Legal and ethical considerations of biometric identity card: Case for Mauritius

The highly connected nature of the current era has raised the need for more secure systems, and hence the demand for biometric-based authentication methods. In 2013, the Mauritian Government invested massively in the collection of data, and implementation of the national biometric identity card scheme. The latter has suffered a number of contestations among the population, and several cases were consequently filed at the Supreme Court of Mauritius to oppose the use of this biometric card. The main concern was the collection of biometric data which posed threats to the privacy of individuals. Additionally, the collection and retention of biometric data lead to security issues. In this paper, the challenges with respect to the usage of the biometric card are analysed. The laws governing data protection are discussed, together with the legal framework used for data collection and retention. Following the court decisions, several amendments have been made to the existing laws in order to cater for the usage of biometric data for the public interest. Finally, recommendations are made with regards to a legal framework which will enhance the security of biometric data, and eventually encouraging public acceptance of this biometric identification system.     

Doubling Down: Inequality in Responsiveness and the Policy Preferences of Elected Officials

Is bias in responsiveness to constituents conditional on the policy preferences of elected officials? The scholarly conventional wisdom is that constituency groups who do not receive policy representation still obtain some level of responsiveness by legislators outside of the policy realm. In contrast, we present a theory of preference‐induced responsiveness bias where constituency responsiveness by legislators is associated with legislator policy preferences. Elected officials who favor laws that could disproportionately impact minority groups are also less likely to engage in nonpolicy responsiveness to minority groups. We conducted a field experiment in 28 US legislative chambers. Legislators were randomly assigned to receive messages from Latino and white constituents. If legislators supported voter identification laws, Latino constituents were less likely to receive constituency communications from their legislators. There are significant implications regarding fairness in the democratic process when elected officials fail to represent disadvantaged constituency groups in both policy and nonpolicy realms.     

Credit card fraud under Chinese criminal law

Credit card fraud is a new type of fraud amended into the Criminal Law of China in 1997. The “credit card” under credit card fraud is interpreted as a very board concept, which includes debit card and virtually all electronic payment cards used in ordinary payment, credit loan, transfer and settlement of account, cash deposit and withdrawal. Therefore, it is necessary for the legislature to revise “credit card” under this special fraud into “electronic payment card,” and “credit card fraud” into “electronic payment card fraud,” which will be understood easily and precisely. “Use” and “fraudulent use” of credit card under this fraud is defined as ordinary use of credit card, including withdrawal cash with authentic or forged credit card from ATMs. It is unreasonable to define “malicious overdraft” as a form of credit card fraud under the Chinese Criminal Law. In the future amendment, this kind of criminal conduct shall be separated as independent named as “malicious overdraft” or “abuse of credit card” under the Criminal Law with less stiff statutory punishment than that of credit card fraud. Besides, under the Chinese Criminal Law, stealing credit card and using it is held as “theft,” which is neither reasonable nor logical. Therefore, it should be revised in the future criminal law.     

社会公正与以德化民

道德教化与社会公正相辅相成,社会公正是社会主义公民道德教化的本质体现,也是建构高尚的公民道德的基本保障;以德化民有利于促进社会公正的实现。因此,实现社会公正是党和政府的重要任务。我们应该着重从党、国家、政府和社会等多个层面加强营造社会公正的氛围,从而为实现以德化民打下坚实的基础。     

High‐Throughput STR Analysis for DNA Database Using Direct PCR,

Since the Korean criminal DNA database was launched in 2010, we have focused on establishing an automated DNA database profiling system that analyzes short tandem repeat loci in a high‐throughput and cost‐effective manner. We established a DNA database profiling system without DNA purification using a direct PCR buffer system. The quality of direct PCR procedures was compared with that of conventional PCR system under their respective optimized conditions. The results revealed not only perfect concordance but also an excellent PCR success rate, good electropherogram quality, and an optimal intra/inter‐loci peak height ratio. In particular, the proportion of DNA extraction required due to direct PCR failure could be minimized to <3%. In conclusion, the newly developed direct PCR system can be adopted for automated DNA database profiling systems to replace or supplement conventional PCR system in a time‐ and cost‐saving manner.     

社区民警“就地访谈”工作法探析

顺应公安民警走访联系群众工作常态化、制度化的要求,适应社区警务模式的需要,创设社区民警"就地访谈"工作法很有必要。"就地访谈"是指社区民警在当班巡逻的过程中,基于自主判断,任意选择一个对象,在表明身份和说明意图后就地与其交谈,以期获取警方所需信息的过程。"就地访谈"工作法有自己的特色,区别于现场访问、入户访谈(调查)以及盘查。社区民警进行"就地访谈"要掌握一定的要领,对"就地访谈"获取的信息也要进行科学的加工处理和存储,并实现信息共享。     

恶意透支型信用卡诈骗罪中“催收”问题研究

根据目前的法律及司法解释,“经二次催收不还”是构成恶意透支的一个必要条件,发卡银行必须实施“催收”行为。由于法律及司法解释并未对催收的含义、催收方式、催收效力认定作出明确规定,导致实践中产生很多争议问题,给认定恶意透支带来困难。结合工作实践,通过对立法本意的阐释,对“催收”的本质特征进行分析,提出“催收”是发卡银行向持卡人主张信用卡债权的一种民事行为,“催收”属于犯罪构成的实体要件,“催收”的效力不以对方是否收到催收信息为必要条件。之后对各种催收方式进行归纳分析,并对如何认定催收效力进行论证,最后对立法提出相应建议。     

非法利用信息网络罪的适用疑难与教义学表述

生效案件已经暴露了非法利用信息网络罪的罪质不明、追诉标准阙如、司法竞合处置有失妥当、积极适用的司法导向淡薄等问题。基于“利用信息网络”的行为特质,应明确《刑法》第287条之一的网络独立预备犯之立法旨趣,是一般性罪名,起基础性的规制功能,取代《刑法》第287条发挥司法兜底之用。不宜限制解释“其他、等‘违法犯罪’（信息、活动）”,扩张解释更符合第287条之一法定的相对有限的一般性规制功能。“同时构成其他犯罪的,依照处罚较重的规定定罪处罚”是限制刑罚处罚的提示性规定,本罪在实践中与关联犯罪的实质竞合概率应极低。应确认信息网络安全管理秩序的具体法益内容,固化其释法机能。应明确“情节严重”的具体追诉情形,注重通过案例指导制度提供持续性的司法供给。     

论我国信用卡犯罪的司法适用——以解评《中华人民共和国刑法修正案（五）》的相关规定为视角

《中华人民共和国刑法修正案(五)》在刑法规定的伪造金融票证罪以及信用卡诈骗罪的基础上对信用卡犯罪作了全面的规定,明确了信用卡犯罪的多种行为形式,这样可以有效堵截法律上的漏洞,为司法实践提供法律依据。但未将单位作为信用卡诈骗罪的主体是此次修订的缺憾。     

信用卡诈骗罪罪态界限探讨

犯罪形态是犯罪构成要件的具体表现形式 ,任何犯罪现象都呈现出一定的犯罪形态。罪态问题既涉及某种犯罪形态的认定问题 ,又涉及该种犯罪形态内部若干具体犯罪形态的界限划分问题。根据不同的标准和角度 ,信用卡诈骗罪也呈现着不同的犯罪形态 ,主要有未完成形态、罪数形态、共犯形态和错误形态。