Environmental policy implications of investor-state arbitration under NAFTA Chapter 11

Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement requires governments to treat foreign investors the same as domestic investors, to afford them international standards of due process of law, and to compensate investors for any actions that expropriate their investments or are “tantamount” to expropriation. It allows foreign investors to submit compensation claims to international arbitration. To the alarm of the environmental community, four of the early Chapter 11 claims involved challenges to government measures that were, or appeared to be, environmental protection measures. The first three of the four claimants ultimately received compensation; the fourth claim was denied as being outside the scope of Chapter 11. This paper takes an in-depth look at the circumstances of these four claims to determine whether the claimants had thwarted or avoided bona fide environmental protection measures and to try to assess whether these claims have “chilled” government imposition of new environmental measures. The facts of the cases and developments subsequently indicate that the government actions in the first three cases were not truly environmental protection measures, but were motivated by local political and economic considerations. The fourth claim, which involved a bona fide environmental protection, was rightly rejected. Meanwhile the number of “environmental” claims under Chapter 11 has dwindled. The paper concludes that environmentalists have little ground for alarm, and much reason to be encouraged, about how Chapter 11 has influenced environmental protection.

抢劫罪承继犯责任探讨

抢劫罪的承继犯是指行为人开始实施抢劫行为而在抢劫行为尚未结束过程中,他人与之形成意思联络,从而加入其中完成抢劫的共犯形态.承继犯的责任问题是客观存在的,既不能完全否定,也不能全面肯定,而应该有条件的承认.     

从历史视角论涉外民商事诉讼中外国法的程序地位——兼论我国外国法适用模式的构建

通过对英格兰、德国和法国有关外国法程序地位相关制度的历史考察可以看出,一国在程序法层面如何对待外国法主要取决于以下四个层面的因素,即:一国在历史上形成的对待外国法的社会心理态度,体现一国如何体认外国法性质的国际私法理论,一国在国际私法价值与程序法价值之间的权衡与选择,以及一国有关法院与当事人之间职责分配的民事诉讼体制。上述四个层面的总体情况决定了我国应在坚持法律说的前提下兼顾程序效益。基于这一判断,在外国法适用问题上,我国应采由法官依职权适用外国法而由当事人查明外国法的做法。     

汪荣宝与国民政府“攘外必先安内”国策的出笼——以1931年“朝鲜排华运动”为中心

1931年7月，在日本精心策划和挑唆下，中朝民众因租地出现对立，酿成了万宝山事件。朝鲜民众不明真相，甚至以日本撑腰而将矛头对准在朝鲜的华侨，掀起了惨无人道的“排华运动”。朝鲜排华运动发生后，中国国民政府采取妥协的方针和立场，并借此提出“攘外必先安内”的国策，从而导致了中国驻日公使汪荣宝的被免职     

外企中方高管：远离政治的社会新阶层？①——以世界500强驻京外资企业中方高管为主体的一项考察

驻华外资企业中方高级管理技术人员在公共政治生活中参与程度不高,是因为他们在利益上与资产阶级更加接近,并且很少参与企业外部的政治活动。但是,他们进一步团结的基础和趋势是强势的,其代表资方影响政府决策能力的机会和能力也呈上升趋势。因此,作为潜在的政治主体,如何规范他们的利益表达,引导他们的政治意识,就成了一项紧迫的课题。     

扫描电镜/能谱观察溺死和死后入水的法医学应用研究

目的探讨扫描电镜/能谱分析在溺死的法医学鉴定中的作用。方法实验选用20例已知生前入水尸体,11例已知的死后入水尸体和2例陆地死亡尸体。在每个肺叶各取3个切面,每个切面用扫描电镜取样台胶面与肺叶的切面充分接触,另在落水地点取水样一份,进行对比。扫描电镜取样台胶在切面上充分接触后封闭取材盒,真空干燥后,直接在扫描电镜下进行观察。结果20例生前入水尸体在肺组织中均检出异物颗粒,并且与对照水样中检出的异物颗粒相吻合;而死后入水的尸体和在陆地上死亡的尸体肺组织中均未检出明显的异物颗粒,3者比较P<0.0001。在肺组织支气管切面中,生前入水的20例中有15例检出异物颗粒,在边缘肺切面及中间切面中分别有13例检出异物颗粒,统计学无明显差异。结论本实验建立的肺脏内异物颗粒取材方法准确可靠实用。对综合判断案件的性质,判断溺死尸体入水地点的具有积极意义。较好地解决了实验室检验中的污染问题。腐败尸体对检测结果无影响。     

Imperial Incompetence and Guatemalan Militarism, 1931–1966

Drawing of Guatemalan and US sources, this paper complicates the instrumentalist argument that US assistance and intervention explain the Guatemalan military's repeated intervention in politics, and the rise of a military government in 1963. This study contends that the US government had little to do with giving Guatemalan officers the capacity and motive to intervene in politics. However, the US did contribute to their opportunity to intervene through its opposition to regimes it opposed, as was the case in the infamous 1954 coup, and also by inadvertently weakening regimes it backed.     

关于公安理论的继承、创新和发展问题

公安理论的研究必须坚持以马列主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论和江泽民“三个代表”主要思想为基础,解放思想,转变观念,用新的思维方式观察市场经济条件下的社会治安形势和公安工作行为,把分散、零星、低质的公安理论通过加工,使之集中、系统和高质化,成为可靠的科学理论。在研究过程中,要注意解决好研究范围要明确、研究力量要相对集中、研究成果的升华和转化问题,以使公安理论研究健康发展。     

论我国外商投资立法模式取向

我国外商投资立法模式应从目前的分散立法向集中立法转变。在这一转变过程中,应做好外商投资法与《公司法》的衔接工作。本文针对有些学者提出的不再保留专门外资法,将外商投资企业完全适用于《公司法》的观点发表了不同看法。     

'A Woman's Touch in Foreign Affairs'? The Career of Ambassador Frances E. Willis

Although women have now attained the top ranks of American foreign policymaking, we know relatively little about the early history of American women diplomats, and even less about one of the most important: Frances E. Willis (1899-1983), the first woman chief of mission to have emerged from the career Foreign Service. This article seeks to help fill this gap by tracing Willis' career; suggesting how she succeeded; and exploring how she approached 'the women's issue'. It argues, in part, that Willis' success stemmed from the influence of mentors; her competence, perfectionism, and self-confidence; and her refusal to make an issue of her sex. These survival strategies notwithstanding, it also concludes that Willis exhibited gender-consciousness, took pride in her accomplishments as a woman, and knowingly pursued low-key, moderate means towards feminist ends.