The Issue of Ethics and Authority for Licensed Mental Health Professionals Involved in Parenting Coordination

We examine the ethics of licensed mental health professionals accepting the authority inherent in binding arbitration when acting as parenting coordinators (PCs). PCs execute their duties under the umbrella of their professional identity and standards of practice. Fundamental differences exist in how the law and the behavioral sciences conceive human behavior and authority, in particular, authority by role and authority by status. Ethical concerns arise when licensed mental health professionals accept the authority to render binding judgments and ask clients to surrender their autonomy through informed consent. We offer recommendations for PCs to avoid these ethical complications.     

中国部门行政职权相对集中初论

为了解决我国行政执法领域存在的部门林立、多头执法、重复执法、执法扰民与执法低效等问题,必须系统地进行行政职权的优化配置,积极推行部门行政职权相对集中,探求行政执法体制改革与创新的路径,实现行政精简、统一与效能。目前,推行部门行政职权相对集中,在认识因素、适用依据和保障机制等方面还面临着诸多障碍,这在一定程度上制约了部门行政职权相对集中的改革进程。为此,必须更新行政执法观念,加强行政法制建设,促进行政体制与制度创新,完善相应的保障机制等,以使这项改革取得实质性的进展,达到预期的目标。     

我国审判委员会制度存在的问题及对策研究

审判委员会制度是一项具有中国特色的司法制度,它在提高办案质量、维护司法独立等方面确实起到了一定的积极作用。然而,随着我国审判方式改革的不断深入,现行审判委员会制度日益背离公开、高效的审判机制改革的价值方向,在回避制度、受案范围和工作运行等方面的矛盾与不足也日益凸显。所以,从规范工作职责、健全工作机构和制定工作制度等几个方面对审判委员会制度进行改革是十分必要的。     

第三人撤销之诉的解释适用——以新《民事诉讼法》第56条的适用为视角

为遏制司法实践中频现的恶意诉讼、虚假诉讼,对遭受此类诉讼侵害的案外第三人提供有效的权利救济,新修订的《民事诉讼法》第56条第三款增加了第三人撤销之诉制度。该制度是立法者在追求司法的权威性、法律秩序的稳定性与追求实质正义的价值理念上博弈的成果。从第三人撤销之诉的立法渊源、内涵来看,对该制度在适用中应该予以限制,并且从我国新《民事诉讼法》第56条的解释适用方面出发,应当建立并完善该制度实施的程序设计及相关的配套措施,为实践提供借鉴。     

Procedural justice and the judge–probationer relationship in a co-occurring disorders court

Although a considerable amount of research has been conducted on treatment-based courts, there is little quantitative evidence that describes the relationship between the judge and the probationer. The present study examines perceptions of the judge–probationer relationship (JPR), procedural justice, and outcome satisfaction within a co-occurring disorders court (CODC) in Orange County, California. Based on interview and survey data from a sample of probationers within the CODC (n = 24), this article argues that perceptions of procedural justice are linked to perceptions of relationship quality between the judge and probationer. Analysis of the data found that probationers in the CODC have very positive views of their relationships with the judge, and elements of relationship quality are significantly linked with perceptions of procedural justice. Procedural justice is also a predictor of satisfaction with outcome in this sample. The results show promise that procedural justice and the quality of the judge–probationer relationship can positively affect probationers with co-occurring disorders in specialty courts.     

Millenarian groups and law enforcement agencies: The lessons of Waco

Why do violent movements participate in elections? To answer this question, we examine Hamas's formation of the Reform and Change Party and its iconic victory in the 2006 elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council. We argue that Hamas's formation of this party was a logical step, following nearly two decades of participation in local and municipal elections. Hamas's need to attract resources from external donors, who make funding decisions based on civilian support for the movement, best explains why Hamas decided to participate in local elections in the early 1990s, taking Hamas on a path that eventually led to its 2006 legislative victory. Hamas's foray into elections was consistent with its dual strategy of directing violence against Israel and building Palestinian support through welfare services. We demonstrate that changes in political opportunities (Fatah's decline and the increase in Hamas's popularity), institutional incentives (lax electoral laws and the holding of municipal elections), and the rise of moderate voices within Hamas explain the timing of its entry into legislative elections. Finally, we discuss Hamas's electoral victory, the need for cooperation between Fatah and Hamas, and the role played by international actors as significant factors influencing prospects for peace and democratization in the region.     

List of Contributors

The emergence of regional parliamentary assemblies (RPAs) in Africa has been on the ascendancy since the mid-twentieth century. The essence of these parliaments is to contribute to regional economic and political integration through oversight, legislation and representation. However, the ability of Africa's RPAs to perform these functions has been challenged by institutional and legal factors. Using five regional parliaments (the East African Legislative Assembly, the Economic Community of West African States Parliament, the Inter-Parliamentary Union of Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Pan-African Parliament and the South African Development Community Parliamentary Forum) as case studies, this paper examines the impact of these challenges on the functionality and viability of Africa's RPAs. It finds that given that these parliaments lack legitimacy of authority and enabling status of operation, they exist merely as deliberative, consultative and advisory bodies rather than independent organs of regional economic communities with full legislative and oversight powers. Consequently, the paper recommends, among other things, the amendment of their constitutive acts to grant them full legislative and oversight functions, and the election of their members by universal adult suffrage in order to give them legitimacy of authority.     

论检察独立——兼论我国检察机构改革

检察独立与检察一体,是现代检察制度创设的关键。检察独立既包括检察机关独立,也包括检察官独立,欧陆国家大多数采用检察一体下的检察独立,我国因国家组织体制的不同,检察独立制度尚未确立,面对司法独立的紧迫性,改革并确立检察独立的现代检察制度,是我国检察机构改革的关键。     

论纪检监察机关办案方式的调整——以刑事诉讼法的最新修正为背景

2012年刑事诉讼法修正案将对纪检监察机关的调查取证活动和现有的办案模式产生一定的影响。为实现纪检监察程序与刑事诉讼程序的无缝对接,需要对纪检监察机关的调查取证方式和办案模式进行必要调整。在调查取证方面,应当提高调查取证程序的规范性,加强对被调查人基本权利的保障,保证所取证据在刑事诉讼中的证据能力,必要时还应对取证程序的合法性进行证明。在办案模式方面,应当与检察机关建立新型的合作分工关系,在证据收集及程序进行方面对检察机关予以协助,并参与相关的诉讼活动。     

Network neutrality: Issues for Australia

The beginning of the 21st century saw the beginning of substantial debate on “open access” to the Internet and the related concept of “network neutrality”. This paper is a short introduction to some of the complexities of the debate, focussing on the difficulties of attempting to regulate rapidly developing technologies, as well as particular issues of price and market regulation in Australia. Generally, network neutrality advocates believe that without regulation, telecommunications companies will use their control over “last mile” infrastructure to engage in discriminatory and anti-competitive practices against content providers. Opponents argue that this concern is illusory, and regulatory restrictions requiring neutrality will in their turn restrict innovation by network providers. In Australia, most discussion has focussed on price and market regulation. However, many Australian opponents of network neutrality say that it is an American problem, irrelevant to Australia, because of different pricing models for the Australian broadband market.