Corruption in a non-corrupt country: what does corruption look like in Finland?

ABSTRACT

Finland is usually considered a country where corruption is rare, and this impression is reinforced by the good results that it has achieved in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI). The present study describes and assesses Finnish bribery legislation, as well as a number of recent judgments handed down by Finnish courts. The legislation is quite fragmented, consisting of some nine sections in three different chapters of the Criminal Code. The bribery cases heard by the Supreme Court mainly deal with quite small-scale bribery, such as where a public official has accepted restaurant services, trips or other benefits from private companies. However, in the last few years, the courts have also had to consider some larger-scale instances of bribery, where persons working for Finnish companies have been suspected of bribing foreign public officials. The article also takes up match-fixing and election funding and their connections to bribery.     

Justifying Gender Equality on the Bench: WhyDifference Won't Do

The case for gender equality on the bench wouldseem too uncontroversial to requirejustification. Yet the practical realities ofthe slow progress of women towards equality ofparticipation both quantitative and qualitativein the judiciary testifies to the continuingneed to argue the case for change. To date, theprimary rationale for promoting gender equalityhas been that women will bring a uniquecontribution to the bench as a result of theirdifferent life experiences, values andattitudes. Such arguments derived fromdifference theory have had a strong appealsince they appear to give legitimacy to theundervalued attributes traditionally associatedas feminine while also promoting the meritprinciple by claiming to improve the quality ofjustice. However, this article argues thatdifference theory arguments are theoreticallyweak, empirically questionable andstrategically dangerous. Instead, it argues forthe adoption of a rationale for gender equalitybased on equity and legitimacy; that equalparticipation of men and women in the justicesystem is an inherent and essential feature ofa democracy without which the judiciary willlose public confidence. This approach, thoughless immediately appealing, is ultimately moresound.     

缔约过失责任探析

缔约过失责任是指当事人在订立合同过程中因违反诚实信用原则 ,给对方造成损失所应当承担的损害赔偿责任。关于缔约过失责任的法律性质大致有四种学说 :侵权行为说、法律行为说、法律规定说、诚实信用原则说。我国《合同法》规定缔约过失责任的构成要件是 :缔约当事人违反先合同义务 ;缔约相对人受到损失 ;违反先合同义务的一方有过错 ;过错与损失之间有因果关系。缔约过失责任与违约责任、侵权责任等其他民事责任之间有明显的区别     

两岸"信心建立措施"(CBMs)的起步

有关两岸构建＂信心建立措施＂需要具备什么条件,看法并不一致。本文从世界各地的经验,说明：一、＂把高标准的政治互信作为协商军事互信机制的前提是一种过高的要求＂;二、只要双方都有＂谋求相对安全的需要＂,并有一定的互信基础,协商＂信心建立措施＂的前提就已存在;三、建构＂两岸信心建立措施＂是一件具有标志性意义的大事,应当及早策划、及早协商、正式起步。     

A Contemporary Snapshot of Policewomen Attitudes

Historically, women have been unwelcome in male-dominated police cultures; despite the gains acquired over many tumultuous years, policewomen continue to face significant obstacles. Men officers often promote the subordination of policewomen, and, because of this, some degree of emotional deterioration among women officers would be understandable. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of such a hypothesis. Questionnaires were mailed to all municipal police departments in one southern state with 50 or more sworn personnel (n = 21) and produced 1,114 responses from 16 departments. Analysis revealed that women officers' (n = 89) professionalism, job satisfaction, stress, and confidence levels demonstrate a condition of psychological health and do not differ significantly from those of men officers. Essentially, the findings suggest that policewomen are mentally tough and resilient, and hence quite capable of modulating the demands of police careers.     

Children's and adults’ realism in their event-recall confidence in responses to free recall and focused questions

Abstract

Two experiments examined the realism in the confidence of 8–9-year-olds, 12–13-year-olds and adults in their free recall and answers to focused questions after viewing a short video clip. A different video clip was shown in each experiment and the focused questions differed in difficulty. In both experiments the youngest age group, in contrast to the two other age groups, showed no overconfidence in their confidence judgements for the free recall. The free recall results also showed that the youngest group had lower completeness but similar correctness as the adults. There was a tendency, over both experiments, for the participants to show poorer realism for the focused questions than for the free recall, especially when questions with content already mentioned in the free recall were excluded from the analyses of the focused questions in Experiment 1. The study shows the importance of question format when evaluating the credibility of the confidence shown by 8–9-year-old children in their own testimony.     

关于对中国特色社会主义道路自信的思考

党的十八大报告指出,全党要坚定对中国特色社会主义道路的自信,"道路自信"第一次出现在党的报告之中。中国特色社会主义道路自信有其内在的一般与个别关系的哲学依据,也有对传统社会主义实践反思的历史依据;在改革开放进程中不断深化对社会主义建设规律的认识,构成了道路自信的实践基础。坚定道路自信要科学地认识中国国情,要有拒走"老路"与"邪路"的自觉。     

试论中国特色社会主义制度自信的三个维度

自信是一种底气,也是一种力量。中国特色社会主义制度自信,源于这一制度体系的科学性,并集中体现在它形成过程的科学性、结构内涵的科学性及其为实践所检验并证明了是正确的制度体系。这一自信,是中国特色社会主义现代化建设事业发展必不可少的坚强保障和动力支撑。     

科学发展视域下的文化建设

文化是手段,也是目的。科学发展观因突出强调文化建设自身价值的重要性而不断增强着中华民族的文化自觉,是为观念之更新;科学发展由于为文化建设指明了正确前进方向而日趋强化着中华民族的文化自信,是为信心之改变。科学发展观揭示了文化建设的基本规律,是为方法之转变。观念乃深层动力,信心是直接动力,方法乃科学动力,三者有机结合,共同构成推动中国特色社会主义的大发展和大繁荣的动力机制。     

道路自信、理论自信、制度自信研究述评

自党的十八大提出中国特色社会主义道路自信、理论自信、制度自信以后,较短时期内,理论界围绕"三大自信"的内涵及相互关系做了不同层面的阐述,讨论了"三个自信"得以确立的170多年的历史文化基础,90多年来马克思主义中国化的理论基础、实践基础以及国际环境基础,并提出了推进中国特色社会主义道路自信、理论自信、制度自信的若干重要观点和路径。现有研究的不足表现在,论断多于论证,政治宣传色彩较浓;抽象的理论分析较多,实证分析和比较分析相对欠缺。运用理论与实证相结合的思路和方法论述中国特色社会主义道路自信、理论自信和制度自信的若干重大理论问题和实践问题显得非常必要。