Empirical Legal Research

1. Appellate opinions were evaluated on variables related to expert admissibility to assess the effects of Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in criminal cases. Analysis reveals changes in appellate courts' consideration of Frye v. United States, the 4 Daubert criteria, and several Federal Rules of Evidence. The importance of Frye and the general acceptance criterion decreased over time, and the importance of the Daubert criteria increased over time. However, these changes were not consistent for all types of ...

El propósito de este texto es compartir algunas reflexiones sobre el estado
actual de la justicia juvenil en América Latina y, a partir del análisis del presente,
proponer algunas claves de lectura de lo sucedido con ella en estas tres
últimas décadas. ¿Qué cambió? ¿Qué sigue igual? ¿Dónde estuvieron los aciertos
y dónde los desaciertos del proceso de reforma? ¿Qué desafíos enfrenta?
El punto de partida es comprender qué ocurrió en la región con la respuesta
al delito de los menores infractores a partir del impacto del Derecho
Internacional de los Derechos Humanos. En particular, me interesa explorar
las razones que explican por qué las transformaciones que efectivamente ocurrieron
no tuvieron un impacto significativo en el funcionamiento real de los
sistemas de justicia especializados, particularmente en términos de reducción
de la violencia.

The rapid rise of mediation, particularly in the resolution of cross-border commercial disputes, has intensified global focus on the role of accreditation. Traditionally regarded as a flexible, party-driven process, mediation increasingly relies on accreditation as the foundation of trust, competence, and professional legitimacy. Accreditation provides assurance of mediator impartiality, ethical conduct, and technical skill, thereby enhancing party confidence and aligning practice with international enforcement frameworks such as the Singapore Convention on Mediation. This article examines the conceptual and practical significance of accreditation in international mediation, with reference to leading global standards and bodies, including the International Mediation Institute (IMI), the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR, UK), the Civil Mediation Council (CMC, UK), and the Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI/SMC). It further explores accreditation’s harmonizing function across jurisdictions, its impact on party satisfaction and settlement outcomes, and its evolving role in the digital era of virtual mediation, hybrid Arb-Med-Arb processes, and artificial intelligence (AI). Finally, the article considers continuing professional development (CPD) and training-of-trainers (TOT) pathways essential for the sustainable professionalization of mediation worldwide.

Área do Direito: Civil; Processual Resumo: Este artigo faz uma breve análise sobre a aplicação da multa por litigância de má-fé no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, trazendo questionamentos sobre a quem deveria ser endereçada a fixação da multa eventualmente aplicada. Isso porque, na prática, apesar de muitas vezes o autor intelectual do ato gerador da má-fé ser o próprio advogado, que age à revelia da parte, o endereçamento da multa recai sobre o litigante, por expressa previsão legal. Assim, por meio de revisão bibliográfica e análise de julgados recentes, o presente trabalho enfrenta as dificuldades de se ver reconhecido nos autos do mesmo processo a aplicação da multa pela litigância de má-fé direcionada ao causídico, isoladamente, ou em conjunto com a parte e como o argumento da culpa in eligendo pode se revelar superficial e oneroso para o litigante.

In the international panorama, there is growing acknowledgment of the necessity for judges to receive support from staff members in executing their many responsibilities and activities. Although judicial assistants exhibit distinct characteristics, there are discernible and identifiable commonalities among the diverse models proposed worldwide. This investigation initiates with an examination of the Italian judicial assistant, which draws inspiration from international paradigms. Then it proceeds to scrutinize the primary challenges associated with this role, in light of the experiences within Italian courts. Subsequently, through a comparative analysis, the Italian judicial assistant's reality is juxtaposed with the challenges encountered in international systems, aiming to propose and formulate remedies to address the current deficiencies within the Italian system. Titolo: L'assistente giudiziario in Italia: una riflessione comparata Abstract [It]: Nel panorama internazionale è aumentata la consapevolezza che i giudici debbano essere supportati da uno staff nello svolgimento delle loro molteplici attività. Sebbene gli assistenti giudiziari presentino caratteristiche differenti a seconda del sistema legale in cui sono impiegati, è possibile individuare alcuni punti di contatto tra i vari modelli proposti. L'articolo parte da un'analisi della figura dell'addetto all'ufficio per il processo, ruolo ispirato ad altre esperienze straniere, per poi focalizzarsi sulle principali sfide che essa presenta. Successivamente, vengono esaminate le criticità riscontrate, confrontando tali aspetti con analoghe e non realtà internazionali, al fine di avanzare eventuali suggerimenti migliorativi per il sistema giudiziario italiano attuale.

Tous droits réservés © Association pour la recherche qualitative (ARQ), 2025 Ce document est protégé par la loi sur le droit d'auteur. L'utilisation des services d'Érudit (y compris la reproduction) est assujettie à sa politique d'utilisation que vous pouvez consulter en ligne. https://apropos.erudit.org/fr/usagers/politique-dutilisation/ Cet article est diffusé et préservé par Érudit. Érudit est un consortium interuniversitaire sans but lucratif composé de

Odpowiedzialność cywilnoprawna abonenta na podstawie umowy o oświadczenie usług telekomunikacyjnych, w tym takŜe charakter prawny tego kontraktu, nie doczekały się licznych komentarzy w nauce prawa. Doktryna traktuje te kwestie powierzchownie, prezentując często niejednolite stanowisko. Interesującym zagadnieniem są wzajemne relacje uregulowań zawartych w Kodeksie cywilnym i ustawie -Prawo telekomunikacyjne 1 , które odnoszą się do przedmiotowej umowy. Szczególnie waŜne będzie określenie rodzajów i charakteru prawnego roszczeń przedsiębiorcy telekomunikacyjnego względem abonenta, w tym takŜe ratio legis roszczenia określonego w art. 57 ust. 6 u.p.t. W świetle tak zakreślonych celów niniejszej pracy, poszukując właściwej kwalifikacji prawnej dla skutków umowy o świadczenie usług telekomunikacyjnych, warto rozpocząć od przytoczenia jej jurydycznej konstrukcji. Podstawę do świadczenia usług telekomunikacyjnych daje, wedle art. 56 ust. 2 u.p.t, umowa, która, co do zasady, powinna być zawarta w formie pisemnej. Warunek tej formy zastrzeŜony jest tutaj dla celów dowodowych 2 . Art. 56 ust. 5 dopuszcza pominięcie formy pisemnej

This Article reports the results of a study on whether political predispositions influence judicial decisionmaking. The study was designed to overcome the two principal limitations on existing empirical studies that purport to find such an influence: the use of nonexperimental methods to assess the decisions of actual judges; and the failure to use actual judges in ideologically-biased-reasoning experiments. The study involved a sample of sitting judges (n = 253), who, like members of a general public sample (n = 800), were culturally polarized on climate change,

Hybrid regimes exhibit varying degrees of commitment to democracy. Within these regimes, courts play a crucial role in upholding democratic principles by keeping the government accountable to democratic norms. However, the extent to which courts in hybrid regimes consistently adhere to the rule of law remains a critical question. We offer a methodological strategy to examine which judicial behavior model best coincides with judicial behavior in hybrid regimes. We apply our method to the context of Israel's High Court of Justice's rulings over the territories Israel occupied in 1967. We show that the Israeli High Court of Justice tends to be strategic in its review of petitions relating to Israel's Occupied Territories.

Ao longo dos meus textos, sempre procurei enfatizar a importância da ciência como expressão do conhecimento. Contudo, considero necessário fazer uma ressalva. A ciência, tal como a compreendo, não se limita ao espaço da universidade. Ela é, antes de tudo, o resultado do estudo e da pesquisa desenvolvidos por todos aqueles que, de forma séria e consistente, se dedicam a investigar, verificar e consolidar conteúdos que possam ser reconhecidos como científicos. No Brasil, a realidade parece restringir a ciência apenas à academia. Forma-se assim um ciclo vicioso em que os debates e validações científicas se resumem ao ponto de vista universitário e de seus integrantes. O que se perde nesse processo é a possibilidade de diálogo com outros estudiosos que constroem sua relação com a ciência através da experiência empírica, da observação atenta e do trabalho prático. Nessa perspectiva, incluo-me como alguém que, há mais de 40 anos, dedica-se ao estudo e à análise tanto pela via da educação formal e musical quanto pela prática cotidiana em minha oficina. Meu espaço de trabalho tornou-se também um laboratório, um lugar de experimentação contínua, onde teoria e prática se encontram diariamente. Esse percurso foi enriquecido pela leitura de inúmeros artigos e pesquisas produzidos em instituições dos Estados Unidos, da Alemanha, da França, de outros países da Europa e também do Japão. São fontes que me oferecem subsídios técnicos e científicos sólidos, ao mesmo tempo em que demonstram a importância de se compreender a ciência sob um ponto de vista universal. Afinal, o maior propósito da universidade deveria ser justamente o de refletir esse universo do conhecimento, integrando culturas, experiências e perspectivas distintas. Não posso deixar de reconhecer o quanto o convívio com diversas pessoas e mestres ao longo dos anos contribuiu para ampliar meu cabedal de conhecimento. De certa forma, transformei-me em um depositário dessas informações, um funil que as canaliza, traduz e organiza. Ainda assim, observo que nem sempre o conhecimento acadêmico se apresenta de forma clara, acessível e transparente para os leigos ou para aqueles que realmente se interessam em compreender a essência do assunto. Diante disso, encontro-me num caminho de intermédio. Não acredito que apenas a academia deva ter o privilégio de validar o conhecimento ou determinar o que é ciência. Ao mesmo tempo, sei que as trocas de experiências são fundamentais e saudáveis, desde que não descambem para os extremos da ignorância ou da negação sistemática.

Penal policies and programmes for the control and management of offenders have always been essential in maintaining law and order in the colonial setting. Hong Kong, being one of the few remaining British crown colonies in the twentieth century, is used as an example in this thesis to illustrate how colonial penality was developed after the Second World War. Penal policies and programmes in Hong Kong divorced gradually from the British practices after the Second World War and ended with significant differences in 1997 when Hong Kong was handed back to China. This thesis explores in detail how penal policies and programmes were developed in Hong Kong from 1945 to 1997. Roles of the British administrators in London and Hong Kong, local elites and the community at large in the policy making process are studied and suggestions given to explain why Hong Kong only transported certain penal policies and programmes from England after the War. The differences in timing for the implementation...

This article attempts to conduct a detailed empirical study on trade secrets litigation in China. In a nutshell, using 33 coding criteria, this article studied 2810 judicial documents published between 2013 and 2021 related to trade secrets litigation. Of the 2810 documents, 745 concerned substantive trade secret issues, with 885 trade secret claims addressed by Chinese courts. The article mainly aims to fill two research gaps in the current literature. First, it is unclear whether, during the past two decades, China indeed provided inadequate trade secrets protection in practice because of its 'defective' statutes, as alleged by the US government. Empirical evidence is needed to test whether the previous US criticisms conformed with the working situation of China's trade secrets litigation. Second, the enforcement level of trade secrets law in books in China remains a myth. The argument that China has adopted a strict trade secret law in books similar to the US has little practical value if China did not enforce the trade secrets law in practice. Empirical evidence is required to demystify the enforcement situation of trade secrets law. This article, thus, fills these two gaps by presenting empirical findings on trade secrets litigation from 2013 to 2021 in China.

One of the most pivotal doctrines in copyright law is its infringement test, which determines whether a defendant’s acts violate reproduction rights. This test, which continues to plague U.S. copyright law, includes two widely adopted and influential prongs: (1) factual copying; and (2) improper appropriation. To establish factual copying, U.S. courts allow a sliding scale of proof between the defendant’s access to the copyrighted work and similarities between the defendant’s and plaintiff’s works. The improper appropriation prong requires the similarities to reach a substantial level than is deemed improper. However, both prongs are fervently discussed, questioned, and criticized by U.S. courts, scholars, and practitioners. These critics neither form a unified understanding of each prong nor share similar viewpoints on the test’s desirability and potential reform. Despite the test’s intricate complications, its influence extends to other jurisdictions due to the global “reach” of U.S. copyright law. China, a jurisdiction that has adopted many doctrines and rules from U.S. copyright law, seemingly uses a similar copyright infringement test: the rule of “substantial similarity” plus “access.” The strikingly similar terminology, supported by anecdotal evidence, suggests a direct legal transplantation of this test from the U.S. to China. This observation implies that China essentially shares the same test as the U.S. due to this legal transplantation. However, positive discussions of China’s law in books andempirical explorations of the law in practice in this Article reveal substantial differences from the U.S. version, despite the similar terminology, which remain unnoticed and underexplored in current literature. Although some spillover from the U.S. test to China is acknowledged, the similarities noted in the current literature are quite superficial. These differences raise several unexplored questions: Should China’s test draw further from the U.S. to enhance future improvements? Does the Chinese version function effectively in practice and withstand theoretical scrutiny? If not, what should be the future direction for the Chinese version based on comparative insights? Should China consider a direct transplantation of the entire U.S. test in the future? This Article unravels the differences between the U.S. and Chinese infringement tests and addresses these questions. It delves into the history of how the “substantial similarity” plus “access” test was introduced to Chinese copyright law and its relationship with the superficially similar U.S. test, indicating the potential spillover. It also offers some empirical evidence based on Chinese court cases applying the test to see how it functions in practice, with a particular focus on whether the Chinese test achieves similar outcomes to the U.S. test. The Article attempts to reveal whether the Chinese version achieves the intended function of copyright infringement tests and withstands theoretical discussions. This Article argues that the Chinese version is more desirable than the U.S. version for China. One reason is that the Chinese version better aligns with China’s civil procedure law, which differs significantly from U.S. law. Also, the Chinese version can address the issues and problems identified in the current U.S. tests. Therefore, there should be caution about suggesting any future transplantation from the U.S. However, this Article acknowledges the vagueness and problems of the Chinese version and proposes a reformed test for Chinese law to better achieve its intended functions.

325 CONCOCTING CRIMINAL INTENT 5 to less than 10 years: 14 (4.52%) 10 to less than 18 years: 4 (1.29%) Minor Victim but Age Unknown: 14 (4.52%) 18 to less than 30 years: 4 (1.29%) 30 to less than 40 years: 2 (.65%) 40 to less than 50 years: 0 (0%) 50 to less than 60 years: 2 (.65%) 60 to less than 70 years: 2 (.65%) 70ϩ years: 2 (.65%) Adult Victim but Age Unknown: 82 (26.45%) Total: 310 cases or 100% Id. at VI.

Modelo decisório inédito adotado pela corte qualifica processo deliberativo de tomada de decisão no STF.

GODOY, Miguel Gualano de.; RAMOS, Caio Matheus. Quando o Supremo acerta: o voto per curiam na ADPF 635. JOTA, Brasília, p. 1-5, 28 abr. 2025.

Este texto discute a dicotomia entre visibilidade e invisibilidade entre pessoas trans. A trajetória de A.G., uma mulher trans que deseja ser invisível e anônima, é o ponto de partida para uma discussão teórica que retoma conceitos propostos por Nancy Fraser sobre reconhecimento e redistribuição. Com isso, argumento que, quando não há reconhecimento, a visibilidade pode ser nociva para certos sujeitos. Nessa medida, as demandas do movimento LGBTI+ por visibilidade contrastam com o desejo de alguns indivíduos de serem anônimos, na medida em que não há paridade participativa. Neste sentido, o anonimato através da passabilidade pode ser uma estratégia de vida vivível, como propõe Judith Butler.

Propõe verificar a existência de relação entre as leis de acesso à informação dos países membros e associados do Mercosul. As leis de acesso à informação de sete países (Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colômbia, Equador, Peru e Uruguai), os projetos de lei sobre o assunto do Paraguai e da Bolívia e da Constituição da Venezuela foram estudados sob três pontos de vista: transparência ativa, transparência passiva e sigilo. Identificaram-se sinais de uma agenda comum em torno do tema entre os países membros. Os resultados indicam semelhanças entre as leis nos três aspectos estudados, cada um em maior ou menor grau.

This article examines the potential and difficulties that the fourth industrial revolution presents to libraries in
providing library services. Libraries have been profoundly affected by the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR),
which has changed their function from being conventional book repositories to being centres for digital literacy,
technological access, and information sharing.
The goal and services provided by libraries have been redefined as a result of the quick developments in artificial
intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things, in addition to information analytics. It shows that the need for
current information and services has the greatest impact on libraries. However, the fourth industrial revolution
has revealed several shortcomings in libraries, including weak ICT policy, low financing, and a lack of staff
orientation. The study comes to the conclusion that in order for libraries to offer effective and efficient services,
they must adjust to the realities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In addition to discussing the potential for
libraries to take advantage of emerging technology, the essay underlines the difficulties libraries have in
adjusting to the 4IR and provides instances of successful digital transformations from real-world settings. It also
covers issues with data security and privacy. The recommendations include adequate financing to supply library
facilities and ongoing staff training on how to use and operate these resources.

O PósDebate é o grupo de discussões da pós-graduação da FDUSP nas áreas de direito público e teoria do direito. Seu objetivo é expor jovens pesquisadores ao debate franco de ideias, bem como fomentar a produção escrita individual e colaborativa.

É o braço discente do projeto Argumenta, que enxerga na ausência de uma cultura de diálogo uma mazela brasileira ignorada. O projeto tem na série Diálogos Fundamentais seu braço docente, embora a divisão não seja estanque, como este livro demonstra.

Desde sua criação, em 2014, pelo doutorando Luís Matricardi, o PósDebate é coordenado exclusivamente por estudantes.

Seja para celebrar uma década de atividades, seja com a esperança de encorajar iniciativas semelhantes por todo o país, decidimos publicar um livro. Mas não um livro convencional – um que refletisse a estrutura dialógica e informal do grupo. Com esse espírito, pedimos aos autores que enviassem contribuições enxutas, limitadas ao argumento principal, para permitir comentários críticos igualmente breves e pontuais, feitos por especialistas no tema.

O resultado são 25 capítulos de leitura fluida, sem rodeios, envolvendo um total de 48 autores, entre participantes dos anos anteriores (até junho de 2021).

Para a lista completa dos nossos encontros: https://posdebate.wordpress.com/

This article investigates the sources of foreign ministries' policy-making capacity in presidential regimes. Using the concept of family resemblance, we argue that professionalization of the diplomatic corps is a necessary condition, whereas the institutional attributions of the ministry and the degree of presidential delegation are relevant but substitutable elements. The higher the scores on either of the latter dimensions, the stronger is the capacity of the foreign ministry to influence the chief executive and to contest other players' policy preferences. To empirically validate our concept, we measure the three dimensions in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico between 1946 and 2015 using data on diplomats' recruitment and career paths, influence of diplomatic schools and doctrines, appointment patterns of foreign ministers, and relevance of presidential diplomacy, with an emphasis on travels abroad. Our analysis indicates that Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico enjoy a high level of professionalization of their diplomatic corps; however, differences-both across countries and over time-remain regarding institutional attributions and presidential delegation. Este artículo investiga las fuentes de la capacidad de formulación de políticas en los ministerios de relaciones exteriores de regímenes presidenciales. Utilizando el concepto de "parecido de familia", sostenemos que la profesionalización del cuerpo diplomático es una condición necesaria, mientras que las atribuciones institucionales del ministerio y el grado de delegación presidencial son elementos relevantes pero intercambiables. Cuanto más alto sea el puntaje en cualquiera de las dos últimas dimensiones, mayor será la capacidad del ministerio para influenciar al presidente y doblegar las preferencias de otros actores. Para validar empíricamente el concepto, medimos sus tres dimensiones en Argentina, Brasil y México entre 1946 y 2015 utilizando datos sobre reclutamiento y carrera diplomática, influencia académica y doctrinas diplomáticas, patrones de nombramiento de ministros y relevancia de la diplomacia presidencial con énfasis en viajes internacionales. Nuestro análisis indica que Argentina, Brasil y México hoy disfrutan de un alto nivel de profesionalización de su cuerpo diplomático. Sin embargo, persisten grandes diferencias -entre países y en el tiempo-en lo que hace a las atribuciones institucionales y el grado de delegación presidencial.

Epstein and Knight’s The Choices Justices make builds upon and empirically assesses Walter F. Murphy’s argument in Elements of Judicial Strategy (1964) that Supreme Court justices act strategically. “On our account,” Epstein and Knight write, “which we call a strategic account, justices may be primarily seekers of legal policy, but they are not unsophisticated characters who make choices based merely on their own political preferences. Instead, justices are strategic actors who realize that their ability to achieve their goals depends on a consideration of the preferences of others, of the choices they expect others to make, and of the institutional context in which they act” (Epstein and Knight 1998: xiii). Specifically, a Supreme Court justice must make interdependent choices that take account of the preferences of (1) his/her fellow justices, (2) the executive branch or the legislature, (3) the public. The law, by this account, constitutes the slow accretion of myriad bouts of “s...

the jurors, the attorneys, and the litigants who took part in the research; Jury Commissioner Kathy Brauer; Paula Nailon, who shepherded the project through its early stages; and Judge Gordon T. Alley, the presiding judge in Pima County when data collection ended. Professor Richard Lempert provided very important insights to our project in its early stages, as did other members of our advisory committee, including Judge

This article examines the concept, development, and implementation of community corrections in Nepal. It traces the historical evolution of community-based alternatives to incarceration, from early forms of leniency to modern probation and parole systems. The legal framework for community corrections in Nepal is analyzed, focusing on recent legislation like the Criminal Offences (Sentencing and Execution) Act of 2017, which introduced provisions for community service, open prisons, and rehabilitation programs. The article highlights the potential benefits of community corrections, including reduced prison overcrowding, cost savings, and improved offender rehabilitation. However, it also identifies significant challenges in implementing these programs in Nepal, such as lack of infrastructure, limited resources, and insufficient training for correctional officers. The authors argue that while community corrections offer promising alternatives to traditional imprisonment, their effective implementation in Nepal requires further policy development, increased funding, and capacity building within the criminal justice system. Overall, the article provides a comprehensive overview of community corrections in Nepal, examining both the progress made and the obstacles that remain in reforming the country's approach to criminal justice and offender rehabilitation.

Il penitenziario e una realta misconosciuta da molti non addetti ai lavori, lestrutture femminili ancora di piu per le particolari dinamiche che regolano lerelazioni, frutto non solo delle differenze di genere ma determinate dai particolariruoli rivestiti nei contesti di provenienza. Questo articolo affronta l’esperienzadel laboratorio teatrale della sezione femminile in Alta Sicurezza nellaCasa Circondariale di Latina, analizzandone obiettivi, contenuti e metodi. Lapratica teatrale in carcere consente infatti il superamento di chiusure e appartenenze,permettendo ai detenuti, provenienti soprattutto da forme organizzatedi criminalita, di confrontarsi su un terreno in cui i ruoli non sono quellipredeterminati dai contesti sociali di provenienza. L’esperienza pedagogicadel teatro consente altresi di costruire uno strumento trattamentale efficaceper la crescita personale, per gestire in modo costruttivo il periodo detentivo eper innescare quel processo di revisione critica del vissuto,...

This article analyses the evolution of Kais Saied's governance since his accession to the presidency of the Tunisian Republic in 1999. It postulates that this governance has evolved from an inclusive populist project supported by a constitutional doctrine to an authoritarian populist regime of political 'Caesarism'. To test this hypothesis, it examines the nature of the coup d'état carried out on 21st of July 2021, pointing out that Kais Saied was supported by the security forces. Next, it recalls the context of Kais Saied's project of populist constitutionalism, focusing on his own conception of his political mission and the pre-constitutional decisions he took that paved the way for constitutional reform and the failure of his plebiscitary ratification. It scrutinises the main features of the new constitution Kais Saied drafted, which show that it establishes a regime in which the President of the Republic assimilates himself to the will of the people and aspires to unlimited power. Finally, it examines the limits of certain tools that are supposed to represent inclusive democracy from below and the presidential elections in 2024 that lead us to consider that it would be more appropriate to speak of a democracy without the people.

In 2023, after four years as the head of state, Kais Saied set about establishing the “popular” institutions inaugurating his “New Republic”, which he had promised would put an end to Tunisia’s economic, social and political crises during the election campaign that brought him to power. His presidential project, combining state sovereignty with popular sovereignty, meant dismantling the representative democracy established by the 2014 Constitution, which, according to Saied, was itself the product of “corrupt elites” and intermediary bodies (notably political parties) that betrayed the will of the people and diverted the 2010-2011 revolution from its course. Consequently, the Head of State’s objective was to “rectify the revolutionary path” so as to establish a constitution that enshrines both the construction of a “grassroots” democracy based on local assemblies and the institutional primacy of the Head of State, himself the guarantor of the sovereignty of the people and the unity of the nation. Prevented, however, by the constitutional framework of 2014 and the state of political forces within Parliament from implementing his political project by legal means, the President seized upon the sharp deterioration in the economic, social and health situation in Tunisia to conduct an autogolpe (self-coup d’état) on 25 July 2021. With the support of the military general staff and senior members of the security forces, he proclaimed and then extended a state of emergency, dissolved parliament and embarked on a constituent process in the name of popular will and the superior legitimacy of the Tunisian Revolution that he claimed to embody. This date constituted the starting point for the systematic liquidation of the institutions of the parliamentary system and the progressive establishment of a new institutional structure, defined in the Presidential Constitution of August 2022, with a view to creating a “New Republic” that would give the power back to the people. In parallel with this institutional process, President Kais Saied acted to stifle the opposition, as well as all institutional checks and balance

This paper studies the relationship between the exposure of Italian inventors to foreign technologies and the quality of their inventions from the Unification (1861) to WWI. The paper relies on two complementary individual-level datasets: The first dataset comprises all the more than 131,000 patents registered in Italy between 1855 and 1914 as reported (Martinez et al., Soc Sci Hist 1861-1938, 2024). The second dataset contains biographical information about notable inventors and thus allows to obtain both technology-and inventor-based measures of the quality of inventions. The findings indicate that the direct exposure to foreign technologies improved the quality of patents, but the benefits were not substantial. While exposure to technologically similar patents from France and Great Britain led to an improvement in the quality of patents, exposure to more technologically distant patents from Germany did not. These findings suggest that Italian inventors benefitted from the exposure to foreign technologies to a limited extent.

Cualquier iniciativa de endurecimiento de la legislación que afecta a los adolescentes en materia de responsabilidad penal (especial), aparte de no justificarse desde el punto de vista político – criminal, tampoco tiene asidero en las estadísticas disponibles, que dan cuenta de una baja importante y sostenida de las causas penales que involucran a adolescentes de entre 14 y 17 años, tomando como referencia un periodo de tiempo largo, que se extiende del año 2008 al año 2024. Según el más importante de los términos judiciales, las sentencias condenatorias, se constata que han tenido una baja muy relevante y sostenida durante todo el periodo analizado. Por eso, el alza en el número de causas ingresadas al sistema en el último año, no implica de ninguna manera un aumento significativo en la magnitud de las infracciones de ley realmente cometidas por los adolescentes, dando cuenta más bien de un aumento en la carga de trabajo del sistema de enjuiciamiento criminal.
Un análisis particular de las sanciones privativas de libertad y de la privación de libertad en general, revelan que existe un número importante de adolescente que cumplen actualmente con una pena de encierro y que, en general, sus condiciones se han ido endureciendo con el tiempo. Sometidos a una experiencia de encierro de larga duración, este hecho no augura nada bueno para la futura evolución de la delincuencia de adolescentes (y de adultos), en términos de su mayor nivel de gravedad, consolidación y violencia involucradas. Urge avanzar en aliviar estas condiciones y apostar resueltamente por una respuesta desjudicializada del Estado ante los delitos cometidos por adolescentes.

Este artículo analiza la trayectoria asumida por la corrupción judicial durante la última década. Dado que la mayoría de los trabajos sobre este tema se concentran en estudios de caso o análisis sincrónicos, lo que acá se prioriza es la evolución histórica de la corrupción judicial alrededor del mundo. A partir de estadística descriptiva que observa los cambios en cuanto a corrupción judicial a lo largo de los últimos diez años, este artículo constata que dicho fenómeno ha decrecido en algunos países, mayoritariamente europeos, mientras que, en otros, sobre todo de África y América, dicho flagelo social va en aumento. Paradójicamente, los países con mayor corrupción judicial son los que menos interés tienen en asumir políticas públicas orientadas a mejorar la transparencia en la provisión del servicio judicial.

Whether and how civil society should recognize committed relationships between same-sex partners has become a prominent, often divisive, policy issue. The present article reviews relevant behavioral and social science research to assess the validity of key factual claims in this debate. The data indicate that same-sex and heterosexual relationships do not differ in their essential psychosocial dimensions; that a parent's sexual orientation is unrelated to her or his ability to provide a healthy and nurturing family environment; and that marriage bestows substantial psychological, social, and health benefits. It is concluded that samesex couples and their children are likely to benefit in numerous ways from legal recognition of their families, and providing such recognition through marriage will bestow greater benefit than civil unions or domestic partnerships. Trends in public opinion toward greater support for legal recognition of same-sex couples are discussed.

This article analyzes the outcomes of employment discrimination lawsuits filed in federal court from 1988 to 2003. It goes beyond previous research by examining case filings rather than published opinions and by treating case outcome as a sequential variable. Our analysis is informed by four theoretical models: formal legal, rational action/economic, legal mobilization, and critical realist. We employ a discrete‐time event‐history model with random effects to estimate whether a case will end at a particular stage. We find that employment discrimination litigation consists overwhelmingly of individual cases, a majority of which end in a small settlement. The outcomes of cases are difficult to predict at the outset of litigation. Legal representation and collective legal mobilization have powerful effects on outcome, but collective legal mobilization is rare. These results are most consistent with the critical realist perspective. Our analysis suggests that employment discrimination l...

This book presents empirical research uncovering the views and experiences of Polish judges regarding the utilization of empathy in their work. Although there is growing interest in the role of empathy in judicial decision-making, there is little research on how judges themselves approach this issue. This volume offers an alternative to the usual focus on common law jurisdictions. It adopts a perspective that underscores the impact of professional pressures on judges' empathic abilities, leading to a form of "empathy labor" influenced by the unique characteristics of the judicial profession. It offers an in-depth examination of judges' opinions, collected through an empirical study involving in-depth interviews. The narrative delves into real cases and judicial behaviors discussed by judges, providing reference to relevant literature from other jurisdictions. The core finding of the study reveals that while judges may differ in their approaches to empathy in a judicial context, many of their practices and strategies can be linked to empathy-like phenomena. The findings also substantiate the claim that empathy used by judges is not the same as judicial empathy, which covers empathic abilities integrated into performing the judicial role. This applied theoretical perspective of "empathy labor" offers an intriguing view of how the occupational context influences judges' empathic inclinations throughout their careers. In addition to demonstrating how judges understand the role of empathy in their work, the book outlines a scenario for empathy training based on their experiences and expectations. Presenting an original approach to studying the role of empathy in judicial decision making, the book will be of interest to academics and researchers working in the areas of philosophy of law, legal theory, sociology of law, psychology of law, and emotions studies.

Diana Veleda* I. Introducción 1. Este trabajo pretende reflexionar sobre el estándar de prueba penal a partir de algunas ideas presentadas por Jordi FERRER BELTRÁN en su más reciente obra, Prueba sin convicción 1 . En particular, sobre la posibilidad de que la presunción de inocencia en el proceso penal no exija un estándar de prueba determinado y que, de ese modo, dicho estándar pueda resultar esencialmente variable, en función del resultado de la evaluación de una serie de condiciones también variables -por ejemplo, el monto y la modalidad de la pena en expectativa, las dificultades probatorias que presentare cada caso, entre otras-2 . Los estándares de prueba son herramientas que utilizamos en el momento de decisión sobre los hechos y están destinados distribuir en algún sentido el riesgo de error 3 . En este trabajo, en el que nos concentraremos en los casos penales, los errores que nos interesan son los falsos positivos y falsos negativos asociados con la decisión definitiva en esa clase de procesos. Como veremos, decidirnos por una determinada forma de distribuir el riesgo de error depende, en este contexto, de nuestra consideración acerca de la diferente gravedad relativa de las condenas y las absoluciones erróneas 4 . En consecuencia, defender un estándar de prueba variable supone una defensa de la variabilidad de la relación de gravedad existente entre esos errores 5 .

This paper examines the introduction and application of judicial precedent in Ethiopia, a historically civil law jurisdiction that adopted binding precedent through Proclamation No. 454/2005. The central thesis argues that while judicial precedent has enhanced legal uniformity and predictability by empowering the Cassation Division of the Federal Supreme Court to issue binding interpretations, its efficacy is significantly constrained by systemic challenges. These include judicial inexperience in identifying ratio decidendi, institutional resistance from regional courts, ambiguities in procedural application, and unresolved tensions with Ethiopia's civil law tradition and constitutional separation of powers. Through a multidisciplinary analysis-combining legal theory, historical context, and empirical insights-the study reveals that precedent in Ethiopia operates as a hybrid mechanism, blending civil law codification with common law techniques. Key findings suggest that while precedent has reduced judicial arbitrariness and fostered consistency, its impact remains uneven due to inadequate judicial training, lack of clear guidelines for overruling precedents, and limited accessibility of cassation decisions. The paper concludes with targeted recommendations, including enhanced judicial education, standardized judgment-writing practices, and constitutional clarity, to strengthen precedent's role in Ethiopia's evolving legal system.

This article empirically studies current claims that patent trolls, also known as patent assertion entities (PAEs) or non-practicing entities (NPEs), behave badly in litigation by bringing frivolous patent infringement suits and seeking nuisance fee settlements. The study explores these claims by examining the relationship between the type of patenteeplaintiffs and litigation outcomes (e.g., settlement, grant of summary judgment, trial, and procedural dispositions), while taking into account, among other factors, the technology of the patents being asserted and the identity of the lawyers and judges. The study finds significant heterogeneity among different patent holder entity types. Individual inventors, failed operating companies, patent holding companies, and large patent aggregators each have distinct litigation strategies largely consistent with their economic posture and incentives. These PAEs appear to litigate differently from each other and from operating companies. Accordingly, to the extent any patent policy reform targets specific patent plaintiff types, such reforms should go beyond the practicing entity versus non-practicing entity distinction and understand how the proposed legislation would impact more granular and meaningful categories of patent owners.

DIREITOS AUTORAIS: É proibida a reprodução parcial ou total desta publicação, por qualquer forma ou meio, sem a prévia autorização da Editora FOCO, com exceção do teor das questões de concursos públicos que, por serem atos oficiais, não são protegidas como Direitos Autorais, na forma do Artigo 8º, IV, da Lei 9.610/1998. Referida vedação se estende às características gráficas da obra e sua editoração. A punição para a violação dos Direitos Autorais é crime previsto no Artigo 184 do Código Penal e as sanções civis às violações dos Direitos Autorais estão previstas nos Artigos 101 a 110 da Lei 9.610/1998. Os comentários das questões são de responsabilidade dos autores. Atualizações e erratas: A presente obra é vendida como está, atualizada até a data do seu fechamento, informação que consta na página II do livro. Havendo a publicação de legislação de suma relevância, a editora, de forma discricionária, se empenhará em disponibilizar atualização futura. Erratas: A Editora se compromete a disponibilizar no site www.editorafoco.com.br, na seção Atualizações, eventuais erratas por razões de erros técnicos ou de conteúdo. Solicitamos, outrossim, que o leitor faça a gentileza de colaborar com a perfeição da obra, comunicando eventual erro encontrado por meio de mensagem para

Doctor of Law (EUI), and a docent of Socio-legal Studies (UTU), has been honoured with this year's prestigious Nils Klim Prize (2025), awarded by the Norwegian Government and administered by the University of Bergen under the oversight of the Holberg Prize Board. She is the first Finnish legal scholar and the first scholar from the University of Turku to receive the award. Her areas of expertise are sociolegal studies, gender and law, legal mobilisation, human rights, reparations, comparative public law, and criminal law. In her research and teaching, she is interested in how societies and laws evolve in tandem, how groups mobilise to change their position, and how law intersectionally includes and excludes individuals and groups. Her research has been published in discipline-leading international journals, including Modern Law Review, Feminist Legal Studies, Human Rights Law Review and International Journal of Constitutional Law. Among her most prominent publications are her single-authored monograph Grievance Formation, Rights and Remedies: Involuntary Sterilisation and Castration in the Nordics, 1930s-2020s (Cambridge University Press 2023) and the co-edited (together with Dr Adrian Howe) volume Contesting Femicide: Feminism and the Power of Law Revisited (Routledge 2019).

El sistema de la responsabilidad penal de adolescentes es un campo discursivo e institucional conformado por especialistas, ideologías, tecnologías y programas para el control del comportamiento "antisocial" de los menores de edad, que es posible reconstruir históricamente en Chile, de acuerdo con sus propias especificidades. La investigación genealógica permite identificar dos hitos reformistas: La creación de la justicia de menores en 1928 que, a pesar de sus limitaciones, representó un cierto avance en la situación de los adolescentes en relación con los adultos; y la ley de responsabilidad penal de adolescentes, vigente desde el año 2007, que vio frustradas las intenciones de los reformistas, convirtiéndose en una regulación legal que se diferencia escasamente de la ley penal de adultos. Como consecuencia de esta última reforma, ha aumentado el peso del castigo a los adolescentes, generando una experiencia de encierro de larga duración. Este hecho constituye en sí mismo un inquietante pronóstico sobre el aumento de la peligrosidad de la delincuencia de los menores de edad en el mediano plazo, y sobre el "endurecimiento" de las nuevas generaciones en la experiencia del delito.