Conserving the Constitution? The Conservative Party and Democratic Renewal

In 2008 David Cameron declared that the Conservative party was 'ready for government' and suggested that 'the change we need is not just from Labour's old policies to our new policies… It's about a change from old politics to new politics'. This 'new politics' narrative is something of a cliché: British constitutional history reveals a regular pattern whereby opposition parties renege upon implementing far-reaching constitutional and democratic reforms once they win power. It is in this context that this article draws upon documentary analysis and a number of interviews to examine the Conservative party's position on constitutional reform and democratic renewal. It concludes that although the Conservative party has spent the last decade decrying the 'destruction' of the constitution it has undertaken little detailed preparatory work in relation to how it might seek to alter the governance of Britain. As a result the research presented in this article provides a number of insights into elite politics, strategic game-playing and executive veto capacities within a context of growing political disengagement from politics and falling levels of trust in politics.     

格式条款使用人的单方变更之规范构建

长期定型化交易中,格式条款使用人对格式条款的内容作单方变更有其必要性和实践意义。我国《合同法》与《民法典合同编(草案)》未对其制度化,故有必要从原理及规范上予以解释与补充。格式条款的单方变更之正当化基础可依据格式条款使用人预先保留单方变更权内容的"变更条款",亦可基于法政策的考量。之于前者,"变更条款"应受到格式条款的一般效力规制且符合相对人的可期待性,以实现对相对人信赖的保护。之于后者,应参考情势变更原则之于司法实践的类型化适用确立"变更必要性"明确的适用范围。为使格式条款的单方变更产生拘束相对人之效力,应构建相对人的利益保护机制。实体规范上该变更应符合"相对人的一般利益"或达到"合理性"要求。程序规范上,格式条款使用人应履行通知义务及相对人享有脱离变更后合同的解约权等救济措施,从而实现相对人知情权、选择权及对等权利的保护。     

第一次讯问的行为视角研究

第一次讯问是指侦查人员对特定犯罪嫌疑人实施的第一次讯问行为.基于指导办案实务的考虑,从理论上对第一次讯问行为进行总结和凝练具有重要意义.结合侦查实务工作运行情况,应当基于查明犯罪和固定口供的双重行为导向,并结合排除可翻供因素以支持诉讼的行为导向进行探讨第一次讯问行为.侦查人员通过实施第一次讯问活动,一是要突破犯罪嫌疑人...     

Verbal Aggression Among Male Alcoholic Patients and Their Wives in the Year Before and Two Years After Alcoholism Treatment

Our earlier reports on 88 male alcoholics and their wives showed that domestic violence decreased significantly in the first and second year following a behavioral marital therapy (BMT) alcoholism treatment program. The present study examined verbal aggression in this same sample. In the year before BMT, verbal aggression was significantly greater—being five to seven times more prevalent for clinically elevated aggression and substantially more frequent—for the alcoholic husbands and their wives than for a demographically matched, nonalcoholic comparison sample. In the two years after BMT, both alcoholic men and their wives showed significant and substantial reductions in verbal aggression as compared with the year before BMT. Despite these significant reductions from the year before BMT, verbal aggression in the two years after BMT remained significantly elevated relative to demographically similar nonalcoholic controls. As predicted, relapsed alcoholics and their wives showed more verbal aggression in the 2 years after BMT than both couples with a remitted alcoholic husband and demographically similar nonalcoholic controls, whereas remitted alcoholics and their wives had similar levels of verbal aggression to the nonalcoholic controls. Further, frequency of drinking was positively correlated with verbal aggression in the 2 years after BMT; verbal aggression was greater when the alcoholic husband drank more frequently.     

The Behavioral Effects of Environmental Regimes: Collective-Action vs. Social-Practice Models

International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics - Most observers agree that institutions play significant roles both in causing and in confronting large scale environmental...     

日本受贿罪立法及对我国的借鉴价值

日本刑法中关于受贿罪规定了7个具体罪名,各个罪名之间既互相区别又相互补充。不同的具体罪名虽总体均属受贿罪,但每个罪名的构成要件的规定又有所不同,日本刑法中受贿罪的立法模式对我国刑法中受贿罪立法规定的进一步完善具有重要的借鉴意义,其中,日本刑法中受贿罪的行为基本模式、特殊行为的规定模式及法定刑设定模式对我国刑法的借鉴意义重大。     

精神卫生法中司法鉴定的若干问题——评《精神卫生法（草案）》有关司法鉴定的规定

《精神卫生法（草案）》征求意见是我国卫生法治的一大进步，其有关精神障碍司法鉴定的内容还存在与鉴定规律、证据制度、诉讼制度相矛盾、冲突的地方，需要在立法中进一步完善与调整，保障其与现有的司法鉴定制度相衔接。     

论环境犯罪的性质

环境犯罪具有多样性 ,是集危险犯、行为犯、结果犯为一体的一种特殊犯罪。随着环境问题的日趋严重 ,生态环境的刑法保护应进一步完善 ,以促进人类社会的可持续发展。     

论我国共犯本质理论中的行为共同说

我国刑法理论一般认为共同犯罪成立的理性基础在于犯罪的共同性,而不是行为的共同性。但是,实践已经证明,既有的共犯成立范围理论并不能有力的解决实践中的一些问题。行为共同理论不仅可以有效解决传统理论上共犯形态认定的问题,而且也可以为复杂情况下共犯规则的适用提供理论依据。     

Taphonomic Effects of Vulture Scavenging*

Abstract: From July through September 2007, three pig carcasses (Sus scrofa), weighing between 27 and 63 kg were placed outside in a grassy area in central Texas. A surrounding fence prevented entrance by terrestrial scavengers, while allowing avian scavengers unrestricted access. A fourth pig carcass served as a control for the rate of decomposition and was placed in a cage that prevented terrestrial and avian animal access. Modification of the carcasses was recorded through the use of two motion‐sensing digital cameras and daily on‐site observations. American black vultures (Coragyps atratus) and turkey vultures (Cathartes aura) waited c. 24 h before beginning to scavenge and completely skeletonized the carcasses in 3 to 27 h of feeding, leaving scratches on the bones. The accelerated rate of decomposition and the signature markings on the bones should be considered when interpreting taphonomic events and determining an accurate postmortem interval at vulture‐modified scenes.