Having the cake and eating it too: efficient penalty clauses in Common and Civil contract law

In this paper we examine one of the areas where there is a marked difference between Civil and Common contract law, that of the enforcement of liquidated damages and more particularly of penalty clauses. Common law judges are quite reluctant to enforce liquidated damages, especially if they believe that they include penalty clauses which are not enforceable. On the contrary, in almost all European contract laws liquidated damages are readily enforced, as are penalty clauses when they are not manifestly excessive. Although most law and economics scholars have criticized Common law courts for the non-enforcement of penalty clauses, there is a sizable minority of scholars who have defended the Common law “non-enforcement” policy on the ground that penalty clauses are inefficient because they hinder efficient breach. However, and despite the merits of the arguments advanced by advocates of the non-enforcement of penalty clauses, we believe that Common law’s rejection of penalty clauses is inefficient. We further show that the Civil law solution to the problem is not only comparatively more efficient, but that it can also appease the worries of those scholars who are afraid that efficient breaches will be deterred. The solution that Civil law systems give to the problem manages to enforce the parties’ wishes and to avoid deterring efficient breaches. However, we point out that in order for the Civil law systems to take advantage of this superiority, the interpretation of their Civil Codes should be guided by economic analysis and the respect to the wishes of the contracting parties.     

马克思主义与时俱进的最新成果 --学习江泽民"5·31"重要讲话

江泽民同志“5·31”重要讲话.充分阐释了“三个代表”重要思想的时代价值、科学内涵和实践意义,是马克思主义与时俱进的最新理论成果。讲话深刻揭示了时代性和实践性的统一是马克思主义与时俱进的基本要素,“三个代表”是全球化和市场化背景中发展着的马克思主义,更是我们党完成执政兴国两大历史性任务的根本要求。贯彻“三个代表”重要思想.必将加速当代中国的文明——物质文明、精神文明和政治文明——的有机联系、协调发展、整体推进的历史进步趋势。     

法律、秩序与自由——与哈耶克的边界之旅

法律并非全能由人的理性设计与安排。理性是分裂的、忧郁的、恐惧的 ,也是自由的。我们的行为乃是在一种无知的情境中展开的 ,秩序与法律在无知中生成。自生自发秩序 (民间法 )与人造秩序 (国家法 )两者的生发方式、被遵从方式以及目的指涉与对象指向均不同 ,两者的冲突是绝对的。法律无力引导道德 ,法律只是自由的保护神 ,而非自由之敌。     

论我国的无效行政行为制度

无效行政行为因具有重大的明显的违法情形，自始不发生任何法律效力，为维护自身合法权益。行政相对人对无效行政行为有两种对策；温和而言，可以不受任何时间限制地通过申诉，申请复议，提起诉讼等途径寻求救济；激进而言，完全可以无视其存在，拒绝履行义务，直至采取对抗形式进行正当防卫，我国对无效行政行为的立法刚刚起步。应该根据法治原则和宪法精神，修改现行的有关法律规定。尽快确立和完善无效行政行为制度。以适应新形势下依法行政的要求。     

关于长春市社会群体思想观念的调查

社会群体思想观念作为人们社会利益和社会地位的直接反映，是社会发展的睛雨表。近近来，随着社会经济的发展，长春市社会群体的思想观念发生了许多变化：一是理想信仰多元化，但正确的理想信仰仍占主导地位；二是人生追求多样化，但积极进取的生活态度仍是主流；三是个体取向的价值观呈增强之势，但集体取向的价值观仍是主体。     

关于机动车和驾驶员异地办牌办证的调查与思考

近年来,由于受各种因素的影响,机动车、驾驶员前往异地办牌办证的现象十分突出。笔者在调查研究的基础之上,简要分析了机动车和驾驶员地办牌办证的原因、危害,并提出了整治的对策。     

试论政府行为在西部大开发中的重大作用

合理有效的政府行为是西部大开发的先导力量和第一推动力,政府行为的越位、缺位和错位已成为西部大开发中亟待解决的问题,重塑政府行为的关键是转变政府职能、精减政府机构和规范政府行为。     

新中国婚姻法的成长与苏联模式的影响

新中国婚姻法受苏联影响成为独立于民法的一个法律部门 ,同时 ,婚姻法的原则、理论也深受苏联影响。直至 2 0世纪 80年代后期 ,这种状况开始有所改变 ,我国婚姻法在立法实践和理论上才有了挣脱苏联模式的努力。     

The decision to leave an abusive relationship: The testing of an alternative methodological approach

Most studies that consider the factors influencing the decision to leave an abusive relationship rely on retrospective, self-report data. In addition to the biased samples that are frequently obtained in such investigations, the methodological shortcomings of survey research limit its explanatory power, particularly when applied to such sensitive topics as family violence. This report introduces an alternative method for studying the decision to leave an abusive relationship. Forty-five men and 68 women were studied using an experimental computer game of an abuse-like relationship. The tendency to leave this relationship was measured under four differing conditions of severity and frequency of abuse. A logit analysis revealed that the frequency of abuse was more consequential to women's decisions to leave, while severity of abuse was more salient for men. In addition, the hypothesized model, including frequency of abuse, severity of abuse, and locus of control, fits well for women but not for men. The implications of these findings, as well as the validity and future application of experimental games, are discussed.     

希望工程信任危机分析——一个社会资本理论的视角

文章从希望工程90年代以来的信任危机展开,分析了希望工程的信用结构,并将其归纳为依托道德自律和法律他律的政府信用、慈善组织的传统信用及希望工程的品牌信用三个方面。