Medicolegal Implications of Nosocomial Infections: A Case Report of Aspergillus Contamination during Cardiac Surgery

Nosocomial infections have become a major issue of public health and lead to an increasing number of suits for damages. We present a rare case of Aspergillus contamination during cardiac surgery, describe the medicolegal investigation, and present the new system for compensation of bodily injury after nosocomial infection in France, based on the law of March 4, 2002 on patient rights and quality in the health system. This case demonstrates the limits of compensation for nosocomial infections on the grounds of national solidarity. The expert report requested by the regional commission for conciliation and compensation is of fundamental importance in enabling the commission to decide between fault and inherent risk of treatment.     

In the aftermath of disclosing child sexual abuse: consequences,needs, and wishes

Experiencing child sexual abuse (CSA) can have enormous consequences for the victims. However, reporting rates are comparably low. Thus, it is essential to consider the wishes and needs of disclosing CSA victims in order to develop measures that can improve the disclosure and reporting of CSA. We analysed data of a subsample of n?=?394 victims of contact CSA from a representative victim survey (N?=?11,428) conducted by the Criminological Research Institute of Lower Saxony, Germany, in 2011. Overall, 76% of the victims disclosed their CSA experience to somebody. However, only 14% of the cases were made known to law enforcement agencies. Of the disclosing victims, only one-third was believed and 43% reported that the disclosure led to no further consequences. Overall, being believed as well as supported by the victims’ family proved to be crucial. Implications are discussed against the background of previous research.     

Administrative justice in Wales: a new egalitarianism?

Administrative justice systems are under a variety of pressures, in particular austerity-inspired civil justice reform. I argue that such pressures do not necessitate the decline of administrative justice, and that a developing Welsh model has cross-jurisdictional appeal, especially to legal orders currently lacking a relevant organisational centre and joined-up approach. I examine the efficacy of existing conceptions of administrative justice and delineate a developing Welsh approach grounded in egalitarian principles. The nascent Welsh model emphasises reforming administrative justice hierarchies so that they work harmoniously with regulatory and value-promoting parts of the system, focusing on user perspectives and tackling the risks of less transparent forms of bureaucratic decision-making.     

Mapping current issues in administrative justice: austerity and the ‘more bureaucratic rationality’ approach

This article critically reviews recent developments in the administrative justice system; in particular, it considers three key themes: improving initial decisions; administrative review; and the future of tribunals. In each of these areas, some aspects of administrative justice work well, but austerity has presented acute challenges in ensuring the fair and just treatment of people through restrictions upon legal aid; the withdrawal of some appeal rights; and the expansion of administrative review. Consequently, the system is moving away from a ‘legal’ model of administrative justice to the ‘bureaucratic rationality’ model, which focuses upon accurate and efficient implementation. However, the reality does not correspond with the goals of the model. Rather than accurate and efficient implementation of policy, what we find is poor decision-making made by junior officials with insufficient quality controls. Digitising tribunals may have potential benefits in terms of increased accessibility. Nonetheless, the prospects for administrative justice are weak.     

可持续发展与环境伦理探析

可持续发展理论与实践促进了环境伦理学的发展。传统意义上的环境伦理受此观念影响,从人类中心主义的环境伦理与非人类中心主义的环境伦理的分立走向人类中心主义的环境伦理、非人类中心主义环境伦理和可持续发展的环境伦理的鼎立。可持续发展观念指导下的环境伦理强调生态伦理道德和生态价值观,将环境与发展、当前利益与长远利益有机地统一起来,是环境保护唯一正确的选择。     

试论我国行政监察的法治化途径

行政监察工作法治化是依法行政的必然要求,纵观我国现行行政监察体制和运行机制,存在着明显的缺陷和不足。探索一条科学有效的社会主义行政监察之路,需要在马列主义、毛泽东思想、邓小平理论以及“三个代表”重要思想指导下,弘扬民主理念,完善行政监察立法,深化体制改革,建立专职的行政监察队伍,实现国际社会联合协调行动。     

行政裁量法律控制研究

对行政裁量法律控制机制进行研究,论证了权力机关对行政裁量的法律控制,在分析我国权力机关进行监督现状的基础上,提出应当借鉴一些国家实行的议会监察专员制度并结合我国国情加以改造使之符合我国的法治实践,对完善我国权力机关对行政裁量的监督提供了参考思路。在论证行政机关对行政裁量的法律控制时重点放在行政程序对行政裁量的法律控制上,对行政程序控制行政裁量的回避制度、听证制度、信息公开制度、参与制度、说明理由制度、职能分离制度进行了初步探讨。具体分析了司法机关对裁量的法律控制,提出了行政裁量权属于行政机关,司法机关不能审查,行政裁量属于行政权的运用活动、司法机关可以审查的观点,说明了审查的范围只限于行政裁量的合法性,在认定滥用职权的主观方面时主张采用“过错推定”的原则。结束语说明现代社会对行政机关提出的是积极进行行政裁量更好地为社会服务的要求,现代行政法上的行政裁量制度是以有效发挥行政裁量权的积极作用为目标。提出建立一支高素质的公务员队伍、提高公务员的依法行政意识和依法行政水平应当是解决行政裁量问题的最终途径,完善岗位责任制、发展责任控制模式是对行政裁量进行法律控制的最佳方案。     

关于相对集中行政处罚权有关问题的思考

行政处罚法第16条确立了相对集中行政处罚权制度,该项制度成为目前行政执法体制改革的重要手段之一。通过对相对集中行政处罚权制度在实施过程中产生的诸如执法范围不明、权力归属不明、职责脱节等问题的阐述,从专门立法、权力归属、执法体制、政府机构改革等方面提出了完善该项制度的一些设想。     

圆明园湖底防渗工程公众听证会的法律性质研究

《环境保护行政许可听证暂行办法》规定了环境行政许可听证制度。《环境影响评价法》规定了“专项规划编制环境影响报告书听证”和“建设项目编制环境影响报告书听证会”两类制度。另外,在我国还有环境行政处罚听证制度。圆明园湖底防渗工程公众听证会并非上述意义上的“听证”,而是类似于英国“非法定听证”的一类新型听证。现阶段立法应规定,该类听证可以参照适用《暂行办法》,予以必要的立法规制。     

关于《邮政法》修改若干问题的探讨

随着国内各项改革的深化及法制环境的变化,《邮政法》的修改问题日益受到社会各界的关注。就邮政法的效力与适用、普遍服务与补偿机制、邮政专营与垄断等问题进行深入分析,并提出自己的观点和一些建议。