Nuclear proliferation: Is the Middle East next?

The nuclear tests carried out by India and Pakistan in May 1998 have had monumental ramifications for the international community, says Nabil Fahmy, Ambassador of Egypt to Japan. The tests have forced the world to realize that a static nuclear nonproliferation regime cannot survive the test of time, but must be regularly consolidated and built upon by all. In the context of the Middle East, Fahmy emphasizes the need to maintain parity in security issues, and the threat of nuclear proliferation in the region in the wake of the tests. How the international community responds to these tests will be a crucial factor in determining the sequence of events that will follow in the Middle East. If they do not provide impetus for global and regional disarmament, then the risk exists that countries in the region will be tempted, or even compelled, to explore the possibility of going nuclear.     

Seeking or controlling the truth? An examination of courtroom questioning practices by Canadian lawyers*

ABSTRACT

The questioning practices of Canadian lawyers were examined. Courtroom examinations (N?=?91) were coded for the type of utterance, the assumed purpose of the utterance, and the length of utterance. Results showed that approximately one-fifth of all utterances were classified as productive for gathering reliable information (i.e. open-ended, probing); less than one percent of all utterances were open-ended. Direct examinations contained more closed yes/no, probing, and open-ended questions. Cross-examinations contained more leading and clarification questions, and opinions. Moreover, cross- (vs. direct) examinations contained more questions with a ‘challenging the witness’ purpose. The longest utterances were opinions, followed by multiple and forced-choice questions. The longest answers were in response to open-ended questions, followed by multiple and probing questions. Implications for the truth-seeking function of the judiciary are discussed.     

Non-random Study Attrition: Assessing Correction Techniques and the Magnitude of Bias in a Longitudinal Study of Reentry from Prison

Journal of Quantitative Criminology - Longitudinal data offer many advantages to criminological research yet suffer from attrition, namely in the form of sample selection bias. Attrition may...