Scientific cooperation in the area of criminologic techniques in Europe

Due to an increased trend toward professionalism on the part of criminals and the globalization of crime the demands on forensic science have increased. These demands can only be met by international co-operation. A priori all areas of forensic science can be recommended as fields where working together is adequate. Co-operation--depending for example on the amount of work required for planned research and development, on the need for harmonization of methods and techniques or on the complexity of the task--is certainly necessary to a varying extent. In institutionalizing co-operation it is not so much a mere increase in the relevant activities that is offered but much more variety of (new) ideas. In doing this, as will be shown in a couple of examples, the use of new information and communication technology in particular should be increased.     

Criminal acts by the elderly. A phenomenologic presentation with discussion of criminologic and gerontologic explanatory approaches

Criminality of ageing people is connected with their entry in a new period of life. As well as problems in the first two socialization phases may cause juvenile delinquency, an insufficient tertiary socialization may create old-age delinquency. First of all criminal strains for the individual age groups, their shares of total criminality and preference spheres will be shown. The scope and development of delinquency in general, structures of crimes, differences specific for the sexes, previous punishments and the social position of ageing offenders will be dealt with. In conclusion it will be attempted to discuss old-age delinquency from the criminological and gerontological point of view.     

A new criminologic procedure: study of L-cystine-aminopeptidase activity for the detection of seminal stains

L-Cystine-aminopeptidase (CAP) enzyme cleaves L-cystine-di-beta-naphthylamide substrate to beta-naphthylamine. The final product of this process is a violet azostain. CAP enzyme determination was developed for criminological procedures. CAP shows almost 100 times greater activity in human semen than in other body fluids. Samples taken at different time intervals (1 week, 1-3-6 months, 1 year, and 5-10 years) were investigated; they were dried on cloth and filter paper and then stored at room temperature for various time periods. The enzyme was also shown to be specific in the comparative studies performed with other human secretions (nasal discharge, saliva, vaginal secretion, feces, urine, breast milk) and fruit juices (raspberry, strawberry, apple, pear, plum, tomato, etc.).     

Criminals' explanations of their criminal behavior, Part I: The contribution of criminologic variables.

The author reviewed the literature concerning criminals' explanations of their crimes and then studied the explanations given by 100 incarcerated men. He found no significant associations between juvenile or adult arrest histories, alias use, age at time of the crime, trial plea, sentence length, duration of incarceration, and explanation types used. Only murderers significantly used a specific explanation type. These observations suggest that explanations are largely independent of traditional criminological attributes; that prolonged confinement to prison does not result in offenders admitting to their crimes; and, that killers have an especially difficult time accepting responsibility for taking the life of another human being.     

Multiple Nationality and International Law

Netherlands International Law Review -     

Multiple Principals and Legislative Cohesion

In many systems, legislators find themselves accountable to multiple principals. This article seeks to further answer how legislators decide between their principals and what factors condition legislators to choose one over the other. We argue that electoral uncertainty, operationalized as electoral volatility, pushes legislators towards the principal that has the greatest influence over their re‐election. Using European Parliament electoral results and roll‐call data from the second to the sixth European Parliaments (1984–2009), we show that increases in electoral volatility decreased European group cohesion and pushed legislators to side more with the positions of their national parties over their European group when the two disagreed.     

Multiple homicides

A study of multiple homicides or multiple deaths involving a solitary incident of violence by another individual was performed on the case files of the Office of the Medical Examiner of Metropolitan Dade County in Miami, Florida, during 1983-1987. A total of 107 multiple homicides were studied: 88 double, 17 triple, one quadruple, and one quintuple. The 236 victims were analyzed regarding age, race, sex, cause of death, toxicologic data, perpetrator, locale of the incident, and reason for the incident. This article compares this type of slaying with other types of homicide including those perpetrated by serial killers. Suggestions for future research in this field are offered.     

Morphologic and clinical aspects of alveolitis

Non-infectious "pneumonias" are said to occur more frequently, among other things as a result of increasing environmental pollution. There is still no final systematizations of these pathogenetic complex diseases that is universally accepted; they are mainly defined according to pathomorphological criteria and are summarily termed "alveolitis" because of their localization in the acini of the lung. On the basis of a forensic expert's opinion, the problems are demonstrated.     

Anorectal trauma. Medicolegal and forensic aspects

A review of both deliberate and accidental anorectal trauma is presented. The mechanisms and types of injuries as well as the complications are discussed. Injuries resulting from sexual assaults are discussed in detail.     

The Shifting and Multiple Border and International Law

The question of how the ‘border’ is conceived ininternational law, and how it shapes identity and peoples’lives, remains largely unexplored in the international legalliterature. This article seeks to contribute to our understandingof the meaning of the border in international law, and in thecontemporary context, by drawing on the work of the philosopherand political theorist, Étienne Balibar, and by reflecting,in the light of his work, on the recent decision of the Houseof Lords in R v Immigration Officer at Prague Airport. It isshown that international law's focus on the territorial bordermay render invisible other borders which are significant forsubaltern groups, and thereby fail to address the manner inwhich borders affect lives and determine outcomes. Borders arenot stable and ‘univocal’, but instead, ‘multiple’,shifting in meaning and function from group to group. They arealso being ‘exported’ such that a person may experiencea foreign border while still within the territory of their owncountry. In highlighting the multiplicity of borders, the articleseeks to prompt further reflection on the articulation and applicationof norms of international law in a way that addresses the realitiesof the contemporary context.     

违法性之"法"的多元解释

科学而精确的违法性概念是恰当适用法律、有效保障权利的前提。违法性之"法"的解释是多元的。在德国违法性统一论的违法观下,违法性之法是全体法秩序。在日本违法性相对论的违法观下,犯罪构成要件的违法性之法是刑法;违法阻却要件的违法性之法以及正当防卫对象的违法行为之法既可以是刑法,也可以是其他部门法;违法性认识之违法性通说认为是全体法秩序的违反,目前有力的学说主张刑法上的违法性。德国和日本之所以采用不同的违法观,重要原因之一是法制度的差异。