Public policies, tobacco taxes and tobacco consumption: evidence from Hong KongCheng, Suwina
2012 International Journal of Public Law and Policy
doi: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2012.047404
This paper examines the impact of statutory policies on the prevalence of smoking in Hong Kong from 1982 to 2010. Different public policy interventions, including tobacco excise duties, bans on tobacco advertising and restrictions of public smoking, are reviewed and their separate and combined effects are empirically measured. The results confirm that increasing the price of tobacco products through taxation is the most effective tool for reducing tobacco consumption. Moreover, the Hong Kong Government’s comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising and restrictions on public smoking had a significant and negative impact on smoking prevalence, while the influences of individual policy interventions are less obvious. These results suggest that a comprehensive tobacco control programme is an effective means of reducing tobacco consumption.
The role of customary international law in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) disputes settlement mechanismMohd Zin, Sharizal ; Sarah Kazi, Ashraf U.
2012 International Journal of Public Law and Policy
doi: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2012.047405
Over the years, the WTO jurisprudence has been witnessing manifold increase in the influence of international law. This research looks into the relationship between the customary international law, and the WTO disputes settlement mechanism. The research examines the principle of state sovereignty under customary international law, where all states are equal and have the autonomy to exercise their power over both its territory and the people living in that territory. It also looks into the jurisprudence of the non-intervention principle under customary international law, which is derived from the rule of pacta sunt servanda. Thus, this research tests the principle of sovereignty and non-intervention in relation to economic coercion and the doctrine of necessity within the context of trade liberalisation under the WTO agreement. The research also examines whether a unilateral measure of trade barriers under Articles XX(b) and XX(g) is covered under the scope of necessity in order to ensure consistency with the principle of customary international law. Finally, it evaluates the legitimacy of the decisions made by WTO and examines case law involving environmental exception.
The political economy of corruption in China: the principal-agent dimensionMushkat, Miron ; Mushkat, Roda
2012 International Journal of Public Law and Policy
doi: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2012.047406
The Open-Door Policy was adopted more than three decades ago. During this period, Chinese society has become more open and reasonably affluent. While economic performance has eclipsed other forms of collective endeavour, institutional progress has not been altogether absent. A rule of man has given way to a rule by law, albeit not a rule of law in the strict sense of the term, and State failure has selectively been grappled with. However, corrupt practices have not diminished materially and continue to pose manifold risks. Considerable headway has been made in exploring them from a political and sociological perspective, but economic insights have been slower to emerge. The principal-agent model has been invoked with a degree of consistency and methodically in recent years and may contribute to the understanding of the subject if applied across the entire organisational spectrum, market and non-market, and within an effective problem-solving framework.
Public sector information and open data: which way forward for the UK?Saxby, Stephen ; Hill, Chris
2012 International Journal of Public Law and Policy
doi: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2012.047428
Since 2009, the move towards open data policies in the UK, also currently under review in proposals to replace PSI Directive 2003/98/EC on access and re-use of data, is having a profound impact on UK policy towards public sector information (PSI) that, as a resource, goes to the core of its function and purpose. Driven by principles of openness and transparency, the process now supports the systematic release into the public domain of PSI in the form of datasets. The government believes that collective scrutiny of such data, while contributing to transparency, may also offer new insights into policy. Expectations have grown and new partnerships are emerging that blur traditional distinctions as to what is ‘public ‘and ‘private’ in this regard. Government has also been listening to the ideas of the founder of the World Wide Web that much more can be secured from today’s web via adoption of new techniques for linking data. The important contribution that location data, ‘information rich’ in content, can make towards policy development has been recognised and acted upon.