Transnational Legal Development and Epistemic Communities


TransLECS (Transnational Legal Development and Epistemic Communities) is a research project supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG. Initiated in April 2002 the project is run by Sebastian Heilmann, Professor of Political Science and Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann, M.A. at Trier University.

Project description
Research program
Research results / Working papers
Links to German and American legal cooperation programs

Project describtion
The central research focus of TransLECS is the influence of western legal and judicial co-operation programs on the development of the legal and judicial system of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
This influence is conceptualised as the result of a "migration" of legal norms and ideas, made possible by the interaction of different actors (individual and collective) in the field of legal co-operation. Being one variety of transnational relations, these interactions and the "migration" of legal norms and ideas brought about by them are governed by the actors' special interests.
TransLECS wants to figure out what these interests are and tries to link the influence of these interests on the "migration" of legal norms and ideas with the development of the Chinese legal and judicial system.
Furthermore, special research emphasis is laid on the concept of ‚epistemic communities' - originally developed by Peter Haas - as an analytical tool.
In the context of the TransLECS research project ‚epistemic communities' are meant to describe networks of legal experts which develop in the course of the chinese-western legal co-operation. These networks are the "channels" which make a "migration" of legal norms and ideas possible in the first place. This means, while actors' special interests can be conceptualized as the driving forces for a "migration" of legal norms and ideas, ‚epistemic communities' are the devices enabling legal norms and ideas to cross national as well as cultural borders.

For a more detailed desciption of TransLECS, please see the research program.

Please find below a selection of TransLECS research results and Working Papers.



Research Results


Contents:

  • »Legal Transplants« und die Übertragung von Rechtsnormen und Konzepten durch Rechtszusammenarbeit (»Legal Transplants« and the Migration of Legal Norms and Concepts)
  • Die Bedeutung von Akteuren und Akteursinteressen in der Rechtszusammenarbeit (The Impact of Actors and Actors' Interests on Legal Cooperation)
  • Überblick über deutsche staatliche Rechtsberatungsmaßnahmen gegenüber der VR China (German Governmental Legal Cooperation Programs)
  • Überblick über deutsche private Rechtsberatungsmaßnahmen gegenüber der VR China (German Private Legal Cooperation Programs)
  • Überblick über amerikanische staatliche Rechtsberatungsmaßnahmen gegenüber der VR China (American Governmental Legal Cooperation Programs)
  • Überblick über amerikanische private Rechtsberatungsmaßnahmen gegenüber der VR China (American Private Legal Cooperation Programs)
  • Umfangreiche Anhänge mit Daten zu deutschen und amerikanischen Rechtsberatungsprogrammen (Appendixes: Data for German and American Legal Cooperation Projects)


Die Autorin ist Mitglied der Forschungsgruppe Politik und Wirtschaft Chinas / Research Group on the Political Economy of China


Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann
Rechtszusammenarbeit mit der Volksrepublik China. Deutsche und amerikanische Initiativen im Vergleich
Göttingen: V&R Unipress, 2005.
421 Seiten. Hardcover. EUR 56,00. ISBN 3-89971-228-5




Working Papers

  • The German-Chinese ‘Rule of Law Dialogue’. Substantial Interaction or Political Delusion?
    by Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann
    (China Analysis No. 47)
    (PDF-Download - 164 KB)


  • "U.S.-China Legal Cooperation - Part III: An Overview of Private American-Chinese Legal Cooperation Programs"
    by Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann and Sebastian Heilmann
    (China Analysis No. 44)
    (PDF-Download - 611 KB)


  • "U.S.-China Legal Cooperation – Part II: An Overview of American Governmental Legal Cooperation Initiatives"
    by Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann and Sebastian Heilmann
    (China Analysis No.43)
    (PDF-Download - 386 KB)


  • "U.S.-China Legal Cooperation – Part I: The Role of Actors and Actors’ Interests"
    by Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann and Sebastian Heilmann
    (China Analysis No. 42)
    (PDF-Download - 232 KB)


  • "Die Farbe der Macht hat sich geändert".
    Kontroversen um die Verfassungsreform in der VR China.
    ("The Colour of Power has Changed." An Analysis of the Controversial Discussion about Recent Amendments to the Constitution of the PR China - in german)
    (China Analysis No. 31)
    by Sebastian Heilmann, Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann, Lea Shih
    (PDF-Download - 194 KB)

  • Rechtszusammenarbeit im Kontext der europäisch-chinesischen Beziehungen.
    (Legal and Judicial Cooperation in the Context of European-Chinese Relations - in german)
    (China Analysis No. 24)
    Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann
    (PDF-Download - 279 KB)

  • Der Einfluss westlicher Rechtsberatung auf die Rechtsreformen in der Volksrepublik China.
    Zur Rolle von Akteuren und Interessen in der chinesisch-westlichen Rechtsberatung
    (The Influence of Western Legal Cooperation on Legal and Judicial Reforms in the PRC:
    Actors and Interests - in german)
    (China Analysis No. 13)
    Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann
    (PDF-Download - 186 KB)

  • Grundgedanken und Ausführungsvorschläge für Evaluationen von Projektmaßnahmen im Bereich Rechtsberatung.
    (Basic Considerations on Conceptualizing and Accomplishing Evaluations of Legal Assistance Measures - in german)
    Nicole Schulte-Kulkmann
    PDF-Download - 197 KB)