Tardieu's spots and asphyxia--a literature study

Subpleural, epicardial and pericranial ecchymoses have been described in cases of suffocation since the 18th century. In the 19th century, great diagnostic importance was attributed to ecchymoses. Tardieu was the most determined defender of the specificity of ecchymoses for suffocations. He thought that he could diagnose violent suffocation by means of ecchymoses and claimed that he was able to differentiate violent suffocation from other unnatural causes of death (hanging, choking, strangulation, and drowning). Other physicians, among them numerous German medical examiners, proved Tardieu's opinions wrong by means of observations and animal studies. The most dedicated disputant against Tardieu's false doctrines was Liman. According to today's knowledge of pathophysiology, the haemorrhages concerned cannot have a specificity for suffocation or even a specific form of suffocation. Therefore, the confusing term of "suffocation haemorrages" should be avoided.     

论侦查目的之相关理论探索与现实定位

侦查目的是侦查学中一个重要的课题,如果说侦查价值是侦查的绝对精神导向的话,侦查目的就是价值的现实体现和归结,直接决定着侦查程序的方向和未来,成为侦查程序推进的内在力和标尺。本文从侦查概念入手,分析了侦查目的和价值、主体、构造的关系,从而为我国侦查目的予以定位,并对我国的侦查目的的改进和完善提出了自己的见解。     

Women and arson: a demographic study

This study describes women accused of setting fires in the City of New York who were evaluated between 1980 and 1983 at the Forensic Psychiatry Clinic for the New York Criminal and Supreme Courts. Consideration is given to their age, ethnicity, history of prior mental illness, abuse of controlled substances, economic status, family background, education, and employment. Their methodology, planning, and targeting for their firesetting behavior, as well as reported motivations for engaging in arson, are also considered.     

Integrating the study of criminal justice and literature

The best interdisciplinary courses are those that not only expand a student’s consciousness but also increase a student’s options. A course in criminal justice and literature can give criminal justice students a broader philosophical basis for work in their profession and metaphors for understanding their discipline. For humanities students, it can reveal the extent to which literature reflects social conditions and criminal justice theories and practices. With this in mind, the authors, professors of criminal justice and English, respectively, designed and taught an experimental course that integrates topics in criminal justice with topics in literature. This article details the philosophies and goals behind this undertaking and describes the specific course objectives, readings and other instructional materials used, and the teaching methods and evaluation procedures employed. Also included are the results of a research survey which explored student perceptions of and reactions to the course. The article concludes by offering suggestions and cautionary advice that would be helpful for those interested in setting up such a curriculum.     

Explosion-related deaths in Sweden--a forensic-pathologic and criminalistic study

All cases of death caused by explosions of explosive solids, fluids and gases in Sweden during the 6-year period 1979-1984 were analyzed. Among the total of 61 fatalities 33 (54%) were due to accidents (2/3 of them occupational and 1/3 miscellaneous accidents), 25 (41%) were suicides, and only 3 (5%) were associated with terrorist activity. About one half of the occupational accidents were caused by deficient safety devices or defective equipment, while the other half was due to transgression of regulations. All suicides were males, relatively elderly, the majority of them burdened with somatic and mental diseases, alcoholism, social or economical problems, most of them being familiar with explosives. The anatomical localization of suicidal explosive injuries was regular and symmetric, while the accidental and terrorist injuries showed great variations. The terrorist-associated deaths had common features different from all other death cases, strongly suggesting the same type of bomb and the same terrorist group. Explosives caused only superficial burns or singes. Symmetric hemorrhages of the vocal folds and fracture of the laryngeal skeleton were found, as well as ruptures of trachea and lungs. When not ruptured, the lungs showed to different types of injury: hyperinflation, probably due to the blast-induced barotrauma to the respiratory passages, or lung contusions. In cases of suspected terrorist explosions close collaboration between the forensic pathologists and police investigators is mandatory since the bodies of victims protect parts of the bomb from fire or from being spread over a larger area and thus constitute a part of the crime scene.     

Volunteerism and technology transfer: A case study

The withdrawl of Federal funds in a number of social service programs and state and local government budgets calls for an upsurge in volunteerism. Since August 1978, a Technical Volunteer Service (TVS) has been doing just that at one of the nation’s largest Federal laboratories. As measured by service to the community, acceptance by laboratory management, and satisfaction for the volunteers, this program has been an outstanding success. The time is ripe to transfer this program to other Federal laboratories, universities and industry. This paper describes the program and offers practical suggestions for its transfer to other organizations.     

Christianity and punitive mentalities: A qualitative study

According to David Garland (1990) scholars should be concerned about the cultural foundations of punishment in modern western society, such as religion. To this end, Garland conceptualizes punitive mentalities and sensibilities that provide the cultural support for structural systems ofpunishment. Punitive mentalities are ways of thinking about punishment, whereas punitive sensibilities are ways of feeling about punishment. Garlandsuggests that religious traditions are an important source of punitive mentalities and sensibilities. This research is an empirical analysis ofpunitive mentalities and their cultural roots, using qualitative research.Research questions focus on the following: Are there distinctively punitivementalities? How do punitive mentalities influence the desire for officialpunishment? Data from a previous study (Cook, 1998a) are analyzed here to explore terrains of punitive mentalities within the contexts of Christianity.Findings identify four distinct categories: anti-punitive, non-punitive,retributive and vengeful mentalities where Christian (non)belief systemsare important cornerstones. Respondents in each group have specific desires regarding the state's use of punishments, especially the ``death penalty''.     

国际海事委员会和国际海事组织的立法工作比较研究

国际海事委员会和国际海事组织自成立起一直致力于统一各国海商法的工作。在简要介绍二者的组织结构和有关活动的基础上,对其相关领域的国际立法进行了详细的比较分析,指出具有“私法性”特征的国际海事委员会规则和具有“公法性”特征的国际海事组织公约的海事立法的国际趋同化特征将会进一步增强。     

论行政立法的人大监督机制

目前在我国,行政立法活动存在一些程序问题,致使行政立法的部门利益倾向严重.因此,必须加强对行政立法的监督.确保行政立法的民主性与法的本质要求.     

Exploratory study on classification and individualisation of earprints

The FearID research project is aimed at the individualisation of earprints for the purpose of forensic research. The study presented here was carried out within the framework of this project. It intends to combine a review of what is known from literature on the classification and individualisation of earprints with results from a preliminary study of earprints. Possibilities for, and limitations to, the use of earprints in forensic investigation are addressed. Differences between eliminating a suspect, placing a suspect at a crime scene, and linking crimes by prints left at different scenes are considered.     

无效合同及其相关问题研究

<合同法》有关无效合同的规定主要有三个特点.一是对无效合同的类型和构成要件作了重新表述;二是将代理无效的合同从无效合同中剥离出来,单独规定为效力待定合同;三是在无效合同之外,增列了可撤销的合同.由于代理无效的合同与无效合同在立法上曾有"渊源”关系,加之可撤销的合同与前二者在性质和法律适用上有时呈交叉状态,所以本文对无效合同、代理无效的合同和可撤销的合同作了一并研究.此外,本文对与无效合同等相关的破产和仲裁问题,也作了较为深入的讨论.