This edited collection addresses the major issues encountered in the calculation of economic damages to individuals in civil litigation. In federal and state courts in the United States, as well as in other nations, when one party sues another, the suing party is required not only to prove that the harm was, indeed, caused by the other party, but also to claim and demonstrate that a specified dollar value represents just compensation for the harm. Forensic economists are often called upon to evaluate, measure, and opine on the degree of economic loss that is alleged to have occurred. Aimed at both practitioners and theorists, the original articles and essays in the edited collection are written by nationally recognized and widely published forensic experts. Its strength is in showcasing theories, methods, and measurements as they differ in a variety of cases, and in its review of the forensic economics literature developed over the past thirty years. Readers will find informative discussions of topics such as establishing earnings capacity for both adults and infants, worklife probability, personal consumption deductions, taxation as treated in federal and state courts, valuing fringe benefits, discounting theory and practice, the effects of the Affordable Care Act, the valuation of personal services, wrongful discharge, hedonics, effective communication by the expert witness, and ethical issues. The volume also covers surveys of the views of practicing forensic economists, the connection between law and forensic economics, alternatives to litigation in the form of VCF-like schedules, and key differences among nations in measuring economic damages.

This book provides unique insights into modern collective judicial decision-making. Courts all over the world sit in panels of several judges, yet the processes by which these judges produce the court's decision differ markedly. Judges from some of the world's most notable judicial bodies, in both the civilian and the common law tradition and from supra-/international courts, share their experiences and reflect on the challenges to which their collective endeavour gives rise. They address matters such as the question of panel constitution, the operation of rapporteur systems, pre-and post-hearing conferences, the hearing procedure itself, the nature of the interaction between the judicial panel and parties' advocates, the extent to which a unitary judgment of the court or at least a single majority judgment is required or deemed desirable, and how it is ultimately arrived at through different voting mechanisms. They allow the reader a unique inside view into the functioning of modern judicial bodies. The judges' chapters are supplemented by a series of comparative analyses and reflections on the lessons to be learnt from them. Collective Judging in Comparative Perspective thus also provides an ideal starting point for thinking about future court design.

Is life without parole the perfect compromise to the death penalty? Or is it as ethically fraught as capital punishment? This comprehensive, interdisciplinary anthology treats life without parole as "the new death penalty." Editors Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. and Austin Sarat bring together original work by prominent scholars in an effort to better understand the growth of life without parole and its social, cultural, political, and legal meanings. What justifies the turn to life imprisonment? How should we understand the fact that this penalty is used disproportionately against racial minorities? What are the most promising avenues for limiting, reforming, or eliminating life without parole sentences in the United States? Contributors explore the structure of life without parole sentences and the impact they have on prisoners, where the penalty fits in modern theories of punishment, and prospects for (as well as challenges to) reform.

This book describes the state of the lay participation system in criminal justice, saiban-in seido, in Japanese society. Starting with descriptions of the outlines of lay participation in the Japanese criminal justice system, the book deals with the questions of what the lay participants think about the system after their participation, how the general public evaluate the system, whether the introduction of lay participation has promoted trust in the justice system in Japan, and the foci of Japanese society's interest in the lay participation system. To answer these questions, the author utilizes data obtained from social surveys of actual participants and of the general public. The book also explores the results of quantitative text analyses of newspaper articles. With those data, the author describes how Japanese society evaluates the implementation of the system and discusses whether the system promotes democratic values in Japan.

This book deals with adoption laws and practices in small island developing states in the Pacific. It commences with an introductory chapter giving an overview of relevant laws and practices and pulling together the common themes and issues raised in the book. Each of the following chapters deals with adoption law and practice in a small South Pacific country. The countries in question all have plural legal systems, with systems of adoption and its closest customary law equivalent operating side by side. In most cases, there is an insufficiently developed relationship between the two systems, which has resulted in a number of problems. Additionally, international law adds another layer of complexity. Size and remoteness in the small states under discussion have a profound impact on local practices.

Globalization has increased the number of individuals in criminal proceedings who are unable to understand the language of the courtroom, and as a result the number of court interpreters has also increased. But unsupervised interpreters can severely undermine the fairness of a criminal proceeding. In this innovative and methodological new study, Dingfelder Stone comprehensively examines the multitudes of mistakes made by interpreters, and explores the resultant legal and practical implications. Whilst scholars of interpreting studies have researched the prevalence of interpreter error for decades, the effect of these mistakes on criminal proceedings has largely gone unanalyzed by legal scholars. Drawing upon both interpreting studies research and legal scholarship alike, this engaging and timely study analyzes the impact of court interpreters on the right to a fair trial under international law, which forms the minimum baseline standard for national systems.

This book offers the first theoretical approach to rules of evidence and the practice of judicial proof in China written in English by a Chinese professor. As Prof. He's first representative work, based on over three decades of studying and researching evidence law, it clarifies concepts relevant to evidence law, highlights the value of studying evidence law, re-examines the domain of presumption, reviews central problems in obtaining evidence, and discusses the reasons for misjudged cases. In brief, the book not only presents all major aspects of Chinese rules of evidence in criminal justice, but also introduces readers to the latest developments from a global perspective.

This book gathers the general contributions to the 3rd Thematic Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law, which took place from 16 to 18 November 2016 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The main topic of the Congress was the enforcement and effectiveness of the law as a particularly relevant concern in today's society, in which the expressions of law have multiplied and legal pluralism seems to have reached its peak. The book addresses the enforcement of constitutional rights in national and supranational contexts, as well as the effectiveness of international dispute settlement. Further, it examines in detail the relations between the enforcement and effectiveness of criminal law, contract law and family law. Ce livre rassemble les contributions generales du 3eme Congres thematique de l'Academie internationale de droit compare, qui s'est deroule du 16 au 18 novembre 2016 a Montevideo en Uruguay. Le sujet principal du Congres etait la mise en oeuvre et l'effectivite du droit qui constituent une preoccupation particulierement pertinente dans la societe contemporaine ou les expressions du droit se sont multipliees et ou le pluralisme juridique semble avoir atteint son apogee. Le livre traite de la mise en oeuvre des droits constitutionnels dans des contextes nationaux et supranationaux ainsi que de l'efficacite du reglement des differends internationaux. En outre, il examine en detail les relations entre l'application et l'efficacite du droit penal, du droit des contrats et du droit de la famille.

This book is devoted to an idea of a second round of codification of certain new rules for treaty interpretation. Currently, treaty interpretation is guided by Articles 31 through 33 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT). The fundamental rule is that a treaty shall be interpreted in good faith in accordance with the ordinary meaning to be given to the terms of the treaty in their context and in the light of its object and purpose. These rules lay the foundation for treaty interpretation. They represent the first round of codification of the contents of some previous customary international law rules. The book argues that the current rules are overly simplified. After almost fifty years of codification of the VCLT, the codified text in it is practically insufficient in addressing some traditional treaty interpretation issues (such as the interpretation involving time factors or technology development) and in coping with some new development of international law (such as the diversification and fragmentation of international treaties) and new challenges (such as the need of coordination between different treaties and the need of introducing external values, including human rights, into a treaty through treaty interpretation process). The book further argues that there is a need to have a second round of codification so as to incorporate new rules into the VCLT to be followed by treaty interpreters to make treaty interpretation more consistent and transparent, and more in line with the shared value of international community. The book proposes the contents of certain new rules to be considered as the new codified rules for treaty interpretation.

This book presents a hotly debated issue concerning the ownership of trust property in China. The book describes various conventional interpretations of Chinese Trust Law submitted by legal scholars and compares diverse approaches regarding the ownership of trust property provided by jurisdictions globally. The book does not directly answer the question "Who is the owner of trust property in China?" Instead, using a social capital perspective, it develops a more practical perspective to explain why Chinese trust business has grown rapidly even in lack of legal certainty regarding the location of ownership of trust property. The book also further predicts under what conditions is the time ripe to clarify the location of the ownership of trust property in China. By employing those sociological concepts often used to depict and analyze society, this book outlines the structure of the Chinese trust business and related social relations in different stages, i.e., the current rapid development stage, and the possible transitional stage in the near future. The focus is on how the social network structure affects the behavior of actors (such as the settlor, the trustee, and the beneficiaries, and/or their potential candidates) within the relevant section of Chinese society. The book provides readers with an intensive analysis of the impacts of historical, cultural, and social elements on the legislation and development of trust law in China. It will appeal both to lawyers interested in the Chinese trust business and to comparative law researchers and social scientists.

This book offers a compendium of diverse essays on emerging legal issues in outer space, written by experts in the field of Space Law from different parts of the globe. The book comprehensively addresses opportunities in space and the inevitable legal challenges that these space activities pose for mankind. It explores the increasing role of private sector in outer space, which calls for a review of policy and legislation; invites opinio juris from law scholars for ensuring the applicability of the Outer Space Treaty on all states without ratification and universal abidance with Space Law without demur; reflects upon the challenges for the global space community involved in implementing a more effective approach to international space governance; and considers the use of domestic laws, and the consequent need for legal reform, to encourage broader engagement with commercial space innovation. Further, the book delves into the adequacy of existing international liability regime to protect space tourists in the event of a space vehicle accidents; examines the increasing use of space for military activities and canvasses how International Law may apply to condition behaviour; highlights the challenges of scavenging space debris; calls for protections of space assets; touches upon the legal regime pertaining to ASAT and discusses other ways of creating normative instruments, which also come from other areas and use other methods. Given its comprehensive coverage of opportunities in space and the inevitable legal challenges that they pose, the book offers a valuable resource for students, researchers, academics and professionals including government officials, industry executives, specialists, and lawyers, helping them understand essential contemporary issues and developments in Space Law.

Despite a popular view that trials are the focal point of the criminal justice process, in reality, the most frequent way a criminal matter resolves is not through a fiercely fought battle between state and defendant, but instead through a process of negotiation between the prosecution and defence, resulting in a defendant pleading guilty in exchange for agreed concessions from the prosecution. This book presents an original empirical case-study of plea negotiations drawing upon interviews with legal actors and an analysis of defence practitioner case files, to shine light on the processes and ways in which an agreed outcome is reached in criminal prosecutions, within the setting of a jurisdiction, like many others world-wide, which is suffering major shifts in state resources. Plea negotiations, also referred to as "plea bargaining", "negotiated guilty pleas" and "negotiated resolutions" are neither an alloyed benefit nor a detriment for defendants, victims or the criminal justice system generally, and like all compromises, this book shows how the perfect "justice" outcome gives way to the good, or just the reasonably acceptable justice outcome.

This book extensively analyses obligations connected to property rights, or 'real obligations', in a comparative perspective through a study of Belgian, French, Dutch and Scots law. Examples of real obligations are the periodical payment obligation of a long lease holder, the maintenance of the property subject to a servitude and the financial contributions by apartment owners. A real obligation differs in several aspects from a personal obligation. A real obligation is for instance so closely connected to a property right that the obligation transfers automatically to the transferee of the property right. After defining real obligations and the exclusion of several related legal mechanisms in Part I, the regime of real obligations is analysed in Part II. The liability of both the transferor and transferee for real obligations, which are for many property rights underregulated, for instance, are analysed in detail. Those findings are applied to the specific property rights in Part III, so that particular problems for a specific property right are also analysed and, where possible, solved. For instance the role of party autonomy in the creation of a long lease right is studied. Also the different obligations which can be connected to a servitude are delineated. Part IV deals with legal mechanisms most of which have recently been introduced, allowing to connect obligations to a piece of property, outside the traditional framework of property rights, such as the Dutch 'qualitative obligation' and the French obligation reelle environnementale. The book ends with a discussion of the possibility and desirability of the (broader) introduction of such real obligations, which could entail the introduction of new property rights sui generis.

This book provides an insight into commercial relations between large economies and Small States, the benefits of regional integration, the role of Small States as financial centres as well as B2B and State to State dispute resolution involving Small States. Several contributions allow the reader to familiarise themselves with the general subject matter; others scrutinise the particular issues Small States face when confronted with an international dispute and discuss new and innovative solutions. These solutions range from inventive ideas to help economic growth to appropriate mechanisms of dispute resolution including inter-State dispute resolution and specific areas of arbitration such as tax arbitration. Researchers, policy advisors and practitioners will find a wealth of insights, information and practical ideas in this book.

This book is the first study of the development and decolonization of a British colonial high court in Africa. It traces the history of the High Court of Tanzania from its establishment in 1920 to the end of its institutional process of decolonization in 1971. This process involved disentangling the High Court from colonial state structures and imperial systems that were built on racial inequality while simultaneously increasing the independence of the judiciary and application of British judicial principles. Feingold weaves together the rich history of the Court with a discussion of its judges - both as members of the British Colonial Legal Service and as individuals - to explore the impacts and intersections of imperial policies, national politics, and individual initiative. Colonial Justice and Decolonization in the High Court of Tanzania is a powerful reminder of the crucial roles played by common law courts in the operation and legitimization of both colonial and post-colonial states.

This book analyzes how today's system of international trade law and international economic relations has evolved over the last six decades. Focusing on the major innovations that came with the inception of the World Trade Organization (WTO) with its various agreements in 1994, it also provides in-depth commentary on the intense debate over important matters that remain unsettled. Topics covered include the WTO dispute settlement mechanism; the General Agreement on Trade in Services (OATS); the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS); intellectual property rights - the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS); areas still covered by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1947; the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) concept; special provisions relating to agriculture and textiles; sanitary and phytosanitary measures; technical barriers to trade; pre-shipment inspection; and import licensing procedures. The book would be an excellent resource for scholars as well as practitioners working in the field of international arbitration and trade laws.

In many US courts and internationally, family law cases constitute almost half of the trial caseload. These matters include child abuse and neglect and juvenile delinquency, as well as divorce, custody, paternity, and other traditional family law issues. In this book, the authors argue that reforms to the family justice system are necessary to enable it to assist families and children effectively. The authors propose an approach that envisions the family court as a "care center," by blending existing theories surrounding court reform in family law with an ethic of care and narrative practice. Building on conceptual, procedural, and structural reforms of the past several decades, the authors define the concept of a unified family court created along interdisciplinary lines - a paradigm that is particularly well suited to inform the work of family courts. These prior reforms have contributed to enhancing the family justice system, as courts now can shape comprehensive outcomes designed to improve the lives of families and children by taking into account both their legal and non-legal needs. In doing so, courts can utilize each family's story as a foundation to fashion a resolution of their unique issues. In the book, the authors aim to strengthen a court's problem-solving capabilities by discussing how incorporating an ethic of care and appreciating the family narrative can add to the court's effectiveness in responding to families and children. Creating the court as a care center, the authors conclude, should lie at the heart of how a family justice system operates. The authors are well-known figures in the area and have been involved in family court reform on both a US national and an international scale for many years.

Despite broad scholarship documenting the compounding effects and self-reproducing character of incarceration, ways of conceptualising imprisonment and the post-prison experience have scarcely changed in over a century. Contemporary correctional thinking has congealed around notions of risk and management. This book aims to cast new light on men's experience of release from prison. Drawing on research conducted in Australia, it speaks to the challenges facing people leaving prison and seeking acceptance amongst the non-imprisoned around the world. Johns reveals the complexity of the post-prison experience, which is frequently masked by constructions of risk that individualise responsibility for reoffending and reimprisonment. This book highlights the important role of community in ex-prisoner integration, in providing opportunities for participation and acceptance. Johns shows that the process of becoming an 'ex'-prisoner is not simply one of individual choice or larger structural forces, but occurs in the spaces in between. Being and Becoming an Ex-Prisoner reveals the complex interplay between internal and external meanings and practices that causes men to feel neither locked up, nor wholly free. It will appeal to scholars and students interested in desistance, criminology, criminological or penological theory, sociology and qualitative research methods.

This book provides one of the most comprehensive and compelling analysis of Non-Market Economies (NMEs) and their treatment under the current world trading system. In particular, it examines the treatment of China as an NME in anti-dumping investigations, especially post-December 2016. Central to this analysis is Section 15 of China's Protocol of Accession to the WTO, which is the focal point of the controversy between China and other major WTO Members. The book highlights multiple perspectives on the interpretation of Section 15 and the Second Ad Note to Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which form the legal basis for China's special treatment in anti-dumping proceedings, and provides unique approaches on interpreting the above treaty texts. In addition, the book explores recourses to trade remedy instruments other than anti-dumping to identify and address state-driven market distortions in the case of NMEs. Authored by leading practitioners and scholars, the chapters offer a detailed commentary and rich insights into the diverse approaches and methods used by anti-dumping investigation agencies of leading users. This book serves as an all-inclusive resource for discerning all facets of this issue, magnitude of the consequences, and potential threats to the delicate trading system. It is of particular relevance to economies-in-transition and newly acceding countries to the WTO. This book generates special interest among legal practitioners, exporters, trading firms, think tanks, academicians, policy makers and the entire community engaged in international trade disputes with China.

A range of international and European Union legal instruments exert influence on the national civil procedure rules of European Union member states. Some specifically aim for the harmonisation of national procedural law across Europe, while others primarily focus on facilitating cross-border litigation, enforcing rights or setting minimum standards. However, often the same time instruments cause fragmentation, reduce coherence and challenge prevailing concepts and doctrines of national civil procedure law.With a view to carefully selected North Western jurisdiction (EU and EEA member states) this book explores how EU, EEA, and international legislation, judicial activism on EU and national level, and new soft law instruments affect national civil procedure law and how, in turn, national rules may impact the development of international instruments. How are the respective countries affected by a particular (EU) regulation? Has the regulation generated changes of the national law? Are European rules, or national rules following from them, applied in court practice? Are there differences in the approach towards implementation and application of EU law, and if so why and with what consequences? Do international influences serve as an impetus for national reforms, or are they implemented mechanically? Do hard law approaches produce more harmonisation or convergence than soft law approaches?

China s struggle for the rule of law is at a critical juncture. As a key element of governance in the PRC today, China s legal system affects not only domestic affairs but also China s engagement with the world. But can a credible legal system emerge which protects the rights of citizens and international partners without undermining the power of the Party State? And is the Chinese Communist Party willing to embark on judicial reforms that may jeopardize its very survival? Understanding the PRC legal system is increasingly important as China rises to prominence in the world. In this compelling analysis, noted legal scholar Pitman Potter examines the ideals and practices of China s legal regime, in light of international standards and local conditions. Against a rich historical backdrop, Potter explains how China s legal system supports three key policy objectives; namely, political stability, economic prosperity, and social development. In exploring these competing policy goals and the tensions between them, he also raises fundamental questions about government expectations of the role of law in regulating local and international socio-economic and political relationships. This wide-ranging and readable introduction will be an invaluable guide for students and non-specialists interested in China s ongoing process of legal modernization.

This book provides one of the most comprehensive and compelling analysis of Non-Market Economies (NMEs) and their treatment under the current world trading system. In particular, it examines the treatment of China as an NME in anti-dumping investigations, especially post-December 2016. Central to this analysis is Section 15 of China's Protocol of Accession to the WTO, which is the focal point of the controversy between China and other major WTO Members. The book highlights multiple perspectives on the interpretation of Section 15 and the Second Ad Note to Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which form the legal basis for China's special treatment in anti-dumping proceedings, and provides unique approaches on interpreting the above treaty texts. In addition, the book explores recourses to trade remedy instruments other than anti-dumping to identify and address state-driven market distortions in the case of NMEs. Authored by leading practitioners and scholars, the chapters offer a detailed commentary and rich insights into the diverse approaches and methods used by anti-dumping investigation agencies of leading users. This book serves as an all-inclusive resource for discerning all facets of this issue, magnitude of the consequences, and potential threats to the delicate trading system. It is of particular relevance to economies-in-transition and newly acceding countries to the WTO. This book generates special interest among legal practitioners, exporters, trading firms, think tanks, academicians, policy makers and the entire community engaged in international trade disputes with China.

This book presents comprehensive information on a range of issues in connection with the Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET) standard, with a particular focus on arbitral awards against host developing countries, thereby contributing to the available literature in this area of international investment law. It examines in detail the interpretation of the FET standard of key arbitral awards affecting host developing countries, demonstrating the full range of interpretation approaches adopted by the current investment tribunals. At the same time, the book offers valuable practical guidance for counsels/scholars representing host developing countries in investment arbitration, where balancing the competing interests of the foreign investors and the host developing countries in investment disputes poses a complex challenge. The book puts forward the pressing need for a re-conceptualized interpretation of the FET standard in tune with the developmental issues and challenges faced by host developing countries, recognizing these countries' particular perspectives as an important and relevant aspect of investment disputes (often ignored by the current investment tribunals), while continuing to ensure reasonable protections for foreign investors and therefore serving the needs of the system as whole. The findings presented here will greatly benefit host developing countries engaged in investment arbitration. In addition, the book offers an insightful guide for all researchers whose work involves investment law and investment arbitration issues.

With a foreword by Prof. Paolo Palchetti The topic of this book is the participation of the EU in international dispute settlement. It aims to provide the reader with an appraisal of the most problematic aspects connected with the participation of a sui generis legal subject such as the EU to international dispute settlement mechanisms in a State-centric international law. In particular, the publication dwells on the question of how to make possible an effective participation in disputes while at the same time preserving the specific characteristics (i.e. the autonomy) of the EU legal order. It does so by outlining different models and proposing the internalization model adopted under EU investment agreements as a possible paradigm. It is aimed at academics, practitioners and graduate students as well as EU officials and judges who should find the issues discussed both useful and of interest for staying up-to-date on the scholarly discussion and of their relevance to case law. Luca Pantaleo is a Lecturer in International and European Law at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands. He obtained a PhD in International and EU Law in 2013 at the University of Macerata in Italy and was previously a Senior Researcher at the T.M.C. Asser Institute and Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Luxembourg. Specific to this book: * Provides an up-to-date analysis of a current problem* The topic of the book is located at the intersection between international and EU law* Fills an important gap in the available literature

Of the first-year subjects, Civil Procedure is the most foreign to students' experience. This book unlocks Civil Procedure by explaining doctrine and rules and placing them in context - explaining the role of each and how each doctrine relates to the others. It includes a chapter on how law school differs from college and what that means for class- and exam-preparation. It provides concrete analytical frameworks for resolving exam questions. And throughout, scores of examples allow you to apply the law to fact patterns.