Reviews

Books reviewed:
Christine Gray, International Law and the Use of Force
Phoebe Okowa, State Responsibility for Transboundary Air Pollution in International Law
Brian Leiter, Objectivity in Law and Morals
Robert Wintemute and Mads Andenas (eds.), Legal Recognition of Same–Sex Partnerships: A Study of National, European and International Law
Gillian Douglas, An Introduction to Family Law
Sandra Fredman, Discrimination and Human Rights: The Case of Racism
John Monahan et al, Rethinking Risk Assessment: The MacArthur Study of Mental Disorder and Violence
Jenny Fleming and Ian Holland (eds.), Motivating Ministers to Morality     

RETHINKING JUVENILE STATUS OFFENSE LAWS: CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION ACT

Families struggling with a breakdown in communication, trying to control the behavior of an unruly child, or experiencing a crisis often look for outside help. Many families, particularly those without resources to pay for private support, turn to their local status offense system. Status offenders are young people charged with behavior unique to their status as juveniles such as running away, truancy, or disobedience. In 2007, Congress will begin to consider reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), the federal act related to status‐offender policy. By providing an overview of recent state status‐offense legislation and case law, this article identifies issues to be addressed by Congress in reauthorizing the JJDPA.     

THE CAUSES OF GIRLS’ DELINQUENCY AND THEIR PROGRAM IMPLICATIONS

This article summarizes some of the literature reviewed by the Girls Study Group, which is a federally funded project aimed at assessing the causes of girls’ delinquency as well as evaluating programs to address it. The literature reveals that a number of factors such as family dysfunction, involvement with antisocial peers, and living in disadvantaged neighborhoods are correlated with delinquency for both boys and girls. Some factors, however, are gender sensitive, meaning that either girls are more exposed to a given risk factor than boys or react somewhat differently to a given risk factor. Girls have higher rates of exposure to sexual assault, which is associated with delinquency and, although more research is needed, they are more affected by the impacts of early puberty, when it is coupled with harsh parenting and disadvantaged neighborhoods. This article discusses some implications of the research on correlates of delinquency for programming for girls and makes recommendations for program selection.     

按势分配与社会公正：乡镇煤矿背后的利益关系——以湖南塘镇为例

利益分配是考察社会公正与和谐社会建设的一个视角.基于湖南塘镇乡镇煤矿背后的矿主、矿工、村组、基层政府及各相关部门、红黑恶势之间利益关系的考察发现,乡镇煤矿背后存在着按势分配的两端:一端是在井下漆黑世界劳作的外地农民矿工,另一端则是一些握有权杖的腐败官员或依仗暴力的社会混混.这样一种按势分配的利益格局对社会公正形成了强烈的挑战.我国目前收入分配差距过大的原因,主要不在于市场化,而在于制度不健全所导致的腐败和灰色收入.     

公务员行政责任追究立法研究

公务员行政责任追究立法是行政法制建设的重要环节。解决当前公务员行政责任追究制度不规范现象,必须加强公务员行政责任追究立法。公务员行政责任追究立法,在立法模式上应采用半统一立法模式,在立法思想上应贯彻宁疏勿密立法思想,在立法原则上应坚持教惩结合立法原则。     

民事诉讼审限制度的存与废

诉讼效率与法院的结构和运作紧密联系.在立法上诉讼效率取决于程序的科学构建,司法运作中则决定于案件管理水平.审理期限是一种视野过于狭窄的诉讼效率衡量体系,弹性过大的制度设置使其难以精确衡量并提高诉讼效率,故应以诉讼周期取而代之.本质上审理期限是法官职业伦理问题,而非民事诉讼法程序制度.在即将修改民事诉讼法之际,删除审限制度规定,加强对诉讼机能的调整,为当事人设置诉讼促进义务,使诉讼程序合理衔接,是提高诉讼效率的理性选择.     

论行政成文法主义的危机

行政成文法是现代行政法的主流,进入21世纪后,随着社会格局和法治理念的变化,行政成文法主义的理论基础和实践状态已岌岌可危.但这一问题并未引起我国学界的广泛关注.正是基于这样的状况,我们对行政成文法主义的危机进行了较为系统的探讨.认为其存在诸多先天的不足,这些不足正是导致行政成文法危机的诱因.行政成文法危机的产生有着深层次的原因,这从国家权力全球化倾向、利益组合多元化倾向等角度可得到佐证.为了应对行政成文法主义危机的客观现实,我国行政法治的走向应有新的进路,包括行政法理念符合时代精神、行政法治大系统相对开放、行政法体系予以分解、行政法渊源多元化.     

论行政征收的公共利益判断

公共利益需要是行政征用的首要原则,公益性的有无是判断征用合法与否的重要要件.我国的行政征收制度忽视区分公共利益的应然层面和实然层面的两层含义,侧重于维护"绝对的公共利益".关于公共利益的讨论,应当着眼于支撑着公共利益应然性表达的实然性表达,即行政和司法审查的制度结构和运作过程.从这种角度出发,应当重点考虑公益界定向程序化和技术化的界定模式转化.     

关于构建我国行政公开法律救济制度的思考

行政公开是行政主体应尽的法定义务和职责,行政不公开应属于行政不作为的范畴。没有相应法律救济制度,在很大程度上会导致行政公开只能流于形式,因此必须构建行政公开法律救济制度。本文从构建行政公开法律救济制度的理论依据分析入手,结合国外行政公开法律救济制度与我国的实际情况,提出了建立与完善我国行政公开法律救济制度的一些粗浅看法。     

目前我国行政立法监督机制探讨

很长一段时间,我国没有统一的行政立法程序,行政机关一般都按照自己制定的程序进行行政立法。我国目前没有统一的监督行政立法的法律规定,只是通过批准和备案两种监督方式对行政立法进行监督,除此之外,再没有“事前”和“事后”的监督措施,我国目前也还没有建立对行政立法的司法审查制度。因此,我们有必要对目前我国行政立法监督机制进行探讨。