Comparative and Foreign Law Commons^™

Renegotiating Transnational Investment Agreements: Lessons For Develping Countries From The Ghana-Valco Experience, Paul Kuruk

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article describes the use of the renegotiation process to resolve problems that arise in the relations between participants in transnational investment. It draws conclusions from the successful renegotiation of an agreement executed in 1962 under which the Ghanaian government guaranteed bauxite and hydroelectric power supplies to support the smelting operations of the Volta Aluminium Company, Limited (Valco) in return for revenues from taxes and from payments for electricity, water, and use of the country's port facilities. The agreement between Ghana and Valco was entered into as part of the Volta River Project (VRP). This project was an investment scheme …

German Unification: Constitutional And International Implications, Albrecht Randelzhofer

Michigan Journal of International Law

A discussion about the legal problems of German unification, taking into account the realms of German constitutional law, public international law, and the law of the European Communities.

Unwelcome Imports: Racism, Sexism, And Foreign Investment, William H. Lash Iii

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article will address the problems minorities and women face from Japanese foreign direct investment. This article focuses on Japanese direct investment because the rapid rise in Japan's direct investment in the United States, combined with a record of discrimination by Japanese firms in Japan and abroad, makes Japanese investment the best example of the problems addressed in this article. However, the discriminatory attitudes described here may well be held by other foreign investors, and therefore, the legislation proposed later in this article addresses a broader problem.

Of Outlaws, Christians, Horsemeat, And Writing: Uniform Laws And Saga Iceland, William I. Miller

Articles

Our word law is a loanword from Old Norse.1 It makes its earliest appearances in Old English manuscripts in the late tenth century. At that time the Old English word for law was, believe it or not, æ, written as a digraph called "ash." Now most readers, myself included, tend to experience anxiety when we confront a ligatured vowel like ae and so we untie it as a prelude to getting rid of it altogether: we turn an aesthete2 into an aesthete before finally humiliating him (or her) as an esthete, all to resolve our nervousness. King Æthelred the Unready …

The Development Of The Equal Treatment Principle In The International Debt Crisis, Carsten Thomas Ebenroth, Rüdiger Woggon

Michigan Journal of International Law

Since the outbreak of the international debt crisis at the beginning of the 1980s, debtor countries have reached a series of agreements with private creditor banks, with the aim of reducing the financial strain on the debtor countries and enabling them to service their debts. Long-term extensions of maturities are a central aspect of many of these arrangements. Included in the restructurings are all the medium- and long-term claims of the creditor banks, often short-term trade credits and interbank lines, and, in individual cases such as the restructuring of the debts of Poland, Yugoslavia, Costa Rica, and some African States, …

Legislating Confession Law In Great Britain: A Statutory Approach To Police Interrogations, Mark Berger

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Part I provides an overview of the development of British confession law, including the changes under PACE. Part II examines PACE's impact on related subjects, such as detention conditions, access to legal advice, and waiver of the right of access to a solicitor. Finally, Part III suggests that the British experience in developing a statutory framework to regulate these issues can serve as a model for undertaking such reforms in the United States.

Note, The Death Penalty In Late Imperial, Modern, And Post-Tiananmen China, Alan W. Lepp

Michigan Journal of International Law

This paper seeks to explore the crucial determinants that shape the Chinese legal system's use of the death penalty. Why have the Chinese relied so heavily on execution as a form of sentencing? What factors and conditions account for the major changes in the frequency of China's use of the death penalty? What indigenous traditions are reflected in China's implementation of the death penalty? In order to inquire into the role and function of the legal system in affecting the severity of criminal punishment in China, this study will focus on only those death sentences carried out by the state …

Child Welfare Legislation In India: Will Indian Children Benefit From The United Nations Convention On The Rights Of The Child, Shahana Dasgupta

Michigan Journal of International Law

The subject of children's rights has been dealt with both directly and indirectly in a number of international legal instruments over the years. Initially, there were differences concerning the need for a Convention over and above the already existing legislation. Some countries felt that children should not be treated as a category set apart from other human beings and thereby be the object of a separate legal document. On the other hand, countries in favor of a Convention wanted to create a single legal instrument which would take into account children's requirements on a universal scale. They also saw the …

The Italian Constitutional Court And The Relationship Between The Italian Legal System And The European Community, Mart Cartabia

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article will address how it has been possible that the same Court, interpreting the same Constitution and facing the same problems, has come to such contradictory conclusions, and will assess the impact of such conclusions on the institutional relationship between the EC and Italy.

Translation Of Legal Texts: Three English Versions Of The Swiss Federal Statute On Private International Law, Walter König

Michigan Journal of International Law

Working with translated legal materials can be frustrating and treacherous. Lawyers who are regularly forced to do this soon realize their limitations and end up wishing they had taken the trouble to study the original language. They also appreciate the difficulties confronting the translator. Mastery of the languages involved is necessary, but not sufficient, particularly where the user of a translation expects a literal translation, the legal systems of the starting languages and target language differ fundamentally and the subject matter is highly abstract.

Civil Procedure Reform In Japan, Takeshi Kojima

Michigan Journal of International Law

Delay in court has been a problem common in all eras, both ancient and modern, and to all systems of law, Western and Eastern alike. In Japan, however, the problem is arguably more acute. The average delay between filing and judgment for cases that require at least a minimum level of proof-taking or an evidentiary hearing is 27 months. This deplorable reality has recently led to renewed efforts to tackle the problem of delay in Japan. Two groups that have been particularly important in this effort are two local bar associations and the Tokyo and Osaka district courts. The First …

Transfers Of Property In Eleventh-Century Norman Law, William John Gallagher

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Transfers of Property in Eleventh-Century Norman Law by Emily Zack Tabuteau

Trial By Ordeal, Robert C. Palmer

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Trial by Fire and Water: The Medieval Judicial Ordeal by Robert Bartlett

On The "Auschwitz Lie", Herbert A. Strauss, Ernst Nolte, Helge Grabitz, Christian Meier

Michigan Law Review

In the November 1986 issue of the Michigan Law Review, Professor Eric Stein addressed the then-recent German legislation prohibiting the "Auschwitz lie." The "Auschwitz lie" refers to contemporary attempts to deny the historical truth of the Holocaust.

In the time since his article was published, Professor Stein has corresponded with several European scholars on the issues raised by the 1985 legislation. That correspondence, though brief, highlights the contentious aspects of Professor Stein's analysis; it suggests that the issues of restricting "historical speech," promoting national consciousness, attributing collective guilt, and identifying the role of courts in punishing historical lies remain troublesome …

Some Recent Cases Delaying The Direct Effect Of International Treaties In Dutch Law, Henry G. Schermers

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article is meant as a comment on some recent Dutch cases concerning the effect within the domestic law of the Netherlands of the prohibition of discrimination laid down in Article 7a(i) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and of Article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The cases were decided by the Centrale Raad van Beroep, which is the Dutch supreme court in some fields of administrative law, such as the law on civil servants and several laws on social security. The cases are particularly interesting with respect to the …

The Anti-Dumping Systems Of Australia, Canada, The Eec And The United States Of America: Have Anti-Dumping Laws Become A Problem In International Trade?, Edwin A. Vermulst

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article, part of an in-depth comparative study of municipal anti-dumping laws in Australia, Canada, the European Economic Community and the United States, does not purport to undertake a comprehensive comparative analysis of the anti-dumping laws of the four jurisdictions. Its aim is, rather, to examine the core concepts and some of the core salient features of the laws as developed in actual practice, and to consider the problems that have arisen in these jurisdictions and their solutions. For this purpose, section I will analyze procedural issues, section II substantive issues of dumping, and section III substantive issues of injury. …

Comparison: Japanese And American Plant Closing Laws, Allison Zousmer

Michigan Journal of International Law

This Note analyzes the American and Japanese approaches to plant closings and discusses to what extent the American government can apply the successful Japanese approach to its own labor relations system. The first part examines the specific provisions of the two nations' laws. Second, it illustrates how the divergent social rules and historical backgrounds influence the operation of the plant closing laws in both nations. Part three explores the impact and applicability of Japanese labor policies to American industrial practices. The Note concludes that although the Japanese provide a general model for a labor management system which combines cooperation and …

Equal Protection- The Social Dimension Of European Community Law, T. Koopmans

Michigan Journal of International Law

There are two reasons for drawing attention to the social dimension of European Community law. First, the EEC treaty comprises different provisions on social policy whose importance is consistently underestimated: the treaty is often considered as merely establishing a "common market" and as only concerning economic problems. This approach is prominent in the United States, where the business world is primarily interested in trade with, and within, the common market, and where much literature is devoted to this subject. Second, the social provisions of the EEC treaty have given rise to an interesting evolution in the case law of the …

The Beginning Of The Constitutional Era: A Bicentennial Comparative Study Of The American And French Constitutions, Rett R. Ludwikowski

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article is intended only to be introductory. The author is quite aware that the period surrounding the creation of the American Constitution has been profoundly studied; thorough analysis has been provided concerning both the origin and historical development of the American Constitution, as well as the intellectual background of the "founding generation." Characteristically, these studies have focused on the "American constitutional tradition," which means that they have been limited to little more than two centuries of colonial experience. This essay follows a different vein of inquiry. The author's purpose is not to add another article to the numerous works …

Models For A Gorbachev Constitution Of The U.S.S.R., John N. Hazard

Michigan Journal of International Law

Western Sovietologists were startled when Secretary General Mikhail S. Gorbachev set his craftsmen to work in the Summer of 1988 to prepare a revised structure for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ("U.S.S.R."). While some hint of what was to come had been given by publications prior to the 19th Communist Party Conference, and while some of these appeared in the theses to be debated at the Conference, Westerners expected little more than a call from the tribune for change in attitudes. Basic State structures established by Leonid Brezhnev in his 1977 Constitution had not previously been questioned. Critics levelled …

Some Issues Of Immigration Law In A Developing State, Miriam Defensor Santiago

Michigan Journal of International Law

This article outlines some basic issues of immigration law that will be discussed during this process of reform. These issues, each of which constitutes a separate section, include the legal basis for deportation under Philippine jurisprudence; the power to issue a warrant of arrest against an alien; the power to grant bail to an alien under detention; and the power of judicial review over deportation cases.

"Federal" Aspects Of The European Convention On Human Rights, Colin Warbrick

Michigan Journal of International Law

The inquiry pursued in this paper has been prompted by a paradox. In the United States, the Supreme Court has been reluctant to find any constitutional limitations upon the power of the States to allow the administration of corporal punishment in schools, despite being able to rely on the national Bill of Rights - in the interpretation of which the Court has many times circumscribed the power of the State governments in other contexts. The result has been that some children have been left without redress when they have been subjected to exceptionally severe punishment. Under the system of the …

General Principles Of Civil Law Of The People's Republic Of China (Translation), Whitmore Gray, Henry R. Zheng

Articles

(Adopted April 12, 1986, at the Fourth Session of the Sixth National People's Congress, to take effect on January 1, 1987)

Opinion Of The Supreme People's Court On Questions Concerning The Implementation Of The General Principles Of Civil Law Of The People's Republic Of China (Translation), Whitmore Gray, Henry R. Zheng

Articles

The General Principles of Civil Law of the People's Republic of China ("General Principles") came into force on January 1, 1987. We now issue the following Opinion concerning issues encountered when implementing the General Principles

Irregular' Asylum Seekers: What's All The Fuss?, James C. Hathaway

Articles

In 1985, the Executive Committee of UNHCR noted its concern about "the growing phenomenon of refugees and asylum-seekers who, having found protection in one country, move in an irregular manner to another country..." (Conclusion No. 36, para. j). At first glance, one might not view this conclusion as objectionable. With all of the millions of refugees in the world, most of who have no protection, why should we be concerned about the lot of a bunch of ingrates who, having already found protection, now want to move on in search of greener pastures? Don't we really have better things to …

Human Rights And International Relations, Sandip Bhattacharji

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Human Rights and International Relations by R.J. Vincent

Japan's High Technology Industries: Lessons And Limitations Of Industrial Policy, Steven R. Englund

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Japan's High Technology Industries: Lessons and Limitations of Industrial Policy edited by Hugh Patrick

Abortion And Divorce In Western Law, Sara J. Vance

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Abortion and Divorce in Western Law by Mary A. Glendon

An America's Cup For Tort Reform? Australia And America Compared, Jeffrey O'Connell, David Partlett

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

The issue of tort reform has descended from Ivory Towers to populist politics. A few years ago no one could have predicted that "tort reform" would become political argot and a stirring election slogan. Some in the United States see the tort crisis and the stimulus for reform as somehow uniquely American. This Article shows instead that many advanced, industrialized societies are discussing tort reform initiatives actively. The precise nature of the problems, the reasons for reform, and the shape of solutions will be fashioned by indigenous culture, tradition, and the uncertainties of politics. In the common-law world, however, a …

The Regulation Of Insider Trading In The United States, United Kingdom, And Japan, Barbara Ann Banoff

Michigan Journal of International Law

Part I of this article will briefly discuss the American laws regulating insider trading; Part II will discuss the law of the United Kingdom; and Part III will discuss the regulation-or, more accurately, the non-regulation-of insider trading in Japan.