Differential effectiveness of the cognitive interview in a simulation of testimony

The cognitive interview (CI) is a set of forensic evaluation procedures that has proven its efficiency. Nevertheless, little investigation has been made into its usage on witnesses with the intention of lying. With the aim of proving whether the efficiency of the CI is maintained where the witness is lying we carried out two experiments and we included instructions to tell the truth or to lie as independent variables. We used a 2 Type of interview (SI/CI)×2 Statement Condition (True/False)×2 Interviewee Gender (Male/Female) design with 18 interviewers in a sample group of 240 gender-matched university students being interviewed and the classic measures from the CI as dependent variables: the total number of details, details of actions, details about people and details concerning objects. In a first experiment, participants who lied exculpated the protagonist of a film fragment from rape, whereas in a second, those who lied accused an innocent protagonist. The results, in accordance with previous studies, showed a globally better efficiency for CI. Nevertheless, analysing the material based on type of details, this efficiency is only found in details concerning actions and objects. We discuss the forensic importance of these findings.     

A Prehistory of Australia's History Wars: The Evolution of Aboriginal History during the 1970s and 1980s

While an extensive debate has recently addressed more contemporary contributions to historical scholarship, the historiographical background to Australia's History Wars has rarely been appraised. This article proposes an interpretative narrative of the evolution of Aboriginal history during the 1970s and 1980s. While before the late 1960s a systematic historiography of Aboriginal‐white relations did not exist, these decades have witnessed the emergence and consolidation of Aboriginal history as an established academic discipline. The 1970s saw the “detection” of Aboriginal persistence and resistance and the historiographical tradition established during this decade insisted on the contested nature of the invasion process. Conversely, during the 1980s, an interpretative tradition stressing Indigenous agency, transformation and adaptation shifted the focus of historiographical attention.     

‘You Will Receive a Fair Trial Elsewhere’ The Ad Hoc International Criminal Tribunals Acting as Human Rights Jurisdictions

Netherlands International Law Review -     

The Role of Interest Groups in the European Union Decision-Making Process

Most of the economic models that analyse the behaviour of interest groups in the policy making process uphold the idea that there are many organized groups that compete, with the aim of achieving their individual goals. The adoption of decisions is the result of a complex system of strategic interactions, and since different groups have different resources at their disposal this makes it easier for one or more groups to influence whether or not a policy is adopted. This research demonstrates that an institutional system such as the European Union (EU) should be able to protect us from the potential manipulation, which accompanies these channels of influence.     

Voting for Movement Parties in Southern Europe: The Role of Protest and Digital Information

In recent years ‘movement parties’ such as Syriza in Greece, the Movimento 5 Stelle in Italy, Podemos in Spain and—to a lesser extent—Bloco de Esquerda in Portugal shook national party systems, breaking the consolidated dynamics of political competition. Despite growing interest in movement parties, there has been scant attention to the role of citizens adopting unconventional forms of action and using digital media in accounting for their electoral performance. To fill this gap, four original internet-based post-electoral surveys are employed showing that protesters and digital media users are more likely to vote for these parties, despite important country differences.     

Securing Internet Society: Toward an International Regime for Information Assurance

The Internet is rapidly changing how states and international businesses operate and deliver services and goods to citizens and customers. This global information medium, however, has also become the vehicle for a new set of malicious activities carried out by hackers, terrorists, and rogue states. This article discusses a possible course of action to counter this growing international security threat: the development of an international regime for information assurance. Still, this regime cannot arise exclusively from the cooperative efforts of national government, but requires the active involvement of international businesses. This article, therefore, postulates that this regime can arise only if states and international businesses fully appreciate their respective interests in the areas of information security and assurance.     

Tradition and Prudence in Locke's Exceptions to Toleration

Why did Locke exclude Catholics and atheists from toleration? Not, I contend, because he was trapped by his context, but because his prudential approach and practical judgments led him to traditional texts. I make this argument first by outlining the connections among prudential exceptionality, practical judgments, and traditional texts. I then describe important continuities between conventional English understandings of the relationship between state and religion and Locke's writings on toleration, discuss Locke's conception of rights, and illustrate his use of prudential exceptions and distinctions. I conclude by arguing that Locke's problems are relevant to assessing contemporary liberal discussions of toleration and the separation of state and religion that lean heavily on practical justifications.     

Deaths Due to Child Abuse: A 6‐Year Review of Cases in The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office

Case files from the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office from 2007 to 2012 were reviewed to analyze homicides due to physical child abuse in children <3 years old. Fatal cases mostly involved younger subjects. Intracranial injuries were the leading cause of death, while death due to extracranial injuries was uncommon. Eyes were involved in most of the cases. Spinal cord was involved in about 1/3 of the cases, mostly in the thoracic area. In some cases, previous injuries were present. There were significant differences in the pattern of injuries between age groups. Subjects showing signs of impact to the head and subjects with no evidence of an impact showed no significant difference in internal injuries. The association of multiple injuries is highly suggestive of child abuse. In suspected child abuse, a postmortem examination including neuropathological, ophthalmological, and radiological information should be always evaluated, together with investigative reports and the medical history.     

Voluntarism and health care

The writers are co-authors of Unhealthy Charities; Health Research Charities II: The Politics of Fear;and Health Research Charites: Image and Reality.