Corporate power in Australian policy making: The case of unfair contract laws

There is increasing concern about the impact of corporate power on Australian policy making. This article examines the dynamics of corporate influence by examining the battle between big business and small business over “unfair contract” laws. It explores whether big business exerted disproportionate power, and if it did whether it was structural, ideational, or instrumental power. It finds that while recent scholarship has been focused on structural and ideational sources of power, there is strong evidence of a narrowly conceived instrumental power exerting considerable influence within both of the major parties. Further, it concludes this form of instrumental power presents the most serious threat to democratic policy making.     

Private regulatory capture via harmonization: An analysis of global retailer regulatory intermediaries

Studies using the Regulatory–Intermediary–Target (RIT) framework have examined a variety of forms of regulatory capture, including how targets capture intermediaries (T?I) and how intermediaries capture regulators (I?R). Little attention has been paid to why and how regulators themselves might engage in capture. Yet such a scenario is likely in transnational governance settings characterized by regulatory competition and conflict, as well as power differentials between different types of private regulators (non‐governmental organizations, multinational corporations, and business associations). This paper elucidates why and how a private regulator might capture another private regulator via a regulatory intermediary: R1?I?R2. Drawing on interview and archival data, I examine three industry‐driven regulatory intermediaries created to harmonize private labor codes of conduct and ethical audit processes. These are founded and governed by a small group of retail trade associations and global retailers who also fulfill the role of private regulators (R1). My analysis reveals that the creation of these intermediaries is driven by global retailers’ reliance on standardization, low transaction costs, and regulatory harmonization across all aspects of their operations. It further reveals how the harmonization platforms are designed to leverage global retailers’ market power and evolve from regulatory intermediaries into de facto regulators that supplant existing private regulators (R2), and thereby capture transnational governance of consumer product supply chains. The article concludes by discussing contributions, implications, and avenues for future research.     

论商业信托法律主体地位的确定

商业信托是商事信托的一种具体形式,商业信托具有偿性、组织性及财产独立性等法律特征。赋予商业信托法律主体地位实际上是国家立法政策及价值选择问题,在理论上不存在障碍。美国的成文法商业信托取得完全的法律主体地位是一个长期的历史选择。随着商业信托在中国越来越多地被应用,应当逐步规定商业信托的法律主体地位,这有助于解决商业信托领域中存在的信托财产所有权、受托人有限责任、商业信托正确设立等方面存在的一些理论与实践问题。     

论营业资产转让的法律效力

目前我国法律对营业资产转让未做具体规定,但实践中营业资产转让的行为却客观存在,因此有必要对营业资产转让的行为进行深入研究。本文通过考察国外相关立法对营业资产转让的相关规定,结合典型案例,探讨了营业资产转让对转让人的法律效力、对受让人的法律效力、对第三人的法律效力,剖析营业资产转让中存在的一些问题,提出相关的立法建议。     

植入广告商业伦理与法律的关系探析

近年一些影视作品中混入一些与故事情节没有关联的广告画语,突兀的广告打断了故事和观赏愉悦感,引起了消费者反感。植入广告的原则应当是艺术性第一,广告性第二,制片方不可在影视作品中肆意植入广告,这应当是影视作品制造业商业伦理的一个基本内容,以不惹受众反感为基本标准。商业道德在任何产业都是存在的,它没有明确具体的量化标准,没有文字规范,只是以争议是否得到多数人的褒贬来判断其是否有瑕疵,监管部门可以适当干预。     

融资融券担保性质的界定

融资融券交易是我国证券市场一种新型交易制度。该交易中的担保法律关系最能反映出融资融券交易制度的特点,也是整个交易法律关系中最为重要的部分。但是,我国目前相关法律法规并未明确其性质。理论界对此也存在巨大争议。具有代表性的学说有“让与担保说”、“信托说”及“最高额质权说”。确定融资融券担保的性质不仅能为解决实践中的各种纠纷提供充分的法理依据,对融资融券制度的进一步发展亦至关重要。     

金融危机下大学生创业贷款科技创新的法律制度完善

目前,我国大学生就业形势严峻,国家及各级政府为大学生创业制定了多项优惠政策,其中小额贷款的灵活性、便捷性的优势为大学生科技创业提供了有力的经济支持。由于科技创业项目的研发风险大、市场回报不明确,现有的小额贷款风险评估体系及贷款监管机制不能有效控制大学生科技创业的贷款风险。在分析大学生科技创业特点的基础上,从法律的视角,围绕小额贷款风险监控机制,剖析我国目前大学生科技创业贷款存在的问题,并提出若干法律制度完善建议。     

论《刑法修正案（八）》中的人体器官犯罪

在《刑法修正案（八）》颁布之前,对非法买卖人体器官行为以非法经营罪加以认定,可以说是在法律未对非法买卖人体器官犯罪加以明确规定的情况下司法机关所采取的权宜之计。《刑法修正案（八）》对人体器官犯罪的规制,有助于从根本上惩治人体器官犯罪,强化刑法对民生的保护。《刑法修正案（八）》第37条所规定的人体器官犯罪涵盖了组织出卖人体器官罪、故意伤害罪、故意杀人罪和盗窃、侮辱尸体罪等四种犯罪。作为人体器官犯罪的对象,人体器官既包括活体器官,也涵盖尸体器官,但不包括同属人体材料的人体组织和人体细胞。在＂摘取未满18周岁的人的器官＂的场合,只有在行为人明知被害人未满18周岁的情况下才能认定故意的成立。《刑法修正案（八）》未将单位规定为人体器官犯罪的主体,且在对精神病人人体器官的特殊保护方面处于缺位状态,这实属立法缺憾。     

谈商务类专业学生求职的"板凳模式"

面向人力资源市场求职是获得工作岗位的重要手段,如果我们把求职比喻成一条板凳,那么,支撑这条板凳的"四条腿"分别是:求职者的素质、求职者的包装和技巧、求职机遇的发现和把握、求职者对人力资源市场的人才价值规律的认识,这就是求职的"板凳模式".熟悉和掌握求职的"板凳模式",有助于求职者更快、更好地找到一个满意的工作岗位.