Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Movers Scale in a French-Canadian Population

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study that draws upon a collaborative research strategy and has two main objectives: 1) Translating and adapting into French the Measure of Victim Empowerment Related to Safety (MOVERS scale) (Goodman et al. Psychology of Violence, 5(4), 355-366, 2015a); 2) Validating the French version of the MOVERS scale in a population of French-Canadian women receiving shelter services. The French-Canadian MOVERS (FCM) was administered to 189 women receiving shelter services in the province of Québec (Canada). The factorial structure, reliability and validity of the FCM were tested. This paper highlights that the FCM replicates the three dimensions found in the original version (Goodman et al. Psychology of Violence, 5(4), 355-366, 2015a), displays significant correlations with measures of depression, anxiety and stress, self-esteem, perceived social support, satisfaction with life and self-efficacy, and has overall good reliability estimates. The FCM is a valid and reliable scale to assess safety-related empowerment among women receiving shelter services. Furthermore, the scale provides interesting opportunities to shelter workers, which will be discussed in the paper.

     

‘Lex Cryptographi(c)a,’ ‘Cloud Crypto Land’ or What? – Blockchain Technology on the Legal Hype Cycle

Based on the reception of DLT/blockchain, this article argues that legal discourse is subject to hype cycle dynamics. Thinking in hype cycle categories provides a structured way for analysing the legal implications of a particular innovation. This critical engagement with enthusiasts, sceptics and pragmatists through the different stages may help to present a more realistic picture of DLT/blockchain's potential from a legal perspective in the short and medium term. Consequently, this article discusses the potential for disruption to the legal system envisaged by enthusiasts at the height of inflated expectations, attempts to deconstruct the arguments levelled at the technology by its detractors during the trough of disillusionment, charts the emerging legal landscape that seeks to harness the potential of DLT/blockchain up the slope of enlightenment, and concludes by risking a glimpse towards the plateau of productivity.     

The Mauerschützenprozesse and the principle of nullum crimen sine lege

More than 50 years after the end of the Nuremberg Tribunal, the Berlin Mauerschiitzenprozesse, a series of trials in the Nuremberg tradition, devoted to bringing to justice former GDR soldiers and officials involved in the application of deadly force against Republikfluchtlinge on the inner German borders, have reached their crescendo. More than 50 soldiers and officials have received sentences of up to six years’ imprisonment. Among the many issues at hand, none are more important than that of nullum crimen sine lege, or the Rückwirkungsverbot. Is the process of trying and punishing former GDR soldiers and officials legally justifiable under Article 103, section 2 of the Grundgesetz? Or are the Mauerschützenprozesse a classic example of ‘victors ‘justice?’ Using the Nuremberg Tribunal as a foundation, this article will argue that the Mauerschiitzenprozesse are legitimate, and that the sentences imposed against GDR functionaries do not violate the principle of nullum crimen sine lege.