Transcending the dilemma of “public interest”

This paper discusses the evolution and recent trends in the development of the constitutional concept of “public use” in the case-law history of the United States starting from the source of US government’s taking powers and the original meaning of the Taking Clause in the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Since the concepts of “public use” and “public interest” are extremely difficult to be defined, it is very hard for the US courts to develop a relevant operative criterion. In the United States, the safeguard of “public interest” in taking mainly lies legislative rather than judicial control. In a democratic society, legislative judgment is highly respected by the courts and the entire takeovers that conform to public use as determined by the Congress are usually deemed constitutional. In this sense, the Congress is a “public interest machine”, which automatically generates laws and decisions on behalf of public interests through the democratic representative process. The paper eventually suggests that China should divert its attention from the theoretical definition of “public interest” to institutional construction, and should make the National and Local People’s Congresses and their standing committees to play major roles in deciding taking and compensation schemes. __________ Translated from Zhongguo Faxue 中国法学 (China Law), 2005, (5): 36–45     

专家证据的价值与我国司法鉴定制度的修改

随着科学技术的飞速发展,专家证据在诉讼中发挥着越来越重要的作用。在英美法系国家,专家证据制度在专家证人资格规定上的广泛性和选任上的自由性,使其在适用上具有灵活性和实用性的特点,其详细而完备的专家证据可采性规则,更是司法经验的积累与法官智慧的结晶。英美法系国家的专家证据制度和大陆法系的鉴定制度,在近些年的改革中呈现出共同的趋向,如启动程序的多样化、过错责任的严格化和庭审对抗的强化,这为完善我国司法鉴定制度、准确适用新刑诉法中有关专家辅助人的规定以及充分发挥专家证据的作用开启了新的思路。面对我国司法鉴定中依然相当混乱的鉴定主体问题,构建鉴定人、专家顾问和专家辅助人三位一体的司法鉴定主体格局,或许是一条比较合理可行的出路。     

自然人书面契约取信方式研究

印章文化在我国源远流长,其中公章自古至今为实用而治,私章则经历了一个从实用到艺术的转变过程。我国古代书面契约的取信方式历经变化,但私章讫未成为公认的取信手段。西方国家在法律史上曾有盖印取信的制度,但当今通行的法定取信手段则是签名。我国现行法上的书面契约取信方式兼采签名和盖章。私章自身的内在局限及签名取信的多维优势,决定了签名取代私章的必然。自然人主体书面契约的取信方式统一于签名,是法律体系内部相协调的需要,并可以获得法律解释理论上的有力支撑。     

刑事审判中实物证据的审查判断及排除

刑事审判中,实物证据以其特有的客观性、稳定性和不可替代性特征而对于案件事实的认定发挥着令人更为信服的证实作用,从而显示出实物证据的证明优势。但实物证据在刑事诉讼证明中,也存在其一定的局限性。对于实物证据的审查,应主要从其客观真实性、证据来源、保管和鉴定过程、与案件事实的关联性、是否全面等方面进行。对于非法实物证据实行有别于言词证据的裁量排除原则,即只有在相关部门不能补正或者作出合理解释的情况下,才对其予以排除。     

网络证据的基本特性

网络证据是在网络条件下存在的用于证明案件事实的材料,它具有流动性强、存在范围广、信息量大、形式多样、超文本等特点。与传统的证据相比,它又具有数字性、准确性、依赖性、稳定性、多媒体性、传输快捷性、可分离性等特征。相对于电子证据,网络证据在生成的主体与场所上,在传输的环境、速度和范围上,在收集的主体、场所及方式上,在证据的保全和审查判断上等方面都表现出自身的特性。     

Portable high‐resolution automated 3D imaging for footwear and tire impression capture

The forensic science community raised the need for improved evidence recognition, collection, and visualization analytical instrumentation for field and laboratory use. While the 3D optical techniques for imaging static objects have been extensively studied, there is still a major gap between current knowledge and collecting high‐quality footwear and tire impression evidence. Among optical means for 3D imaging, digital fringe projection (DFP) techniques reconstruct 3D shape from phase information, achieving camera‐pixel spatial resolution. This paper presents a high‐resolution 3D imaging technology using DFP techniques dedicated to footwear and tire impression capture. We developed fully automated software algorithms and a graphical user interface (GUI) that allow anyone without training to operate for high‐quality 3D data capture. We performed accuracy evaluations and comparisons comparing with the commercial high‐end 3D scanner and carried out qualitative tests for various impressions comparing with the current practices. Overall, our technology achieves similar levels of accuracy and resolution with a high‐end commercially available 3D scanner, while having the merits of being (1) more affordable; (2) much easier to operate; and (3) more robust. Compared with the current practice of casting, our technology demonstrates its superiority because it (1) is non‐destructive; (2) collects more evidence detail than casts, especially when an impression is fragile; (3) requires less time and money to collect each piece of evidence; and (4) results in a digital file that can easily be shared with other examiners.     

自白任意性规则的法律价值

新刑事诉讼法和此前“两高三部”发布的有关刑事证据的规定，确立了非法证据排除规则，但这一进步却因模糊了对威胁、引诱和欺骗取得口供的排除态度而显得 不彻底。自白任意性被忽视，主要归因于过分倚重口供的司法惯性，作为自白任意性法理基础的正当程序观念没有得到普遍认同，对秩序的偏重则是更为深层的原因。自白的证据能力若不以自白的任意性为条件，冤错案件的病灶就不能祛除，司法实践就不可能取得实质的进步。认同自白任意性规则的法律价值，不仅能为发现案件真实提供保障，更是保障刑事司法最终摆脱纠问式特征之所必需。     

检察环节证据合法性审查实证研究

修订后的《刑事诉讼法》规定了检察机关的非法证据排除义务,并对检察环节开展证据合法性审查的具体程序和相应职责予以了明确规定。从司法实践来看,侦查活动的密闭性、审查模式的单一性、立法的不完善以及在审查过程中自由裁量缺乏必要的规制等问题制约了证据合法性审查的实效。为此,有必要从审查程序、配套制度以及认证规则等方面予以完善。     

论刑事诉讼中的同案犯证言

在刑事诉讼活动中,提供证言的同案犯具有特殊地位。在刑事侦查工作中,同案犯证言发挥了十分关键的作用,也引发了一系列证据法和程序法问题。同案犯证言具有潜在的不可靠性,可通过健全证据开示制度及法官审查制度等措施保证该证据的正确适用。     

实施固本强基工程推进社会主义新农村建设——对石家庄市村级基层党组织建设的调查与思考

农村基层党组织是建设社会主义新农村的坚强的政治和组织保障。进一步加强和改进农村基层党组织建设,不断增强农村基层党组织的创造力、凝聚力和战斗力,就成为我们当前十分重要而紧迫的任务。石家庄市的主要做法和经验是:以人为本,实施固本强基工程。需要进一步探索与思考的问题是:创新机制,建好班子,育好干部,带好队伍,创新组织设置和运行机制。