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on Law and Economics |
| By: | Dora Costa; Ziqi Zhao |
| Abstract: | We examine disparities in acquittal rates and sentencing for Black and White soldiers in the US Civil War using all general courts-martial. We find that Blacks were disproportionately punished for group actions like mutiny and for violent crimes involving group violence, suggesting fears of large-scale rebellion influenced justice. However, we also uncover a system that was fair relative to many modern criminal courts in acquittals and in death sentences. The needs of the Army pushed towards fairness. |
| JEL: | J71 K42 N41 |
| Date: | 2025–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34184 |
| By: | Fraas, Arthur G. (Resources for the Future); Joiner, Emily (Resources for the Future); Lee, Brielle; Liu, Krystal |
| Abstract: | The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is often identified as a major obstacle to renewable energy projects locating on federal public lands or seeking federal funding. Once NEPA permits have been issued, a project may face additional delays if a federal agency’s decision is challenged in court. The delays associated with NEPA permitting for renewable generation projects have been explored by Fraas et al. (2023, 2025), but the effect of environmental court challenges to renewables projects has received less attention. This paper builds on Fraas et al. (2023, 2025), examining the legal challenges faced by each project and presenting the timeline in months for each case. Nearly a third of solar projects and half of wind projects completing NEPA environmental impact statement reviews faced court challenges. Almost all cases were filed after the government agencies had issued their permitting decisions. Although the courts typically ruled in the government agencies’ and project developers’ favor, the majority of cases were appealed. Court challenges in both federal and state courts caused or contributed to the termination of three projects, and six additional projects experienced significant delays as developers awaited court appeal decisions. We find that wind and solar projects that faced court challenges took an average of about 15 months longer to reach operational status than projects without court challenges. |
| Date: | 2025–08–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rff:report:rp-25-15 |
| By: | Saloni Dhadwal (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER)); Aman Sinha |
| Abstract: | The ecosystem of Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) represents a delicate balance of legal precedent, economic imperatives, and geoeconomic interests. This policy brief explores the evolving global landscape of SEPs by analysing judicial trends and policy developments across several jurisdictions. While the EU, UK, and US have predominantly adopted a case-by-case adjudicative approach, China’s regulatory stance, particularly its use of anti-suit injunctions, has sparked concerns, leading to calls for consultations at global forums such as the WTO. Meanwhile, countries like Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and New Zealand have worked toward balanced regulatory frameworks, whereas Brazil and Colombia are still navigating emerging SEP disputes within their developing judicial systems. In this dynamic environment, India, with its expanding digital economy and aspirations to become a global manufacturing hub, faces the challenge of formulating an SEP framework suited to its industrial and legal landscape. |
| Keywords: | Intellectual Property Rights, Technology Standards, Cellular Standards, Standard Essential Patents, FRAND Licensing, IPR Jurisprudence, Innovation Ecosystem |
| Date: | 2025–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:bdc:ppaper:38 |
| By: | Perla Carolina Gris Legorreta (Department of Economics, The University of Sheffield - Universidad Iberoamericana); Heidi Jane M. Smith (Department of Economics. Universidad Iberoamericana / Visiting Scholar, George Mason University) |
| Abstract: | Mexico's National Anticorruption System (SNA) was launched with high expectations as a comprehensive framework to curb corruption through institutional coordination and citizen participation. This article analyzes the SNA's design and its implementation to date, highlighting how political dynamics have shaped outcomes. We find that while the SNA's institutional architecture is ambitious – integrating multiple oversight bodies and engaging civil society – its effectiveness has been fundamentally undermined by inconsistent political will and deteriorating democratic governance. Under President Enrique Pena Nieto (2012–2018), the SNA's creation marked a significant reform albeit with uneven commitment. Under President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (2018–present), the SNA has been deprioritized amid a shift toward centralized, personalized anti-corruption efforts. We document sluggish implementation, especially in Local Anticorruption Systems, resource shortfalls, and deliberate neglect of autonomous institutions. These challenges are exacerbated by broader democratic backsliding, as executive power concentrates and accountability institutions are weakened. Absent a dramatic change in political support, the SNA is unlikely to fulfill its promise, illustrating the limits of institutional reforms in the face of adverse political conditions. |
| JEL: | D73 H83 K42 |
| Date: | 2025–09–08 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smx:wpaper:2025004 |
| By: | Ezra, Dvir Aviam |
| Abstract: | Following the outbreak of a regional war, the Israeli capital markets regulator, ISA, introduced a temporary regulatory exception allowing reporting corporations traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE) to postpone the filing of their quarterly reports at will. This intervention raises questions at the intersection of law and finance concerning the value of information, responses to withheld information, and opportunistic behaviors by market participants. By utilizing empirical methods, I find that even corporations unaffected by the war used the regulatory relief, and that market response was limited, raising doubts regarding the efficiency of the market under these circumstances. This paper aims to inform decision makers who consider how to provide regulatory response to external shocks such as wars or other catastrophes. |
| Keywords: | Disclosure Regulations, Law and Finance, Securities Law, Conflict Economics, Financial Regulation, Behavioral Finance, Information Processing |
| JEL: | G14 G18 D53 K22 H12 F51 G01 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:safewp:324874 |
| By: | Mohamad Kamis Bin Baharuddin (Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan) |
| Abstract: | Public service motivation is a key component that ensures laws are implemented and enforced effectively. Fortunately, it is challenging to enforce the legislation and persuade companies to comply due to the differences in the motivations of civil servants. Through the use of meta-analysis methodologies, this study seeks to determine the components of public service motivation in the enforcement of law compliance by civil servants. Following a qualitative analysis, six elements of public service motivation in enforcement of law compliance by civil servants can be identified: (1) Attraction to Policy Making, (2) Commitment to the Public Interest, (3) Social Justice, (4) Civic Duty, (5) Compassion, and (6) Self-Sacrifice. The findings of this research demonstrate the significant influence of Public Service Motivation (PSM) on law enforcement activities. This implies that strengthening law enforcement procedures, refining current policies, and increasing compliance can be achieved by enhancing PSM among officers. |
| Keywords: | Public Service Motivation, Law Compliance, Enforcement of Law, Government Employees, Motivational Factors |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:smo:raiswp:0501 |
| By: | Gaffney, John; Singson, Janice |
| Abstract: | This Perspective argues that international arbitration can and should play a primary role in the resolution of climate-change disputes, rather than playing a secondary role in the shadow of climate litigation, considering both its comparative advantages over litigation and the evolving requirements of EU corporate sustainability due-diligence rules. |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:colfdi:324901 |
| By: | Elfert, Martin (Leibniz University of Hannover); Thomsen, Stephan L. (Leibniz University of Hannover) |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the effects of Argentina’s repeal of the rental law in December 2023, one of the most radical housing policy reforms in Latin America in recent decades. Using weekly data for Buenos Aires from 2023–2024 and applying a Regression Discontinuity Design, we provide causal evidence on short-term supply and price effects. Our results indicate a substantial revival of rental housing supply, while nominal and real rents declined, contrary to theoretical expectations of sharp increases. These findings suggest that deregulation mobilized previously withheld units, temporarily alleviating excess demand. Given Argentina’s volatile context, conclusions remain preliminary yet policy-relevant. |
| Keywords: | evaluation, deregulation, rent control, RDD, Argentina |
| JEL: | K25 R31 R38 |
| Date: | 2025–09 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp18107 |