Electronic evidence: A proposal to reform the presumption of reliability and hearsay

There is a general concern amongst judges, lawyers and legal scholars that evidence in digital format is not to be trusted, given that it can be altered and manipulated with ease. Some jurists have called for a UN Convention on matters relating to the authentication and admissibility of electronic evidence. It is debatable whether such a Convention is necessary, but guidance of an international nature might be welcome, providing that any such guidance remains guidance, and does not ossify into legal requirements that fail to take into account the dynamic and constantly developing changes in information technology. In any event, the accuracy of the presumption in England & Wales that a computer is in order at the material time is highly debatable, and it is suggested that this presumption ought to be reformed.     

Developments in cybercrime law and practice in Ethiopia

With increasing access to information and communication technologies such as the Internet, Ethiopia has recently taken responsive legislative measures. One such legislative measure is enactment of cybercrime rules as part of the Criminal Code of 2004. These rules penalize three items of computer crimes namely hacking, dissemination of malware and denial of service attacks. The cybercrime rules are however slightly outdated due to changes that have occurred in the field of cybercrime since the enactment of the Code. The surge of new varieties of cybercrimes previously uncovered under the Code and the need to legislate tailored evidentiary and procedural rules for investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes have recently prompted the Ethiopian government to draft modern and comprehensive cybercrime legislation, but the draft law still needs further work on cybercrimes in light of other major legislative developments at regional and national levels. This article closely examines major developments in cybercrime law and practice in Ethiopia since the enactment of the first set of cybercrime rules and proffers recommendations towards a unified cybercrime regime.     

再论司法鉴定统一立法——兼评新刑诉法中鉴定制度的变化

新刑诉法对鉴定制度有诸多改进,如：将鉴定结论改为鉴定意见、初步建立起中国式＂专家证人＂制度、打通了法庭寻求专门知识的人帮助的通道等,但如鉴定启动权的配置、鉴定机构设置等问题却仍未解决。刑诉法调整的乏力,再次证明只有制定统一的《司法鉴定法》才能实质性解决我国鉴定制度存在的问题。从必要性上看,统一立法既是完善鉴定制度的需要,又是保障法制统一和理顺鉴定管理机制的需要;从可行性上看,当前具备时代背景、民意基础和客观条件。在统一立法时,要处理好适度超前与立足实际、精密立法与开门纳谏、统一立法与既有立法的关系,以《全国人民代表大会常务委员会关于司法鉴定管理问题的决定》为基础,找准着力点推进立法。     

行政证据与刑事证据衔接机制研究——以新《刑事诉讼法》第52条第2款为分析重点

2012年修正后的《刑事诉讼法》第52条第2款建立了行政证据与刑事证据的衔接机制。在肯定这一机制建立的正当性的同时,有必要对"可以作为证据使用"的内涵、行政证据与刑事证据衔接的范围、有权移交行政证据的主体等基本问题予以分析和阐释。行政证据与刑事证据的衔接可能造成司法实践操作的混乱,导致侦查活动前置,架空非法证据排除规则,侵犯犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的合法权利。为此,应当完善相关法律规则,划清侦查机关与其他行政机关的职能界限,严格行政证据的审查标准,加强对辩护方权利的保护。     

对下调法定最低刑责年龄的省思

此次刑法修正案(十一)对最低刑事责任年龄进行下调,可以在很大程度上避免一部分已满12周岁未满14周岁的未成年人倚仗法律保护肆意实施危害行为的"钻法律之空子"的情况发生,能够有效提升法律的威慑力,使公众免受"12岁恶魔"的伤害。在作为调整对象的低龄未成年人一侧,最低刑责年龄的下调意味着他们必须为自己的不法行为承担责任、付出代价。戴上这只法律"金箍"的未成年人将不得不在法律的框架内保持自身行为的检点合法。当然,虽然法律对最低刑事责任年龄进行了下调,但犯罪未成年人仍然需要在"教育为主、惩罚为辅"的矫治环境中得到救赎,既不能"一放了之",也不能"一关了之"[1]。在"疏"与"堵"并行的同时加强相关法律制度的衔接,使低龄未成年人可以在一个相对完善的制度设计中树立起对法律以及他人权益的敬畏之心。     

The final destination: Incorporating ‘Death by GPS’ into forensic and legal sciences

This article seeks to give visibility to a growing program: Motorists who set out for travel following directions from their GPS device and never return. These occurrences have gained the moniker ‘Death by GPS’. From giving incorrect directions, to taking motorists to isolated areas, to directing motorists into unsafe neighborhoods, GPS technology has led several people into catastrophic scenarios. This article is split into two sections. In the first section, the varying causes of Death by GPS are examined, alongside notable cases. In the second section, as Death by GPS is understudied in forensic science and legal spaces, the author explores the societal and scientific benefits of filling this gap. Relying on relevant collision figures, cultural trends, death science, legal studies, and ethics literature, this article produces groundwork on the growing issue of Death by GPS and identifies areas for future exploration.     

论律师法的修改及对刑事诉讼理念的影响

修改后的律师法,扩大了执业律师在刑事诉讼活动中的权利,从理论上解决了律师执业中"会见难"、"阅卷难"和"调查取证难"的三大难题.从立法机关的立法理念上来讲,这次律师法修改,是一种刑事诉讼理念上的进步,赋予了律师与司法机关在刑事诉讼中更加平等的权利,给予了律师以充分的法律信任,表明律师的政治地位和法律待遇在不断提高,他们将在刑事诉讼中发挥越来越大的作用.     

由青少年严重刑事犯罪的现场透视其犯罪心理

青少年严重刑事犯罪已经引起有关专家学者的高度重视,但是其现场特征及由此折射出的青少年犯罪心理却常被人们所忽视。因此,有必要透过青少年严重刑事犯罪的现场,分析其犯罪心理的产生、特点,并在此基础上提出矫正建议。     

论多元化纠纷解决机制范围内的刑事和解制度

刑事和解理论在司法实践中的广泛应用,对于建立多元化的社会矛盾纠纷解决机制具有积极意义。我国有必要引入刑事和解制度,但应当予以本土化的设计,以利于该制度在我国的发展。     

刑事侦查中犯罪嫌疑人权利论纲

刑事侦查中,犯罪嫌疑人处于受追诉地位,其权利容易受到代表国家的侦查权的侵害,因而对其权利进行保护就非常重要。犯罪嫌疑人享有的权利包括实体性权利和程序性权利,这些权利不是固定不变的,而是具有开放性的。