Cost of Government Day — 2010 Report

The Center for Fiscal Accountability, a special project of the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation, has calculated and posted its annual Cost of Government Day, which is stated to be:

  • …the day on which the average American has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of the spending and regulatory burdens imposed by government at the federal, state, and local levels.
  • In 2010, Cost of Government Day falls on August 19.  Working people must toil 231 days out of the year just to meet all costs imposed by government – 8 days later than last year and a full 34 days longer than 2008.
  • In other words, in 2010 the cost of government consumes 63.41 percent of national income.

Hat tip to Docuticker.com.

Cross-posted on Law Library Blog.

Islamic Law Index Database

The law librarians at the International Islamic University Malaysia have created a nice index of journal articles and book chapters related to Islamic Law. Sadly, no full-text is available. The database includes materials from U.S., European, and Asian publishers. The bibliographic records provide subject headings, and abstracts when available. The majority of records are in Malay or English. Searching is available in English.

Terima kasi temans!

Islamic Law Index Database

http://lib.iiu.edu.my/elmu-rm/mom2-documentsearch.jsp

http://lib.iiu.edu.my (select Islamic Law on the right side of the screen)

Article: The Use of Foreign Decision by Constitutional Courts – A Comparative Analysis

SSRN has posted an article on the use of foreign law by constitutional and supreme courts. The author looks at the use of foreign law in constitutional law cases by courts in Australia, Austria, Canada, France, South Africa,  and Switzerland. The article is only available in Spanish.

The Use of Foreign Decision by Constitutional Courts – A Comparative Analysis

Rodrigo Brito Melgarejo

In Dret, Volume 2 (2010)

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1639031

http://www.indret.com/pdf/720_es.pdf

Abstract:

Despite the relevance of comparative law in constitutional adjudication has repeatedly been at the center of heated debates, in recent years, an increasingly transnational constitutional dialogue between justices has developed in many countries. Some members of a large number of constitutional courts have embraced the possibility of considering the constitutional decisions of other nation’s courts because the potential benefits of comparative constitutional learning are many. Considering other national court decisions or explaining disagreements with them, for example, may stimulate judges to rethink principles or priorities in ways that alter their own constitutional perspective and to find new valuable arguments that renew its own stock of constitutional ideas.

This paper aims at analyzing the way some constitutional courts are using foreign decisions in constitutional interpretation and tries to demonstrate that comparative constitutional reasoning tends every day more vigorously to universality.

GNLU Journal of Law, Development and Politics

The Gujarat National Law University of India is publishing the GNLU Journal of Law, Development and Politics.

http://www.gnlu.ac.in/GJLDPAboutUs.htm

From the description:

The GNLU Journal of law, Development and Politics (GJLDP) is a biannual, interdisciplinary journal which focuses on law, development and politics; is published by the Editorial Board of Gujarat National Law University and is administered by faculty and students of the University. The purpose of GJLDP is to provide our readers with information on recent developments affecting laws, development and various political issues.

The Student Editors alongwith Faculty Editors and an Editor-in-Chief of GJLDP, research, edit, and cite check the submitted manuscripts. The Student Editors are chosen annually by the faculty editors of the Journal.


French Legal Guides from EducNet – Guides Juridique Legamedia

The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research has posted a handful of thematic legal guides on their EducNet site. Guides are able for copyright, protection of children online, cultural property, privacy, human rights, and regulation of teachers and professors. All information is available only in French.

Guides Juridique Legamedia

http://www.educnet.education.fr/legamedia

Blog: Dispute Resolution and Enforcement in China

Dennis Deng , an attorney based in China, maintains the informative  Dispute Resolution and Enforcement in China blog. Recent posts include: translations of laws and regulations, Q & A about civil litigation in  China, and translated statistics from the Annual Report of the Work of the People’s Court.

Dispute Resolution and Enforcement in China

http://www.disputeresolutioninchina.com/

Journal: Recent Trends of Law and Regulation in Korea

The South Korean Ministry of Justice is publishing a new current awareness publication: Recent Trends of Law and Regulation in Korea. Volume 1 was released in Summer 2010. The inaugural issue includes a three page appendix of useful links to government agencies, law schools, and organizations.

Table of Contents  Vol.1, No.1 (2010)

Message from the Minister

Law and Regulation:

Enactments and Amendments of Law

Court Decisions

Introduction of the Policies of the Ministry of Justice:

Crackdown on the Distribution of Pirated Copyright Material

Establishing of Labor Relations and Strike Culture

that Respect Law s and Principles

Expert Column:

The Maturing Korean Legal Market

Immigration Information of Korea for Investors:

Information for Investment in Korea

Invest Korea:

Foreign Investment Ombudsman System

Introduction of the Korean Legal System:

Korean Legislative System and Procedures

The Constitution

Appendix:

Government Departments, Law Schools, Public Enterprises

“Korea Times” article on the new publication:

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2010/07/117_69455.html

Kyungpook National University Law School

South Korea’s Kyungpook National University Law School opened in March , 2009 and will specialize in IT law. It will be interesting to see if other Korean graduate level law schools also market themselves so narrowly.

Kyungpook National University Law School

http://lawschool.knu.ac.kr/english/01.htm

http://lawschool.knu.ac.kr/main/main.htm (Korean)

Arabic-Arabic Courtroom Translation in Lebanon

Translation issues usually involve at least two foreign languages. Here is an article that addresses translation in courts from colloquial to Standard/Classical Arabic. In addition to the linguistic arguments, the author also discusses  pre-trial criminal proceedings in Lebanese courts. (see p.191)

Arabic-Arabic Courtroom Translation in Lebanon                                           Victor A. Khachan                                                                                                                    19 Social and Legal  Studies 183 (2010)

Abstract:

In the Arab world, the comprehension gap between Colloquial and Standard Arabic has been recognized as a major force behind illiteracy and its endless negative repercussions. One adverse impact of this comprehension gap manifests itself in the courtroom. Courtroom translation in the Arab world (i.e. consecutive interpreting/reporting from Colloquial into Standard Arabic) occurs systematically and is the only means of documenting courtroom proceedings. Despite its functional importance in the light of language manoeuvrability and translation accuracy, the legal implications of the Colloquial—Standard Arabic proximity in the context of linguistic rights have not been theoretically nor empirically researched. Accordingly, this paper introduces the dynamics of language use in a hierarchical judicial system in one Arab country, Lebanon. This paper is a theoretical first brick in the wall of linguistic rights in the Lebanese courtroom, where — in the absence of a jury system — linguistic discretion in the legal decision-making process rests upon the bench judge. In addition, this paper highlights the vulnerability of illiterate people vis-à-vis the use of Standard Arabic in legal settings at the expense of their preferred first or only language, Lebanese Colloquial.

Thinking Like a Librarian: Tips for Better Legal Research

“Thinking Like a Librarian: Tips for Better Legal Research”

Thomas M. Cooley Journal of Practical and Clinical Law, Vol. 12, p. 1, 2009
Suffolk University Law School Research Paper No. 10-34

RICHARD BUCKINGHAM, Suffolk University Law School

When it comes to conducting legal research, being able to think like a lawyer is a good start. A researcher needs to be able to identify issues, read and analyze primary sources like cases and statutes, and determine which materials are relevant. But in order to find those primary sources, a good researcher needs to think not just like a lawyer, but also like a librarian; in particular, a law librarian.

Law librarians make excellent legal researchers for two reasons: (1) their knowledge of general (non-law specific) research techniques, and (2) their knowledge of legal resources and law-related research tools. By applying traditional research techniques to the legal field, law librarians are able to research more efficiently and effectively.

This article will offer four research tips for thinking like a librarian that will improve one’s legal research. Everyone in the legal profession – law students doing research for a paper or as a faculty research assistant, summer associates and new attorneys doing research for more senior attorneys, and law professors and seasoned attorneys researching for themselves – can benefit from the ideas covered in this article.

Source: LSN Law Educator: Courses, Materials & Teaching eJournal Vol. 6 No.
 19,  08/13/2010