A Dialectic Study of the Structure and Basic Concepts of Traditional Chinese Law and an Analysis of the Relationship Between li (ceremony) and fa (law)

In the course of history, the meaning of fa (a Chinese character with an approximate meaning of “law”) has not been invariable, and its connotation in modern times has been enriched constantly, so as to incorporate many elements of ancient li (ceremony). If the modern concept of law, already changed and still changing, is to be used to mechanically compare and interpret traditional Chinese law, misunderstandings might arise. Actually, li and fa are indispensable components of traditional Chinese law, and the lack of necessary study of the li will prevent us from understanding and explaining the spirit of traditional Chinese law. In traditional Chinese law, “fa” usually refers to an institutional dimension, especially after Qin and Han dynasties, whereas li, especially li yi (moral basis for rites and ceremonies), is where the value and spirit of traditional Chinese law can be found. Translated from China Social Science, 5^th Issue, 2003 in Chinese     

从五因素交互作用论看德育的作用

从总体上看影响个体心理形成与发展的因素是遗传、成熟、环境、教育和主体性,这五个因素在个体不同成长阶段扮演不同角色.从五因素交互作用论看德育的作用可以得出三个结论:(1)德育是将自然人变成有德性的社会人的重要途径与手段;(2)在个体稳定人格形成前妥善开展德育的效果最佳;(3)紧紧抓住主体性这个重要中介变量的德育效果最佳.     

THE EVOLUTION—OR END—OF MARRIAGE?: REFLECTIONS ON THE IMPASSE OVER SAME‐SEX MARRIAGE

The debate over legalizing same‐sex marriage implicates the question of whether doing so would signal the end—or destruction—of the institution of marriage. The appeal to preserving a millennia‐old tradition of marriage against change fails to reckon with the evolution that has already occurred. Invocations of gender complementarity between parents as essential to child well‐being also conflict with growing recognition in family law that children's best interests can be served by gay and lesbian parents. Canada's path toward same‐sex marriage suggests that impasse need not be inevitable. In the United States, this impasse stems in part from the problem that same‐sex marriage serves as an emblem of everything that threatens marriage.     

论我国行政指导制度的完善

行政指导在政府宏观调控和社会管理中发挥着越来越重要的作用,已成为我国行政法制建设和现代行政管理方式改革的重要组成部分。但是,我国的行政指导制度还存在许多问题,迫切需要对这些问题进行深刻剖析,重新对我国行政指导制度的完善进行架构:第一,培育现代行政意识,提高行政指导观念;第二,确立行政指导的基本原则;第三,健全行政指导的基本制度;第四,建立行政指导的救济制度;第五,构建行政指导的程序约束机制。     

广东省群体性事件多发的态势与防范对策

广东省群体性事件的高发是广东省处于社会转型时期的必然产物。社会发展的断裂、利益表达机制的缺乏、群体利益冲突的增加是群体性事件多发的根本原因。建立健全社会保障机制、利益表达机制、社会危机应对机制、全面的社会治安防控机制是解决群体性事件的有效措施。     

To Wonderland Through the Looking-glass: Conceiving a Critical Legal Argument for Contractual Justice in the South African Law of Contract †

The aim of this paper is to identify the possible substructure (looking glass/es) of a critical legal argument for contractual justice (Wonderland) in the South African law of contract. South African contract law still fails, ten years after the constitutional transformation, to reflect the constitutional ideals of freedom, equality and human dignity in an acceptable manner. I argue that this disposition places a question mark over the legitimacy of contract law and marginalizes opportunities for the social change envisaged by the Constitution. The paper explores Duncan Kennedy’s Form and Substance-argument and indicates that the reluctance to accommodate these values may be attributable to the fact that the majority of role-players position themselves on the individualism/rules side of Kennedy’s continuum – a paradigm that perceives the law of contract as a body of positivistic rules to be applied neutrally and regardless of the social or socio-economic distortions its application may generate. In an attempt to move away from this traditional approach, the privileged paradigm is criticised. A typical CLS-approach is followed which employs sociology, psychological jurisprudence and game theory to criticise the law from outside the restrictive realms of law itself. Simultaneously, I attempt to illuminate the argument for a shift (step through the looking glass) to another paradigm. I conclude that our judiciary finds itself in a position similar to that of Plato’s prisoners in the cave and will not reach the point where they apply relevant (constitutional) values directly to contractual disputes. The State is thus responsible for infusing contract law with contractual justice, by implementing legislation to this effect in order to limit the hegemonic consequences of the judiciary’s obsession with freedom of contract and utopian rules, which fail in reality to further the ideal of justice. Paper presented at the Critical Legal Conference, 4 September 2004, London, UK. This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Judge of Appeal, Mr. Justice P.J. Olivier. The paper is based on research conducted for the thesis in partial fulfilment of the degree LLD in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria under the title ‘A critical legal argument for contractual justice in the South African law of contract.’ The degree supervisor is Professor Karin van Marle in the Department of Legal History, Comparative Law and Jurisprudence. The author wishes to thank the following persons for valuable deliberations and input: Karin van Marle, Graham Bradfield and Anashri Pillay. In addition, the author wishes to acknowledge and thank the University of Cape Town for financially supporting this research. †Paper presented at the Critical Legal Conference, 4 September 2004, London, UK. This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Judge of Appeal, Mr. Justice P.J. Olivier. The paper is based on research conducted for the thesis in partial fulfilment of the degree LLD in the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria under the title ‘A critical legal argument for contractual justice in the South African law of contract.’ The degree supervisor is Professor Karin van Marle in the Department of Legal History, Comparative Law and Jurisprudence. The author wishes to thank the following persons for valuable deliberations and input: Karin van Marle, Graham Bradfield and Anashri Pillay. In addition, the author wishes to acknowledge and thank the University of Cape Town for financially supporting this research. apply relevant (constitutional) values directly to contractual disputes. The State is thus responsible for infusing contract law with contractual justice, by implementing legislation to this effect in order to limit the hegemonic consequences of the judiciary’s obsession with freedom of contract and utopian rules, which fail in reality to further the ideal of justice.     

Resignifications and subversive transformations: Judith Butler’s queer theory and women who kill

This article provides an empirical study of a number of cases dealing with women who kill their abusive partners and the construction of the battered woman syndrome in order to identity the possibilities for transformation within the legal system. Drawing upon the work of Judith Butler, the article will argue that the unstable nature of social terms and the nature of social power provides the potential for resignifying and subversively transforming the gender identities constructed and perpetuated by the law. In addition to outlining the defences for murder and engaging in a close examination of the cases, the article will also provide a critical analysis of Judith Butler’s approach to subject formation. Dr Anna Carline LLB (Hons), LLM, PhD. Law Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University.     

从祖灵意识谈儒道起源及其同流

祖灵意识是贯穿中国上古文化的一条思想主线,在此基础上,逐渐形成了中国儒道两家思想。道家偏重继承了女性祖灵意识,儒家则承接了男性祖灵意识,前者代表一种柔软无为的精神,后者则表达了刚强进取的情怀。儒道两家是在祖灵意识的发展中逐渐分化出来的。     

论紊乱犯罪现场逆现性

紊乱犯罪现场是案犯犯罪行为的物化反映,储存着犯罪主体及相关事物的信息。感知能力强的勘查人员具有辩证思维能力,能把自己对客观环境认识的合理性输入到紊乱的特殊环境中,理出紊乱犯罪现场发生、发展的整个头绪。     

论股东大会决议瑕疵的法律救济

股东大会决议是股份有限公司的最高意思表示。由于种种原因 ,股东大会决议往往存在瑕疵 ,对其进行必要的法律救济 ,是维护公司利益 ,保护股东和第三人的合法权益的客观要求。我国《公司法》在这方面的规定还非常欠缺 ,有必要加以完善。