DIFFERENTIATION AMONG TYPES OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: RESEARCH UPDATE AND IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERVENTIONS

A growing body of empirical research has demonstrated that intimate partner violence is not a unitary phenomenon and that types of domestic violence can be differentiated with respect to partner dynamics, context, and consequences. Four patterns of violence are described: Coercive Controlling Violence, Violent Resistance, Situational Couple Violence, and Separation‐Instigated Violence. The controversial matter of gender symmetry and asymmetry in intimate partner violence is discussed in terms of sampling differences and methodological limitations. Implications of differentiation among types of domestic violence include the need for improved screening measures and procedures in civil, family, and criminal court and the possibility of better decision making, appropriate sanctions, and more effective treatment programs tailored to the characteristics of different types of partner violence. In family court, reliable differentiation should provide the basis for determining what safeguards are necessary and what types of parenting plans are appropriate to ensure healthy outcomes for children and parent–child relationships.     

Qualification for design right: 'springing interests'

Legal context. An unregistered design can qualify for protectionunder the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 in a numberof ways. However, as the European Community expands the qualificationprovisions in the Act come into conflict with Community lawand the European Convention of Human Rights. This article setsout those issues and seeks a solution to them. Key points. This article begins by examining how a design qualifiesfor protection, by reason of the designer, the commissioneror the employer; or alternatively by reason of the person whofirst markets it. It then looks at the impact of new membersjoining the European Community and how this might create springinginterests in design right. It then tries to reconcile the rightin the EC Treaty not to be discriminated against on the groundsof nationality with the right to quiet enjoyment of propertyunder the ECHR. Practical significance. This article considers the ownershipof design right and springing interests. It will therefore beof interest to anyone who owns a design right by reason of thedesign being first marketed in the United Kingdom.     

Paying for procreation: Child support arrangements in the UK

Under the present system it is a very good thing to remain happily married, I have to tell you!The authors would like to thank Martin Davey, John Murphy and the reader forFeminist Legal Studies for their comments on earlier drafts.     

Traditional Organized Crime in Chicago

For 78 years the Chicago Outfit or Mob has been the focus of the Chicago Crime Commission's1 efforts to combat organized crime. Indeed, the perception of organized crime in Chicago, as well as much of the city's reputation, stems from the notorious, and often inappropriately glamorized, activities of the Outfit from Al Capone in the 1930s through John DiFronzo in the 1990s. While the Outfit is most certainly still alive, much of the organized criminal activity presently targeting Chicago and its suburbs is perpetrated by new and emerging criminal enterprises. These groups range from local burglary rings to highly sophisticated international criminal organizations headquartered in Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and South America, involved in corporate kidnapping and extortion, murder-for-hire, high-tech crime and drug trafficking. All require public attention and relentless law enforcement scrutiny. This paper deals with traditional organized crime in Chicago. Emerging Organized Crime will be dealt with in a forthcoming paper.     

The Chinese in space: the third man in the fourth battlefield?

This commentary piece explores the several ramifications of China's October 2003 successful manned space mission, when the People's Republic of China became the third nation, following the lead of the USA and the Soviet Union, to independently launch a manned space mission. While the achievement resulted in prestige and justifiable pride in China, the potential ‘dual use’ of space for military purposes remains speculative, and is of concern to Washington's ‘Blue Team’, suspicious of China's possible aggressive intentions. While China's space efforts include militarisation, it remains an open question as to whether it intends to fully develop space weapons against a background of its belief that the USA already has ‘abundant power’, especially in space. Copyright © 2004 Henry Stewart Publications     

Conditions not to Dispute Wills and the Inheritance (Provisions for Family and Dependants) Act 1975

In this article, the author reviews the recent decision of the HighCourt in In the Estate of Nathan Deceased [2002] N.P.C. 79, TheTimes 6/4/02, relating to the validity and effect off conditionsnot to dispute wills (i.e., gifts by will on condition that thebeneficiary does not seek to challenge the will) and how such conditionsaffect claims made under the Inheritance (Provision for Family andDependants) Act 1975. The decision in this case reveals a considerabletension between the principle of testamentary freedom and the aims andoperation of public policy in this area of the law. In the article, theauthor maps out the changes which will have to be made in statements ofthe law in leading text-books relating to conditions not to disputewills and further argues that certain dicta in the case suggest that theHigh Court has now gone too far in preferring testamentary freedom overpublic policy, opening a door which may yet permit the triumph ofconstructive fraud in some cases.     

Cohabitation in Twentieth Century England and Wales: Law and Policy

This article reviews the complex, and sometimes conflicting, policies adopted by the law of England and Wales over the course of the twentieth century. Its aim is to highlight the fact that cohabitation is not merely a modern legal issue, but one with which both the legislature and the courts have had to grapple for decades. It argues that reform has been piecemeal and context-specific because the courts and legislature have not adopted a coherent policy toward cohabiting relationships.     

North American transnational youth gangs: Breaking the chain of violence

Youth gangs are nothing new. They appeared in New York City and Philadelphia at the end of the American Revolution. Their numbers and violence correspond to peak levels of immigration and population shifts that occurred in the early 1800s, 1920s, 1960s, and late 1990s. Entrenched in American culture, gangs are romanticized in movies while rap artists copy their dress and jargon. However, because of their growing membership and globalization, gangs have become a public security threat that must be addressed.