Gender,Culture and the Law: Approaches to ‘Honour Crimes’ in the UK

This article examines the debate on whether to analyse ‘honour crimes’ as gender-based violence, or as cultural tradition, and the effects of either stance on protection from and prevention of these crimes. In particular, the article argues that the categorisation of honour-related violence as primarily cultural ignores its position within the wider spectrum of gender violence, and may result in a number of unfortunate side-effects, including lesser protection of the rights of women within minority communities, and the stigmatisation of those communities. At the same time it is problematic to completely dismiss any cultural aspects of violence against women, and a nuanced approach is required which carefully balances the benefits and detriments of taking cultural factors into account. The article examines the issues within the context of the legal response to cases involving honour-related violence, arguing that although the judiciary has in a number of cases inclined towards viewing ‘honour’ as primarily cultural rather than patriarchal, in some cases they have begun to take a more gender-based or ‘mature multiculturalism’ approach.

论法治之法

法治的实现以法制为前提,而良法又是法治的题中之义,也是法治的有力保障.本文试图从立法原理、立法宗旨、立法程序以及法律的价值取向等方面来分析何为良法,以求探讨在法治建设中如何使立法真正走上良性的发展轨道.     

简论警察权益之保障——以公平正义为视角

警察权益遭受侵害的现象时有发生,不仅削弱了警察工作的积极性和主动性,也破坏了警民关系和和谐的社会秩序,背离了公平正义理念的诉求。因而,在全面了解警察权益遭侵害现状的基础上,以公平正义为视角,重新界定警察的角色和职能范围,完善相关的法律和保障制度,提高警察执法水平和人文素养,切实加强对警察权益的保护,就显得非常必要。     

Justice Without Transition: Truth Commissions in the Context of Repressive Rule

While the study of transitional justice, and especially truth commissions, has gained in popularity over the past two decades, the literature is overwhelmingly focused on activities in democratizing states. This introduces a selection bias that interferes with proper analysis of causes and consequences of transitional justice on a global scale. In this paper, I discuss conditions under which new repressive elites, and even old repressive elites who survive to rule and repress in nominally new systems, may choose to launch broad investigations of the past. I argue that such a decision is based on two primary considerations, the presence of internally or externally based incentives (e.g., foreign aid) and the level of political control enjoyed by old elites in the new system. I apply this argument to post-Soviet Central Asia, including a detailed case study of Uzbekistan’s 1999 truth commission based on domestic media analysis and local elite interviews.

当代美国的死刑制度

美国最高法院在1972年曾经宣布暂停死刑执行,但是在1976年又恢复了死刑的执行,目前美国是唯一仍然保留并适用死刑的所谓西方文明国家。美国联邦系统和38个州的刑法都规定了死刑,可以适用死刑的罪行还比较多,但是罪名相对比较集中;死刑诉讼程序严格且复杂;相对于美国庞大的犯罪数字,尤其是暴力犯罪而言,其死刑判决和实际执行死刑数量仍属较低;美国死刑执行方式呈现为以注射方式为主多种执行方法并存的特点。美国死刑程序复杂但是死刑错判率仍然较高。     

法官能动性与公正再论

法院的判决宣示着法的精神,引导着民众的行为.诉诸于法院各种诉讼请求,即是将各种矛盾呈现在法官面前.法官必须判断何种诉求为正当,只有当案件事实符合法律规范的构成要件,且案件事实中蕴涵的法律价值和所适用的法律规范的价值取向相一致时,才可以依据该法律规范对案件事实作出判决.法官在运用国家的制定法以回应民众的要求时,将一些明显不当的有违民意的规定加以过滤,能动地对制定法加以填充修正.刘荣军教授亦言:"处于社会与国家立法机关之间的司法,应当以并不完整的法律作为基本的支撑,寻找制定法之外的法源,将社会的正义、公平的观念和价值导入司法程序之中,创造出能够解压、还原法律本意的规则,以作为裁判的依据."     

程序正义理论的再梳理:从《正义论》到《政治自由主义》——遵循罗尔斯思想发展的轨迹

在1971年出版的<正义论>里,罗尔斯将程序正义分为:完善的程序正义、不完善的程序正义、纯粹的程序正义;并认为:纯粹的程序正义决定了结果的实体正义.在学术界,罗尔斯的程序正义理论产生了涟漪:赞同观点和反对主张同时存在.作为自身学术思想的发展,在1993年出版的<政治自由主义>里,罗尔斯修订了其在<正义论>里的观点,认为:程序正义的正义性,部分依赖结果的实体正义性.学术思想的修正,并不代表罗尔斯对程序正义理论的放弃,而是加强了程序正义理论的现实实践基石.     

审理期限制度浅析

长期以来,我国司法实践中存在的超审限问题严重影响了审判效率,损害了法院形象及人民利益,对之进行研究和治理,刻不容缓。文章对我国审理期限制度的现状进行了分析,并与国外的相关制度进行了比较,在此基础上提出了解决超审限问题的方法。     

推动检察机关基层法警队伍建设发展的紧迫性

随着我国民主法治进程与经济社会转型的加速，社会管理创新的滞后，客观地处于人民内部矛盾凸显期。如此，给政府和公安司法机关化解社会矛盾，维护社会稳定，强化执法为民的履职能力建设和司法机关自身安保力量建设，提出了新的要求新的标准。但检察机关基层法警队伍建设的现状与履职能力的客观要求，差距较大。所以，推动检察机关司法警察队伍建设的持续发展，具有紧迫的现实意义。     

解构与承继：《韩非子》法治理念的时代转换

韩非作为法家的集大成者,系统地考察了历史统治经验,在先秦法家人物的基础上全面发展了法治理论,极大地影响了中国的传统文化.但限于历史条件,韩非的法治理论显现出了为君主专制服务的工具性以及法治手段的极端性,这和现代法治理念相差甚远,但是其中的法本理念、法不两适、法不阿贵等对现在的法治建设依然有积极意义.