Making sense of the legal and judicial architectures of regional trade agreements worldwide

Regional trade agreements (RTAs) constitute one of the most important elements of the international economic order. Researchers have accordingly embarked on comparative analyses of their design. Yet one fundamental question remains unanswered: how have officials in different RTAs responded to the challenge of regulatory misalignments among the member states? In this article, I turn to 10 of the most established RTAs in the world and document three types of responses. Some RTAs rely on the principle of mutual recognition or references to existing international standards; the same agreements also rely on technical dispute resolution mechanisms. Other RTAs, by contrast, make use of extensive harmonization and permanent courts charged with interpreting law. Yet a third group exhibits a hybrid design. This heterogeneity in legislative and judicial design invites explanation. I show that there is a remarkable correspondence between the legal traditions of the member states (common vs. civil law) and the design of RTAs. This correspondence undermines the claims of world polity theorists about the nature of the international order, but is consistent with other strands of sociological institutionalism and certain elements of rationalist and neoliberal institutionalism. I conclude by reflecting on the implications of different RTA designs for the regulation of everyday life in the member states, the World Trade Organization as an international regulatory body, and national sovereignty and democracy.     

Prosecutorial regulation in the Global South: Environmental civil litigation by prosecutors in China compared to Brazil

Brazil's successful prosecutorial civil action against polluters could be a regulatory example for the Global South. This paper analyses whether such regulation could also develop without the major political, institutional, and legal reforms that spurred it in Brazil. To do so, it analyzes China, where similar reforms have so far not occurred, but where prosecutors have recently started to initiate civil litigation against polluters. It finds that prosecutorial civil litigation in China has only a limited regulatory effect or potential. Prosecutors in China are influenced by conflicting incentive structures that reward one‐off lower level test cases with an innovation bonus, while structurally stimulating a focus on general crime fighting. Ironically, as a result of such incentives, the recent legal reform, toward providing standing for prosecutors in public interest litigation, will, in contrast to Brazil, decrease rather than increase the regulatory effect of these cases. These findings have implications for understanding how the interaction between regulatory independence, legal reform, and regime type shapes possibilities for regulatory innovation in the Global South.     

中国行政法学理论体系之重构——以行政指导的发展为视角

以强制性行政行为为主导是我国现行行政法的主要内容.社会主义市场经济以及民主政治的发展与进步已导致行政法理念由控权论向平衡论转变,以非强制的行政指导为主导将成为中国行政法的未来发展方向,这与现行行政法学理论体系存在诸多冲突.为此,必须重构中国行政法学的理论体系:重新定位行政行为的性质、重新构建非强制行政行为的合法性标准、行政救济的受案范围以及行政法律责任体系.     

法律文化的冲突与消解——以法律全球化为视角

经济全球化引发的法律全球化主要是从法律的技术层面而言,指的是法律规范、法律设施和法律运行方式、方法等法律自身要素和情形的全球化;它是当下深入研究法律文化问题的重要背景和分析视角。法律全球化背景下,法律文化冲突在实质上体现为影响与反影响、排斥与妥协、对抗与协调、竞争与共存的关系。在此背景下,法律文化不仅仅是冲突更是冲突的消解,即通过理解与重释异己法律文化,拆解对抗,使法律文化冲突归于整合,出现并立或共存;多元主体的交往、全球治理规则的开放性是法律文化冲突消解的重要因素,而经济发展则是最终决定因素。     

真实关联度、证据间性与意指定律——谈证据符号学的三个基本概念

真实关联度指符号反映内容的真确性程度;证据间性指不同证据符号之间相互关联、相互补足的关系;意指定律指符号的意指关系决定了结构关系。这三个术语旨在说明证据符号学的基本理论原则:证据处在一个符号关系场内,由意指关系(真实关联度)和结构关系(证据间性)构成,意指定律就是支配该符号关系场的基本规则。这个证据符号关系场与事实真相交织而构成了一个神秘的意义世界,科学研究的全部任务在于承认并接受这种神秘性的同时,力图澄清它。     

国内法“战时”概念的法律界定

从各国国内法对＂战时＂这一概念的界定情况看,尽管各国由于文化传统、现实状况以及表述习惯等方面存在差异,决定了法律文本关于＂战时＂概念界定的表述有所不同,但这些界定所体现出的＂战时＂概念的法律意义、内涵特征与外延范围是基本一致的。我国＂战时＂概念的法律界定主要体现在《刑法》第451条中,其遵循了＂战时＂概念法律界定的一些基本要求,但同时也存在着一些明显的缺陷,应当按照依法合理界定、严格准确界定、便于实践操作的要求予以完善。     

法律试行的成本效益分析

法律试行具有学习收益、反思收益、决策主体多元化收益和体系化日常化收益;但为此可能要付出引起上下位法律效力关系紊乱的代价。试行法律在法律实施过程中不断得以完善和强化,最终新法代替了旧法。这样的演进结果一旦形成,就具有一种自我捍卫和强化的机制。     

社会管理创新与行政法的完善

社会管理创新要求我国传统行政法主体、原则、理念、体系和价值目标等都要做出相应的变革,以适应社会管理法治化的需要。回应社会管理创新要求,本文提出构建与社会管理创新相适应的现代行政法的建议。     

民办教育发展中的几个法律问题探析

<中华人民共和国民办教育促进法>及其实施条例等法律法规的颁布,给我国的民办教育带来了机遇,但对于民办教育发展中出现的一些问题,现行法律还存在模糊和有争议之处,在一定程度上影响了民办学校的正常发展,抑制了民办教育投资者的积极性.本文探讨了我国民办教育的概念界定及民办教育中几个突出的法律问题,并在此基础上提出了完善民办教育的相关对策和建议.     

刑法公平精确性下的生产销售伪劣产品罪

生产、销售伪劣产品罪是我国刑法分则中的一项罪名.立法本应当严格秉持刑法的基本精神--公平,然而我国现行的刑法对于该罪设置欠缺精确性的考究,对于生产者和销售者没有进行责任区分,对生产者和销售者对于伪劣产品的流通数量应担责任大小也没有进行严格区分,同时没有考虑其他危害因素,而仅仅以伪劣产品的销售额作为定罪处罚的依据,这造成了本罪的设置表面看似公平实则违背了罪责刑相适应的基本原则.