Sustainable development in Quebec and Flanders: Institutionalizing symbolic politics?

Since the publication of the Brundtland Report in 1987, governments at all levels have been struggling with the concept of sustainable development and its translation into public policy. In some federal countries, subnational governments have presented themselves as pioneers in sustainable development governance. This article critically analyses and compares the sustainable development policies in Quebec and Flanders – self‐declared leaders in the field – and seeks to identify lessons for the broader area of sustainable development governance. The analysis reveals some similarities in the policies and several problems. While certain investments are made at the administrative level, the policies are characterized by symbolic politics, devoid of political significance and not moving beyond cosmetic, rhetorical engagement. A renewed political commitment for sustainable development, as set out by the recent Rio+20 Summit, is urgently needed.     

Whole Plastome Sequences of Two Drug-Type Cannabis: Insights Into the Use of Plastid in Forensic Analyses

DNA is one of the fastest growing tools in forensic sciences, increasing reliability in forensic reports and judgments. The use of DNA has increased in different areas of the forensic sciences, such as investigation of plant species, where plastid DNA has been used to elucidate and generate evidence in cases of traceability of genetically modified and controlled plants. Even with several advances and the practice of using DNA in forensic investigations, there are just few studies related to the identification of genetic tools for the characterization of drug and nondrug-types of Cannabis. Herein, the whole plastomes of two drug-type Cannabis are presented and have their structures compared with other Cannabis plastomes deposited in the GenBank, focusing in the forensic use of plastome sequences. The plastomes of Cannabis sativa “Brazuka” and of the hybrid Cannabis AK Royal Automatic presented general structure that does not differs from the reported for other C. sativa cultivars. A phylogenomic analyses grouped C. sativa “Brazuka” with the nondrug C. sativa cultivars, while the hybrid Cannabis AK Royal Automatic placed isolated, basal to this group. This suggests that the analysis of plastomes is useful toward genetic identification of hybrids in relation to C. sativa.     

Abu Ghraib and the War on Terror—a case against Donald Rumsfeld?

The pictures of the inhuman and abusive treatment of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison shocked the world. The authors of this contribution will take a criminological approach to the crimes committed and will show—by using an analytical framework used by organizational criminologists—that the abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib was an inevitable outcome of the War on Terror as launched by the U.S. administration in a reaction to the terrorist attack launched against it. The abuse at Abu Ghraib which violated U.S. as well as international human rights law was not caused by a few rotten apples as policymakers tried to make us believe, but was a clear example of a state crime. A state crime for which U.S. leaders within the Bush administration such as the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, might be held criminally responsible if they would be prosecuted by the ICC.     

Ende des Ausbildungsmonopols der Anwaltskammer

Rechtsanwaltsanwärter haben in Österreich an Ausbildungsveranstaltungen im Ausmaß von mindestens 42 Halbtagen teilzunehmen. Diese Ausbildungsveranstaltungen werden von der Anwaltsakademie (AWAK) angeboten. Der Verwaltungsgerichtshof hat jüngst entschieden, dass die Anwaltskammer jedoch auch andere absolvierte Ausbildungsveranstaltungen wie beispielsweise im Rahmen eines postgradualen Studiums anstelle der Seminare der Anwaltsakademie anerkennen muss, wenn diese gleichwertig mit den von der AWAK angebotenen Seminaren sind.