Does Ambivalent Sexism Influence Verdicts for Heterosexual and Homosexual Defendants in a Self-Defense Case?

The current research examined the role of defendant and participant sex, presence or absence of expert testimony of the “battered person syndrome”, and sexual orientation of the defendant on perceptions of guilt in a self-defense case. The role of sexism in judgments of culpability was also examined. A sample of 442 participants read a self-defense case scenario and responded to questions pertaining to verdict, defendant culpability, legal element ratings, and sexist attitudes. Results revealed a four-way interaction, showing female participants prescribed the lowest guilt ratings to heterosexual female and homosexual male defendants who received expert testimony of the battered person syndrome. When heterosexual male defendants received expert testimony, ratings of guilt significantly increased. A multiple regression was conducted to determine whether legal and extra-legal factors predicted defendant culpability. Sexist attitudes (benevolent sexism towards men and women) and certain legal elements were predictive of defendant culpability. Limitations and implications are discussed. Study findings were presented in a poster at the annual meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society (APLS), Jacksonville, Florida (March, 2008).     

清代州县审断的灵活性——以清代南部县档案中“判词”为例

分析清代川省南部县档案中的"判词"在知县审断中的运用、形式、内容以及作用等呈现出的特征,可以揭示有清基层衙门在审断纠纷上与中央官厅的不同面向,进而从审断中表达知县态度的文本——"判词"——这一侧面,说明了至少清季州县在纠纷审断上所具有的,也是当下司法所不具有的灵活性或自主性。     

妇产科医疗纠纷司法鉴定82例分析

目的研究妇产科医疗纠纷鉴定案件的一般规律及其医疗过失的特点．为法医学鉴定提供理论支持。方法对2002--2008年在华西法医学鉴定中心鉴定的82例妇产科医疗纠纷医疗过失案例进行回顾性分析。结果妇产科医疗纠纷司法鉴定案例逐年增多;发生纠纷的医院以市（区）级与县级医院为多见,发生纠纷的案件中又以分娩和手术者为多见;医疗过失的主要原因为医疗技术缺陷与医疗管理缺陷。结论法医学鉴定时应参照临床医疗规范,考察医师义务履行情况,重点观察有无医疗技术缺陷或管理缺陷。     

美国专家证言的可采性研究——以美国判例与立法的互动为中心

美国对专家证言的可采性经历了弗赖伊判例"普遍接受标准"的限定到《联邦证据规则》对专家证言"关联性"和"有用性"的立法扩张,催生了达伯特判例的"综合观察标准",又因"乔因纳"、"锦湖轮胎"判例对达伯特判例的冲击,引发了涉及科学、技术和经验知识专家证言可采性的多种判断标准的纷争,导致《联邦证据规则》作出了限缩性的修正。判例与立法的互动背后演绎着专家证言可采性的判断权由"科技社群"向"法官"移转,最终法官扮演了专家证言进入法庭"守门人"的角色。美国专家证言可采性判断标准迷失于判例促发立法的互动,为我国法官如何走出依赖原有内部设立鉴定人积习提供了有益的启迪和可借鉴的经验。     

从亲子鉴定的问题看标准化规范化管理的重要性

近年来,亲子鉴定技术在我国发展较快,越来越多的人应用这一鉴定手段维护了自己的合法权益.但我们发现,我国目前对鉴定部门的管理却相对滞后,主要表现为实验室缺乏规范化管理、鉴定机构良莠不齐、技术标准不够完备以及缺乏实验室的质量检测体系等.这些问题如不解决,将不适应司法体制改革的趋势,阻碍鉴定技术科学、公正地为司法实践服务.因此,我们呼吁有关部门对这一问题加以重视、加强协作,使科学鉴定早日走上标准化、规范化管理的道路.     

论中英两国刑事证人证言可采性标准及检测方法

证人证言在刑事诉讼中的运用一直是各国主要关注的问题 ,而证言运用的核心又在于证言的可采性问题。本文从比较研究的角度 ,对中英两国刑事证人证言可采性标准及检测方法作了具体分析 ,认为中英两国刑事证明标准的不同 ,决定了两国证人证言可采性标准的差异 ,从而导致检测这一标准的方法也各异 ,并认为英国现行的刑事证明标准及由此决定的证言可采性标准有可资借鉴之处     

Perceptions of coercion in interrogation: comparing expert and lay opinions

ABSTRACT

When confessions are entered into evidence in criminal courts, issues of coercion and voluntariness are important and often contested matters. Occasionally, defense attorneys proffer expert witnesses to testify about the coercive pressures of an interrogation and the risk of a false confession. Such testimony is often ruled inadmissible on the grounds that it does not inform the jury beyond its common knowledge. In our effort to test this judicial assumption about common knowledge, we surveyed jury-eligible laypeople (n?=?67) and social scientists specializing in interrogation and confessions (n?=?54) regarding their opinions about the coerciveness of prohibited interrogation tactics, maximization techniques, minimization techniques, and suspect risk factors and compared their ratings with a set of independent t tests. Laypeople gave lower ratings to the coerciveness of all sets of items representing interrogation techniques, and lower ratings to the vulnerabilities associated with suspect risk factors, as compared to social science experts. The disparities between laypeople’s and experts’ perceptions of coercion in interrogations demonstrate that such issues are not fully within the common knowledge of prospective jurors, and suggest the need to provide jurors with expert witness guidance when tasked with evaluating confession evidence.     

什么是言论——《宪法》第35条的一种论理解释

综合我国基本权利谱系、基本权利条款间的关系及立法意图,既不宜对言论作字面解释,将其含义限定为口头形式,同时也不宜作过分的扩充解释。我国《宪法》第35条意义上的言论,不仅包括口头形式,还应包括书面形式,但已成为基本权利或可以被其他基本权利条款所包摄的表达形式不在言论范畴。     

论我国诉前证据保全制度

诉前证据保全制度是证据保全制度体系的一个有机组成部分 ,其要解决的核心问题就是证据的客观真实性、合法性和准确性。建立我国诉前证据保全制度 ,有利于维护正常的诉讼程序 ,同时 ,从非诉案件的角度来看 ,它还有利于行政执法 ,仲裁裁决 ,非诉案件的审查、处罚等等。     

刑讯逼供刍议

刑讯逼供是司法领域的一大顽症 ,其存在既与司法工作人员的个人素质有关 ,更与立法上口供采信规则的不完善分不开。解决这一问题 ,必须从三个方面入手 :一是明确规定沉默权的合法性 ;二是限制口供的证明能力 ;三是禁止以非法方法获取口供。