Twenty Years of the Implementation of the Human Rights Clause in the Constitution:Achievements,Implications,and Research Topics

On March 14,2004,the Second Session of the 10th National People’s Congress of China adopted the fourth amendment to the Chinese Constitution,the most noticeable highlight of which is the addition of the paragraph“the state respects and protects human rights”as the third clause in Article 33 of Chapter II“Basic Rights and Obligations of Citizens”in the Constitution.The inclusion of the clause of human rights in the Constitution is considered an important milestone in the history of human rights development in the People’s Republic of China.The implementation of the human rights clause not only showcases the values of the Party and the state in respecting and protecting human rights,but also promotes the development of human rights,shapes the culture of human rights,and endows the rule of law with a rich humanistic spirit.Over the past 20 years,the publicity,research and practice of the human rights clause have made the Chi-nese people realize that human rights are not only a“great term”,but also a common value shared by mankind.Amid the once-in-a-century changes of the world,although the development of human rights is facing various challenges,the humanistic spirit contained in the hu-man rights clause has become the internal driving force for building consensus in the whole of society.Reinterpreting the significance and value of the human rights clause can help us conscientiously draw on the experience in the implementation of the clause over the past 20 years and contribute Chinese wisdom and experience to global human rights governance with a more open mind and inclusive attitude.

The Connotations of the Constitutional Clause on Human Rights Protection From the Perspective of Foreign-related Rule of Law

The inclusion of the human rights clause in the Chi-nese Constitution is the core normative manifestation of the constitu-tionalization of human rights,and points to the relationship between international law and the Constitution in the sense of positive law.The inclusion of the human rights clauses in the Chinese Constitution itself is an inherent part of the development of China’s socialist constitution,and socialism has already contributed valuable concepts and practices of human rights protection to the modern world in its early stage.The constitutionalization of human rights protection does not necessarily lead to the superiority of international law over the constitutional order of a country,but rather to the convergence of international law and domestic law through the constitutional order.The relevant rules of international law will be effective only when they are transformed into domestic law through the Constitution and the human rights clause in the Constitution.Correspondingly,the domestic legal order is brought into line with the international legal order through the Con-stitution and its human rights clause.Behind the system of fundamen-tal rights in the constitutional order is the value foundation of the en-tire legal system.The advancement of foreign-related rule of law has brought new opportunities for China’s judicial practice to further pro-mote the protection of human rights.In the future,we should further integrate the human rights values embedded in socialism into China’s constitutional practice,enhance human rights protection around the country,and take a more active part in global human rights gover-nance.

On the Right to the Protection of Personal Data as a Constitutional Right

The right to the protection of personal data is an important human right in the era of big data and a constitutional right based on the national protection obligation and the theory of human dignity,making it of special significance for the realization of citizenship in a digital society.It can be seen from an examination of the constitutional texts of various countries in the world that the right to the protection of personal data as a constitutional right has rich normative connotations,and the key legal link to realize this right lies in the national legislature actively fulfilling its obligation to shape and specify the protection of personal data in accordance with the entrustment of the constitutional norms.Given the constitutional principles of fundamental rights protection,i.e.,realizing the constitutional status of the right to the protection of personal data as a basic right by means of institutional guarantees,the legislature should first adhere to the constitutionality principle of data protection legislation.Second,a multi-level data protection legal system centered on the right to the protection of personal data should be established.Finally,the institutional guarantee mechanism for the protection of personal data should be continuously improved through constitutional interpretation.

On the Constitutional Prescription to “Respect and Ensure Human Rights”

From a historical perspective, the 1982 Constitution was the best one since the founding of the People＇s Republic ofChina （PRC） in 1949.1 With the passage of time and increasing demands from society, China experienced the new sit- uation of modernization, which brought about new conditions or problems in the process of reform and opening up. As a result, the content of the Constitution could not always comply with real conditions. Therefore, the national leg- islature adopted four amendments to the Constitution in 1988,

The Protection of the Right to Dignity in the Connection and Interaction between the Constitution and Civil Law

In the report of 19;National Congress of the Communist Party of China,General Secretary Xi Jinping said that China seeks to"accelerate development of the crime prevention and control system,combat and punish in accordance with law all illegal and criminal activities such as pornography,gambling,drug abuse,gang violence,kidnapping,and fraud,and protect people’s personal rights,property rights,and right

The Dynamic System Theory of Legal Protection for Personal Information Rights Infringement

The advent of the big data era has presented unprecedented challenges to remedies for personal information infringement in areas such as damage assessment,proof of causation,determination of illegality,fault assessment,and liability.Traditional tort law is unable to provide a robust response for these challenges,which severely hinders human rights protection in the digital society.The dynamic system theory represents a third path between fixed constitutive elements and general clauses.It both overcomes the rigidity of the“allor-nothing”legal effect evaluation mechanism of the“element-effect”model and avoids the uncertainty of the general clause model.It can effectively enhance the flexibility of the legal system in responding to social changes.In light of this,it is necessary to construct a dynamic foundational evaluation framework for personal information infringement under the guidance of the dynamic system theory.By relying on the dynamic interplay effect of various foundational evaluation elements,this framework can achieve a flexible evaluation of the constitutive elements of liability and the legal effects of liability for personal information infringement.Through this approach,the crisis of personal information infringement in the era of big data can be mitigated,and the realization of personal information rights as digital human rights can be promoted.

The Duty of States to Give Sufficient Recognition to the Right to Health

Modern human rights,as they have developed since World War II,have several characteristics that are imperative to how they are viewed.They are universal,indivisible,interdependent and interrelated.That is,they are held by all people by virtue of the fact that they are human,and apply to all people everywhere.Not all human rights are absolute.That is,some are considered“qualified rights”which may be subject to lawful interference.In the Papua New Guinea(PNG)context,interference will be lawful if it is prescribed by law consistent with the national Constitution and necessary to protect either the rights of others or for other considerations,such as national security,public order or public health.In the ending of life context,the weight that should be given to the consent to,and refusal of,treatment in circumstances where the decision will lead to the death of a patient is debated.This leads to another concern which is the way in which the prerequisites for a refusal of treatment(or valid consent)have been construed.The requirements of competence,voluntariness and information-giving arguably come under more intense scrutiny where the ramifications of the decision have such grave consequences.This paper considers consent as a reflection of the ethical principle of respect for personal autonomy that is often expressed in the law as the principle of self-determination.It also reviews the experiences of healthcare professionals who guide an informed consent process made by individuals,spouses,family members and advisors for the loved ones whose sickness,injury or geriatric age prevent them from having decision-making capacity.The last part summarizes the understanding of the nature of the procedure,benefits and risks which are important to informed consent and offers suggestions as to how the situation can be remedied.

Why The Constitution Should Protect Personal Credit Information?——An Approach of Right Argumentation

Protecting personal credit information through constitutional rights is not only essemtial for individuals to defend against infringements on their personal credit information rights and interests by public power in the social credit system,but also a requirement for unified legislation on social credit to explore the basis for constitutional norms.In the era of the credit economy,personal credit information has become a vital resource for realizing personal autonomy.Along with the increase in the state’s supervision and control of personal credit,the realization of the autonomous value in the interests related to personal credit information has also set more obligations for the state.Therefore,interests related to personal credit information should be regarded as a constitutional right.Because of its significant economic interest and value,the right to personal credit information should be classified as a constitutional property right.As a constitutional property right,the right to personal credit information can not only help protect people’s economic interests,but also achieve the goal of safeguarding their personality interests.

The Constitutional Analysis of Human Rights Legislative Protection

The paths for applying the international human rights conventions in China should be recognized as follows: On the premise of respecting the Constitution of China, systematic human rights which could coordinate the relationship between the Constitution of China and international human rights conventions. The source of the human rights legislation obligations of the legislative organs of China is the Constitution of China, not the international human rights conventions. The legislature should understand and grasp the main contents of the human rights legislation obligations of the legislature according to Paragraph 3 of Article 33 of the Constitution while the interpretation of this clause must be based on the relevant provisions of the international human rights conventions. Human rights legislative obligations of the legislature can be classified into two types: legislative protecting obligations and legislative relief obligations of human rights. The NPC and its Standing Committee should be structurally responsible for the human rights legislation obligation, and the State Council and other organs of the State not for the legislation protection of human rights. A special human rights law should be enacted by the NPC.

The Concept of Human Rights in the Constitution and Its Functional Significance

To practice the constitutional provision that “The state respects and protects human rights”, we should clarify its connotation. The understanding of human rights is a natural requirement and the key. In domestic academia, human rights are considered natural rights and interpreted as “moral rights that everyone should enjoy as a human being”, hoping to provide theoretical support for the development of the system centered on the basic rights of citizens in China.Although it reveals the universal moral connotation of human rights, it does not cover the normative connotation of human rights as common international standards. Therefore, it is impossible to fully clarify the functional significance of the provision. It is conducive to scientifically clarifying the relationship between human rights and basic civil rights,better improving the institutional protection of human rights in China,and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind to interpret human rights as common international standards that everyone should enjoy for human dignity based on the development of the international legal order under the Charter of the United Nations since the end of the World War Ⅱ.

The Human Rights Discourse and its Changes during the Early Establishment of the Communist Party of China: From 1921 to 1927

during the early establishment of the Communist Party of China,human rights became the ideal and goal pursued by the Chinese Communists,and the discourse of human rights was vividly reflected in multiform Party documents.The centennial history of the CPC parallels that of the Chinese people’s exploration,struggle,and practice of human rights.Based on the literature review of the changes of the CPC―human rights discourse from its founding period to the Great Revolution period,this paper expounds on the CPC’s human rights discourse and its expressions in the early days after the Party was founded.

Timberland Investing and Private Property Rights in the United States of America

Investments in rural land for agriculture, timber, and other natural resource purposes occur frequently and globally. Fundamental principles of liberty and property found in the United States of America’s (“US”) legal system, from its origins to recent US Supreme Court decisions, continue to positively benefit holders of real estate in the Southern US, through a deep-rooted public policy of supporting private property rights and rural economic development. This stable rule of law enhances the long-term adaptability and sustainability of timberland as an asset class. This article is a commentary. It combines legal research methodology with the observations and conclusions of the authors. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the existence of alienable, documentable ownership, and related property rights create inherent stability and security. These principles form the basis of a culture that is defined by the rule of law and is “open for business.” This business mindset is particularly prevalent in the Southern US.

Constitutional Analysis of the Personality Theory of Civil Law

The word"personality"has various connotations,which essentially reflect people’s thoughts on personality in different periods.The transformation of personality in a civil aspect to the personality on the constitution aspect has negative effect on the personality system of the civil,which is of great value to develop the civil personality rights system in order to facilitate the connection between the civil law,the constitution and the public law.The capacity for rights not only separates the relative independent personality rights of civil law from the personality system of Roman law,but also promotes the emergence of the constitutional personality rights and its return in the field of civil law.The nature and orientation of personality rights in civil law has an important influence on civil legislation.There are three ways to realize the constitutional rights of personality in our civil law:civil legislation,constitutional interpretation and general personality rights.

Human Rights Value Based on the Legislation Principle of the Basic Healthcare and Health Promotion Law

The draft of the Basic Healthcare and Health Promotion Law directly incorporates the concept of the right to health,which will have a positive significance in realizing the constitutional norms of the right to health protection.China’s Constitution stipulates the general policy,concrete duties and specific obligations of the state to protect citizens’ right to health,which is the most fundamental logical starting point of legislative design.The implementation of state obligations requires the legislation to follow the principles as follows:people-centered public welfare,respecting and protecting the principle of citizens’ right to health,equitable access to basic medical and health services and the government responsibility for the purpose of the people’s health.

Implementing Constitutional Commitments to Human Rights:Parliament and National Human Rights Commissions——a South African Perspective

'What is appropriate for one country in the light of its history, is not necessarily appropriatein another country with a different history. Our final constitution must now be forged in the lightof our history and on the basis of the agreed constitutional principles which both reflect that historyand are part of it'—Arthur Chaskalson: President of the Constitutional Court, 17 July 1995.

The Human Rights Legislation Practices of the Communist Party of China During the War of Liberation

During the War of Liberation,the liberated areas,under the leadership of the Communist Party of China,kept deepening and developing the concepts and ideas of protecting human rights,promulgated a series of human rights laws and related administrative programs,and put them into practice.The contents included not only the political rights of citizens but also their economic,social,and cultural rights,with emphasis on the protection of the rights to subsistence and development.The human rights legislation in the liberated areas has a wartime and class-based nature due to its social environment.It reflects the transition of the Communist Party of China from a revolutionary party to a ruling party on the historical stage.It played an important role in directing,advancing,and promoting the progress of democracy and the rule of law at that time and accumulated experience for the human rights legislation after the founding of the People’s Republic of China.History proves that the Communist Party of China has always been a political party dedicated to fighting for the human rights of the Chinese people,and only the Communist Party of China can lead China’s human rights development to a deeper level.

Forum on China's Move to Enshrine Human Rights in Constitution

China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) called a forum of experts and scholars on March 15 to discuss the significance of getting human rights protection enshrined in China’s fundamental law—the Constitution. Presided over by CSHRS President Zhou Jue, the forum was attended by CSHRS vice-presidents Yang Zhengquan and Dong Yunhu and more than 20 human rights experts and scholars from the

宪法上的Civil Rights是公民权利吗?——解读constitutional civil right

作为西方法律文化的产物 ,constitutionalcivilrights有其独特的自然法背景。本文通过对西方法律思想史、宪法史和美国最高法院司法实务见解的梳理与综合分析 ,认为将constitutionalcivilrights译为“公民权利”属于误读 ,它混淆了依据人的属性和依据公民资格而获得的权利之间的道德区别。应将其译为“私人权利” ,明确这一权利体系的前国家与超国家特征 ,使其区别于实证法律传统之下个人依赖作为政治社会成员资格所享有的公民权利 ,并区分宪法权利与民事权利之间的差异。在法官的解释下 ,constitutionalcivilrights还呈现出开放特性 ,是一个能够感应时代变化的、发展的权利体系。

Constitutional Environmental Rights: An Investigation and Analysis Based on Constitutional Texts of All Countries

Although the academic community still has some theoretical divergences on whether environmental rights should be a basic human right or a basic constitutional one, there are an increasing number of countries including this right in their constitution. Based on the constitutions in 193 countries, this paper aims to examine the fundamental situation of incorporating environmental rights into a constitution. It has been concluded that environmental protection as a right is written into a constitution in three aspects, namely, as a constitutional right, a civic duty, and a national policy, principle or social goal. Through summarizing these, this paper argues that including environmental rights in a country’s constitution is the means by which all citizens shall enjoy a good, healthy, sustainable and harmonious environment suitable for their development, have timely and comprehensive access to reliable information about environment, participate in making public decisions related to the environment, and ask for legal remedies and compensation for any infringement on their environmental rights, or injury or damage to their environmental property. But even after environmental rights are incorporated into a constitution, there may be theoretical and practical difficulties in their implementation.