Weighing it up: family maintenance discourses in NGO child protection decision‐making in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Examining the concepts underpinning the reasoning processes of social worker's decision‐making provides important insights into how social work practice is undertaken. This paper examines one of the major discourses used by social workers in decision reasoning in a non‐governmental organization child protection context in Aotearoa/New Zealand: family maintenance. This study found that family maintenance as a concept was strongly privileged by social workers. This resulted in attempts to preserve families and created a hierarchy of preferred decision outcomes. A preference for family maintenance was supported by legal, moral, psychological and Māori cultural concepts. This pattern of constructs underpinned the ‘weighing up of harms’ when considering removal, and generally reflected a child welfare orientation. In addition to this, it was found that ‘family’ was broadly defined, and could include people who had a relationship with the children, or Māori definitions of extended family, in addition to legal ones.     

Norwegian child welfare workers' perceptions of emergency placements

Emergency placements in child welfare services have increased during the last 10 years in Norway. At the time of placement, some of these children have been in the child welfare system for several years. Based on qualitative interviews, our study explores Norwegian child welfare workers' perceptions of long‐term cases resulting in emergency placements. The participants reported that they felt they had intervened too late, as it took them too long to understand the severity of the situation. This occurred mainly due to three factors: (a) The work had mainly been based on the parents' premises; (b) having too much distance to the child, as they talked too little with the child, too late in the process; (c) an experience of lacking methodological skills needed and sufficient opportunities to conduct proper observations and assessments; (d) supportive measures were tried for too long, and these measures were not properly evaluated. Giving other professionals' assessments considerable weight in the decision‐making process, and the use of legal language rather than independent, professional assessments, can be seen as another way of distancing themselves from both the family and the decisions being made.     

Cumulative harm in the child protection system: The Australian context

Cumulative harm is a major child protection concern, with significant consequences for child well‐being and development often into adult life. This systematic literature review examines how the construct of cumulative harm is understood and operationalized within current Australian child protection legislation, policy, and practice and situates this within an international context. Scholarly articles and grey literature were qualitatively analysed to explore two main research questions: How is cumulative harm to children identified, assessed, and ultimately incorporated into child protection and legal structures? And what are the most effective responses to cumulative harm identified for child protection practice? What was found was that although the construct of cumulative harm is increasingly incorporated into child protection practice and legislation, in practice, this remains crisis‐driven. Although the literature emphasized prevention and early intervention as responses to reducing the cumulative impact of adverse childhood experiences, there is negligible research on what constitutes an effective response to cases involving cumulative harm. They are cases which are less visible within the child protection paradigm; attention to the impact of risk of maltreatment and its influence on long‐term developmental outcomes is less well addressed creating uncertainty and ambiguity about effective responses for child protection.     

The impact of parental incarceration on children's care: identifying good practice principles from the perspective of imprisoned primary carer parents

Parental incarceration has wide‐ranging impacts on families. One key effect may be disruption to the care and legal custody of children, yet few studies have examined processes and outcomes relating to care planning for children of prisoners. This paper presents findings of interviews with 151 primary carer prisoners in two Australian states which aimed to address this research gap. The study examined care planning for children upon parental arrest, sentencing and imprisonment, stability of care arrangements and primary carer prisoners' involvement and satisfaction with care planning. Around one third of prisoners had discussions regarding children's care arrangements at arrest and imprisonment, although the issue was more commonly raised at sentencing. While there was much variation in the stability of care arrangements, children placed in out‐of‐home care experienced the most instability. A minority of prisoners reported being involved in care planning and decision‐making for children upon imprisonment, and around one third rated care planning process poorly. Prisoners were more satisfied with care planning when there were fewer movements of children, where prisoners felt involved with decision‐making, and when police officers, lawyers and corrections staff inquired about the welfare of their children. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.     

The Concept of Legal Practice in the Chinese Context

Legal practice comprises the normative activities of constructing and maintaining social order with the aim of achieving equity and justice. In terms of content, it can be divided into three categories: intellectual legal practice, normative legal practice, and applied legal practice. As an important factor supporting legal practice, legal theory has a complex interactive relationship with legal practice. The effect of legal theory on legal practice is realized through the intermediary, carrier and bridging functions of the rationality, wisdom and ideas of legal practice. Developing the concept of the ideal legal life is the inherent mission and method of legal practice thought.     

试论语言与法律的相互作用及影响

法律与语言的关系非常密切。在现实中,法律领域是语言运用的重要领域,法律语言规范着法律、发展着法律,也实施和实现着法律;另一方面,法律制度、法律文化的产生和发展,又丰富和完善了法律语言的形式和内容,促进了法律语言的发展和完备。语言形式与法律内涵的高度融合建构起法律的意义世界。     

The Effect of Legal Rules on the Value of Economic and Non-Economic Damages and the Decision to File

This study focuses on the economic consequences of tort reform. In particular, we address two issues. First, we test the relationship between tort reforms and claim severity for an automobile liability incident while controlling for a variety of cost drivers including the presence of no-fault rules, and the impact of a plaintiff's attorney. In addition to examining the effect of tort reforms on total claim severity, we also test their effect on economic and non-economic damages separately. Second, we test the proposition that tort reforms, by reducing the damages available at trial, have reduced the likelihood that an injured party will seek legal remedy. Both aspects of this study are examined with individual data from a large sample of insurance claims from 61 insurers. Our results suggest that many of the reforms have had a statistically significantly effect on total damages, non-economic damages and economic damages. Caps on non-economic damages, collateral source rule reforms, and minor reforms impacting prejudgment interest, frivolous suits, and provisions for periodic payments are negatively related to the value of non-economic claims, while joint and several reform is positively related to the value of non-economic claims. We find collateral source rule reforms and minor reforms are negatively related to the value of economic claims. We find that caps on non-economic damages and minor reforms are associated with a decreased probability to file. We do not find any evidence that joint and several or collateral source rule reform is associated with the decision to file.     

法制下法治与法治下法制

法制下法治和法治下法制是两种不同的社会存在。法制下法治之治理主体单一,法治下法制治理主体多元;法制下法治依赖国家法正义观支持,法治下法制依赖多维正义观支持;法制下法治以人为治理客体,法治下法制则以人和法律同为治理客体。在特定历史阶段,法制下法治曾经起过积极的作用;但是随着社会发展,民主勃兴和社会转型的逐步推进,法制下法治已经成为中国法制建设的瓶颈,应为法治下法制的理论和实践所突破。法治下法制是多元法律规则并存于社会与依法办事之法治原则的结晶。通过各种法规则的冲突、互动和整合,法治自然会从理想走向现实。     

把法律作为修辞——法治时代的思维特征

鉴于我国司法过程中政治修辞、道德修辞的过度使用,部分学者主张在法治社会中应该把法律作为修辞来构建法治时代所需要的法律思维方式.把法律作为修辞要求法律人在进行法律思维的时候,把法律概念当成思维的关键词,应该把法律规范当成思维的根据,运用法律逻辑和修辞的方法证成、表述法律命题.把法律作为修辞的问题意识除了要抑制过度的政治、道德修辞外,还针对法律人思维过程中的法律沉默,要彰显思维过程中的法律话语的权威;要在法律思维中把逻辑与修辞有机地结合起来,以使司法更讲法说理.在法律思维中树立把法律作为修辞的观念,对法律文化的重建,特别是对法治的实现有着重要的意义.     

论法律意识现代化的标准

法律意识现代化的标准是评价社会主体对现代法律和法治主观把握状况的标尺,包孕着法律形式观现代化和法律价值观现代化的标准,而公民对法律的信仰状况则是评价社会主体法律意识现代化程度的综合性指标.法律的形式合理性观念是现代法律形式特质的主观心理确证,它包括法律规范的形式严整性观念,法律体系的完备、和谐的观念,法律的程序化观念和法律的效益观念;而法律的价值合理性观念是现代市场经济和民主政治内在法权关系和现代法的价值理念的体现,它包括自由追求与理性自律相统一、个人权利主张与社会利益维护相统一、人格平等和坦然面对差别相统一以及法律是维护合法权威与防止、制约权力滥用的统一的观念等具体价值指标.     

法律规范与法律规则--凯尔森与哈特的法律概念之比较

凯尔森和哈特对法律的概念有不同理解,凯尔森将规范作为法律的上位概念,而哈特则将规则作为法律的上位概念,法律规范和法律规则分别是他们认识法律的基本概念。凯尔森通过规范的观念强调了法律作为一个独立的逻辑体系的存在,奠定了法律科学独立的基础;哈特则通过规则的观念强调了法律同现实生活的密切联系,使法哲学在西方学术界重新恢复了活力。通过法律规范和法律规则的概念分析,对两位分析法学名家的理论可以有进一步的理解。     

新中国建立前中国共产党的法律探索

新中国建立以前,在新民主主义时期,中国共产党不断地进行着法律实践,形成了一系列法律思想人民在政治法律上的地位一律平等;法律应体现阶级性和人性的统一;实行新民主主义宪政;废除伪宪法、伪法统;正确处理党与法、民主与法律的关系;等等.这些法律探索为新中国法制建设积累了经验、奠定了基础.     

关于法律解释的概念问题

文章认为狭义的法律解释只不过是法律解释的一种,即仅指国家授权的一定机关对法律作的有相对的普遍约束力的解释,而不是法律解释的全部。如果用这种法律解释的概念取代人们通常理解的法律解释的概念(或所谓广义的法律解释的概念),势必引起许多无谓的争论。承认狭义的法律解释的概念,既无必要又有害处。法律解释按照解释主体的不同,可以分为有权解释、学理解释和任意解释。     

法律变迁的结构性制约——国家、市场与社会互动中的中国律师职业

对改革开放以来中国法律体系变迁根源的探讨,通常遵循国家主义的认识论,即国家意志主导甚至决定了法律体系变迁的所有方面。这种认识论虽然能够较好说明改革开放初期法律体系在中国的再造,但是未能全面把握当前的复杂情况。本文以律师职业在改革开放时期的变迁为例,利用定量数据和实证方法说明国家、市场和社会对法律体系的多重动态影响,提出法律变迁的“结构性制约”理论框架。改革开放以来中国法律体系变迁已逐步由国家主导的格局,演变成国家、市场、社会和法律体系之间相互直接和间接影响的格局。     

中国特色社会主义法律体系:结构、特色和趋势(英文)

中国特色社会主义法律体系的形成为研究中国法律体系的结构、特色和发展趋势奠定了现实基础。可以规范性法律文件的归属和法律规范的性质两个向度作为研究法律体系的框架。前者的目的在于描述中国立法的现状，后者旨在分析不同性质的法律规范在各个法律部门的分布。改革开放以来，由于市场经济、民主政治、和谐社会、生态文明、法制建设和全球化的影响，使各类法律规范在不同法律部门中的分布发生有意义的变化，这种变化一方面反映世界各国法律体系发展的共性，另一方面又有鲜明的中国特色。     

借鉴国外有益经验,建设中关村法治环境

世界各国的经验表明,科技园区的建设和发展,需要适宜的法律环境来支撑和保障。中关村科技园区法治环境的建设需要正确界定政府与市场之间的关系。完善知识产权和风险投资法制建设是建设中关村科技园区法治环境的关键。     

塑造公民理性法律意识推进中国法治进程

公民理性法律意识作为法治精神的核心内核具有驱动法治制度化建设的引导功能和驱动公民积极守法的耦合功能。中国历来缺乏法治传统 ,现实的物质条件和社会结构状况又分别从宏观和微观两方面制约着公民理性法律意识的形成。因此 ,塑造公民理性法律意识推进法治进程成为法治建设中十分紧迫的任务。     

论可持续发展的法制建设

可持续发展法制的全面性、对传统法制的变革、可持续发展下新的立法原则以及立法构想和法的实施。强调加强可持续发展的法制建设 ,赋予可持续发展的法律地位 ,是将可持续发展转化为行动的重要保障     

流动人口子女受教育权实现的法制环境的构建

法制环境质量与公民权利的实现存在密切关系,良好的法制环境能够促进公民权利实现,流动人口子女受教育权的实现需要良好的法制环境。流动人口子女受教育权法制环境好坏直接影响流动人口子女受教育权受教育权实现程度,受教育权的实现过程推进法制环境的形成。目前,我国受教育权实现的法制环境建设取得一定成绩,在发展过程中形成了自己的特点,但我国流动人口子女受教育权的实现程度还有待提高,为促进流动人口子女受教育权的实现,我们应完善法律体系,提高执法质量,培育全民的法律意识。     

事实性与有效性:现代法律的重建及其方法--哈贝马斯的法学方法论初探

重建现代法律的合法性基础,是哈贝马斯法律理论的基本目标.为此,他首先用交往理性取代传统的实践理性,然后通过普遍语用学将其交往行动理论、商谈论与法律理论联结起来.事实性与有效性的区分构成了哈贝马斯法律理论的基本分析方法.他基于法律中事实性与有效性之间的紧张关系,提出现代法律的合法性问题,主张引入商谈论来调和这种紧张关系,从而形成了其独特的法律有效性理论.