Probabilistic Classification of Age by Third Molar Development: The Use of Soft Evidence

Abstract: This study introduces a method to classify individuals according to an age threshold, given sex and third molars’ dental maturity measured on the Demirjian scale by expressing uncertainty on dental evidence (soft evidence). We introduced a procedure to learn the parameters of the Naïve Bayes model, and we discussed two classification rules. The model was estimated and tested on 559 Italians aged 16–22. Two experts provided the dental evaluations, and the model was estimated for each of them. We evaluated the coherence of the evidence provided by the experts. Some indexes have been proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of the models, emphasizing how the experts’ ability and the technology affect the results. We introduced two benchmarks, one based on the sample distribution per sex and age: in this case, probability of correct classification increases 22% and the proportion of false adults impressively decreases 80.2%; the other benchmark, obtained by simulating hard evidence, shows how the use of soft evidence increases the proportion of correct classification 3.1% and decreases the crucial proportion of false adults about 20%. Similarly, the proportion of false minors decreases about 5.3%.     

A Dive into Deep Constitutional Waters: Article 50, the Prerogative and Parliament

This article analyses the Article 50 TEU debate and the argument that for the UK Government to trigger the formal withdrawal process without explicit parliamentary authorisation would be unlawful, because it would inevitably result in the removal of rights enjoyed under EU law and the frustration of the purpose of the statutes giving those rights domestic effect. After a brief survey of Article 50, this article argues first of all that the power to trigger Article 50 remains within the prerogative, contesting Robert Craig's argument in this issue that it is now a statutory power. It then suggests a number of arguments as to why the frustration principle may be of only doubtful application in this case, and in doing so it re‐examines one of the key authorities prayed in aid of it ‐ the Fire Brigades Union case.     

青少年社会公德教育对策

社会主义市场经济条件下,青少年的社会公德发生了许多新变化。加强青少年社会公德建设,要明确教育责任人,强化学校教育与社会公共管理,促进青少年组织的参与和成人垂范作用,建立社会保障激励机制。     

试论冷战后越南外交战略和外交政策的调整

20世纪 90年代 ,越南根据国内外形势的巨大变化 ,4次调整外交战略和外交政策 ,从原来的“单向”外交转向以“多样化、全方位”为基础的务实性外交 ,在外交领域取得了令人瞩目的成就 ,并为 2 1世纪越南外交的发展奠定了基础。     

论宪法规定公民权利宜用禁止性规则

虽然各国宪法对公民权利实际上有两种规定方式,一是采用禁止性规则,二是采用授权性规则,但从理论上分析,宜采用禁止性规则.从宪法学上来讲,禁止性规则符合宪法乃授权于国之法、权利先于宪法、宪法控制权力的观念;从立法学上来说,禁止性规则更能表达防范国家权力可能侵犯公民权利的目的;从解释学上来看,禁止性规则能够消除"宪赋人权"的误解.     

基层法院庭长权责匹配冲突及耦合

司法责任制改革取消了庭长审批权,实现了权力下沉至一线法官的目的,但同时庭长却面临着不愿管、不善管的困境。其直接原因在于庭长权责匹配冲突,即权力小、责任大。具体表现为多重角色赋予其所承担的政治责任、基于法院目标管理带来的行政责任以及法官身份回归而需承担的法律责任,但并未赋予相应的权力。造成权责匹配冲突的根源在于在去行政化过程中对权力关系的简单化处理,导致法院外部压力型任务注入与内部平权式治理之间的矛盾;法院功能的超载化,扩充了法院管理的范围。权责冲突带来了负面效应,包括权力的非正式运作,不善管;逆向激励,痕迹化监督与策略性监督,不愿管。要改变这种状态需要从制度保障、动力机制、信息基础、关键因素四个方面入手。     

最高人民法院在合宪性审查中的现状、困境与出路——兼对我国《立法法》第99条第1款解释

我国《立法法》预设了最高人民法院提请全国人大常委会进行合宪性审查的路径。从现有裁判文书来看,最高人民法院在实践中并未遵循我国《立法法》所预设的路径,而是在绝大多数案件中回避了合宪性审查诉求,同时又在个别案件中进行了合宪性审查,陷入了完全回避与直接审查的两难困境。造成这种困境的原因在于,我国《立法法》对最高人民法院在合宪性审查中的权力基础、权力行使程序缺乏清晰的规定。对此,亟待通过法律解释进行明确和细化,否则最高人民法院将无章可循,无法贸然提请全国人大常委会进行合宪性审查。为了化解最高人民法院面对的这一困境,有必要对我国《立法法》第99条第1款进行解释,推导出该条款在授予最高人民法院提请审查权时,还隐含着另一项未被释明的权力即预审权,其共同构成最高人民法院在合宪性审查中的权力基础;同时,为了使预审权与提请审查权的行使制度化,有必要对其行使程序进行细化,建立起预审-提请审查机制。     

历史演绎正义:论有限责任制度之伦理进路

伦理融入法律促使法律制度蕴含人文气息而富有长盛不衰的生命力,有限责任制度是公司安身立命的前提性基础,有限责任的伦理决定了公司法的伦理内涵与人文精神.历史上的有限责任初显可能是出于经济需要,而有限责任旺盛的生命力则必然有其伦理性依归,有限责任制度化、规模化发展的本身体现着公众的伦理抉择.有限责任经历了从初期的个体间约定责任的民法选择到法律认可并予以制度化适用的商法选择,这个过程是伦理域内信任到信用的伦理过程,是契约自由和经济理性发挥能动性的过程,因此,有限责任的进化历程是人类衡平各方利益的伦理化进程.     

论行政执法程序抗辩权的概念

学界关于行政执法程序抗辩权概念的诸观点具有一定的启发与借鉴意义,但也呈现出些许缺憾。文章通过对现有概念的反思与扬弃,重构了行政执法程序抗辨权的内涵,展现了行政执法程序抗辩权的外延,并阐明了行政执法程序抗辩权与行政执法程序抵抗权及行政诉讼辩论权等相关范畴的界限。