An unusual case of sudden unexpected death: postmortem investigation and biomechanical analysis of the cervical spine

A naked man died under peculiar circumstances and the postmortem examination revealed unexpected lesions in the cervical spine. Investigations of the cervical spine (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and histological examination) showed that a piece of bone was torn of the anterior part of vertebra C6 and that there was fresh bleeding in the surrounding tissue. The cause of death remained unclear but was most likely cardiac arrhythmia initiated by beta-2 agonist inhalation due to an acute asthmatic attack. Data from biomechanical investigation using finite element analysis supported the conclusion that the cervical spine injury was secondary to impact during falling as a consequence of the cardiac arrhythmia.     

勘验、检查笔录与刑事错案预防问题探析

勘验、检查笔录是我国刑事诉讼中重要的证据之一,是犯罪现场勘查过程中制作的重要法律文书。在侦查过程中．勘验、检查笔录可以为侦查人员分析案情、查找线索、寻找侦破方向提供依据。但在实际工作中,因勘验、检查笔录的不规范、不严谨,造成了一系列的刑事错案。因此,我们应当重视勘验、检查笔录,完善法律法规,加强刑事技术队伍建设,规范制作过程,避免勘验、检查笔录运用中刑事错案的发生。     

论罪犯心理危险性分类技术——以罪犯个案矫正为视角

对罪犯的分类是作为一种适应罪犯需要的处遇方式和矫正活动。罪犯的心理危险性具有未知性、潜在性和偶发性特点。罪犯的心理危险性干预属于心理矫治的范畴,具有维护监狱的安全和秩序的价值。决定罪犯心理危险性依据主要是对罪犯以往犯罪状况所进行的预测和评估。罪犯心理危险性分类技术主要有调查分类技术和定量评价技术。     

探寻19802010年法院收案数的变化规律——兼谈对未来收案数变化趋势的展望和预测

虽然改革开放30年来人民法院案件数的年均递增速度高达10％以上,但人民法院的一审收案数和执行收案数并非始终保持着直线型上升发展态势,而是呈现出一种有升有降、升多降少的波浪型上升发展态势;经济的高速增长、城镇化水平不断提高、人民群众法治意识和维权意识不断增强是人民法院收案数30年来保持高速增长的根本原因,司法政策的变化更是促使人民法院收案数产生阶段性变化的核心因素;在当前相对较低的诉讼收费标准等因素刺激下,未来法院各类案件的收案数量仍将继续保持上升态势,但增速会低于过去30年来的平均增速。     

未成年人刑事案件审查逮捕程序的改革

在未成年人刑事处理走向宽缓化趋势及审查逮捕程序改革的双重背景下,对未成年人刑事案件审查逮捕程序的改革价值在于推进刑事司法改革。文章从改革的背景谈起,对改革的价值、实务部门对改革进行的探索、针对改革探索的一些论争,进行了归纳梳理,进而对改革的进程提出相关建议。     

Institutional shrinkage: The deviant case of Swiss banking secrecy

Using the Mahoney–Thelen causal model one would expect “layering” to be the dominant kind of institutional change affecting Swiss banking secrecy. Our research into governance in Swiss banking shows that it does not fit this theoretical model. Applying deviant case analysis we have refined our understanding of institutional change. We argue that the removal of rules and the momentum of pressure should be acknowledged when explaining variations of institutional change and we suggest that the processes of shrinkage should not be ignored.     

现行犯案件的初查措施:反思性研究——以新《刑事诉讼法》第117条对传唤、拘传的修改为切入

适应公安机关办理现行犯案件的现实需要,我国新《刑事诉讼法》第117条增设了对现行犯的口头传唤措施,但存在一定的问题。由于立法的科学性不足,当下实践中,现行犯案件中初查措施的适用乱象纷呈。现行犯案件初查中强制措施的适用既具有现实必要性,也具有理论正当性。应当将现行犯的立案程序独立设置,同时修改拘留制度,以明确被口头传唤或者无证拘留后的现行犯的犯罪嫌疑人身份,解决紧随其后的讯问行为的合法性以及讯问笔录的证据效力,消除"先侦后立"的现象。     

Personal identification of cold case remains through combined contribution from anthropological, mtDNA, and bomb-pulse dating analyses

In 1968, a child's cranium was recovered from the banks of a northern Canadian river and held in a trust until the "cold case" was reopened in 2005. The cranium underwent reanalysis at the Centre for Forensic Research, Simon Fraser University, using recently developed anthropological analysis, "bomb-pulse" radiocarbon analysis, and forensic DNA techniques. Craniometrics, skeletal ossification, and dental formation indicated an age-at-death of 4.4 ± 1 year. Radiocarbon analysis of enamel from two teeth indicated a year of birth between 1958 and 1962. Forensic DNA analysis indicated the child was a male, and the obtained mitochondrial profile matched a living maternal relative to the presumed missing child. These multidisciplinary analyses resulted in a legal identification 41 years after the discovery of the remains, highlighting the enormous potential of combining radiocarbon analysis with anthropological and mtDNA analyses in producing confident personal identifications for forensic cold cases dating to within the last 60 years.     

WTO中的公共道德例外条款分析

多边贸易协定一个重要目的就是消除贸易壁垒,实现贸易自由化。但是有时过度地追求贸易自由可能会给一国的公共道德造成威胁。因此,在多边贸易协定中往往内含了一些可以豁免缔约方缔约义务的例外条款。缔约方为了保护本国的公共道德,可以援引这些例外条款来对抗其他缔约方的指控。在WTO中,公共道德例外主要体现在GATT第20条﹙a﹚和GATS第14条﹙a﹚。另外,在《与贸易有关的知识产权协定》第27条第2款和《政府采购协定》第23条第2款中也规定了这种例外。     

强奸致孕形成部分性葡萄胎的检验分析

目的探讨强奸致孕案葡萄胎组织的DNA检验和STR结果分析。方法用DNA Typer TM15试剂盒对犯罪嫌疑人、受害人血样和流产胚胎组织进行荧光复合STR基因座扩增检测。结果检测的一例流产胚胎组织DNA的STR峰谱表现出部分3条带,且3条带中有两个等位基因来源于犯罪嫌疑人,另外一个来源于受害人,推断为单卵双精子受精的部分性葡萄胎。结论应用STR分型技术可以推断葡萄胎的DNA来源和受精类型,为亲缘关系鉴定提供依据。