Dual‐indexed mortgages in reforming socialist economies: Evaluating the risks and institutional requirements

Abstract

Although housing finance systems in reforming socialist economies have attempted to increase their market orientation, the high inflation rates accompanying the reform process have introduced new distortions. Mortgage instruments designed for high‐inflation economies, such as the dual‐indexed mortgage (DIM), can reduce these distortions. However, the introduction of new financial instruments should not be undertaken lightly. Both the performance of the instruments under various macroeconomic conditions and the technical requirements for implementation must be examined carefully.

Such an analysis was performed for the hypothetical introduction of a DIM in Hungary. In the Hungarian example, the risks of losses on a DIM portfolio are minimal and are considerably less than the risk faced by traditional fixed‐rate mortgages. An examination of the institutional and technical issues associated with the DIM shows that reforming socialist economies face special difficulties. In the Hungarian case, as the structure of the economy changes, the accuracy of traditional methodologies for gathering government statistics, and therefore the accuracy of the indices, declines. Lenders have delayed implementation of the instrument for this reason. Lenders in other reforming socialist economies should take such risks into account and should, at the very least, adjust their underwriting standards to account for such risks. In the long run, reconstruction of the government statistical system should alleviate this problem.     

Suppressing Vote-Buying: the ‘War’ on Electoral Bribery from 1868

Electoral bribery is an ancient phenomenon, but its manifestations and pathologies can only be understood in the context of particular electoral norms and political practices. The spark for electoral bribery in the Westminster tradition was the shift from parliamentary service as a duty to a privilege, whilst its paradigm forms of treating and crude vote-buying are traceable to a shift from buying a seat to buying the voters. The gradual move from cultural acceptance to legislative and ethical condemnation of electoral bribery is attributable to a concern with the rising cost of elections and developing notions of fair electoral competition. This article focuses on the seminal period in the ‘war’ on electoral bribery from 1868 to the early twentieth century, giving a taxonomy of the various forms of bribery and judicial responses to them, as well as an explanation of the role played by statutory developments. The ultimate success of this war on corruption is shown to lie in a confluence of politico-legal techniques – election courts, tighter legislation, the secret ballot and the mass franchise – and institutional developments, in particular the rise of centralised, professional parties.     

A preliminary investigation into the use of testate amoebae for the discrimination of forensic soil samples

We present the results of an initial investigation into the efficacy of using testate amoebae for the discrimination of soils from wet ground and puddles, as little attention has been given to these organisms in forensic science. The preservation of testate amoebae in these sediments is generally good, although test concentrations are low. Statistical analysis suggests that testate amoebae assemblages are somewhat spatially distinct and have potential to be used for soil discrimination. A case study is presented where mineralogical (X-ray diffraction) and testate amoebae analyses are used in conjunction to clarify the scene of crime in a ‘cold case’ murder enquiry. Testate amoebae were recovered from dried sediment residues on clothing 10 years after the murder. Despite these promising results, further experimental work is crucial to examine the spatial and temporal variation of amoebae assemblages in water films, wet ground and puddles before they can be added to the armoury of methods available to the forensic biologist.     

A review of quality procedures in the UK forensic sciences: What can the field of digital forensics learn?

With a reliance on the various forms of forensic science evidence in complex criminal investigations, the measures for ensuring its quality are facing increasing scrutiny. Improvements to quality management systems, to ensure both the robust application of scientific principles and the accurate interpretation and reporting of results, have arisen as a consequence of high-profile rebuttals of forensic science evidence, combined with process improvements driven by evaluation of current practice. These improvements are crucial to ensure validity of results as well as providing assurance for all those involved in the Criminal Justice System. This work first examines the quality management systems utilised for the examination and analysis of fingerprint, body fluid and DNA evidence. It then proceeds to highlight an apparent lack of comparable quality assurance mechanisms within the field of digital forensics, one of the newest branches of forensic science. Proposals are provided for the improvement of quality assurance for the digital forensics arena, drawing on the experiences of, and more well-established practices within, other forensic disciplines.     

A Forensic Examination of Online Search Facility URL Record Structures

The use of search engines and associated search functions to locate content online is now common practice. As a result, a forensic examination of a suspect's online search activity can be a critical aspect in establishing whether an offense has been committed in many investigations. This article offers an analysis of online search URL structures to support law enforcement and associated digital forensics practitioners interpret acts of online searching during an investigation. Google, Bing, Yahoo!, and DuckDuckGo searching functions are examined, and key URL attribute structures and metadata have been documented. In addition, an overview of social media searching covering Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube is offered. Results show the ability to extract embedded metadata from search engine URLs which can establish online searching behaviors and the timing of searches.     

Loose‐Lipped Mobile Device Intelligent Personal Assistants: A Discussion of Information Gleaned from Siri on Locked iOS Devices

The forensic analysis of mobile handsets is becoming a more prominent factor in many criminal investigations. Despite such devices frequently storing relevant evidential content to support an investigation, accessing this information is becoming an increasingly difficult task due to enhanced effective security features. Where access to a device's resident data is not possible via traditional mobile forensic methods, in some cases it may still be possible to extract user information via queries made to an installed intelligent personal assistant. This article presents an evaluation of the information which is retrievable from Apple's Siri when interacted with on a locked iOS device running iOS 11.2.5 (the latest at the time of testing). The testing of verbal commands designed to elicit a response from Siri demonstrate the ability to recover call log, SMS, Contacts, Apple Maps, Calendar, and device information which may support any further investigation.     

“I couldn't find it your honour,it mustn't be there!” – Tool errors,tool limitations and user error in digital forensics

The field of digital forensics maintains significant reliance on the software it uses to acquire and investigate forms of digital evidence. Without these tools, analysis of digital devices would often not be possible. Despite such levels of reliance, techniques for validating digital forensic software are sparse and research is limited in both volume and depth. As practitioners pursue the goal of producing robust evidence, they face the onerous task of both ensuring the accuracy of their tools and, their effective use. Whilst tool errors provide one issue, establishing a tool's limitations also provides an investigatory challenge leading the potential for practitioner user-error and ultimately a grey area of accountability. This article debates the problems surrounding digital forensic tool usage, evidential reliability and validation.     

Constitution, Court, Indian Tribes

We claim that the "constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof… shall be the supreme law of the land." But we also claim to recognize the sovereignty of Native American nations, the original occupants of the land. These claims—one to jurisdictional monopoly, the other to jurisdictional mu1tiplicity—are irreconcilable. Two hundred years have produced no resolution of the contradiction except at the expense of the tribes and the loss to non-Indians of the Indians' gift of their diflerence. This article explores the bear- ing of American constitutional law upon Native American tribes.