After Waterhouse: vicarious liability and the tort of institutional abuse

As evidence of the extent of the abuse of children in residential care increases, our understanding of this terrible wrong has altered. These assaults are an institutional syndrome, at the same time that they are individual crimes; certain systems of institutional care are conducive to/foster abuse behaviour (acting as 'crucibles' rather than 'honeypots'for rogue paedophiles). A theory of vicarious (institutional) liability is appropriate if we understand a syndrome of institutional abuse in this way, as involving institutional responsibility in addition to individual fault. The recent decision of the Canadian Supreme Court in Bazley v Curry found a children's home vicariously liable for sexual assaults of an employee on the basis of responsibility through the creation of risk, an analysis of and apportionment of liability which is appropriate to the special syndrome of institutional abuse, while encouraging deterrence and providing fair and practical compensation to victims. This analysis/liability is supported by an economic analysis of institutional child abuse and decision making in child protection.     

我国行政复议证据制度的突出问题与完善路径

我国行政复议证据制度存在的问题主要是举证责任规定不够全面、证据开示和质证有所缺失、证据认定规则缺失、证明标准可操作性不强且严苛。修改的方向和原则应当是准司法化、兼顾效率与公正、内容体系化。具体来说,应当在总则中规定总体要求,完善举证责任制度,增加证据交换、保全、排除、自认、补强制度,限制复议机关所调取证据的效力,根据行政复议的目的和使命合理设定证明标准,对证据和程序两部分的内容分类归并,等等。     

宁波市地方卫生立法的现状研究

宁波市是国务院批准的具有地方立法权的较大的市。近年来为了促进地方卫生事业的发展,保障人民健康权益,宁波市不断推进地方卫生立法工作,取得了较为突出的成效。本文通过对宁波地方卫生立法的类型进行分析,归纳了宁波市地方卫生立法的特点,宁波市地方卫生立法体现了＂以人为本,立法为民＂,体现了前瞻性和创新性,体现了区域特殊性和相对独立性,并且在实施过程中取得了明显的成效。     

Intellectual iconoclasm as modernizing foreign policy: the cases of Mahathir bin Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew

This article attempts to engage in a preliminary twinned study of the foreign policy styles of Mahathir bin Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew within the framework of ‘modernizing Southeast Asian foreign policies’. Modernization is a process of immense multidimensional displacement in economy, society, political system, attitudes towards politicians, identities, work, and consumption. As such the onus falls upon their leaders to either mitigate change or productively awaken their followers to embrace a new mode of thought. Both Lee and Mahathir have however chosen to engage in the foreign policy of intellectual iconoclasm featuring the narrative of ‘productive shock’, manufactured nationalist logics, elitist policy-making and elaborate self-propaganda.     

问题案件评析——“乃扒涉嫌故意杀人案”剖析

纵观"乃扒涉嫌故意杀人案"卷宗时,发现该案件在侦查破案过程中,存在侦查过程不清、被害人身份不明、审讯技巧不佳、现场有关痕迹形成没有进行合理分析、现场物证提取使用过程、卷宗制作不认真、诉讼意识不强等问题。     

Political actors,preferences and election rule re-design in Russia and Ukraine

Institutional designers, international organizations and post-Soviet political actors have directed considerable attention to the design and conduct of elections in postcommunist states. This article explores the nature of electoral system re-design by investigating the motives and interactions of legislators, parties and presidents. Following the veto players literature, the analysis focuses on the determinants of policy stability and change. The process of institutional re-design is evaluated in two cases: the successful introduction of the Law on Political Parties in Russia and unsuccessful attempts at major election reform in Ukraine. The article shows that the outcomes of policy reform processes in these 'superpresidential' systems were not solely determined by presidential preferences. Rather, to fully understand election system re-design, it is critical to evaluate the preferences of all relevant veto players.     

浙江建设“重要窗口”的制度基础

浙江在以往跨越式发展中形成的诸多制度经验,不仅是浙江忠实践行“八八战略”、奋力打造“重要窗口”,争创社会主义现代化先行省的制度基础,而且对于全国乃至形成更具普遍价值的中国方案,推动全球治理,亦有着重要的借鉴意义。它们包括但不限于：率先启动并深化拓展“最多跑一次”改革,形成坚持以人民为中心发展思想的制度体系;鼓励基层有序创新民主治理体制机制,深化“法治浙江”建设,建立完善与浙江高水平发展相适应的法治体系;主动适应现代治理新场景,全面转变治理理念,积极引入数字技术,构建整体智治的现代政府新形态;联动推进行政审批制度改革和要素市场化配置改革,加快构建开放型经济新体制,巩固完善社会主义市场经济体系;完善创新驱动的发展机制,强化经济社会发展引领机制,率先形成绿色、集约的高质量经济发展新体系;高标准建设社会保障和公共服务制度,形成公平有效可持续的民生保障体系;高水平推进“平安浙江”建设,“枫桥经验”推陈出新,“三治融合”全面开展,形成既稳定有序又充满活力的社会治理体系;践行“绿水青山就是金山银山”理念,建设美丽浙江,形成人与自然和谐共生的绿色发展体制机制;探索建立中心城市辐射带动的治理机制,建立完善城乡融合发展的体制机制与政策体系,实施“山海协作”机制,形成城乡、区域协调发展新体系;着力提升文化软实力,推进“文化浙江”建设,形成坚持和完善繁荣发展社会主义先进文化的制度。     

农村城镇化与制度创新

我国农村城镇化进程中不可避免地出现了一些问题。从理论和实践的结合上弄清农村城镇化推进与制度的关系,从制度创新入手解决问题,是走中国特色城镇化道路的现实选择。     

上海世博交通需求分析与对策思考

上海世博交通需求的快速增长,增加了世博交通保障的难度。公安机关交通管理部门要借鉴国外先进经验,根据上海世博会客流特点,坚持可持续发展的理念,构建有效的世博交通体系。     

制度环境、技术效率与区域经济增长差异

将影响技术效率的制度因素纳入效率评价模型,运用构造的DEA三阶段模型测算了1995-2007年中国29个省级行政单位(文中简称省市区或省份)经制度环境变量调整前后的技术效率水平,并对制度环境与地区间技术效率水平及相应的增长差异进行了分析。研究结果表明:第一,中国技术效率整体上呈波动型增长趋势,但与经济周期的波动趋势并不吻合,效率改善并非经济高速增长的主要原因;第二,制度环境影响各地区技术效率水平,技术效率的不同又是造成区域经济增长差异的重要原因。所有制改革、对外开放、财税体制改革等制度变迁均有利于技术效率的改善,而城镇化、科技体制改革对技术效率的影响并不显著;第三,东、中、西部地区纯技术效率呈收敛增长趋势,且西部地区技术效率低下的主要原因在于规模非效率;第四,制度环境变量调整后各地区技术效率差异逐步增加,制度因素在区域经济平衡发展方面具有重要作用。