High-Risk Cases at the Intersection of Domestic/Family Violence and Child Protection: Learning from Practice

Journal of Family Violence - Domestic/family violence (DFV) and child protection co-occurrence of risk is common, with related homicides remaining a grave public concern. Recognising and...     

Property and markets in Elmer Kelton novels

Literature is not for clear answers. Literature is for complicated questions. There is vital empirical data in literary texts—not data about economic fact, though there is some of that as well, but data about how people felt and thought and wrote about economic and market issues. If we care about that, if that is as important as Deirdre McCloskey has argued, we have a responsibility to find that data, to write about it, to share it, and to teach it (Skwire in Cato Unbound, 2012. http://www.cato-unbound.org/2012/07/02/sarah-skwire/bonfire-cliches).     

Working with children and young people with harmful sexual behaviours: exploring impact on practitioners and sources of support

Abstract

Although practitioner impact and support in the adult sex offender field has gained increasing research recognition, less is known about these issues in work with children and young people with harmful sexual behaviours which is the focus of this study. Using qualitative methods, 16 practitioners from one organisation took part in semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were also obtained via a subsequent postal questionnaire. Findings revealed that positive effects far outweighed negative impact. Furthermore, practitioners identified organisational factors as being more directly related to negative impact. It was concluded that meaningful supervision and support involve various key components. Whilst recognising essential case management and accountability requirements, supervision (ideally by a manager experienced in sexual behaviour work) should be practitioner led and focused and support for employees should be trusted, confidential and separate from organisational procedures (i.e. performance appraisal). External clinical supervision by an experienced supervisor was also suggested as helpful.     

Constitutional foundations of commercial and investment arbitration in Nigerian law and practice

Ten years ago Sir Anthony Mason, a former Chief Justice of Australia, warned that ‘a failure to strike the right balance between judicial independence and judicial accountability will result in either an unacceptable weakening of judicial independence or inadequate accountability’. ¹ 1 Judicial Commission of New South Wales (1997) Fragile Bastion – Judicial Independence in the Nineties and Beyond (Sydney: Judicial Commission of New South Wales), Chapt 1, p. 2.

This article examines some of the evolving aspects of judicial independence and judicial accountability within and outside the Commonwealth Caribbean and highlights some of the practical problems that occur in our region or are likely to arise. Decisions of courts and emerging practices in other parts of the Commonwealth provide excellent guidance and lessons for us in the Caribbean.

Judicial independence and accountability are not esoteric matters. They are principles that, admittedly, may resonate particularly with judicial officers because they tend to affect judicial officers in practical ways. But they are principles that are fundamental to good governance in democratic societies. Indeed, Commonwealth Heads of Government acknowledged the importance of these two principles when, at their meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2003, they adopted the Latimer House Guidelines ² 2 The Latimer House Guidelines for the Commonwealth, 19 June 1998. as Commonwealth Principles. Such importance and respect are now accorded judicial independence that the UK Parliament actually enshrined the principle in the text of the Constitutional Reform Act 2005: ‘The Lord Chancellor, other Ministers of the Crown and all with responsibility for matters relating to the judiciary… must uphold the continued independence of the judiciary.’ ³ 3 Section 3(1).

Although this article will discuss judicial independence and accountability separately, it will be argued that the two concepts are not inconsistent and must coexist.     

Predicting the Postmortem Submersion Interval for Human Remains Recovered from U.K. Waterways*

Abstract: This article aims to increase accuracy in estimating the postmortem submersion interval (PMSI) for bodies recovered from rivers in the United Kingdom. Data were collected from closed case files, crime scene reports, and autopsy files concerning bodies recovered over a 15‐year period from the River Clyde, Scotland, and the River Mersey and canals in northwest England. One hundred and eighty‐seven cases met the study criteria and were scored by quantifying the overall amount of decomposition observed in each case. Statistical analysis showed that the duration of a body’s submergence in water and the temperatures to which it was exposed, as measured in accumulated degree days (ADD), had a significant effect on the decay process. Further analysis indicated that there were no significant differences in decomposition between the waterways. By combining the data from all study samples, it was possible to produce a single linear regression model for predicting ADD from observed decomposition.     

The Influence of Insects on Decomposition Rate in Buried and Surface Remains

Abstract: This article reports results of a comparative study of decomposition rates of wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) which were either (i) buried after exposure to insect activity, (ii) buried without exposure, (iii) kept above ground behind an insect screen, or (iv) continuously exposed above ground in a field experiment. Results showed that dipteran oviposition occurred consistently in groups i and iv only. Decomposition rates (measured by Total Body Score every c. 50 accumulated degree days [ADD]) of rabbits kept behind the screen and those buried without exposure showed no difference (p = 0.450). This was significantly slower than those buried after exposure (p = 0.0016) which was in turn significantly slower than those continuously exposed (p << 0.001). Temperatures collected from animals showed the presence of feeding larvae increased intra‐abdominal temperatures to >5°C above ambient. The findings support the assertion that insect presence is the primary agent affecting decomposition rate via tissue consumption and also the heat they generate.     

Ideology and Polarization Among Women State Legislators

In early work on women in Congress, scholars consistently identified a tendency among women legislators to be more liberal roll‐call voters than male copartisans. Recent changes in Congress point to the polarization of women, where Democratic women remain more liberal than Democratic men but Republican women are no different from, or more conservative than, Republican men. We use newly available state legislative roll‐call data to determine whether women state legislators are more liberal or polarized than male copartisans. We find that while Democratic women state legislators remain consistently more liberal than male copartisans in most state chambers, Republican women legislators are growing more conservative. Thus, women state legislators are increasingly polarized in most U.S. states. Legislator replacement and increasing polarization among state legislators in office contribute to this effect. We argue that polarization among women legislators has implications for the representation of women in the states.     

The Accuracy and Applicability of 3D Modeling and Printing Blunt Force Cranial Injuries

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the accuracy of 3D models and 3D prints of cranial blunt force trauma, to evaluate the applicability and limitations of modeling such injuries. Three types of cranial blunt force lesions were documented (hinge, depressed, and comminuted) using three forms of surface scanning (laser, structured light scanner, and photogrammetry) at two different quality settings (standard and high). 3D printed models of the lesions were produced using two different materials (a gypsum‐like composite powder called VisiJet^® PXL and an acrylic engineered composite plastic called VisiJet^® M3 in crystal colour). The results of these analyzes indicate the prints in this study exhibit some statistically significant differences from the actual bone lesions, but details of the lesions can be reproduced to within 2 mm accuracy.