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Thailand is a global pioneer in contract farming (CF). Many smallholder farmers have gained better access to markets and capital while achieving higher and more stable incomes. Nevertheless, farmers have also faced exploitative conditions in their contractual relationships with agribusiness companies. In response, the Thai Parliament in 2017 passed the Contract Farming Promotion and Development Act. Based on fieldwork with key actors and contract farmers, this article examines how debates around CF have unfolded over time, the key issues discussed in the reform process before and after the CF Act was enacted, and its implications for smallholders. The law has had some success with increasing transparency, improving the conciliation process between farmers and companies, and deterring companies from unfair practices. However, in reality, it has done little to protect the livelihoods of Thai farmers due to a number of limitations, including weaknesses of the law itself, its limited implementation, and the country's wider agrarian political economy. Specifically, the country's oligarchic and oligopolistic political-economic structures have resulted in farmers having little bargaining or political power and limited access to markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence is absent in the legal, policy and programmatic landscape of online child sexual exploitation in countries in the Global South. Our work begins to contribute to filling this literature gap, drawing evidence from Tunisia, one of the least studied countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). We reviewed legal and policy documents directly or indirectly connected to online child sexual exploitation, complemented with interviews from diverse actors in the child protection space at the national and sub‐national levels. We note that Tunisia is a signatory to several international and regional treaties and conventions that can be leveraged to tackle online sexual exploitation of children. Still, these have yet to be fully exploited for the benefit of children. Furthermore, we observed several disparate laws at the country level. These laws are scattered in many legal documents, and some aspects could be more specific, but currently not, which poses significant legal challenges to protecting children. Finally, many institutions implementing programmes in this space create less coordination and sometimes confusion. At best, interventions seem ad hoc without any clear mandate of specificity in institutional leadership. The implications of the findings for policies and programmes are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Anbar University for Law & Political Sciences is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AbstractThe study examines perceived tenure security in Burkina Faso, focusing on socio-cultural factors, authority relations, state politics, and gender dynamics. It identifies challenges in tenure security despite legal reforms, emphasising the subjective nature of tenure security and its dependence on individual perceptions. The findings highlight significant disparities in perceived tenure security based on socio-cultural and gender factors, emphasising the need for policies that address these specific challenges and promote equitable access to land and property rights. This study contributes to understanding the complexities of tenure security in Burkina Faso and offers insights for policy formulation and implementation across similar geographical settings.

This paper assesses the extent to which the justice concerns of local stakeholders in the Arctic region of Finland are reflected in recent legal reforms. The reforms concern the Mining Act, the Act on a Mined Minerals Tax, the Nature Conservation Act, the Environmental Damages Fund, and the Act on the Sámi Parliament. The assessment is made from the perspectives of distributive, procedural, recognition, and intergenerational justice. We identified the justice concerns by conducting 21 interviews and a workshop, after which we analysed the legal reforms and discussed whether they reflected the justice concerns expressed by local stakeholders. We concluded that most of the justice concerns had been addressed, but only to a certain extent. Still, the most fundamental features of the governance of mining activities have not changed. By its very nature, the Finnish system of mineral ownership has remained a claim system, albeit not an entirely pure one. The reforms were not designed to limit the total volume of mining activities, and the mineral industry, backed by the EU and national policies, is likely to grow in the region. The most important legal change concerns the position of the municipal council. Today, a local land use plan is a precondition for granting a mining permit. The national Parliament did not approve a government proposal to reform the Sámi Parliament Act, which was a significant failure in recognition justice.

In this research article we delve into the aspects of trade practices paying particular attention to environmental considerations. With the pressing challenges posed by climate change and environmental degradation worldwide it becomes crucial to evaluate how international trade law can contribute to promoting practices. We explore the frameworks, treaties and mechanisms that govern trade and examine their effectiveness, in tackling environmental concerns. Additionally we shed light on emerging trends and potential areas, for reform to foster a trade system that is more environmentally conscious and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Spain, rising rents are only the latest symptom of a broader housing crisis that has affected the country since 2008. The social consequences in terms of evictions, mortgage repossessions and difficulties in accessing affordable housing overlap with the effects of urban transformations, mass-tourism and gentrification linked to the so-called Spanish model. Historically, legal reforms have been used to foster deregulation, financialisation and the commodification of housing. After the bursting of the housing bubble that caused the 2008 mortgage crisis, Spanish governments prioritised the rescue and reorganisation of the financial sector, paving the way for a new phase of speculation. By making rental contracts more flexible and providing tax advantages to international real estate companies, the legal reforms passed during the height of the mortgage crisis contributed to the creation of a «rental bubble». Therefore, considering the main housing legislative reforms passed in Spain before and after the global financial crisis, I argue that they contributed to the precarisation of the right to housing. However, analysing the response of social movements, I also suggest that, by using a counter-narrative based on the right to housing, grassroots organizations were able to legitimise practices of everyday resistance to housing precarity and to contribute to a change, at least partially and especially in Catalonia, of the legal framework to guarantee the right to housing. This analysis shows how the use of legal reforms in the housing crisis can be considered ambivalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the integration of prophetic business orientation, which combines religious and ethical values into corporate law, in the context of globalized modern economics. It employs a normative research methodology and legislative approach, analyzing the incorporation of values like transparency, ethics, and religious principles in Indonesian corporate law. The study reveals challenges related to legal uncertainty, corruption, unequal access to justice, and gender inequality in the workplace. Legal reforms and improved law enforcement are vital to promote ethical values and justice in contemporary business practices. Highlights: • Ethics in Business: The study explores the concept of prophetic business orientation, emphasizing the integration of ethical and religious values into corporate law. • Multi-Faceted Implementation: It highlights the diverse aspects involved in the implementation of prophetic business orientation, from transparency to environmental sustainability. • Challenges and Necessity for Change: The research underscores the challenges, including legal uncertainty and corruption, and the need for legal reforms to promote ethical values and justice in modern business practices. Keywords: Prophetic Business Orientation, Corporate Law, Ethical Integration, Values in Business, Legal Reforms

Economic marginalization is a key feature of gender inequality globally. In Pakistan, which ranks 153 out of 156 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2020, economic marginalization has significantly hampered efforts towards inclusivity. In comparison to dismal levels of female literacy and formal occupation (traditional measures of development), inheritance is an interesting category-a right enshrined both in Islam (the official state religion) and the country's constitution. Given Pakistan's agrarian and otherwise rent-seeking economic orientation, land inheritance plays a pivotal role in financial wellbeing regardless of gender. However, a pervasive denial of women's inheritance rights has been the norm. Considering the data and impelled by its international obligations, the Government criminalized denial of inheritance in 2011, followed by a series of legal and institutional reforms in the province of Punjab. These reforms include provisions for help desks dedicated to women at key offices, digitization of land records, and clamping down on anti-women practices that aid denial of inheritance. It is alarming to note that not much has changed in terms of women's land inheritance since 2011. To understand what is impeding the amendment's efficacy, the study frames these developments from a socialist feminist perspective and captures the opinions of experts engaged with the cause in various capacities. We selected Punjab as a case study and recruited twelve legal, revenue, Islamic, and women's right experts through purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted, and the findings were thematically organized. Experts largely agreed that cultural change is a long-term process and that there has been a patriarchal monopoly of Islamic interpretation. On a more practical end, issues plaguing developing economies were highlighted in addition to institutionalized patriarchy, female mobility, patriarchal control of citizenship and land documents, and bureaucratic hurdles. We recommend the recruitment of more female staff in all relevant offices, adoption of better data management practices catering to institutional harmony, and that district inheritance committees be operationalized, among other measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses the extent to which the justice concerns of local stakeholders in the Arctic region of Finland are reflected in recent legal reforms. The reforms concern the Mining Act, the Act on a Mined Minerals Tax, the Nature Conservation Act, the Environmental Damages Fund, and the Act on the Sámi Parliament. The assessment is made from the perspectives of distributive, procedural, recognition, and intergenerational justice. We identified the justice concerns by conducting 21 interviews and a workshop, after which we analysed the legal reforms and discussed whether they reflected the justice concerns expressed by local stakeholders. We concluded that most of the justice concerns had been addressed, but only to a certain extent. Still, the most fundamental features of the governance of mining activities have not changed. By its very nature, the Finnish system of mineral ownership has remained a claim system, albeit not an entirely pure one. The reforms were not designed to limit the total volume of mining activities, and the mineral industry, backed by the EU and national policies, is likely to grow in the region. The most important legal change concerns the position of the municipal council. Today, a local land use plan is a precondition for granting a mining permit. The national Parliament did not approve a government proposal to reform the Sámi Parliament Act, which was a significant failure in recognition justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyses the reforms of agrarian relations, which were carried out during the first years of the Duchy of Warsaw, created as a result of the peace treaties of 1807. The legal status of peasants was at that time initially regulated in a general way by the provisions of the Constitution granted by Napoleon Bonaparte on 22 July 1807. These provisions were then made more specific with the promulgation of the Decree of 21 December 1807, which brought about the abolition of serfdom and allowed peasants to move within the territory of the Duchy. According to the Decree, the land was the property of the lord and a peasant leaving the village should return the land to the lord along with the crops, the buildings and the livestock. This meant that after the Decree came into force, there was a possibility of unlimited eviction of peasants, as well as increasing serfdom burdens. It should be noted, however, that due to the considerable depopulation of the country at that time and the emerging difficulties in providing manpower for the manor house, eviction was used relatively rarely. Nevertheless, later on, the reform carried out by this Decree was said to “remove peasant’s boots along with his shackles”. In this article, the author analyses the provisions of this Decree in the context of regulations resulting from the Constitution of the Duchy, Napoleonic Code and the Decree of 23 February 1809 introducing a temporary organisation of rural communes. The reflections on peasant reforms in this period were supplemented by an analysis of the socio-economic situation in the lands forming the Duchy and selected statements that appeared in the relevant literature on the peasant question from the past till the present.

Copyright of Estudios Socio-Jurídicos is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Civil Code is the second most important legal act in the country after the Constitution, and the first in terms of volume. Due to its important role in the lives of citizens, sometimes the Civil Code is informally referred to as the "Economic Constitution". At the same time, the Civil Code is the main document setting the rules for a market economy. This article is devoted to the processes of codification of civil law in Azerbaijan over the past 100 years. During the twentieth century, Azerbaijan through the codification of civil law has adopted the Civil Codes, far more than many other countries. At the same time, this article describes the drafting of civil legislation from scratch on the transition from a planned economy to a market economy after gaining independence in the 1990 s. At the end of the article, the existing problems of the civil legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan are discussed and a number of suggestions have been put forward for their solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To improve the standard of legal education, legal clinic is one of the modern techniques. Legal profession is a noble profession as it is considered to uphold the justice in a society. A law student may be taught in a such manner that he must be well equipped with professional skills. Methodology: Previous studies have been discussed with the help of current data for thorough review of challenges in Pakistan. Findings: In Pakistan, legal education system needs many reforms in order to produce good lawyers. Without professional skills and practical knowledge; a law graduate is unable to utilize his degree in a proper manner. To attain such professional skills; legal clinics are good approach. Where students may be able to seek practical knowledge and also helping the deserving people. LL. B degree awarding institutions shall make it possible to provide clinical legal education. Law clinics must be installed in law faculties where the experts may be available to educate students. Implications: In this paper, the importance of law clinic is discussed and certain issues are highlighted which are prevailing in current legal education system of Pakistan. Study can help out policy makers to identify challenges and to overcome these issues they can formulate different strategies.

The aim of the present study is to delimit the scope that, in the field of enviromental law, have the first normative instruments adopted to promote the implementation of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. In this regard, it should be recalled that with the promulgation of Royal Decree-Law 36/2020, of 30 December, a number of important amendments have been made to some of the essential administrative legal instruments on which public administration intervention in environmental matters is built (environmental assessment, integrated pollution prevention and control, environmental authorisations, etc.). These reforms, which have gone unnoticed by the general public, raise a number of important questions from the point of view of legal certainty, the effectiveness of public intervention in safeguarding natural resources, or affecting the principle of a high level of environmental protection that is an essential component of the Recovery and Resilience Facility of the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mining legacy in Zambia has seen the rise and fall of towns and cities built around the mines which flourish when the mine is in its operational phase but perish once the mine closes. Sustainable Development initiatives at the regional and international level have been formulated and agreed upon for community development requirements in mining laws for resource rich countries to implement in their countries. A research study was established to, investigate the effects of the closure of Kabwe lead-zinc in Zambia, on the local community in the context of sustainable development, and examine the laws and policies that affect the mining sector in the country. This was to ascertain the impact that these have on communities adjacent to mining operations, across the mine life cycle and propose what legal reforms can be enacted to actualize the concept of sustainable development in the mining communities. A mixed research approach was adopted using both the quantitative and qualitative methods. Purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used to select respondents. A total of 100 questionnaires were administered as and the study received a response of 79%. Closed and open questionnaires, focus group discussions and interview guides were used to collect data from respondents. The study revealed that due to lack of laws on the sustainable development of the mining community at the time of the closure of the of the mine in Kabwe, economic activities dwindled and most former mine workers have ended up being engaged in other activities, mostly agriculture to earn a living. The study also revealed the need to have laws in place to regulate the mine closure in terms of benefits, but revealed a general lack of understanding on the concept of sustainable [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historical studies of comparative law demonstrate that the first purpose of using comparison in law has been to reform legal systems. This article intends to analyze the fundamental role and function of comparative law for legal reforms. Through studying different forms of the Transfer of Law, we intend to find the most proper and effective method which may present us with a coherent and efficient model of reform in different systems. The methodology of comparative law, as the instrumental concepts of this article, is one of the most popular and evaluative discourses of the legal world. The dynamic evolution of comparative studies arrives at the point where it has surpassed its traditional borders and has even engaged in extralegal and interdisciplinary studies. The transfer of law is one of the main methods of a legal reform and achieved by two main methods; functionalist and culturist. Although functionalism is the first method employed of legal reforms, it is not enough without considering the cultural contexts and circumstances of both transferred and transferee systems. In addition to its theoretical topics, this article intends to encourage researchers to find a coherent and practical model of reform for most developing countries needing legal reform.

Using the concept of “constitutional identity” as a theoretical basis, this article analyses the potential transformative influence of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on the Armenian legal system. In particular, the author focuses on the Agreement’s capacity to stimulate the implementation of the EU’s “common values” and transpose the norms, general principles, and methodological approaches of EU law into the domestic legal order. It is argued that this potential depends on two elements of the “constitutional identity” of the Armenian legal order: its axiological core and its openness to external influences.

Copyright of Revista de Sociologia e Política is the property of Revista de Sociologia e Politica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article examines the recent reforms of the Consultative Councils in Spain. Formally, it is divided into two parts. Firstly, this paper examines the recent abolition of the Consultative Councils in Madrid and Extremadura, and the legal reforms that have affected the Consultative Council in Galicia and the Council for Statutory Guarantees of Catalunya. On this basis, the second part of the article analyzes the legal and political arguments put forward to defend these new regulatory frameworks. To do so, it reviews the constitutional limits and some political and academic debates about the decentralization process of the consultative function in the State of Autonomies. This article concludes with a critical review of the recommendations of the Commission for the Reform of Public Administration.

The author of the article notes that the legal culture determines the level of legal knowledge, legal understanding and legitimacy. The article considers the peculiarities of the formation of the legal culture of the reign of Peter the Great. Attention is paid to causality and factors affecting the quality and condition of the legal consciousness and legal culture of the period under study looked through in the historical and legal context. The researcher concluded that the reforms of Peter I significantly changed the content of the legal culture of Russian society, primarily due to the increasing role of legislation and politics.

Copyright of Revista Direito GV is the property of Fundacao Getulio Vargas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

There has been minimal compliance with Ghana's Intestate Succession Act, 1985, (PNDC Law 111) especially by communities in rural areas whose lives are governed almost exclusively by customary law. This is because the state and customary legal systems have failed to reconcile their perceptions of law and legal responsibilities. Drawing on legal pluralism as a practical guiding framework for analyzing the relationship between states and customary legal systems, and focusing on the law of intestate succession, I argue that in order for legal reforms to be embraced, especially by rural dwellers, the state must adopt what may be termed, the mutual concession approach to legal reforms, a structured and principled discretionary approach that seeks to balance the valued interests of both legal systems, and which promises to be more agreeable to rural dwellers in ways that ensure compliance with state law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the key determinants, namely characteristics and novelty regarding a new Serbian Law on Investments from 2015. The second part of the paper deals with its outreach and effectiveness in terms of foreign investment attracting. The objective of the paper was to conduct, in this context, a critical analysis of conventional attitudes about the significance of legal reforms in the process of foreign investments attracting. The paper concludes that the above-mentioned law, in the sense of its contents, represents prevailingly the law of continuity that is based on principles of liberalisation, protection and encouraging of foreign investments, with special breakthroughs in some segments, in particular regarding their further liberalisation. Conceptually speaking, the most important novelties are connected with the sphere of promotion of investments and creating of a complex, and somewhat cumbersome system of institutional support to foreign investments. Based on such an approach and solutions, the subject new legal framework for foreign investments creates a more favourable legal environment for their fulfilment. However, the experience of previous legislative reforms in this field in our country and in comparative legislation indicates that the outreach of these improvements are quite limited and that is why they can hardly result with more emphasized outcomes in attracting of investments, considering in particular the limitations contained in the mere nature of foreign investments and actual impact of legislation on foreign investments positioning.

Awareness has been recently increased about gender-based rights and citizenship in Jordan. Many of the issues concerning gender equality arise in the private sphere. Therefore, focusing on the politics of family law is important with regards to women's rights in particular. Family law is the law related to matters such as polygamy, divorce, inheritance, child custody, guardianship and obedience. The effects are observed especially when Jordanian women try to exercise their granted constitutional political rights. It is the family (personal status) law that runs individual affairs within the private sphere in a patriarchal society where it affects also on exercising others' rights in the public sphere. It still embodies and reinforces explicit discrimination against women and is enshrined in national legislations. For example, in private sphere family issues, women have to address the religious court, where decisions are based on the judge's perspective. This study is an attempt to analyze the current personal status (family) law. Much of the available local literature in Jordan is purely theoretical, and systematic empirical studies with strong gender analyses are devastatingly absent. Therefore, semi-structured interviews using purposeful sampling that encompassed a range of elite actors involved in these issues-from academics to politicians and civil society activists - were conducted. A reputation-based snowball sampling method, a technique for finding research subjects by referral from one subject to the next, was used. Interviews of elite actors were conducted to collect the qualitative primary data, while the secondary sources represent document analyses, such as national and international documents like the Jordanian Constitution, agreements, laws, regulations, articles and books. This study concluded that Jordan has to establish both a public sphere and private sphere (e.g. the family domain, where women are primarily located) as an ideology in the corresponding laws and Constitution, because the modernization or liberalization of laws is an essential process for empowering individuals, particularly women in Jordan. This means that the laws and basic human rights need to be taken seriously and reconstructed for each development or evolution era for the citizens' benefit rather than just as a display for the international community showing fake modernity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Internacional y Comparada de Relaciones Laborales y Derecho del Empleo is the property of ADAPT University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Using the concept of "constitutional identity" as a theoretical basis, this article analyses the potential transformative influence of the EU-Armenia Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on the Armenian legal system. In particular, the author focuses on the Agreement's capacity to stimulate the implementation of the EU's "common values" and transpose the norms, general principles, and methodological approaches of EU law into the domestic legal order. It is argued that this potential depends on two elements of the "constitutional identity" of the Armenian legal order: its axiological core and its openness to external influences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anaquel de Estudios Árabes is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract The Law and Development literature still debates on the role of international institutions in promoting legal reforms as a means of inducing economic growth. This article takes one step further by arguing that incremental circumstances compelled such institutions to change from bilaterally-binding pressures to soft-based multilateral strategies, by analyzing the gradual rise of the World Bank’s “Doing Business” initiative.

The recent evolution of administrative law has shown a gradual abandonment of a few notions considered central in the traditional description of the subject matter. Among these the notion of public interest stands out in a particular way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right to personal data protection is, without doubt, an important right in the jurisprudence of rights in the contemporary information society. It is becoming as crucial as other orthodox human rights and also attracting significant attention from academics, lawyers, human rights activists and policy makers. In spite of the growing attention data protection receives at international and regional levels, Nigeria is still lagging behind many competitor states like South Africa in establishing an effective legal framework to protect personal data. Individuals' personal data is being collected and used without any serious form of control to check against abuse. This paper reflects on opportunities, option and challenges to legal reforms on data protection in Nigeria. It contends that certain legislative and practical challenges stand in the way of an effective legal regime on personal data protection. The paper suggests appropriate legal reforms that are needed to enable prevent the increasing risks of violating the right to data protection in a country that is making rapid advances in Information and Communication Technology but hamstrung by an outdated regulatory framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the path of an important reform of the Greek Citizenship Code, starting from the initial introduction of the Citizenship Law in 2010, the public debate and reactions that followed leading to its partial annulation as unconstitutional in 2012, and finally, the developments until its restoration with a new law in 2016. This initiative introducing radical reforms for the Greek context took place in the midst of the public debt crisis, and thus has not been discussed accordingly. Until then, the issue of Greek nationality represented anon-issuein the political agenda of the country, since the issue of citizenship was considered ‘nationally sensitive’. The paper examines how such a reform is pushed forward during extremely difficult conditions, an unprecedented economic and political crisis, coupled by the largest refugee wave in the recent history of the country, having still an uncertain future/outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brunei continued in 2016 to suffer from declining oil and gas prices. The budget deficit grew. The Sultan made economic diversification and "prudent spending" the year's central political themes. He criticized several government institutions during "surprise visits" and sharply attacked the Ministry of Religious Affairs for "delaying" the full enforcement of an Islamic legal reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper comprehensively examines the present roles of the CPC in the various aspects of law and legal reform and the mechanisms through which Party leadership is exercised. It will argue that, although the recent assertive stand on Party leadership reflects the Xi-Li confidence in asserting China’s own model of governance, the current practice essentially brings out the Party from the shadows and suggests a tighter relationship between the Party and the State for the foreseeable future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper deals with the key determinants, namely characteristics and novelty regarding a new Serbian on Investments from 2015. The second part of the paper deals with its outreach and effectiveness in terms of foreign investment attracting. The objective of the paper was to conduct, in this context, a critical analysis of conventional attitudes about the significance of legal reforms in the process of foreign investments attracting. The paper concludes that the above- mentioned , in the sense of its contents, represents prevailingly the of continuity that is based on principles of liberalisation, protection and encouraging of foreign investments, with special breakthroughs in some segments, in particular regarding their further liberalisation. Conceptually speaking, the most important novelties are connected with the sphere of promotion of investments and creating of a complex, and somewhat cumbersome system of institutional support to foreign investments. Based on such an approach and solutions, the subject new legal framework for foreign investments creates a more favourable legal for their fulfilment. However, the experience of previous legislative reforms in this field in our country and in comparative legislation indicates that the outreach of these improvements are quite limited and that is why they can hardly result with more emphasised outcomes in attracting of investments, considering in particular the limitations contained in the mere nature of foreign investments and actual impact of legislation on foreign investments positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sexualidad, Salud y Sociedad: Revista Latinoamericana is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Legal developments in post-Mao China have been described by Randall Peerenboom as a 'long march toward rule of law', but Carl Minzner has suggested that there was a 'turn against law' in the first decade of this century. Was there a movement towards the rule of law in China since the era of 'reform and opening' began in the late 1970s, and, if so, has this movement continued in the last 15 years? This article begins with some methodological reflections regarding the proper approach to the study and evaluation of legal developments in contemporary China. It then reviews the trajectory of Chinese legal reform in the last 15 years and argues that there has not been a 'turn against law'. Finally, it explores the possibilities and limits of China's self-proclaimed project of 'ruling the country in accordance with law' and developing a 'socialist Rule of Law with Chinese characteristics'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research carried out by the author focuses on the specific development of legal ideology and legal practice in two republics of Northern Caucasus which have a mixed– muslim and christian – population. She analyzes traditional – including legal – social institutions based on customary law and religion. Specific attention is devoted to the coexistence of adat, sharia and the so-called official or State law as well as to the legal mediation of conflicts.

This article explains the process of change in domestic corporate governance. An actor-centred coalitional approach is applied to the Italian case to show how the main features of domestic corporate governance are a product of behavioural patterns (i.e. informal institutions), rather than formal legislation. Leveraging their superior financial means, business elites act as institutional incumbents shaping these informal institutions according to their preferences. It is argued that a change in corporate practices is more likely to be triggered by a socio-economic crisis, which weakens the domestic elite’s influence, rather than a legal reform. These findings call into question the excessively formalistic approach of many corporate governance scholars, and are confirmed by the Italian trajectory. After having resisted 20 years of liberalising legal reforms aimed at eroding their power, Italian blockholders are now being forced, as a consequence of the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis, to dismantle their cross-shareholding networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) recently convened for the first time a central committee plenary session addressed the topic of rule of law. This article addresses the question of why the Party felt the need to hold a plenum on rule of law now, and analyses the main features of the Decision issued at the plenum. The Decision sought to accomplish three main tasks. First, to reconfirm for domestic and international audiences that China is pursuing its own path of development aimed at establishing socialist rule of law with Chinese characteristics; second, to provide a central-level comprehensive plan for reforms that cuts across jurisdictions and rises above departmental interests; and third, to move beyond the hardware of legal reforms to the software by promoting the norms and practices of a rule of law culture for officials and citizens alike. I conclude with an overall assessment of the reform agenda set out in the Decision and a discussion of the implications of China's efforts to establish a socialist rule of law for the promotion of rule of law globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cuba is starring a time of important legal changes brought by the government in pursuit of economic development, foreign investment growth and opening the country to international markets. This article presents an explanatory summary of major legal reforms that have been adopted in recent years and are especially linked to the establishment of a new legal framework for the business environment in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The management of water resources among traditional societies in Ghana has been based on indigenous knowledge systems and practices. Colonial administrations subsequently vested water administration at the central level, without proper coordination, resulting in disjointed management systems. When a new constitution was adopted in 1992, constitutional requirements resulted in an overhaul of the legislative and institutional framework for water resources management. The old sector-based legislative instruments have been reviewed; a Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has been created for policy direction; and an act of Parliament has established a Water Resources Commission to regulate and manage the utilization of Ghana's fresh-water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sub-Saharan Africa is emerging as a rapidly growing continent that has weathered the storm of worldwide recession. The United States should no longer view Africa as an area for humanitarian initiatives to be treated solely through foreign assistance. The time has come for a new relationship based on mutual interests signified by expanding trade and investment. The United States needs to get away from the conventional wisdom that Africa is too risky. African nations are engaged in adopting necessary reforms—especially the rule of law and expedited formalities—designed to attract and reassure investors. Times have changed and U.S. thinking needs to adapt if the United States wants to take advantage of some interesting new opportunities to make money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the hidden transfers between law and religion by focussing on the conditions of existence of ‘liberated’ peasant subjects in contemporary China. The post-Maoist era sought to create new citizens from the collectivised Maoist masses who are subject to market reforms and a new politics of ‘governing through law’ (fazhi). At the same time, new religiousities have blossomed in the Chinese countryside. Representing ‘feudal superstition’, their collective practices remain illegal until today. I argue that, beyond the issue of belief, contemporary ‘feudal superstition’ does not represent a form of anti-secular resistance, but rather confirms the central tenets of Chinese secularism from the perspective of ‘failed’ peasant subjects. Where the realities of market liberalisation and governing through law are experienced as corruption, feudal superstition recreates the conditions to realise liberated peasant subjects: a participatory local public sphere, political visibility, investments in the public good, and a new collective property. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Alcanzando Niños en las Fronteras project brings together years of biofeedback, art therapy, and somatic education work with underprivileged and disadvantaged children. The program is designed to reach the most at-risk youth in Mexico: those children living in towns along the U.S./Mexico border. These towns are racked with violence due to the drug wars, and the children in these towns are especially susceptible to being led into illegal activities. In cooperation with Sonoma State University, the U.S. State Department, the Government of Mexico, Rotary International, and a number of other organizations, the program will train more than 200 medical doctors in noninstrumental biofeedback methods, including art therapy, music, somatic training, autogenic breathing, temperature control, and reading. By reaching children early and educating families in prevention and health, the program will have a lasting impact on reducing illegal activities and bringing about true social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]