Mandatory due diligence laws and climate change litigation: Bridging the corporate climate accountability gap?

The debate on corporate climate accountability has become increasingly prominent in recent years. Several countries, particularly in the Global North, have adopted mandatory human rights and/or environmental due diligence legislation. At the same time, judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings are helping to shape the contours of corporate climate accountability. This article considers how litigation against corporations and due diligence legislation interact, and thereby help develop and strengthen corporate climate accountability. While the practice in this area is still limited, there is scope to reflect on early developments and how they may influence both future climate litigation as well as ongoing and future law-making on due diligence. We first review recent developments in climate litigation against corporations, focusing on the extent to which they rely on climate due diligence obligations. We then survey existing and proposed due diligence legislation, examining the extent to which it addresses corporate climate accountability. Finally, we identify scenarios of how due diligence legislation and climate litigation may interact and possibly converge to strengthen corporate climate accountability. We furthermore identify knowledge gaps and areas for further research.     

The Subject Status of Procuratorate in Marine Litigation on "Public Interests Protection"

The litigations of marine natural resources ormarine ecological (environmental) damages involve two different types of litigations, and the procuratorate should be involved in the litigationsas different litigation subjects. The compensatory litigation of marine natural resource damageis the private interest litigation which relieves the private interest damage of state owned natural resources. According to The Administrative Litigation Law and The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Interpretation of Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Cases, the procuratorate should be the supervising subject. However, the compensatory litigation of marine ecological (environmental) damage is the public interest litigation which relieves public interests, and on the basis of Marine Environment Protection Law, The Civil Procedure Law and The Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Interpretation of Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Cases, the procuratorate should be the supplementary subject. Due to the particularity of the marine litigations, the procuratoratefiles lawsuits against the marine natural resources ormarine ecological (environmental) damages, which shall apply both to The Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning Compensation for Damages of Marine Natural Resources and Ecological Environment and The Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate's Interpretation of Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Cases.     

以审判为中心与国家监察体制改革

从以审判为中心的视角审视国家监察体制改革,具有独特的意义和价值。监察机关调查活动中的刑事调查部分,与刑事诉讼程序具有密切联系,为以审判为中心的视角分析国家监察体制改革提供了正当性基础。从以审判为中心在证据规则方面的要求考察监察机关调查活动中司法审判证据规则的适用范围、调查活动的法律规制存在问题;以以审判为中心对诉讼职能的影响为工具,可以发现国家监察体制改革面临司法审查原则的贯彻、职务犯罪侦查权的配置、监察证据在刑事诉讼中的使用、辩护律师的参与等多方面的挑战;诉讼主体的权力配置,则体现出国家监察体制改革带来的深层次问题。国家监察制度的未来完善之路,将面临一系列挑战和课题。     

民事诉讼法律审的功能及构造

为了满足法律适用的统一性要求,有必要在我国民事诉讼中实行有条件的法律审制度。引起法律审的事由应当是裁判违法,包括违反法院应当适用的法律规范,违反日常经验法则等,裁判违法应当与裁判结果具有因果关系;当事人提起法律审应经由原审法院;法律审仅审理法律适用问题且仅以上诉人主张的范围为限;法律审的裁决对重审法院应当具有约束力。     

中国宪法司法化路径探索

宪法实施中的违宪审查机制与宪法诉讼方式是两种不同机制的区别。在分析西方国家宪法实施的路径,以及中国实行宪法监督走违宪审查之路面临的困难后,根据违宪审查与宪法诉讼相别的理论,提出中国的宪法司法化方案,即违宪审查权仍由全国人大常委会行使,而由最高法院承担宪法诉讼的任务。     

从容隐原则析儒家思想的人权色彩

在我国古代证据法律制度发展史中存在的容隐原则,过去一直因其包含了浓厚的宗法精神、封建的三纲五常特质而招致批判。然而联系人权理论的特点和发展,当我们从一个新的视角重新审视这一原则时,我们不可否认其符合于人性的合理性的一面。     

第三人胁迫略探

我国民法通则和合同法都未对第三人胁迫作出规定。文章比较了国外三种立法例,从是否应该保护善意相对人以及因第三人胁迫所为的民事行为的效力是无效行为还是可撤销行为这两方面进行了阐述,指出意思表示自由更值得保护。     

公司设立中行为效力探析

公司设立中行为效力的制度安排涉及发起人与成立后公司的利益衡量。本文在研究国外法理及立法的基础上,建议我国《公司法》简化公司设立的条件,承认设立中公司具有有限的人格,将公司设立行为的效力归属于成立后的公司,公司设立中的其他行为则由发起人承担     

我国民事简易程序的重塑

我国民事简易程序的重塑在完善民事简易程序的若干种方案中 ,文章一方面肯定相关立法的进一步修订的做法 ,另一方面反对盲目的引进小额诉讼制度 ,主张借鉴国外简易判决的做法 ,与现行民事简易程序一起构成我国广义的民事简易程序系统。