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.     

The forgotten success story: Japan and the methamphetamine problem

This paper examines Japan's policy towards methamphetamine (Japanese: hiropon). Opium has been used in Japan for medicinal purposes since 1722. However, it was strictly controlled. The result was that drug abuse was minuscule. This changed with the introduction of methamphetamine. During the Second World War hiropon was given by the military to fighter pilots and the signal corps in order to help them stay awake and alert. After 1945, the large military stockpiles of methamphetamine found their way onto the black market. With society in chaos, drug abuse spread rapidly and a hiropon epidemic emerged. The introduction of a comprehensive anti-drug package in the mid-1950s, including stricter laws, resulted in that abuse having been almost totally eradicated by 1957. Around 1970 a new wave of abuse (‘the second epidemic’) began. It peaked around 1985, after which abuse tampered off, albeit slowly. A temporary increase in the mid-1990s made Japanese authorities declare the emergence of ‘the third epidemic’ that is still said to be ongoing. Official statistics show, however, that Japan has not seen any such epidemic. In comparison with most other Western countries, methamphetamine abuse in Japan is modest.     

论财政法与财政政策的耦合

财政法和财政政策都是国家管理财政经济活动的两种相互独立的调整机制。二者具有不同的价值、调节功能和特点。为进一步贯彻落实科学发展观,推进民主法治进程,实现和谐社会目标,必须充分认识财政法的社会和谐与公平价值,消除财政法和财政政策的对立,发挥二者所具有的特殊调节功能,使财政法与财政政策在社会主义市场经济基础上耦合起来。     

植入式广告的法律规制研究

植入式广告作为一种新颖的营销方式,近年得以快速发展。植入式广告在本质上仍然属于广告,这使得植入式广告的隐蔽性和广告规制所要求的广告可识别性之间存在冲突。如果不将植入式广告纳入到广告规制法律体系中,会对消费者权益、媒体以及现行广告规制体系等都构成极大的损害。但是,过于严厉的规制方式则会扼杀植入式广告的价值。因此,对于植入式广告的规制需要针对其隐蔽性特点而在规制方式上有所变化:一方面,根据植入式广告可能的危害程度进行区分,以类型化的方式予以规制;另一方面,通过对广告披露的方式、程度进行相应的规定,健全广告信息披露制度,从而抑制植入式广告的负面效果。     

超越主客观解释论:刑法解释标准研究

合理解释刑法是正确适用刑法的前提,因而探寻解释合理与否的标准构成刑法解释理论的核心。传统刑法解释理论的解释标准,无论是主观解释论的立法原意标准还是客观解释论的客观意思标准,都存在诸多缺陷,因此,必须根据以人为本的理念,从理解人本身的视角确立刑法解释的标准。在以人为本的理念下,刑法解释主体是具有多元价值观的解释者构成的解释共同体,刑法解释的标准是多元互动解释共同体通过对话协商获得的共识。制度化的对话协商可以通过求同存异的办法防止实质性价值冲突的激化,成为刑法解释及适用的合法性保障。     

从“卡翁达诉南非共和国总统案”看外交保护的另一种国家实践

外交保护的实施过程可以区分为国内决策阶段和利用国际法向侵害本国人权利的相对国采取措施的阶段。因此,在国内决策阶段中有一种不可忽视的实践,那就是认为从国内法角度来看国家负有以一切可能方式保护本国公民的义务。但是,实际上外交是国家行为,它代表国民的整体利益。因而在具体个案中可能需要从大局出发采取和缓的方式对权益受侵害的国民进行保护或放弃保护。但,必须建立有效的机制以沟通被害者和实行外交保护的公权力机构。在对公共利益和私人利益进行取舍时,可能需要考虑相应的补偿问题。以此为出发点,对将以外交保护方式保护国民作为国家宪法义务的国家实践进行研究。     

新《保险法》对中国海上保险合同法律的影响

2009年2月公布的《中华人民共和国保险法》在很多方面进行了重大的修改,势必对中国海上保险合同法律制度产生重要影响。一方面是对海上保险合同法律的补充,另一方面同《中华人民共和国海商法》在海上保险合同不少制度和规则上出现了程度不同的差异。而这些也为后者未来的修改提供了丰富的素材和良好的借鉴蓝本。     

中国侵权责任法解说

对2010年7月1日生效的《中华人民共和国侵权责任法》进行全面解说十分必要。对该部法律的法律结构和立法模式、一般条款和保护客体、归责事由、多数人的侵权行为、人身损害的赔偿、财产损失的计算、侵害人身权益造成财产损失的赔偿、精神损害赔偿、停止侵害请求权、使用人责任、网络侵权责任、安全保障义务、惩罚性赔偿、建筑物责任等十四个方面进行解读,串引了我国侵权责任法的几乎全部制度。通过对该法制定前的学说特别是最高人民法院一系列司法解释发展脉络的总结分析,以及对该法与日本等国家和地区相同、相关制度的对应性比较考察,既有对各条款基本文义的解释,又有条款设计的妥当性论证,向读者传达了关于中国侵权责任法主要制度的立法理由说明。     

The new progress in Chinese Arbitration Law

The Chinese Arbitration Law of 1995, together with the Civil Procedure Law and other sources of arbitration laws, is served as the legal bases for the Chinese arbitration system. Compared with advanced arbitration systems in the world, there still exist some defects of the Chinese Arbitration Law due to its lack of rich legislative experience and the conservative attitude toward arbitration. However, the Judicial Interpretation by the Supreme Court of China in 1995 makes a progress in Chinese Arbitration Law by strengthening the support to arbitration, but not playing the interventionist role of it.     

论我国社区矫正制度的确立——以《中华人民共和国刑法修正案（八）》为观照

社区矫正代表着当今行刑制度的发展趋势。刑法修正案（八）实行社区矫正的规定,为司法行政机关开展社区矫正工作提供了法律依据,为改革完善我国刑罚执行制度奠定了重要基础,标志着我国社区矫正法律制度的确立。