论法官解释宪法的能动性

宪法具有法律的根本特征,法官在宪法性案件中可能会对宪法条文作出某种程度的解释。论文结合国外法官解释宪法的历史经验,在自由裁量权、法官解释宪法的能动性、对法官能动性的制约等方面阐释了法官宪法解释的意义。     

香港基本法司法适用中的争议——从基本法与普通法关系的角度

香港回归以来,基本法在实行普通法传统的香港法院的司法适用中,出现了以普通法方法适用基本法及以普通法解释基本法的现象,突出体现在香港法院违反基本法审查权和基本法解释权的行使上。造成这一现象的原因包括基本法与普通法法律推理和法律思维方式的差异,全国人大常委会与香港法院立法解释、司法解释的分歧,基本法有关制度和制度执行的缺失。应正确处理普通法和基本法的关系,推动普通法事后审查制度的常态化,维护全国人大常委会的审查权等方面规范基本法的司法适用。     

为原旨主义辩护——反多数难题、宪法对话与整合的原旨主义宪法解释观

司法审查本身的"反多数"性质使得该制度的正当性颇受质疑。自美国建国以来,司法审查的正当性证成基本是通过原旨主义的宪法解释来完成的。但是,原旨主义解释观却由于其自身的内在缺陷而备受"意图谬误"、方法论怀疑主义、"反原旨主义条款"和"死手"(Dead Hand)理论等当代宪法解释理论的批判。提出整合的原旨主义宪法解释观,不仅可以消解诸多理论的批判,而且能够在克服司法至上的前提下证成司法审查的正当性,并回归到制宪者分权制衡的原初意图,从而最终为原旨主义宪法解释作出辩护。     

印度法学教育与宪法学之热点问题

从印度法学教育产生与发展的历史来看.印度现代法学教育是由英国殖民者输入的,其发展相对滞后于普通法制度的建立.独立后,为满足经济和社会改革的需要,印度虽曾经对法学教育制度进行改革,但仍然存在诸多问题.亟待进一步完善.目前印度宪法学研究的热点问题主要包括:中央和地方关系、司法审查、司法独立及宪法修正案的合宪性审查与基本特征基准.这些问题与印度的经济和社会转型密切相关,其中立法、行政、司法三权之间的关系尤为引人注目,如何控制司法的能动主义、防止司法审查权的滥用,足解决上述热点问题的一个共同话题.     

围绕美国宪法第一修正案的“衡量”之争

美国宪法第一修正案简洁的措辞为其在司法审查中的解释适用带来了争议和分歧.从联邦最高法院在司法审查中所为的衡量的视角观察,这些争论是围绕着能否对涉及第一修正案的案件进行衡量以及如何衡量而展开的.其中"定义式衡量"的提出是对最高法院在涉及第一修正案的案件中所进行的衡量的一种重要总结,法院在很大程度上是通过"定义式衡量"采界定第一修正案的范围的.围绕第一修正案的衡量之争背后所体现的正是在宪法规范的确定性和规范适用的灵活性之间寻求平衡的努力,在学者和实务届的这种自省与反思中,司法审查趋于合理.     

美国司法审查制度介评

美国不仅为世界各国提供了第一个成文宪法的典型，而且还创造了一个目前已经成为许多当代国家宪法体系基本特征之一的制度：司法审查。一、美国司法审查制度的产生美国联邦最高法院的司法审查权在联邦宪法中并没有明确的规定。它是由联邦最高法院的判例创造的。然而，在其产生之前就已具备了一定的实践和理论基础。司法审查在殖民地时期就已被某些法院所采用。早在1780年，新泽西州最高法院已立此原则，并按此拒绝该州议会所制定的法律。其后，罗得岛州、北卡来罗纳州、弗吉尼亚州相继采用该原则。并且在制宪会议上，某些代表曾建议，最高法…     

程序审抑或实体审——美国行政规则司法审查基准研究及其启示

美国行政法学界长期存在着关于行政规则司法审查基准的论争,特别是随着行政领域涉及到更多的科学技术性事项之时.法官应如何对行政规则进行审查,是实体审还是程序审,意见并不一致.本文对此进行了梳理,并认为绝对界分实体审与程序审是难以做到的.从其发展史来看,程序与实体交织在一起,法官面对行政规则时也会有所为、有所不为.从严审查基准的修正将更加体现以上的观点,这对于建立中国"抽象行政行为"司法审查的基准具有借鉴意义.     

转型国家的宪法审查制度之管窥

在经历了第三波民主潮流之后,许多转型国家都选择了独立的司法审查制度作为宪法的保障。由于受到不同国家的影响,加之本国的特征存在差异,它们建立起形式多样的司法审查机制。这些宪法审查机制在组织结构与权力运作上都有各自的特点。本文指出:虽然我国并未采取司法性宪法审查模式,然而学习与研究这些国家的宪法审查机制对推进我国的宪政建设乃不无裨益。基于我国目前的宪法审查制度建构,我们可以从组织机构、权力运行以及文化建设三方面借鉴转型国家宪法审查的经验,推进我国的宪法审查制度实践。     

司法公开的审查和限制——以法官和媒体在审判公开中的角色为视角

审判公开是司法公开的核心内容,法院、法官与媒体在审判公开中扮演着主要角色,而对审判公开内容的审查和限制又是法院、法官与媒体关系的枢纽。文章选择以司法公开的审查和限制为研究视角,研判法院、法官与媒体在审判公开中的角色及其权利义务关系,剖析我国审判公开原则在实践运行中的问题及其原因,考察域外法上的可鉴规范,立足我国司法制度现实,提出司法公开审查和限制制度构建方案。     

论德沃金的道德解读——一种宪法解释方法论的进路

德沃金的法学理论,不仅是关于权利道德与原则的学说,而且更重要的是关于宪法的道德解读的实践学说。宪法道德解读方法在宪法理论与实践之间,架起了沟通与对话的天桥。在德沃金看来,“道德解读”就是一种“解读和实施政治性宪法的特定方法”,其特点:一是它所适用的条款都是具有抽象性的道德原则概念,二是适用方法的最终主体是最高法院的法官,三是为长期的宪法传统和司法实践所认同;然而,道德解释并非赋予了法官以绝对自由裁量权,它要受到宪法原则和宪法的整体性双重制约。道德解读是德沃金所倡导的一种不同于其他宪法解释方法的新方法,具有其独特的方法论价值。     

基于压制行为而救济的美国股东权益保护制度

美国不少州的强制解散公司制定法将压制及其类似行为作为司法解散公司的根据和理由,赋予权益受侵害股东广泛的救济基础;法院在压制行为的司法认定和适用上给予宽泛的解释,并以小股东权益为中心或引入股东合理期待原则来界定压制行为,拓宽了股东寻求司法救济的空间;制定法还授权法院、法院也经常自主地适用各种替代救济,以充分保护股东权益。基于压制行为而救济股东权益的美国公司法理念和灵活适用公司解散及其替代救济措施的制定法做法与司法实践值得我们借鉴。     

Science,policy, and politics in judicial review of regulations

Perhaps the most effective control on the exercise of administration is to subject final decisions to evaluation by a reviewing institution capable of vetoing the initiative or remanding it to the agency for further work. All three branches of government—Congress, the executive branch and the judiciary—perform this review function to some degree, but the judiciary plays a uniquely powerful role in American government. During the last two decades, Congress has vested in regulatory agencies like the environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) broad authority to promulgate standards and regulations to protect citizens from the unintended adverse consequences of a modern industrial society. These powerful agencies must necessarily rely heavily upon scientific data in carrying out their responsibilities. They must interpret scientific studies and draw inferences on the basis of “scientific judgment.”; When the nature of the administrative task is so highly technical in nature, and especially when the agencies are working on the “frontiers of scientific knowledge,”; as they frequently are in scientific rulemaking, the value of review by a court composed of three lawyers with minimal scientific training is open to legitimate discussion. How the courts go about performing their review function in the context of scientific rulemaking is a critical question for American administrative law.     

Of peasants and publics in colonial India: Daduram's story

ABSTRACT

This article uses an exceptionally well-documented law case from the 1650s to offer a fresh perspective on the English experience of Atlantic settlement during its early years. It argues for the centrality of the Essex county quarter sessions court in the building of neighbourhood on the geographic and cultural margins of the Massachusetts Bay colony. By focusing on the north-eastern margin at Cape Ann, the analysis reveals aspects of state building through a common law judicial process which was just as important, but less readily apparent, in other settings. The article addresses three major historiographic areas, engaging with the historical literature on English neighbourhoods and English adaptation to the American environment, on the significance of witchcraft or maleficium in English societies, and on the nature and meanings of law, law courts and judicial process in the building of communities. Case documents also enable the use of some concepts and techniques of literary analysis related to the study of narrative, arguing that judicial verdicts selected and suppressed aspects of local stories elicited during the course of the investigation in order to craft an account of local neighbourhood that suited a broader cultural narrative of Massachusetts Bay’s political consolidation during the 1650s.     

The Roles Played by the Staff and Workers’ Representative Congress in the Formation of Work Regulations

Article 4 of the Labor Contract Law lays down the right of the Staff and Workers’ Representative Congress (SWRC) to deliberate on the formulation of (intra-enterprise) work regulations, but this has become a “soft” law in judicial practice. The judicial criteria for judging the validity of work regulations are in essence determined by the judge’s judgment on their reasonableness. As an important embodiment of Chinese politics, economics and culture, the transformation of the SWRC that accompanied the market economy has not negated its value as an indigenous traditional resource. The SWRC does not just enjoy deliberative rights in the formation of regulations, as clearly specified in constitutional law, but also has rights under the law in local legislation and practice. Hence the system of work regulations is neither a unilateral decision on the part of management nor a contract, but rather an autonomous norm developed through the SWRC mechanism. Given the mandatory nature of Article 4 of the Labor Contract Law, regulations will only be valid after they have gone through a democratic process. The further development of the theory of normative system formation should endow the SWRC with greater rights and integrate it smoothly with the collective contract system to standardize collective labor relations.     

The Effects of Judicial Strength and Rule of Law on Portfolio Investment in the Developing World*

Objective. Applying existing theories relating to investment risk, this article examines the effects of judicial strength and adherence to the rule of law on portfolio investment in the developing world. We aim to demonstrate that countries with higher levels of judicial strength and rule of law are more able to attract portfolio investment because they provide greater protection of property rights and a better risk environment for investors. Methods. Using time‐series data for 79 developing countries for the period 1996–2005, we employ panel‐corrected standard errors multivariate regressions to demonstrate that higher levels of judicial strength and rule of law are associated with higher levels of portfolio investment. Results. We find that a one standard deviation increase in overall judicial strength and rule of law results in more than a 50 percent increase in portfolio investment. In separate analyses, we show that a one standard deviation increase in specific measures of judicial independence, impartial courts, and protection of property rights leads to increases in portfolio investment ranging from 27 percent to 184 percent. Conclusion. Judicial strength and adherence to the rule of law are important determinants of portfolio investment in the developing world.     

中国司法改革述评

文章分析了中国司法改革的社会背景 ,对中国的司法改革的成绩与不足进行了多方面的探讨 ,并对中国司法改革的前景进行了展望 ,对进一步深化司法改革提出了建议。文章指出 ,中国的司法改革应坚持的原则 ,即要坚持四项基本原则 ,尤其是要加强和改善中国共产党的领导 ;坚持在民主宪政的政治体制中深化司法改革 ,司法独立不是主张脱离人民代表大会制度的监督制约 ,而是只有自觉接受人民代表大会的合法正当监督 ,方能有效保证司法独立 ;坚持整体推进与逐步改革相结合。在保持政治体制改革和司法改革进度大体同步的前提下 ,鼓励司法改革适当超前 ,为国家的政治体制改革提供经验。文章认为 ,中国司法改革应当树立大司法观 ,司法改革的目标要明确 ,司法改革应遵循依法行事的基本思路 ;建议在全国人大常委会下设立司法改革委员会 ,改革我国司法管理体制 ;同时 ,尽快采取措施 ,积极应对全球化背景下司法改革面临的任务与挑战     

Efficiency measurement of Indian high courts using DEA: A policy perspective

The Indian judicial system is extensive and plagued by several issues, especially high pendency levels across all levels. The present work has two goals. Firstly, it aims to measure the efficiency of Indian high courts using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Secondly, it studies the impact of including pending cases on judicial efficiency. The first DEA model takes only judicial resources, namely, number of judges and staff members as inputs, and two outputs, viz., number of civil and criminal cases disposed. Since further data analysis reveals a role for using caseload as an input, two more DEA models are developed to incorporate these factors. The first includes the number of civil and criminal cases instituted during the year as inputs, and the second incorporates the effect of both incoming and pending cases. Models 2 and 3 help to distinguish between the courts that are efficient with respect to incoming cases, and those that are able to efficiently manage their total workload. Results identify the specific courts that are efficient in disposing cases, including the effect of their high volume. They point to policy imperatives and overall peer learning, as well as for specific aspects such as dealing with high pendency or fresh institution of cases. Finally, a comparison between these models can help the judicial officials of inefficient courts develop reforms with specific aims such as reducing backlog of cases, matching outflow and inflow of cases, or in some cases, both.     

Women's Representation on State Trial and Appellate Courts*

Objective. This article examines the factors affecting women's representation at each level of the state judiciary. Methods. Using extended beta‐binomial and Poisson models, this article determines the effects of judicial selection, state ideology, and the pool of women eligible to serve on state trial and appellate courts. Results. I find that the pool of women eligible to serve, state ideology, and some methods of judicial selection affect the number of women serving on state courts. Conclusions. By modeling the process on the two courts differently, I find that the factors affecting trial courts are not necessarily the same as those affecting women's representation on appellate courts. Because of the differences in the two levels of the judiciary, future analysis should consider how these two levels influence individual decisions to seek a seat on state courts.