Sri Lanka’s Long Constitutional Moment

Constitutional change in Sri Lanka has been a vexed issue and one mired in party politics for many years now. Particularly intractable difficulties have surfaced over whether the country should jettison the semi-presidential form of government, introduced in 1978, in favour of a Westminster model under which the prime minister would enjoy greater powers. The recent presidential and parliamentary elections, which saw a decisive shift in the popular mood, have brought the debate over constitutional reform into sharp focus and have already led to a number of important initiatives by the new government headed by President Maithripala Sirisena. This article assesses the implications of those initiatives and examines the key challenges that remain to be addressed. It argues that the ‘constitutional moment’ created by the combined outcome of the two recent elections has the potential for further, far-reaching reform.     

GATT1994第20条的权利性质分析——对WTO上诉机构相关裁决的思考

GATT第20条"一般例外"条款的核心是,豁免成员方为保护人类生命健康以及保护可用竭资源等目的而采取违反WTO规则或其所作承诺的贸易限制措施,在WTO体制尚无具体环境规则的情形下,该条款是WTO成员方可资援引以实现环境保护目的的重要协定条款。但根据WTO上诉机构的裁决,在出口税方面,中国政府却无权引用"一般例外"条款,这在WTO成员中绝无仅有,其后果十分严重。在现代国际法中,GATT第20条保护的人权、动植物的生命健康权以及可持续发展权均是主权国家应享有的固有权利,是国际法赋予国家的固有权利,同时也是主权国家必须履行的国际法义务,绝不可因WTO成员方明示或暗示、直接或间接、单方或协议的方式而被放弃。WTO上诉机构认定,中国因《加入议定书》第11.3条未明确规定引入GATT1994或"一般例外"就丧失了援引"一般例外"条款的豁免权利,这样的结论与国际法的理论和最新实践可谓背道而驰。     

International Pressure and Domestic Precedent: Japan's Resettlement of Indochinese Refugees

Abstract

Why did Japan decide to admit more than 11,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia between 1975 and 2005? The conventional explanation is that Japan admitted these refugees because of pressure from foreign countries, and particularly from the United States. In this article, I argue that, in addition to foreign pressure, there was another factor that was important in causing Japan to admit these refugee populations. Japanese leaders agreed to admit Indochinese refugees because they came to believe that this would not set a precedent that would make Japan into a major destination for refugee resettlement.     

Sexual Assault Training of Law Enforcement Officers

Abstract

The importance of proper response to victims of sexual abuse or assault has been well documented. However, despite their prominence as responders, little research has been conducted on training law enforcement officials to conduct this aspect of their jobs effectively. We describe results of a statewide survey of the adequacy of law enforcement officers' preparation to respond to victims of sexual assault. Results revealed a significant need for greater training on the topic, as well as a number of potential positive impacts of additional training and education, including feelings of better preparation, greater collaboration with external resources, more likelihood of victim participation in investigation, and more cases being brought to prosecution. Based on the results, we present a model of proposed benefits of additional training for police officers in sexual assault.     

域外医疗纠纷ADR制度对我国医疗纠纷人民调解制度的启示

本文采用比较研究的方法,通过介绍域外医疗纠纷非诉讼法律制度的创新之处,从中借鉴其合理设置,为进一步完善我国医疗纠纷处理机制,优化我国医疗纠纷人民调解制度,构建和谐医患关系提供一个较为开阔的视角和思路。     

新时代国家治理视野中的人民法庭及其功能塑造

人民法庭作为国家司法权在基层社会的表征,在不同时期发挥着不同功能。新时代人民法庭是乡村社会"在法治轨道上推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化"的重要参与者,承担着通过乡村法治推进国家法治秩序生成的职责,应当着眼于乡村社会结构变迁、"自治、法治、德治相结合"的乡村治理体系以及制度规范引领下的乡村治理逻辑,重新审视人民法庭的设立依据,并赋予法律适用、乡村规范型塑、价值判断和法治文化培育等功能,打造以人民法庭为中心的乡村法治权威,建立现代乡村法治秩序。     

Marriage and power: Age at first marriage and spousal age gap in lesser developed countries

This paper examines age at first marriage for women and spousal age gap as an indicator for female agency from 1950 to 2005. Using a dataset of 77 LDCs this paper seeks to explore which variables determine differences at a country level in marriage patterns. We look at the influence of urbanisation, education, percentage population of Muslim faith, and family type. We find that education is a key in determining at what age women marry, having as would be expected a positive effect on age at first marriage and depressing spousal age gap. Urbanisation is significant, with a positive effect on age and negative on spousal age gap, although the effect is not very large. The percentage Muslim variable depresses female age at first marriage and increases spousal age gap but only when family type is not controlled for. The initially strong negative effect of percentage population Muslim over the period under consideration on age of first marriage has decreased, which raises some interesting questions about the role of Islam in female empowerment.     

能动司法的宪法界限

当下中国的能动司法不同于西方的司法能动主义,其理论表达和实践形态呈现出多样性和复杂性。各地区、各层级人民法院的积极实践,使得能动司法遍地开花。但是,能动司法也应有必要的限度。我国现行宪法规定,＂中华人民共和国人民法院是国家的审判机关。＂这就要求能动司法在展开的同时,注意人民法院是国家的,而非地方的,以防出现司法地方化的问题;注意人民法院是专司审判职能的审判就关,而非履行其他职能的国家机关,以免能动司法变成了＂盲动司法＂。     

《第三届海峡论坛·海峡百姓论坛》综述

第三届海峡论坛·海峡百姓论坛既为海峡两岸民间自发,更是闽台两岸两地百姓创举。论坛自2007年以来分别在福建福州、台湾台中和福建泉州成功举办。第三届海峡百姓论坛与历届相比,规模空前,亮点纷呈,成效突出,实现多项新的跨越,形成一些新的学术观点。本次论坛凸显了“两岸同根闽台一家”的主题,彰显了“以民为本,为民谋利”的理念,蕴含着“两岸同心,共谋未来”的精神,提供了应用现代科学来验证闽台同根同源的佐证,首发《闽台百家姓》把两岸姓氏学术研究提高到新起点。论坛的民间性、草根性与广泛性充分体现了血融于水的亲情,展示了海峡两岸宗亲姓氏文化交流和中华文化交流的亲和力和生命力。     

司法实践中查处职务犯罪“12小时”讯问的弊端及立法建议

司法实践中,检察机关查处职务犯罪＂12小时＂的讯问暴露出种种弊端,有必要对此进行深入地调研和分析,以引起司法界和立法者的注意和重视,以期对检察机关的侦查工作有所促进。