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Washington International Law Journal

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Articles 331 - 360 of 568

Full-Text Articles in Comparative and Foreign Law

The War On Cyberterror: Why Australia Should Examine The U.S. Approach To Critical Infrastructure Protection, Elizabeth Tutmarc Jun 2004

The War On Cyberterror: Why Australia Should Examine The U.S. Approach To Critical Infrastructure Protection, Elizabeth Tutmarc

Washington International Law Journal

As the global community focuses on detecting and fighting terrorism, defense strategists have identified the vulnerability of certain cybersystems. Traditional methods of defense and warfare, however, often do not apply to new technologies. Thus the cybercommunity is developing new standards for protecting computer resources against terrorist attack. From the perspective of national governments, much attention has been paid to the importance of secure "critical infrastructure." This category of computer-dependent resources includes sectors vital to the smooth and orderly operation of public society, such as transportation, communications, and food production. These sectors are becoming increasingly dependent on computers to function, and …

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Russian Floating Nuclear Reactors: Lacunae In Current International Environmental And Maritime Law And The Need For Proactive International Cooperation In The Development Of Sustainable Energy Sources, Douglas John Steding Jun 2004

Russian Floating Nuclear Reactors: Lacunae In Current International Environmental And Maritime Law And The Need For Proactive International Cooperation In The Development Of Sustainable Energy Sources, Douglas John Steding

Washington International Law Journal

During the second half of 2003, Russia announced plans to build barges carrying two nuclear reactors capable of supplying electricity to a town of fifty thousand people. Rapidly developing countries seem particularly interested in this proposal, as these reactors can meet their growing power needs. In addition, these floating nuclear reactors provide an alternative to coal, oil and natural gas, all sources of energy that contribute to global warming. These reactors, however, pose a substantial risk to the environment, particularly in light of Russia's lax environmental policies, and the design of the barges themselves make them susceptible to a wide …

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The New Japanese Law Schools: Putting The Professional Into Legal Education, James R. Maxeiner, Keiichi Yamanaka Apr 2004

The New Japanese Law Schools: Putting The Professional Into Legal Education, James R. Maxeiner, Keiichi Yamanaka

Washington International Law Journal

In April 2004, more than sixty law schools began operation in Japan. Legal education, previously treated as a combination of undergraduate education in law and extra-university training in professional skills, will now be concentrated in new professional law schools. The reforms of Japanese legal education are intended both to produce more attorneys in a nation that has a shortage of legally trained professionals, and to help increase the role of law in Japanese society generally. In order for Japan's new law schools to achieve their educational objectives, they must successfully address a host of conceptual, pedagogical and organizational challenges. Foremost …

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The Central Case Approach To Human Rights: Its Universal Application And The Singapore Example, Tai-Heng Cheng Apr 2004

The Central Case Approach To Human Rights: Its Universal Application And The Singapore Example, Tai-Heng Cheng

Washington International Law Journal

Human rights situations are often analyzed and described in binary terms, that is, whether rights have been violated or upheld. This Article argues that it is more meaningful to measure human rights situations in terms of deviations from a central case of key characteristics, and to understand the subtle interplay of social, political, and economic vectors that cause such deviations. Using Singapore as a case study, this Article demonstrates that in any State the real human rights situation revealed by central case analysis can be dramatically different than the traditional binary assessment of that situation. The Article concludes by showing …

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Russian Draft Law On Special Economic Zones—A Step Forward, But Not Far Enough, Valentin A. Povarchuk Apr 2004

Russian Draft Law On Special Economic Zones—A Step Forward, But Not Far Enough, Valentin A. Povarchuk

Washington International Law Journal

The situation in the Russian Far East epitomizes the acute need for economic reform and development in Russia. The region boasts an enormous wealth of metals, oil, gas, coal, timber, and marine resources, but has long suffered from excessive dependence on the central government's administration and its accompanying historical neglect. Taking a cue from China's successful use of special economic zones as a means to encourage economic reform, some Russian policy-makers have proposed special economic zones as a means to encourage development. Russia's early laws establishing special economic zones, however, did not produce self-sustaining results due to a lack of …

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Justice Beyond Borders: A Comparison Of Australian And U.S. Child-Sex Tourism Laws, Karen D. Breckenridge Apr 2004

Justice Beyond Borders: A Comparison Of Australian And U.S. Child-Sex Tourism Laws, Karen D. Breckenridge

Washington International Law Journal

In 1996, an estimated one million children were sexually exploited in Asia. "Sex tourists" who travel to Asia from developed countries, including Australia and the United States, contribute to the demand for child prostitutes. A decade ago, Australia and the United States passed laws in an attempt to combat child-sex tourism. Over the past decade, the laws of both countries have had limited success. In 2003, the United States enacted the PROTECT Act. The PROTECT Act, nearly identical to Australia's Crimes (Child Sex Tourism) Amendment Act, allows for the prosecution of child-sex tourists and child-sex tour organizers, based on sexual …

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Venture Capital Contracting Under The Korean Commercial Code: Adopting U.S. Techniques In South Korean Transactions, Eugene Kim Apr 2004

Venture Capital Contracting Under The Korean Commercial Code: Adopting U.S. Techniques In South Korean Transactions, Eugene Kim

Washington International Law Journal

Because U.S. venture capital contracting techniques are well developed and highly effective, the appeal of adopting such techniques in venture capital transactions outside the United States is enormous to globally minded investors and legal practitioners. South Korea has yet to develop venture capital contracting practices as extensive as those found in the United States. In response to its burgeoning venture capital industry, however, South Korea will likely continue to adopt U.S. venture capital techniques in transactions governed by Korean corporate law. Such transactions can benefit the South Korean venture capital industry, leading to more profitable investments and financially successful companies …

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Securities Supervision And Judicial Review [In China], Zhongle Zhan, Fengying Li, Inseon Paik Apr 2004

Securities Supervision And Judicial Review [In China], Zhongle Zhan, Fengying Li, Inseon Paik

Washington International Law Journal

Since its founding in 1992, the China Securities Regulatory Commission ("CSRC") has, by the design of the central government of China, become the primary regulator of the Chinese securities market. The CSRC has, however, made some controversial decisions in enforcing its securities regulations. In particular, this article addresses the legal implications of the CSRC's failure to comply with controlling securities regulations in rejecting the Hainan Kaili Central Construction Company's listing application and the ramifications of such selective regulatory enforcement. The article provides an analysis of the current relationship between Chinese administrative and securities law.

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From Mao To Yao: A New Game Plan For China In The Era Of Basketball Globalization, Dustin C. Lane Jan 2004

From Mao To Yao: A New Game Plan For China In The Era Of Basketball Globalization, Dustin C. Lane

Washington International Law Journal

Yao Ming, a Chinese basketball superstar and the top pick in the 2002 NBA draft, became just the third player from China to play professionally in the United States. His departure, however, was met with reluctance by the Chinese basketball bureaucracy and came at a high price: he had to agree to remit more than half of his salary to Chinese government agencies and return to play for the Chinese National Team in certain competitions. While Yao's release demonstrates willingness by the Chinese government to participate in an increasingly globalized sports world, it also highlights the growing pains of a …

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Dow Jones & Co. V. Gutnick: Will Australia's Long Jurisdictional Reach Chill Internet Speech World-Wide?, Nathan W. Garnett Jan 2004

Dow Jones & Co. V. Gutnick: Will Australia's Long Jurisdictional Reach Chill Internet Speech World-Wide?, Nathan W. Garnett

Washington International Law Journal

In December of 2002, the High Court of Australia issued its decision in Dow Jones & Co. v. Gutnick, holding that Dow Jones could be haled into court in Australia for the publication of defamatory material on the Internet. This decision was surprising because the material in question was published in the United States on Dow Jones's New Jersey web servers. This decision makes Australia the only country that allows an action against a foreign defendant based solely on an Internet download in that country. However, the structure of the Gutnick opinion may open the door for other countries …

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Regulation Of Stem Cell Research: A Recommendation That The United States Adopt The Australian Approach, Bryn E. Floyd Jan 2004

Regulation Of Stem Cell Research: A Recommendation That The United States Adopt The Australian Approach, Bryn E. Floyd

Washington International Law Journal

Research using embryonic stem cells may lead to great medical advances because of their ability to differentiate into nearly any type of human tissue. Currently, the United States regulates embryonic stem cell research by limiting the stem cell lines that can be studied using federal money or by scientists working at federally-funded institutions. The states are left to regulate privately funded research, if they choose. This creates a situation in which federally-funded research is severely limited, while private funds may be used to conduct ethically problematic research. In contrast, the Australian Parliament has passed legislation regulating embryonic stem cell research …

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The Protection Of Reproductive Rights Under International Law: The Bush Administration's Policy Shift And China's Family Planning Practices, Hannah A. Saona Jan 2004

The Protection Of Reproductive Rights Under International Law: The Bush Administration's Policy Shift And China's Family Planning Practices, Hannah A. Saona

Washington International Law Journal

On his first day in office, U.S. President George W. Bush reinstated a policy that restricts United States Agency for International Development funding of foreign non-governmental organizations. A year and a half later, President Bush attracted media attention by rejecting funding commitments to the United Nations Population Fund ("UNFPA") based on its alleged involvement with the People's Republic of China ("PRC"). The PRC, in an effort to curb rampant population growth, has adopted a one child per couple policy. This policy has, in some cases, led to the use of coercive family planning practices such as forced abortion and sterilization. …

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Australia's "Most Extreme Case": A New Alternative For U.S. Medical Malpractice Liability Reform, Steven T. Masada Jan 2004

Australia's "Most Extreme Case": A New Alternative For U.S. Medical Malpractice Liability Reform, Steven T. Masada

Washington International Law Journal

The United States currently confronts a severe increase in medical costs and a simultaneous decrease in the availability of health care services. A nearly identical situation recently emerged in the Commonwealth of Australia. This phenomenon, often labeled the "medical malpractice crisis," results in part from an increasing litigious trend spurred on by the appeal of potentially enormous damage awards. More lawsuits filed and increased award amounts raise the liability of health care providers and generate uncertainty in the medical malpractice insurance market. This in turn drives up the costs of insurance policy premiums and ultimately forces health care providers to …

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Regulatory Diversification And The Monitoring State: The Direction Of Environmental Regulation In Taiwan, Beth E. Kinne Jan 2004

Regulatory Diversification And The Monitoring State: The Direction Of Environmental Regulation In Taiwan, Beth E. Kinne

Washington International Law Journal

Rapid industrialization in Taiwan in the latter half of the twentieth century resulted in dramatic increases in industrial pollution and municipal waste, leaving few places on the small island spared from severe pollution. Public pollution protests in the 1970s and 1980s both contributed to and increased with the liberalization of Taiwanese society. With the end of martial law in 1987 and subsequent creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, Taiwan adopted a command and control regulatory scheme that achieved limited success. From the 1980s onward, the Taiwanese government came to rely upon the participation of a greater number and variety of …

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In Search Of A Theory Of Cult And Freedom Of Religion In China: The Case Of Falun Gong, Anne S.Y. Cheung Jan 2004

In Search Of A Theory Of Cult And Freedom Of Religion In China: The Case Of Falun Gong, Anne S.Y. Cheung

Washington International Law Journal

Cult and anti-cult movements have been high drama ever since the close of the twentieth century. The tragedies caused by some minority religious groups and the corresponding government responses force us to question the meaning of freedom of religion and to confront our societal conviction to upholding our acclaimed constitutional values. This Article examines the fundamental concept of freedom of religion and the tights that it entails in the case of the People's Republic of China. China's recent crackdown on Falun Gong, a seemingly benign breathing exercise group, has been bitterly controversial. The case of Falun Gong illustrates that the …

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Where The Oregon Trail Meets The Silk Road: Why China's Path To Sustainability Should Bypass Oregon, Samuel A. Rodabough Jan 2004

Where The Oregon Trail Meets The Silk Road: Why China's Path To Sustainability Should Bypass Oregon, Samuel A. Rodabough

Washington International Law Journal

With a substantial population and continued exponential economic growth, China is perceived as exerting ever-increasing pressure on its natural environment. The concept of sustainable development has been posited by many in the international community as a means of overcoming China's bleak environmental outlook, while simultaneously preserving its economic prosperity. However, because of widespread disagreement as to the precise nature, scope, and practical application of sustainable development, the concept remains elusive and has proven difficult to implement. In its most basic form, sustainable development seeks to simultaneously meet environmental, economic, and social needs. With respect to these needs, China has affirmed …

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Recent Intensification Of Investor Protection In The Korean Securities Market: The Mandatory And Fair Disclosure Systems, Kwang-Rok Kim May 2003

Recent Intensification Of Investor Protection In The Korean Securities Market: The Mandatory And Fair Disclosure Systems, Kwang-Rok Kim

Washington International Law Journal

This Article analyzes the Korean fair disclosure system and the Korean mandatory disclosure system under the Korean Securities and Exchange Act ("KSEA"). After the turbulence in the financial markets resulting from the economic crises of late 1997, the South Korean government realized that the Korean economy had failed to keep pace with the world economy. The Korean economy underwent many changes after being offered financial relief from the International Monetary Fund. As part of these changes, the government adopted a series of structural reform measures to improve the standard of corporate governance and enhance corporate management. The KSEA now provides …

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The Pain Of Love: Spousal Immigration And Domestic Violence In Australia—A Regime In Chaos?, E. Odhiambo-Abuya May 2003

The Pain Of Love: Spousal Immigration And Domestic Violence In Australia—A Regime In Chaos?, E. Odhiambo-Abuya

Washington International Law Journal

A fundamental step that the 1994 Australian Migration Regulations developed into the immigration framework was to grant certain concessions to non-Australian spouses and interdependent partners who suffer domestic violence at the hands of their Australian counterparts. Victims of domestic violence are eligible to apply for permanent residence notwithstanding the otherwise applicable two-year waiting period. To understand the domestic violence exception, this Article explores the jurisprudence that has emerged from courts and other immigration tribunals. The Article proposes that further legislative and policy changes should be made in order to seal identified "gaps," and to provide clear guidance to interested parties, …

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China's New Foreign Law Firm Regulations: A Step In The Wrong Direction, Jane J. Heller May 2003

China's New Foreign Law Firm Regulations: A Step In The Wrong Direction, Jane J. Heller

Washington International Law Journal

Following China's accession to the World Trade Organization ("WTO"), the Chinese government issued new regulations governing foreign law firms in China. A number of commentators have analyzed these regulations to evaluate whether China is "'on track" to fulfilling the commitments it undertook to gain entry to the WTO. However, a more basic question that should be addressed is whether the new regulations meet China's goals in joining the WTO: to foster trade and economic development and to accelerate the growth of China's legal profession. Although China appeared willing to engage in significant liberalization of the legal services sector when it …

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Private Enforcement Of Securities Fraud Law In China: A Critique Of The Supreme People's Court 2003 Provisions Concerning Private Securities Litigation, Guiping Lu May 2003

Private Enforcement Of Securities Fraud Law In China: A Critique Of The Supreme People's Court 2003 Provisions Concerning Private Securities Litigation, Guiping Lu

Washington International Law Journal

On January 9, 2003, China's Supreme People's Court issued a new ruling with detailed provisions governing private securities litigation involving disclosure of false or misleading information. The new ruling is expected to play an important role in regulating and developing China's securities markets by providing a necessary judicial safeguard against infringement upon investors' interests. The new ruling, however, is unlikely to achieve its expected effect due to various procedural and substantive hurdles to investor access to judicial recourse. The built-in procedural hurdles either make it very difficult for securities investors to bring private actions, or, in some circumstances, deprive them …

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Rural Women's Land Rights In Java, Indonesia: Strengthened By Family Law, But Weakened By Land Registration, Jennifer Brown May 2003

Rural Women's Land Rights In Java, Indonesia: Strengthened By Family Law, But Weakened By Land Registration, Jennifer Brown

Washington International Law Journal

In Java, Indonesia, only about one-third of land title certificates reflect ownership by women. This lack of registered land ownership can potentially harm women by depriving them of influence within the household and leaving them vulnerable in cases of divorce or a spouse's death. This Article argues that effective land registration mechanisms and legal and social recognition of women's property rights all play a critical role in protecting women's ownership interests. Interviews with landowners and government officials in Java reveal that Indonesia's land registration processes do not effectively advance ownership rights granted under the nation's family law. Despite the government's …

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The Good, Bad, And Unintended: American Lessons For Cambodia's Effort Against Domestic Violence, Sonja K. Hardenbrook May 2003

The Good, Bad, And Unintended: American Lessons For Cambodia's Effort Against Domestic Violence, Sonja K. Hardenbrook

Washington International Law Journal

Despite numerous laws that guarantee women equal rights and prohibit violence, the current Cambodian legal system has proven inadequate to combat spousal abuse. In response, the Royal Government of Cambodia has proposed a draft-law specifically aimed at domestic violence. However, if enforcement of current Cambodian law in domestic violence situations is any indication, the proposed law has little hope of implementation. Current cultural paradigms make the Cambodian police and the public at large view domestic violence as a private matter rather than a crime. Thus, Cambodia is in need of new strategies to reduce domestic violence. Cambodia is not alone …

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Alternative Dispute Resolution As A Means Of Access To Justice In The Russian Federation, Elena Nosyreva, Douglas Carman, Dana Tumenova May 2003

Alternative Dispute Resolution As A Means Of Access To Justice In The Russian Federation, Elena Nosyreva, Douglas Carman, Dana Tumenova

Washington International Law Journal

This Article represents recent scholarship in Russian jurisprudence concerning the use of alternative dispute resolution procedures. It was written by a professor who is an active participant in law reform projects addressing the problems of elaborating legislation to articulate the rights and duties of parties involved in economic and other disputes. This Article covers three forms of dispute resolution—negotiations, claims-based dispute resolution, and mediation—and identifies characteristics of these procedures that are peculiar to the Russian context. By reviewing the forms of conflict resolution employed in Soviet-era command economy and exploring the contours of contemporary Russian "legal culture," the Article attempts …

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Facing The Aging Wave: Proposed Social Security Reform In The Philippines, Les Coughran Mar 2003

Facing The Aging Wave: Proposed Social Security Reform In The Philippines, Les Coughran

Washington International Law Journal

The Philippines's Social Security System is eroding because of demographic changes. These changes have tipped the financial balance, which incremental design changes have failed to restore. The system contains weaknesses that are exacerbated by limited financial transparency and poor asset management. International social security systems, designed to include public defined benefit programs, public hypothetical account programs, publicly mandated defined contribution programs, and/or private sphere components, provide the Philippines with examples of alternate national systems. While each of these components alleviates certain risks, no single component is comprehensive in safeguarding against demographic, economic, or inflationary risks. This Comment asserts that the …

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Reforming The Japanese Commercial Code: A Step Towards An American-Style Executive Officer System In Japan?, Matthew Senechal Mar 2003

Reforming The Japanese Commercial Code: A Step Towards An American-Style Executive Officer System In Japan?, Matthew Senechal

Washington International Law Journal

After more than a decade of attempting to remedy failing banks, rising unemployment, and a shrinking economy, Japan has taken a new approach to economic reform. With the hope of improving corporate profits and international competitiveness, the Japanese Diet passed legislation in May 2002 amending the Commercial Code to allow corporations to adopt an American-style executive officer system. The amendment establishes a workable new framework for more effective corporate governance in Japan and serves as an important early step in what promises to be a long road to reform. These benefits notwithstanding, its impact will be limited by the Amendment's …

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Reforming The Japanese Commercial Code: A Step Towards An American-Style Executive Officer System In Japan?, Matthew Senechal Mar 2003

Reforming The Japanese Commercial Code: A Step Towards An American-Style Executive Officer System In Japan?, Matthew Senechal

Washington International Law Journal

After more than a decade of attempting to remedy failing banks, rising unemployment, and a shrinking economy, Japan has taken a new approach to economic reform. With the hope of improving corporate profits and international competitiveness, the Japanese Diet passed legislation in May 2002 amending the Commercial Code to allow corporations to adopt an American-style executive officer system. The amendment establishes a workable new framework for more effective corporate governance in Japan and serves as an important early step in what promises to be a long road to reform. These benefits notwithstanding, its impact will be limited by the Amendment's …

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The Experimental Use Exception In Japan: A Model For U.S. Patent Law?, Jennifer A. Johnson Mar 2003

The Experimental Use Exception In Japan: A Model For U.S. Patent Law?, Jennifer A. Johnson

Washington International Law Journal

The patent laws of the United States and Japan contain provisions that permit the experimental use of patented inventions. In the United States, the common law experimental use exception has been utilized to permit the use of a patented invention to satisfy intellectual curiosity, as long as the use is not commercial. In 1984, the Hatch-Waxman Act provided a statutory experimental use exception in 35 U.S.C. § 271(e)(1). It amended the Patent Act to allow a generic drug company to experiment with a pioneer drug during the pioneer drug's patent term to generate data for obtaining regulatory approval. In contrast, …

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From Techical Fix To Regulatory Mix: Japan's New Environmental Law, Lara Fowler Mar 2003

From Techical Fix To Regulatory Mix: Japan's New Environmental Law, Lara Fowler

Washington International Law Journal

In post-industrial countries like Japan, modem environmental problems defy easy clean up solutions. Thus, effective clean up depends on diverse regulation. Historically, the Japanese government has relied on statutes that mandated technical "fixes" to clean up highly publicized pollution problems. Although such regulations have been successful in areas like air pollution, recent newspaper headlines highlight the extent to which environmental issues continue to affect densely populated Japan. Beginning with the passage of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law in 1997, however, Japan has significantly diversified its environmental policy. Along with strict new regulatory standards, new national laws now allow public access …

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Facing The Aging Wave: Proposed Social Security Reform In The Philippines, Les Coughran Mar 2003

Facing The Aging Wave: Proposed Social Security Reform In The Philippines, Les Coughran

Washington International Law Journal

The Philippines's Social Security System is eroding because of demographic changes. These changes have tipped the financial balance, which incremental design changes have failed to restore. The system contains weaknesses that are exacerbated by limited financial transparency and poor asset management. International social security systems, designed to include public defined benefit programs, public hypothetical account programs, publicly mandated defined contribution programs, and/or private sphere components, provide the Philippines with examples of alternate national systems. While each of these components alleviates certain risks, no single component is comprehensive in safeguarding against demographic, economic, or inflationary risks. This Comment asserts that the …

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From Techical Fix To Regulatory Mix: Japan's New Environmental Law, Lara Fowler Mar 2003

From Techical Fix To Regulatory Mix: Japan's New Environmental Law, Lara Fowler

Washington International Law Journal

In post-industrial countries like Japan, modem environmental problems defy easy clean up solutions. Thus, effective clean up depends on diverse regulation. Historically, the Japanese government has relied on statutes that mandated technical "fixes" to clean up highly publicized pollution problems. Although such regulations have been successful in areas like air pollution, recent newspaper headlines highlight the extent to which environmental issues continue to affect densely populated Japan. Beginning with the passage of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law in 1997, however, Japan has significantly diversified its environmental policy. Along with strict new regulatory standards, new national laws now allow public access …

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