Breaking point? An analysis of fatal stab wounds to the torso in Ireland between 2011 and 2018, examining the extent of rib fractures

This study examines the pattern of rib injuries occurring in cases of fatal torso stab wounds in Ireland between 2011 and 2018. It has been suggested by previous studies that rib fractures are not commonly sustained in stab wounds to the torso. We wanted to ascertain whether this was the case, as our data suggested that rib fractures were frequent, and where a rib is fractured there is a higher chance of organ injury and death, making this an important area of study. One hundred and forty seven cases of fatal stab wounds from an eight-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Fatal stab wounds to other body areas, were excluded; leaving a total of 104 cases with stab wounds to the torso. We found that 69.2% of cases had rib injuries, a figure significantly higher than previously reported. Our data suggests that stab wounds to the torso often fracture ribs, putting the underlying organs at increased risk of injury and perhaps contributing to fatality. The amount of force needed to cause a rib fracture can be difficult to quantify and indeed from the high percentage of rib fractures sustained in our data it appears that the ribs may be fractured regardless of the amount of force used; this is borne out by the finding that self-inflicted injuries also caused rib fractures. Our study shows that other factors, such as anatomical positioning and wound depth may have a greater bearing than force in terms of whether a rib fracture is sustained.     

Goodbye to the Despot: Feldman on Islamic Law in the Ottoman Empire

Noah Feldman's 2008 book, The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State , provides a sweeping review of the constitutional history of the Islamic polity that connects the past to developments in the Middle East today. The Ottoman Empire is vital to his argument. This essay critically evaluates Feldman's treatment of the Ottoman period, within the larger context of Islamic history, and in so doing considers the understudied constitutional history of the empire. Without denying the importance of the ulema and the shari'a , it argues that the empire was a hybrid of many different traditions and the centrality of Islamic law should not be overstated.     

Assessing the Effectiveness of Executive Order 12898: Environmental Justice for All?

This article examines several federal and state laws, such as the Worker Protection Standards and the Florida Pesticide Law, to determine whether the goals of these laws are being achieved in the State of Florida. A survey based on questions pertaining to various laws was used to gather data on farm workers in three South Florida counties. Face–to–face interviews were conducted with farm workers in Palm Beach and Indian River counties, Florida, in 1997 and in Collier County, Florida, in 1999.
Overall, the findings indicate that farm workers in South Florida have been exposed to pesticides through direct or indirect spraying. The findings of the study reveal that federal and state laws—currently in place to protect the workers from pesticide exposure—are not effectively implemented, and farm workers are uninformed of the laws that exist to protect them from pesticide exposure.
The study concludes with policy recommendations that will improve the implementation and enforcement of the current laws, which are designed to protect farm workers from pesticide exposure.     

THE INTRACTABLE CLIENT

Every lawyer either has heard of or has been involved in a divorce case that initially seemed manageable and resolvable only to find that it develops into a nightmarish drama. The parties involved in such cases are often those who have a personality disorder. A personality disorder is a clinical term used to describe people who are "locked in" for many years, with certain exaggerated personality traits that interfere with many aspects of their daily functioning. It is exceptionally difficult to achieve client control when working with a client with a personality disorder. This article will describe nine personality disorders, how to identify them, and how to work with them.     

The Quest for a Satisfactory Definition of Terrorism: R v Gul

The UK Supreme Court judgment in R v Gul presented a unique opportunity for a judicial appraisal of the definition of terrorism contained in section 1 of the Terrorism Act 2000. While the applicant was ultimately unsuccessful in his challenge, the Supreme Court's rejection of the state's argument that reliance on prosecutorial discretion could mitigate certain absurd applications of the section 1 definition of terrorism, eg the labelling of acts of UK or other military forces as terrorist, has potentially wide‐raging implications for the UK's counter‐terrorism measures. In addition, the powerful obiter dictum arguing in favour of a reform of this definition and a ‘root‐and‐branch’ review of counter‐terrorism legislation is a strong rebuke of recent high profile misapplications of such powers.     

How HIV-Positive Aboriginal Women (PAW) Talk About Their Mothering Experiences With Child and Family Services in Ontario

Aboriginal families are disproportionately involved with Children's Aid Societies (or CAS), which is of concern given the history of colonization, assimilation, and child welfare policies that fail to recognize Indigenous practices within Canada. There is no historical data regarding HIV-positive Aboriginal women's (PAW) experiences and interactions with the child welfare system, despite a high degree of HIV-related stigma and discrimination by CAS staff coupled with lack of HIV knowledge and sensitivity to provide culturally appropriate care to PAW and their children. This article is relevant to local and international child welfare practices, and specifically to CAS agencies across Ontario.