On the Principle of Consistency of Rights and Obligations in the Constitution of PRC

“The Fundamental Rights and obligations of Citizens”, the title of Chapter II of the current Constitution of PRC, and the stipulation that citizens must fulfill certain obligations while enjoying rights have triggered many debates. Considering the historical origin, constitutional philosophy, and the text and structure of the Constitution, the special provisions of the current Constitution are influenced by the principle of consistency of rights and obligations. The principle of consistency of rights and obligations in the Constitution is of complex connotation. Therefore, although the principle of consistency of rights and obligations effectively connects the public and private spheres, it ignores the diversity and differences of the interests and elements contained in the Constitution, the asymmetry of the normative status of fundamental rights and fundamental obligations,and the right of citizens to self-determination of personal interests.The principle of consistency of rights and obligations should be purposefully narrowed and concretized: In the context of public-private integration and risk society prevention, the principle of consistency of rights and obligations can be used as a supplement to the functional system of the Constitution;in the field of fundamental political obligations, the principle of consistency of rights and obligations should be in line with the requirements of the state to respect and protect human rights;in the field of fundamental social obligations, the exercise of fundamental rights by individuals is protected by the Constitution as long as they comply with the law and do not infringe upon the interests of the social community. The principle of the consistency of rights and obligations is only used as the negative constituents of the determination of rights and the basis for the effect against a third party of fundamental rights.

The Change and Constancy of “Equality Issue” in Human Rights Theory Research During the 40 Years of Reform and Opening-up

In 1978, academia broke through the theoretical forbidden zone with the slogan of "equality before the law" and initiated a great discussion on some important legal issues including legal equality. During the past 40 years since the reform and opening-up, the relevant research has changed from the ideological contention deeply influenced by class discourse to the abstract theoretical research where class discourse has been fading away, and then turn to the technical and concrete practical research. This "change" is clearly visible and, to a certain extent, reveals the track of the development of human rights theory. However, there is "constancy" in "change". "Constancy" not only lies in the study of legislative equality throughout the past 40 years, but also embodies the inherent logic of theoretical research in response to social development and changes in the times.

Equality, Participation and Sharing: 70 Years of Protecting the Rights and Interests of Persons with Disabilities in the PRC

July 2019 Contents Preamble I.Development of the Cause of Persons with Disabilities II.Mechanisms for the Protection of Rights and Interests of Persons with Disabilities III.Health and Rehabilitation IV.Special Education and Inclusive Education V.Employment and Entrepreneurship VI.Basic Life and Social Security VII.Creating an Accessible Environment and Enabling Mobility.

Obligation-based Theory vs.Right-based Theory:Confrontation of Ideas Between Warrender and Strauss

There is a transition from the objective laws or moral orders that precede human will in classical natural law to the subjective demands or rights emanating from human will in modern natural law,and it represents a historical debate on the shift from an obligation-based theory to a right-based theory.Strauss,within the context of this transition across time,assesses Thomas Hobbes's philosophy of law and recognizes him as the founder of modern natural rights theory.Using Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld's analysis of jurisprudence,Howard Warrender assesses the privilege nature of Hobbes's concept of natural rights and concludes that,since Hohfeld's privilege is the opposite of obligation and related to no-right,obligations cannot be derived from natural rights.Therefore,Warrender argues that Strauss's assertion requires correction.However,Warrender places excessive emphasis on Hohfeld's static separation of the concept of privilege within his theoretical system,overlooking the dynamic transformation from privilege to claim rights.In this regard,Hobbesian scholar Carlan's criticism of Warrender is valid.Meanwhile,Warrender's research holds theoretical significance in that he,under the premise of being a part of Hobbes'natural law tradition,transforms Hohfeld's flat,two-party legal rights relationships into a three-party legal rights structure,which could represent a potential innovation in the 20^(th)century legal philosophy.

A Coherent Interpretation of Economic Compensation for Divorce:Taking Gender Equality as the Basis

Article 1088 of China's Civil Code grants the right to seek economic compensation in divorce cases.However,significant confusion persists regarding the values,interpretations of doctrine,and legal techniques related to this compensation.Various viewpoints have emerged on the nature of compensation,including notions of household wages,human capital investment,moral obligation,and damages recovery.Concerning compensation standards,there are proposals such as the“humanitarian assistance”theory,“household wages”theory,“expected interest”theory,or“loss of interest”theory.By examining the evolution,legal principles,and practical applications of economic compensation for divorce from a human rights perspective,we aim to establish the legal foundation for this compensation,grounded in principles of gender equality.It clarifies that the compensation essentially confirms and restores individual development opportunities and the right to development in the context of gender inequality.This approach aims to provide a more coherent interpretation of clauses of economic compensation for divorce in terms of legal purposes,legal doctrines,and legal techniques,thus offering a more reasonable perspective to reconcile theoretical and practical discrepancies in economic compensation for divorce.

The Protection of the Right to Equality of the Elderly in the Digital Society

The inequality faced by the elderly in a digital society is the digital inequality caused by both public and private actions,as well as the societal inequality exacerbated by the digital inequality.The essence of this issue lies in the unequal social participation due to the expansion of digital space under digital inequality.The characteristics of the elderly,combined with their inherent human dignity,determine that the ultimate goal of protecting their right to equality in a digital society is not limited to equal digital rights alone.Instead,it aims to ensure that the elderly have equal opportunities for social participation in both digital and non-digital spaces by eliminating digital inequality and curbing the expansion of digital space.This ensures the autonomy of the elderly in the digital society.Accordingly,the State should implement two policies based on both prohibitive obligations that prevent direct infringements and protective obligations that safeguard the equal rights of the elderly against encroachments from private entities.The first policy,“Digital Integration”,empowers the elderly with digital skills and helps them actively integrate into the digital society.The second policy,“Digital Coexistence,”ensures that the elderly can equally participate in society even when they choose to abstain from digital technology.

Dilemma and Solution for Relief in the Right to Equal Employment-From the Perspective of Rectifying Private Law with Social Law

At present,the legal remedies in terms of the right to equal employment in China are mainly related to private law,that is,laborers seek direct legal remedies for personality rights liability and infringement liability according to typical private law,supplemented by indirect remedies for labor contract liability under special private law.However,there are many challenges in private law remedies for the right to equal employment,which are manifested in the misunderstanding of the general tort identification of employment discrimination,the loopholes in the regulations on discriminatory employment,the imbalance in the burden of proof,and the limitation and alienation of the functions of civil liability and private law autonomy.The root of those problems lies in the fact that the nature of anti-employment discrimination law is not private law but social law.Equal employment involves both public and private interests,and it should be based on the public interest of society and adhere to the value orientation of prioritizing fairness while taking into account efficiency.Improving the legal relief mechanism for protecting the right to equal employment,with a focus on correcting private law with social law,is the solution to the dilemma.Specific measures include establishing the special tort liability system for equal employment,the legal mechanism against discriminatory labor contracts,the public-private integrated legal responsibility system,and an essentially fair system for the responsibility of adducing evidence.

Extraterritorial Application of International Human Rights Conventions——From the Perspective of States Regulating the Extraterritorial Human Rights Obligations of Transnational Corporations

The extraterritorial application of international human rights conventions is the legal basis for states to regulate the extraterritorial human rights obligations of transnational corporations.In recent years,it has been increasingly challenged by the new trend of the United Nations governing the human rights responsibilities of transnational corporations.A study of existing international rules and practices shows that the extraterritorial application of international human rights conventions depends on the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the States Parties,which mainly includes the actual control over extraterritorial territories and individuals as well as the execution of authority outside the territories.In view of the above,if human rights violations by individuals or transnational corporations occur in areas outside their home territories or are authorized and orchestrated by the home state,the home state shall bear the corresponding human rights responsibilities.Given the restrictive scope of the abovementioned extraterritorial application of international human rights conventions,the international cooperation obligation and the"do no harm"principle may become a new legal basis for states to fulfill their extraterritorial human rights obligations in the future,thereby expanding the basis for the extraterritorial application of international human rights conventions to deal with more serious issues of human rights violations by transnational corporations.However,on the whole,the current identification and codification of states regulating the extraterritorial human rights obligations of transnational corporations should respect the existing rules of international human rights law and should not add any new human rights obligations on states.

Chinese NGOs Actively Introduce Achievements in Protecting the Rights of Women and Children at the UN Human Rights Council

Recently,at the 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council,a number of Chinese NGOs delivered speeches via video link,and actively introduced China’s ideas and practices of protecting the rights of women and children.The Beijing NGO Network for International Exchanges gave a comprehensive introduction to the positive contribution of the Beijing Winter Olympics in promoting women’s rights to enjoy sports and called on the international community to create a more inclusive social environment for women’s cultural equality.

Rural Legal Aid in the Perspective of Human Rights:Status Quo and Reform

As one of the human rights protection systems for rural residents, legal aid is an important well-being project. It provides legal assistance to the rural population with regard to every aspect of the application of the law, and reflects the care and assistance given to rural residents. It is an important way to ensure the equal realization of legitimate rights and interests of rural residents, and it is also a powerful measure to promote the all-round development of the rural population. After more than 20 years of growth, China’s rural legal aid work has achieved gratifying results. However, there are still outstanding problems such as unbalanced supply and demand, narrow scope, and tight funding. Therefore, we should build on the practice of rural legal aid to expand the number of aid teams, improve the quality of legal aid, broaden the scope of aid, and provide financial support so that rural legal aid can be truly visible, accessible, affordable and well performed.

The“Erga Omnes”of the Protection of Fundamental Human Rights and the“Complementary Protection”of Refugees Not Prescribed by the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

The United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951 and its Protocol in 1967 set Four Essentials to limit the definition of "refugee". The concept of complementary protection emerged in academia and practice for those who, though they do not have the essentials,are in need of protection. Complementary protection is considered not only a moral obligation, but also a legal obligation. Although as the result of developing the principle of "non-refoulement" in international law, "complementary protection" should be limited when economic and social rights are concerned. The development of the non-refoulement principle and the emergence of "complementary protection" are based on the Erga Omnes of human rights. The International Court of Justice has restricted the emergence and evolvement of obligations Erga Omnes within the scope of obligations concerning fundamental and non-derogable human rights, and therefore,the application of "complementary protection" in protecting economic and social rights has been limited. Only when the unbalance of economic and social rights has been serious enough to impact other fundamental human rights will the obligation of "complementary protection" ensue.

New Developments and Challenges in the UN Norms on Human Rights Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations

With the adoption of the"Legally Binding Instrument to Regulate,in International Human Rights Law,the Activities of Transnational Corporations and other Business Enterprises"and its revised draft,the codification of the human rights responsibilities of transnational corporations has entered a new era The instrument aims to supplement the shortcomings of transnational corporations in fulfilling their human rights responsibilities by strengthening the obligations of states and to improve the host country’s inadequate remedies for human rights violations by establishing extraterritorial human rights jurisdiction of home countries But the instrument has encountered various challenges because the human rights obligations and legal responsibilities of states go beyond the current domestic human rights systems and impact the existing theories and practices of international human rights law In order to resolve the differences among countries,the future codification of the instrument should be based on existing domestic and international legal systems and practices striking a balance between the interests of developing and developed countries,taking into account the objectives of both the fair treatment of transnational corporations and human rights protection,to promote the regulatory effect of the human rights responsibilities of transnational corporations.

The Empirical Investigation and Improvement Path of Judicial Protection of Civil Litigation Rights in China

The close coupling of civil litigation rights and human rights mean how well litigation rights are realized can directly or indirectly affect the judicial protection of human rights.Therefore,human rights protection in the field of civil litigation should take the right of civil litigation as the starting point and core.Based on a sample questionnaire survey of judges and lawyers,this paper conducts an empirical analysis and proposes that the exercise of this right should be taken as the main line to build a comprehensive protection mechanism for this right to realize its role in providing an institutional guarantee for human rights protection.It specifies three aspects:first,the process of filing a case should uphold the freedom and equality of the right to initiate litigation,remove substantial obstacles that affect the filing of the case,and ensure access to justice for disadvantaged groups;second,the trial procedure should have strengthened checks and balances on judicial power to ensure the right of litigation is compromised,and respects the procedural subject status of the two parties to realize equal protection of both parties;the third is to promote the implementation and improvement of relief for this right in the supervisory procedure,clarify the boundary of its relief by procuratorial supervision,and enhance the comprehensiveness and accuracy of the relief.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and China's Actions

Aimed at eliminating all forms discrimination against women, ensuring human rights and fundamental freedoms for women in all fields and realizing de-facto equality between men and women, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women adopted by the U.N. General Assembly is a most significant and most comprehensive legal document concerning the protection of human rights of women, which is called "The Charter of the Human Rights of Women." This thesis reviews the achievements and problems in the fulfillment by the Chinese government of obligations under the Convention after signing and ratifying it; and also puts forward some feasible approaches for improvement thereof.

Law Absence and System Construction of Equal Material Assistance Rights of Farmers in China

Firstly,conception of farmers' equal material assistance rights is introduced from the aspects of equal rights,material assistance rights,and farmers' equal material assistance rights.Value function of farmers' equal material assistance rights is pointed out,which can eliminate the partial policies with urban priority orientation.It is a necessary condition for maintaining the legal and institutional authority,as well as an inevitable choice to realize the social justice and harmony.Current status of the law absence of farmers' equal material assistance rights in China is introduced,which is reflected in the lack of theoretical research on farmers' equal material assistance rights in the law circle,the lack of procedural legal system of farmers' equal material assistance rights at present,and the lack of actual law effectiveness of farmers' equal material assistance rights at present.System construction is a turning point to change the law absence of farmers' material assistance rights.Government should promote the economic development,provide material bases for the system construction of farmers' material assistance rights,enhance the legal consciousness of farmers,cultivate the ability of farmers to participate in equal material assistance rights,strengthen the procedural legislation and judicial justice,and ensure the farmers' material assistance rights.

Women's Rights in the Context of the Three-child Policy:Analyzing from the Constitutional Connotation of“the State Shall Protect the Mother”

Women's rights are essential human rights recognized by the international covenants on human rights and protected in the constitutions and laws of countries.In the context of implementing the three-child policy in China,women are facing pressures from childbearing and bringing up children as well as trying to have a career.It is clearly stipulated in Article 49 of China's Constitution"the mother is protected by the state,"the constitutional principle of equality of men and women shall be incorporated into the interpretation of this article,fully respecting women's subjectivity and equal rights and affirming the social benefits of childbearing and bringing up children.With the introduction of the three-child policy,the protection of women's rights shall focus on their reproductive rights,right to health,right to work and equal rights within the family.The system of women's rights is complex,relates to identity and must be open to the future.The state has the obligation to fully respect,actively promote and promote in a narrow sense the realization of women's rights.To better coordinate the implementation of the three-child policy and the protection of women's rights,we should introduce the concept of social gender equality,improve the system ofp ublic childcare services,home care leave and equal employment,and promote the implementation of relevant laws and policies with special attention being paid to women in rural areas and single mothers.

The Implications of Sports Rights in Building a Leading Sports Nation

As a basic human right,sports rights are increasingly recognized by the international community.The national legislation and strategic plan for building China into a leading sports nation have contributed to forming a multi-field and all-round sports rights protection system.From the perspective of proactive rights and passive rights,sports rights include the freedom to choose free from illegal interference and reflect the social rights for which the state will guarantee the resources.From the perspective of basic rights and ordinary rights,the right to equal participation,the right to sports health,and the right to education constitute the main content of sports rights as a basic right,and the right to sports culture is the concentrated expression of ordinary rights.From the perspective of individual rights and collective rights,the right to sports achievement is a concentrated reflection of the former.Meanwhile,the latter covers the protection of sports rights of vulnerable groups and the balanced development of regional sports.The strategic plan for building a leading sports nation has further clarified China’s basic obligation in safeguarding sports rights in terms of legislative policy planning,financial support,life-cycle services,sustainable development,playing the role of stakeholders and strengthening sports cooperation with other countries and regions,including Hong Kong,Macao and Taiwan.

The Idea of“Codification”of Human Rights to Environment

As China has embarked on a new journey to comprehensively build a modern socialist country and marches toward the Second Centenary Goal,improving the protection of human rights in environmental protection has become a key task to meet people's growing demand for a better life.The international community has reached a consensus on the human rights attribute of environmental rights,and China has also recognized it in its National Human Rights Action Plan of China(2021-2025).Early claims for environmental human rights gave birth to modern environmental law at the international level,while the global consensus on sustainable development promoted the new development of environmental human rights.In China,the construction of a"beautiful China"has become the national goal confirmed by the Constitution.The confirmation of environmental rights in the planned environmental code can further clarify the connotation of the value system of the code and help clarify the institutional structure and attribution logic of the code.Based on the subjective right and objective value of environmental rights,the specific scheme for the"codification"of environment rights is to construct the system from three levels of ontological provision,guarantee provision and reliefprovision.