EU Criminal Law in National Courts: Breaking the Monopoly?

Growth in EU Competence in the field of criminal law has gradually led to more and more secondary legislation with an impact in the criminal law sphere. Member State Courts are gradually being expected to give effect to these measures in ever more complex ways. This leads to difficult questions about the appropriate extent of such effects given the sovereignty implications of obligations relating to criminal law, and the additional rights concerns triggered by criminal tribunals. This piece argues that while the ECJ has got the balance right in the majority of its case law, in certain circumstances, it has shown too great a willingness to push those concerns aside in the interest of pushing forward with its broader constitutionalizing agenda.     

The hollowing-out of local democracy and the 'fatal conceit' of governing without government

Books reviewed in this article:
Stewart, J., The Nature of British Local Government
Stoker, G. (ed.), The New Management of British Local Governance
Stoker, G. (ed.), The New Politics of British Local Governance     

Examining the relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, victim blame, homophobia, gender roles, and ambivalent sexism

The relationship between male rape myth acceptance, female rape myth acceptance, attitudes toward gay men, a series of gender role and sexism measures, victim blame and assault severity were investigated. It was predicted that men would display more negative, stereotypical attitudes than women and that male rape myth endorsement would be related to, and predicted by, the other attitude and attribution scales. Respondents comprised 323 undergraduates (146 males and 177 females) from a large University in the Northwest of England. Results broadly conformed to predictions, with men generally more negative than women, and male rape myth acceptance significantly related to female rape myth acceptance, negative attitudes about gay men, gender role attitudes, and victim blame. Furthermore, male rape myth acceptance was predicted by female rape myth acceptance, gender attitudes, and victim blame. Methodological issues and implications for future work and those working with victims are discussed.     

The legal implications of student use of social networking sites in the UK and US: current concerns and lessons for the future

This paper provides a comparative snapshot of the current state of the law in the US and UK with respect to potential liability of university and college students for use (and misuse) of social networking sites. It reviews the limited case law on this topic, highlights the differences in the two nations’ laws of defamation and the various possible legal claims available to individuals allegedly harmed by postings on these social networking sites, and concludes that neither country currently offers a satisfactory legal or quasi-legal model for resolving these disputes.     

Stalin and the Soviet Famine of 1932 – 33: A reply to Ellman

This Reply, while confirming that Stalin's policies were ruthless and brutal, shows that there are no serious grounds for Ellman's view that Stalin pursued a conscious policy of starvation of the peasants during the famine. It also rejects Ellman's claim that in their recent book [Davies and Wheatcroft (the authors neglect Soviet policy and leadership perceptions in their account of the famine.