Extending social security coverage to the rural sector in China

In late 2009 China launched an innovative, voluntary programme that by 2011 had extended pension coverage to 326.4 million people in the rural sector, including contributors and beneficiaries. It requires one contribution per year and provides a flat‐rate benefit and a contributions‐related benefit through a contributory individual account, with a government guarantee that the benefit will continue for life. The programme encourages participation of persons who do not pay income taxes, and thus have no tax incentive to participate, by providing substantial government subsidies. As a further incentive, old‐age benefits are provided to older parents when all their adult children participate in the contributory programme.     

Electronic payment mechanisms in social security: Extending the reach of benefit and contribution transactions

More often than not, the existing modes of contribution collection and benefit payment of social security organizations are adapted to the collective arrangements that characterize employer‐employee relationships. Extending coverage to individuals in difficult‐to‐reach groups, however, may require new modalities of service that can cope with many separate, secure transactions rather than a few bulk data transfers between organizations. Recent developments in electronic payment show its wide applicability in enabling huge volumes of such individual transactions. It is in this light that the article explores the potentials of this technology and identifies possible arrangements through which electronic payments could surmount barriers that stand in the way of covering difficult‐to‐reach groups. The high level of mobile phone penetration on a global scale augurs well for using e‐payment mechanisms to collect social security contributions and to deliver social security benefits and services. A generic model is used to describe the requisite elements to implement electronic payments in social protection programmes. Based on empirical evidence of current social protection practices from around the world, five scenarios are presented to describe possible configurations for electronic payment, from the simplest to the most sophisticated. The broader objective is to contribute in a practical manner to the international commitment to extend social protection to all, as defined by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.     

问题类型划分方法视野下的犯罪概念研究

在问题类型划分方法的视野下,犯罪概念问题应该属于纯粹刑法学问题中的解释选择问题,但刑法学界以往有关犯罪概念的讨论却大多将其作为刑法问题中的价值判断问题。由于未能妥当确定犯罪概念的问题类型,从而使学界有关犯罪概念的讨论未能达成最低限度的学术共识。作为纯粹刑法学问题中的解释选择问题,形式与实质相结合的混合犯罪概念不存在被替代的必要性,而犯罪概念也不应被规定在刑法典中。     

论《刑事诉讼法修正案(草案)》中的特别程序——再谈刑事和解制度

《刑事诉讼法修正案(草案)》将刑事和解制度首次纳入特殊程序范围,这是我国刑事司法理念不断创新和提升的直接体现,具有重要的实践意义。为确保刑事和解制度能够切实运行而不空为一纸规定,有必要对该制度的存在基础予以明晰,同时进一步完善其运行机制,最终实现刑事和解程序化解当事人矛盾、弥补受害人损失、修复被破坏社会关系的根本目的。     

论刑事审后程序

刑事审后程序是指除审判监督程序外刑事判决生效后一系列程序的总称,包括刑事执行程序、被害人的权利保障程序以及刑罚被执行完毕人员的前科消灭程序等内容。刑事诉讼法学界除了对作为刑事审后程序重要内容的刑事执行程序研究较为充分外,还没有人对刑事审后程序作过系统的专门研究。对刑事审后程序进行系统的理论研究,特别是建立和完善被害人损害赔偿制度和被害人国家补偿制度,建立刑罚被执行完毕人员前科消灭的法律制度,不仅有助于完善我国刑事诉讼法,也有助于社会主义和谐社会的构建。     

REVISITING THE AGENT OF SOCIAL CONTROL ROLE: IMPLICATIONS FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT

The agent of social control role and its responsibilities and goals provide an important function in social work practice. Workers in varied positions often combine this role with others that define the profession. Yet in the not too distant past, a debate arose as to whether this role, focusing on promoting and protecting the general welfare of society, could be congruent with also fostering the improved functioning and self‐determination of individual clients. Periodically, this topic emerges to challenge the appropriateness of these dual activities in satisfactorily and equitably serving both constituents.

Within the field of substance abuse, court‐mandated referrals have established a need for practitioners to perform social control tasks to monitor and report clients' compliance with and progress in treatment. This has created a conflict for many who consider their practice to be client‐centered. This article will explore the dilemmas experienced in attempting to simultaneously carry out both roles and the guidance provided from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. In addition, proposed strategies to reduce the duality of difficulties will be summarized.     

Social health protection in Cambodia: Challenges of policy design and implementation

The Government of Cambodia is implementing ambitious reform initiatives to improve the country's social health protection system. In January 2018, it was announced that the Health Equity Fund (HEF), which is fully subsidized by a joint government‐donor initiative for the reimbursement of user fees for the poor at public health facilities, is to be expanded to some segments of informal workers belonging to associations, as well as to commune and village chiefs. Since 2017, the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has provided social health insurance for formal economy workers in enterprises with eight employees or more. In January 2018, it was expanded to civil servants and all employees regardless of the size of the enterprise. However, this article highlights that the new ambitious reforms are not accompanied by careful planning as regards funding, service delivery, human resources and institutional design. This article therefore aims to examine key policy issues and challenges for Cambodia's ambitious reform of its social health protection system in terms of resource generation, population coverage, strategic purchasing and governance.     

风险刑法理论研究中的错位与检讨

社会风险不能等同于刑法危险，但二者存在动态交叉关系，社会风险可以通过刑事政策转变为刑法中的危险。风险刑法首先是现代刑法应对风险过程中"自觉"的结果，是现代刑法体系的同质组成部分。从贝克划分社会形态的时间考虑，我国早已进入风险社会，且是全面而非局部风险社会。我国社会主要矛盾的转变使我国社会风险在质上表现为严重危害公共安全和公共利益，在量上表现为风险的相对增多，从刑法的应对上来看，似乎只能选择刑法提前介入。风险刑法理论的中国展开应该从实然和应然两个层面出发，前者旨在突出风险刑法的教义学研究，后者需要从社会风险自身的特点出发，有针对性地调整刑法体系，以期防控风险、创造安全。     

Reinvigorating the social contract and strengthening social cohesion: Social protection responses to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of those who are inadequately covered by social protection in more and less developed countries alike, and has exacerbated the fragility of a social contract that was already under strain in many countries. A weak social contract in the context of an exceptional crisis poses a very real risk to social cohesion. Nevertheless, many States have reasserted themselves as the guarantor of rights by protecting public health and incomes. By sustaining these measures, economic recovery will be supported which will help minimize risks that may weaken social cohesion. However, this is a fast-moving, inherently unstable and protracted crisis. Social protection stands at a critical juncture. Decisive policy action will be required to strengthen social protection systems, including floors, as one of the cornerstones of a reinvigorated social contract.     

刑事政策视野下醉驾入刑的正当性论析

从刑事政策的视角看，醉驾入刑是立法机关所作出的一项正确选择。作为一种具有严重社会危害性及应受刑罚处罚性的行为，醉驾具有入刑的必要性。此外，面对日益严重的醉驾现状，原有的处罚已不足以抑止此类违法行为以充分保护公共交通安全，故将其入刑亦符合刑法谦抑原则的要求。然而，具有入刑的正当性，并不代表立法规定本身及实施过程中的完美性，入刑后存在的问题同样值得关注。