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Articles 181 - 210 of 767
Full-Text Articles in Comparative and Foreign Law
Colombia's Poetic World Of Authors' Moral Rights: Consideration On Imprisoning A Professor For Plagiarism, Carlos Castellanos Rubio, David Cromwell
Colombia's Poetic World Of Authors' Moral Rights: Consideration On Imprisoning A Professor For Plagiarism, Carlos Castellanos Rubio, David Cromwell
Washington International Law Journal
The following is a translation of Carlos Castellanos Rubio’s article in the June 2011 edition of La Revista de Derecho, Comunicaciones y Nuevas Tecnologías, a Colombian legal periodical. The article discusses a 2010 Colombian Supreme Court of Justice decision that sentenced Professor Luz Mary Giraldo to two years in prison plus monetary and civil sanctions for plagiarizing a student’s thesis, “The Poetic World of Giovanni Quessep.” The decision has been controversial in Colombia for a variety of reasons, and many have accused the Court of judicial activism. Much of this criticism stems from the Court convicting Giraldo of violating …
Reverse Revolution: Russia's Constitutional Crisis, Sarah E. Cox
Reverse Revolution: Russia's Constitutional Crisis, Sarah E. Cox
Washington International Law Journal
Russia is experiencing a crisis that threatens the continued relevance of its Constitution. This is demonstrated first by Vladimir Putin’s return to the presidency and the political crisis it has fueled. Second, it is shown by the Constitution’s inability to remedy the political crisis due to the collapse of separation of powers and federalism in Russia, and severe party underdevelopment. Part A of this note discusses Russia’s political crisis, namely the demise of democracy. Part B discusses the Constitution’s injuries, specifically the collapse of federalism, the demise of the separation of powers, and the state’s party underdevelopment. Together, these factors …
Constitutional Provisions Making Sharia “A” Or “The” Chief Source Of Legislation: Where Did They Come From? What Do They Mean? Do They Matter?, Clark B. Lombardi
Constitutional Provisions Making Sharia “A” Or “The” Chief Source Of Legislation: Where Did They Come From? What Do They Mean? Do They Matter?, Clark B. Lombardi
Articles
The constitutions of many Arab countries provide that Islamic law ("shari'a") is a "source" of national law. Indeed, some make shari'a norms "a chief source," of state law. Other stronger provisions even declare them to be "the chief source" or "the only source" of legislation. There has been surprisingly little historical scholarship about these clauses, either in Arabic or in Western languages. There has also been almost no systematic comparative scholarship looking at the way that these clauses have been interpreted in different countries. In both Western scholarship and in popular Arab discourse one finds considerable confusion about where these …
Fatal Flaws: New Zealand's Human Tissue Act Fails To Provide An Avenue For Individuals To Give Legally Binding Informed Consent, Jennifer J. Howard
Fatal Flaws: New Zealand's Human Tissue Act Fails To Provide An Avenue For Individuals To Give Legally Binding Informed Consent, Jennifer J. Howard
Washington International Law Journal
Improving the worldwide organ transplantation rate is an important goal for the world health community. Thousands of people die each year waiting for organs that would save their lives. New Zealand has one of the poorest rates of transplantation in the Western world. In 2008, New Zealand passed the Human Tissue Act in an attempt to improve the number of donors and ultimately increase the number of transplants performed. To promote the autonomy of individuals, the new law prioritized who can give informed consent for organ donation upon death, with individuals’ actions and intentions being paramount. The law allows individuals …
Privacy And Security Concerns Associated With Mobile Money Applications In Africa, Andrew Harris, Seymour Goodman, Patrick Traynor
Privacy And Security Concerns Associated With Mobile Money Applications In Africa, Andrew Harris, Seymour Goodman, Patrick Traynor
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
The rapid adoption of mobile money use in Africa raises concerns regarding the privacy and security of users, particularly in light of Financial Action Task Force recommendations requiring user transparency and the collection of transaction data. The transparency required of the now-financially-included—particularly in nations with weak adherence to the rule of law and limited privacy protections—leaves users vulnerable to abuse. Further, the increasing complexity of mobile phone use that is indicative of mobile money applications raises concerns regarding Africa’s preparedness for heightened security threats that come hand in hand with increased use. To address these problems, the authors of this …
The Role Of Anti-Money Laundering Law In Mobile Money Systems In Developing Countries, Emery S. Kobor
The Role Of Anti-Money Laundering Law In Mobile Money Systems In Developing Countries, Emery S. Kobor
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
This Article explains that the application of anti-money laundering (AML) regulation, supervision, and enforcement is relevant to financial inclusion, but is not, in itself, necessarily determinative of the success or failure of financial inclusion initiatives or their impact on economic growth. Successful payments system innovation, particularly payment tools targeting underserved markets, requires effective entrepreneurship operating in an environment of good governance and rational economic policies. AML safeguards help to deter corruption and other forms of financial crime, which helps to establish and maintain economic stability and preserve the rule of law, creating a supportive environment for innovation and financial inclusion. …
M-Payments In Brazil: Notes On How A Country's Background May Determine Timing And Design Of A Regulatory Model, Gilberto Martins De Almeida
M-Payments In Brazil: Notes On How A Country's Background May Determine Timing And Design Of A Regulatory Model, Gilberto Martins De Almeida
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Extended periods of high-inflation in Brazil have resulted in a sophisticated platform for payment methods and a vast network of banking correspondents all over the country. Social policies have encouraged increased access to telecommunications, with the number of mobile phones exceeding the nearly 200 million inhabitants. Governmental programs intend to combine such strengths to achieve massive financial inclusion and integrity, an effort that is expected to reach dozens of millions of new beneficiaries. In that endeavor, authorities wish to foster rapid popularization of mobile payments (m-payments) while keeping sound financial controls. Availability of current technological and legal platforms has allowed …
Safaricom And M-Pesa In Kenya: Financial Inclusion And Financial Integrity, Mercy W. Buku, Michael W. Meredith
Safaricom And M-Pesa In Kenya: Financial Inclusion And Financial Integrity, Mercy W. Buku, Michael W. Meredith
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
The recent and widespread availability of affordable mobile phone technology in developing countries has paved the way for the development of a number of mobile money and electronic remittance services. One of the most successful of these services is Safaricom’s M-PESA program, launched in the East African nation of Kenya in March 2007. Since then, the program has successfully enrolled 15.2 million users, transferred more than US$1.4 trillion in electronic funds, and contributed significantly to poverty alleviation and financial inclusion efforts in rural Kenya. This Article seeks to trace the development of M-PESA in Kenya, provide a snapshot of the …
The Reporting Of Suspicious Activity By Mobile Money Service Providers In Accordance With International Standards: How Does It Impact On Financial Inclusion?, Miriam Goldby
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Among the obligations which countries are required to impose upon their financial institutions under the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) 40 Recommendations is the obligation to report suspicions of money laundering. This Article discusses the impact that a reporting regime such as that set up in the United Kingdom in response to FATF requirements is likely to have should it be set up in developing countries seeking to regulate mobile money services. This Article argues that certain features of the U.K. suspicious activity reporting regime make it unsuitable for wholesale adoption into such a context. A one-size-fits-all approach by the …
The Trials And Tribulations Of Japan’S Legal Education Reforms, Daniel H. Foote
The Trials And Tribulations Of Japan’S Legal Education Reforms, Daniel H. Foote
Articles
A sense of momentum accompanied the start of Japan's new legal education system in the spring of 2004. Less than three years had passed since the Justice System Reform Council (the Reform Council) issued its final report in June 2001, proposing a major restructuring of Japan's legal training system centered on a new tier of graduate level law schools. And less than a year and a half had elapsed since the details of the law school system were decided and enabling legislation passed. Despite the tight timetable, sixty-eight law schools were ready to commence operations in 2004, having arranged facilities, …
Designing Islamic Constitutions: Past Trends And Options For A Democratic Future, Clark B. Lombardi
Designing Islamic Constitutions: Past Trends And Options For A Democratic Future, Clark B. Lombardi
Articles
In recent years a growing number of countries have adopted constitutional provisions requiring that state law respect Islamic law (sharia). Muslims today are deeply divided, however, about what types of state action are consistent with sharia. Thus, the impact of a "Sharia Guarantee Clause" depends to a large degree on questions of constitutional design -- on who is given the power to interpret and apply the provision and on what procedures that they follow when making their decisions. This article explores the trends that gave rise to SGCs and provides a history of their incorporation into national constitutions. It then …
Prosecution Review Commissions, The Public Interest, And The Rights Of The Accused: The Need For A "Grown Up" In The Room, Carl F. Goodman
Prosecution Review Commissions, The Public Interest, And The Rights Of The Accused: The Need For A "Grown Up" In The Room, Carl F. Goodman
Washington International Law Journal
The recent amendments to Japan’s Inquest of Prosecution Law (popularly called the Prosecution Review Commission (“PRC”) Law) give the eleven lay member PRC (and their court appointed lawyers) unreviewable authority to compel the prosecutions and appeals of defendants who the professional prosecutor service has determined do not require indictment and prosecution. Viewed as “democratic” because it brings lay participation to the criminal justice system, the PRC process differs sharply from the American Federal Grand Jury because it places ordinary citizens at risk of potential retribution and the political system at risk of possible “gaming” of the process for political advantage, …
Punishing The Pen With The Sword?: Colombia's New, Extreme, And Ineffective Punishment For Plagiarism, David Cromwell
Punishing The Pen With The Sword?: Colombia's New, Extreme, And Ineffective Punishment For Plagiarism, David Cromwell
Washington International Law Journal
The Colombian Supreme Court of Justice recently sentenced a professor to two years in prison for plagiarizing a student’s thesis, an extreme punishment by both comparative and Colombian standards. Despite its severity and global ramifications, the decision has received little attention within the English-speaking legal community. This comment provides an overdue analysis of the case and clarifies the current state of Colombian copyright law, both on the books and on the ground. The comment argues that while the case has clarified that plagiarism is a crime in Colombia, addressing academic plagiarism through criminal punishment will likely do little to deter …
Where Are We Now And Where Should We Head For? A Reflection On The Place Of East Asia On The Map Of Socio-Legal Studies, Setsuo Miyazawa
Where Are We Now And Where Should We Head For? A Reflection On The Place Of East Asia On The Map Of Socio-Legal Studies, Setsuo Miyazawa
Washington International Law Journal
Collaborative Research Networks (“CRNs”) developed to encourage and facilitate and collaboration between scholars with shared academic interests. CRN33 (East Asia) is fairly new. This article, which is based on a speech given by the author, examines the status of East Asia in socioeconomic literature, explores the growing prevalence of East Asia as a topic in general theory-building in socio-legal studies, and suggests methods for placing East Asia in a more central position for future socio-legal scholarship. The author emphasizes that scholars in the field of East Asian legal studies should work harder to introduce those outside the field to the …
An Early Tragedy Of Comparative Constitutionalism: Frank Goodnow And The Chinese Republic, Jedidiah Kroncke
An Early Tragedy Of Comparative Constitutionalism: Frank Goodnow And The Chinese Republic, Jedidiah Kroncke
Washington International Law Journal
This article recovers a lost episode in the neglected early history of comparative constitutionalism in the United States. In 1913, pioneering comparative lawyer Frank Goodnow went to China to assist the new Chinese Republic in the writing of its first constitution. Goodnow’s mission reflected the growing interest of the United States in China’s legal development in this era, and his constitution-writing project won broad support from the U.S. legal profession. Goodnow’s tenure ultimately generated great controversy when he advised China’s leaders to adopt a constitutional monarchy rather than continue on as a republic. This article describes this controversy and how …
Will China's 12th Five Year Plan Allow For Sufficient Nuclear Power To Support Its Booming Economy In The Next Twenty Years?, Patricia Blazey
Will China's 12th Five Year Plan Allow For Sufficient Nuclear Power To Support Its Booming Economy In The Next Twenty Years?, Patricia Blazey
Washington International Law Journal
A major part of China’s 12th Five Year Plan focuses on energy conservation and environmental protection. Its 12th Year Environmental Plan provides that China will increase its nuclear capacity by 30% from 2010 levels of 10.8 gigawatts to 43 gigawatts in 2014. Two questions arise from this plan. First, will enough energy be produced from other sources to supply the country’s energy needs or will there be the need for an expansion to its nuclear program? Second, are the locations of its nuclear power plants safe in light of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan following …
Gender-Specific Prison Reform: Addressing Human Rights Violations Against Women In Russia's Prisons, Courtney M. Skiles
Gender-Specific Prison Reform: Addressing Human Rights Violations Against Women In Russia's Prisons, Courtney M. Skiles
Washington International Law Journal
Russia currently incarcerates women in conditions that amount to human rights violations. Women incarcerated in Russia’s prisons experience not only oppression and abuse common to all those incarcerated in Russia, but also gender-specific harms. While Russia has signed on to many pivotal human rights treaties, it also has a long history of mass incarceration of its people. Today, the prison conditions for women in Russia reveal a need for reform. Reformers are challenged by a powerful State that has not prioritized the type of reform necessary to eliminate further harms done to incarcerated women. To ensure the rights of women …
Introduction: The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Disaster And The Future Of Nuclear Energy Programs In Japan And East Asia, Hiroshi Fukurai
Introduction: The Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Disaster And The Future Of Nuclear Energy Programs In Japan And East Asia, Hiroshi Fukurai
Washington International Law Journal
On March 11, 2011, a massive 9.0 magnitude quake and powerful tsunami slammed the northeastern region of Japan. Huge seismic activities knocked out the power at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, and ensuing tidal waves disabled the backup generators for cooling systems to the active reactors. This triggered a series of hydrogen explosions and released dangerously high levels of radioactive particles into the atmosphere. The Japanese government declared a nuclear emergency, due to the worst nuclear crisis in Japanese history, and decided to evacuate 140,000 residents within twenty kilometers of the plant to various relocation centers
Alternative Dispute Resolution Design In Financial Markets—Some More Equal Than Others: Hong Kong's Proposed Financial Dispute Resolution Center In The Context Of The Experience In The United Kingdom, United States, Australia, And Singapore, Shahla F. Ali, Antonio Da Roza
Alternative Dispute Resolution Design In Financial Markets—Some More Equal Than Others: Hong Kong's Proposed Financial Dispute Resolution Center In The Context Of The Experience In The United Kingdom, United States, Australia, And Singapore, Shahla F. Ali, Antonio Da Roza
Washington International Law Journal
Systems of financial dispute resolution currently operate in most major financial centers throughout the world. As such systems expand and develop to address a growing number of finance-related disputes, they must inevitably address the question of their role and function in financial market regulation. Such questions are rooted in the larger socio-legal dispute processing debate examining how institutional dispute resolution mechanisms effectively regulate the repeat player knowledge/power gap through appropriate policies and procedures. Using the example of Hong Kong in comparison with financial dispute resolution models currently in existence in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and the United States, this …
The Inheritance Of Inequality: Hukou<.I> And Related Barriers To Compulsory Education For China's Migrant Children, Jessica L. Montgomery
The Inheritance Of Inequality: Hukou<.I> And Related Barriers To Compulsory Education For China's Migrant Children, Jessica L. Montgomery
Washington International Law Journal
The hukou system in China uses residency permits to divide Chinese citizens into urban and rural dwellers. A person’s hukou status determines his or her access to state services. Under normal circumstances, a person with a rural hukou status is not eligible for state services in urban areas, and vice versa. Because hukou is primarily inherited from one’s parents at the time of birth, children born in urban areas to parents with rural hukou are similarly designated as rural hukou holders. As a result, children living in cities with rural hukou are ineligible for enrollment in urban public schools even …
Corporate Liability, Government Liability, And The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, Eri Osaka
Corporate Liability, Government Liability, And The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, Eri Osaka
Washington International Law Journal
This article focuses on the liability issues arising from the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The radioactivity released from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant inflicted catastrophic harm to people, industries, and the environment. Under Japanese law, a nuclear operator bears strict, channeling, and unlimited liability for nuclear damage unless the damage is caused by a grave natural disaster of an exceptional character. This article concludes the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that triggered this nuclear accident do not fall within this exemption because neither of them were unforeseeable nor far beyond the design basis for the reactors at the plant. …
Finding A Country To Call Home: A Framework For Evaluating Legislation To Reduce Statelessness In Southeast Asia, Alec Paxton
Finding A Country To Call Home: A Framework For Evaluating Legislation To Reduce Statelessness In Southeast Asia, Alec Paxton
Washington International Law Journal
Statelessness is a problem that affects 12 million people worldwide, with severe social, economic, and political consequences. This problem is particularly acute in Southeast Asia. Over the last sixty years, Southeast Asian states have attempted to reduce existing stateless populations through nationalization. These attempts have been met with varying degrees of success. The United Nations High Commission on Refugees and other non-governmental organizations have recently started to evaluate the outcome of these legislative attempts to reduce statelessness. These ad hoc evaluations provide valuable lessons for those who are drafting legislation to reduce existing stateless populations as well as legal scholars …
Chief Judge Rader's Contribution To Comparative Patent Law, Toshiko Takenaka
Chief Judge Rader's Contribution To Comparative Patent Law, Toshiko Takenaka
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Chief Judge Rader influences patent jurisprudence in other nations through his interaction with judges and lawyers from these jurisdictions. He also uses the comparative method to gain insights from experiences in these jurisdictions to improve U.S. patent jurisprudence. This Article discusses opinions authored by Chief Judge Rader from the comparative law perspective. It discusses his influence on European and Japanese patent jurisprudence in the three areas: the (I) patent eligibility, (II) nonobviousness, and (III) enablement-written description requirements. Judge Rader likewise used his knowledge of foreign jurisprudence to interpret U.S. patent statutes and to develop doctrines in these areas.
Influencing The Evolving Ip System And Law Of China Through International Outreach, Esther H. Lim
Influencing The Evolving Ip System And Law Of China Through International Outreach, Esther H. Lim
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
No individual U.S. judge has influenced the evolving IP system and law of China through international outreach more than Chief Judge Rader of the Federal Circuit. Through tireless efforts, he has made an indelible footprint in the history of Chinese IP law as a judge, a professor, and an author. Chief Judge Rader has garnered rock-star status in China through dedication and commitment to contribute to, and to be a part of, China’s IP system and law. He has secured a legendary standing and will be long remembered by the Chinese IP community as an ambassador of IP and judicial …
Efforts To Establish Clear Standards For Exhaustion In Japan, Kaoru Kuroda, Eiji Katayama
Efforts To Establish Clear Standards For Exhaustion In Japan, Kaoru Kuroda, Eiji Katayama
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
The Honorable Chief Judge Rader has often emphasized the importance of establishing clear standards in the field of patent law. Similarly, Japanese courts in this field seem to make an effort to present a clear rule in their holdings. Patent exhaustion theory is one of the fields where a clear and concrete standard by the courts is especially needed. This Article explains several clear standards held by Japanese courts regarding this issue. It then discusses a problem raised by establishing clear standards by courts in a civil law country like Japan and also presents the Japanese Government’s efforts to ensure …
Separation Of Religion And State In Japan: A Pragmatic Interpretation Of Articles 20 And 89 Of The Japanese Constitution, Andrew B. Van Winkle
Separation Of Religion And State In Japan: A Pragmatic Interpretation Of Articles 20 And 89 Of The Japanese Constitution, Andrew B. Van Winkle
Washington International Law Journal
Article 20 of Japan’s Constitution establishes freedom of religion. To protect this freedom, the provisions of Articles 20 and 89 separate religion from the state to prevent the return of State Shintō. Despite this separation, the Japanese Supreme Court has consistently upheld instances where state entities interact with religious groups. These decisions have raised the ire of numerous academics and legal professionals in and out of Japan who believe that Japan’s constitutional separation requires absolute separation, or at least something more stringent than the Supreme Court has been willing to find. Although this comment rejects the approach taken by the …
Why Land Tenure Reform Is The Key To Political Stability In Tonga, Kersti Harter Kennedy
Why Land Tenure Reform Is The Key To Political Stability In Tonga, Kersti Harter Kennedy
Washington International Law Journal
The Kingdom of Tonga, a South Pacific country, erupted in violent pro-democracy riots in late 2006 after decades of political unease. Tonga’s people are divided into two main classes: the nobles and the commoners. These two classes have long differed in political and land rights in a hierarchy that is typical of chiefdoms such as Tonga. Tonga’s government has attempted to deal with the sometimes violent, commoner-led pro-democracy movement by amending its Constitution to allow commoners to vote for more of the members of the Legislative Assembly. The resulting government and the noblemen have not, however, shown a commitment to …
The Brave New World Of Lawyers In Japan Revisited: Proceedings Of A Panel Discussion On The Japanese Legal Profession After The 2008 Financial Crisis And The 2011 Tōhuku Earthquake, Bruce E. Aronson
Washington International Law Journal
In the United States, the 2008 financial crisis had a serious impact on a legal profession that had been growing strongly for three decades, highlighting fundamental issues concerning the business and educational models of both law firms and law schools. This raises the interesting question of how Japan, with its much shorter history of large law firms and professional law schools, has been affected by the 2008 financial crisis and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor crisis. At a recent conference sponsored by the University of Washington School of Law and the law firm of Perkins Coie, a …
Malaysia's World Trade Organization Challenge To The European Union's Renewable Energy Directive: An Economic Analysis, Michael W. Meredity
Malaysia's World Trade Organization Challenge To The European Union's Renewable Energy Directive: An Economic Analysis, Michael W. Meredity
Washington International Law Journal
Recent negotiations between Malaysia and the European Union (“EU”), aimed at establishing a free trade agreement, have come to a standstill, due in part to a policy implemented by the EU known as the Renewable Energy Directive. The Renewable Energy Directive grants a tax credit to renewable fuel sources that emit at least 35% less greenhouse gas than traditional fossil fuels. Malaysian officials have criticized the 35% level included in the EU policy because it grants a tax credit to rapeseed oil biofuel, produced mainly in Europe (which emits 38% less greenhouse gas than traditional fossil fuels), but does not …
A Battle Between Law And Society In Micronesia: An Example Of Originalism Gone Awry, Brian Z. Tamanaha
A Battle Between Law And Society In Micronesia: An Example Of Originalism Gone Awry, Brian Z. Tamanaha
Washington International Law Journal
Two conceptions of the relationship between law and society appear to compete: the idea that law mirrors society and the notion that a gap exists between law and society. Both ideas have some truth—law is an imperfect mirror of society. For various reasons, law and society can fall out of sync or even come into conflict. The 1975 Constitutional Convention, which led to the formation of the Federated States of Micronesia (“FSM”), marked the beginning of a battle between that society and its legal institutions. The Constitution’s framers strove to preserve traditional Micronesian culture by ensuring it a respected place …