Since the ideologically coloured meaning of the 'welfare state', implying a massive level of redistribution and high government spending in the field of social policy, does not match the reality of a number of today's welfare state systems, especially outside Europe, this article examines the...

Hong Kong, after some delay, has followed the international fashion in seeking to develop alternatives to the traditional methods of resolving legal disputes. Mediation, in particular, is being encouraged by the territory’s government and judiciary as a way of avoiding what is perceived to be...