。依功能定位的不同,八种侵权责任方式可划分为损害预防与损害赔偿两大类,停止侵害、排除妨碍、消除危险同属非损害赔偿责任方式。在现代社会中,妨害与损害概念的趋同性造成了许多学术误解,区分二者实有必要,非损害赔偿责任方式针对妨害源而非损害结果应成为理论共识。非损害赔偿责任方式虽不适用侵权归责原则,但亦非绝对无条件,而应遵循以违法性为责任成立要件、适度性为责任范围要件的规则,同时予以适当限缩,以体现利益衡量的法学思想。     

税务和解对行政和解的扩张——以案件范围为中心

《税务行政复议规则》第八十六条和《行政复议实施条例》第四十条均是对和解的案件范围的表述.通过从这两个有关和解范围的条文对比,不难看出税务和解较行政和解有扩张之趋势,税务和解作为税务行政机关纠纷解决的内部机制,其扩张必然会对司法审查和纳税人权利保护产生相当大地冲击,对其必须加以限制.     

行政法比例原则的价值分析

比例原则的基本内涵和价值理念是行政法基本原则领域值得关注和探讨的重要问题之一。在内涵方面,比例原则包括适当性原则、必要性原则和比例性原则;在价值理念上它符合宪政和法治的思想,可以规范行政主体的自由裁量权、保证相对人权益的最大化,而且能够降低行政成本,提高行政效率。随着比例原则的不断发展和在世界各国的广泛应用,其在我国行政法中也将起到重要的作用。     

论行政强制检查

结合行政检查在实践中的运用以及正在酝酿制定中的《行政强制法》的相关内容,参考国外经验,对我国行政强制检查理论和制度应给予充分关注。行政强制检查权必须依法设定,权力分配应贯彻比例原则,其行使过程应加强程序监控和疏通救济渠道,同时充分保障相对方的合法权利。