MAGNA CARTA 1215: A GLORIOUS FAILURE

Along with the tradition of celebrating the importance of the Charter of 1215, there is a long tradition of skepticism concerning its purpose (which was not to achieve responsible government but to preserve the property of wealthy landowners), its force (it was annulled by the Pope and repudiated by the king within a few weeks), and even its success as a peace treaty (war broke out within a few months). The author will outline the reasons for skepticism, because we can only see what there is to celebrate in 2015, if we understand that the Charter of 1215 was the failed result of a reactionary armed tax rebellion by wealthy and powerful landowners, who were not trying to make a new constitution. What is there to celebrate? The author will address that question by asking why the Charter of 1215 was neither void (as the Pope asserted) for repugnancy to the King’s authority, nor voidable for duress. The author challenges the idea that the Charter of 1215 is the foundation of the rule of law in England, arguing that the rule of law goes back farther, and that the Charter of 1215 was very limited in its impact. But it did promote the rule of law in two ways: by giving new specificity to legal duties and restrictions that the king had already been subject to, and by highlighting the country’s need for effective processes for giving effect to those duties and restrictions.     

见怪不怪与其怪自败

中国的基尼系数从20世纪80年代的0 25上升到目前的0 458,并且还有进一步扩大的趋势。进入20世纪90年代中期以后,我国城市贫困的状况持续恶化,农村贫困的缓解也面临着极大的困难。即便是按照我们自己制定的非常之低的贫困线来衡量,目前城乡绝对贫困人口的数量也在1亿人上下,如果按照联合国制定的每人每天1美元来衡量,中国的贫困人口总量将达到2 5亿人的规模。     

宗教自由基本权利的肥大症——关于宗教和世界观自由与一般权利有效性请求的关系

当人们通览宗教和世界观自由的基本权利在过去十几年里的实际运用和法教义学上的发展时,很难忽略其在规范性轮廓上萎缩这一事实。这一现象由构成要件要素的发展上更多地考虑主观标准所承载,并且经由联邦宪法法院在司法判例中对有关限制问题的决断性的、限制性的判决而被强化。因此,相对于依据宗教或者世界观的动机而提起的个人的发展请求,一般的法治国规范的有效领域持续地受到限制。当相关现象的潜在冲突在德国呈现趋势性增长的时候,这样的判断就显得越发的危险。     

论表达自由的界限（下）——从比较法、特别是普通法的视角切入

表达自由是自由社会的人们享有的一项带有普遍性的、根本性的权利,通常表现为宪法或法律规定的权利。鉴于各国政治和法律体制以及文化环境之不同,人们享有该项权利的普遍性和充分性存在很多差别,因此,可从比较法,特别是普通法的角度关注该项根本权利的行使及对其设定的界限和施加的限制,集中展示强加这等界限或限制的法理学说、理据以及方法和途径,并分析提出具有普遍意义的结论。     

论常识主义刑法观

刑法学发展至今貌似精巧,但理论构造似乎离生活常识越来越远,使得理论与公众的规范感觉、认同感觉之间的分歧很大。刑法研究无论走何种道路,可能都面临需要重新思考的问题:在我们的生活当中,哪些是常识性的东西,亦或哪些是生活经验上特别值得重视的东西。刑法学回归常识主义,要重视两个问题:一方面,刑法本身对社会有什么益处?或者刑法的社会功能究竟是什么?另一方面,刑法学回归常识主义,是否有可能性?亦即使刑法学和生活常识接近,或者尽量回归生活常识、尽量让公众能够去认同是否有可能?如果有可能,则其出发点或者基点是什么?常识主义刑法观对于欧陆刑法学会给予特别关注,强调跨文化的刑法趋同性,肯定了通过刑法保护社会中通行的规范关系的重要性。     

我国房地产登记机构赔偿责任的法律思考

房地产登记机构的赔偿责任是我国当前不动产物权登记立法中的重大、疑难问题之一,理论上对此也多有纷争。从我国房地产登记的立法精神以及实践做法来看,登记机构的赔偿责任应当认定为以过错归责为原则的国家赔偿责任。在共同责任形态下,应当根据侵权责任法的原理科学分配登记机构的赔偿责任形态。同时,应当借鉴国外经验,适当限制房地产登记机构的赔偿范围,并建立以专项赔偿资金为主体、以追偿和罚款所得为补充的资金保障制度。     

Reversing the ‘Tragedy’ of the Commons? Sustainable Management and the Commons Act 2006

The Commons Act 2006 is the first statute since the Commons Registration Act 1965 to address the problems associated with the management of common land in England and Wales. A key focus for the 2006 Act is the introduction of mechanisms for the sustainable management of common land, including self‐regulatory commons councils. This article examines the ‘sustainable’ management of common land in historical and contemporary perspective. It sets the 2006 Act, and the sustainable management of common land, in the wider context of the ongoing debate triggered by Hardin's ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ and subsequent institutional and post‐institutional scholarship on common pool resource management. It uses historical and qualitative research data drawn from three case studies to demonstrate the irrelevance of Hardin's thesis in an English context, and identifies the Commons Registration Act of 1965 as the true ‘tragedy’ of the English and Welsh commons. The case studies also illustrate the challenges posed by the introduction of legal mechanisms to promote the ecologically sustainable management of the modern commons, and inform the critique of the Commons Act 2006 developed in the article.     

论表达自由的界限（上）——从比较法、特别是普通法的视角切入

表达自由是自由社会的人们享有的一项带有普遍性的、根本性的权利,通常表现为宪法或法律规定的权利。鉴于各国政治和法律体制以及文化环境之不同,人们享有该项权利的普遍性和充分性存在很多差别,因此,可从比较法,特别是普通法的角度关注该项根本权利的行使及对其设定的界限和施加的限制,集中展示强加这等界限或限制的法理学说、理据以及方法和途径,并分析提出具有普遍意义的结论。     

Comparing civil law and common law systems for mergers and acquisitions An economic analysis

＂From the economic point of view, common law is more efficient than civil law.＂ Is this recent statement published in an economic report valid for mergers and acquisitions （M＆A）？ The main objective of this paper is to compare the legal performance of M＆A in France and in the United States. The purpose is to quantify the impact of both legal systems on the long-term performance of M＆A transactions. To carry out this research, a specific methodology was developed and the results of which are evaluated. Two legal structures for M＆A transactions were retained： the purchase of shares （share deal）, and the purchase of assets （asset deal）. Each of these acquisition structures was then subdivided into eleven steps composing the process, for example from preliminary information, letter of intent, due diligence, stock or asset purchase agreement, closing, to litigation with formal summons. Performance was then measured by taking into account time, cost, and satisfaction factors. The time factor was broken down into person-days and the number of days, weeks, or months required to complete each step. French and U.S. respondents were asked to fill out a questionnaire with reference to a specific acquisition project. A typical question was for instance： What is your estimate of working days to complete this step （person-days）？ Radar charts were used to compare the mean of each performance factor. In order to check for correlations among the performance factors, an inter-factors analysis （regression） was carried out. The research findings are presented in this paper. Results show that a share deal in France is generally cheaper and participants indicate a significantly greater amount of satisfaction than in the U.S. However, for the time factor, the results vary. The conclusion is that the application of the civil code rather than common law does not reveal substantial differences as far as M＆A transactions are concerned. One reason is that in both France and the U.S. these transactions are carried out following standard procedures in compliance with common contractual practices.     

论“碳政治”博弈的国际法治理

围绕哥本哈根国际法进程而展开的碳政治博弈,因《哥本哈根协议》的无约束力而造成零和博弈的结果,也使未来国际法进程面临＂双轨＂抑或＂三轨＂并进的机制选择,同时,气候变化的国际法治理仍将针对＂共同但有区别责任＂的适用而展开,国际社会如能经由＂人类共同关切事项＂明确＂共同责任＂的内涵,通过实质性公平原则而认同＂区别责任＂的要旨,推动《哥本哈根协议》的落实和发展,将在＂霸权缺失＂下的＂碳政治＂博弈中,以＂软法＂特有的张力和灵活性,维护＂共同但有区别的责任＂的国际法地位,并弥合各方分歧,促进＂为今世后代保护全球气候＂的可持续发展目标的实现。