Independent review of emergency economic stimulus measures: Global Financial Crisis and COVID-19

Major government emergency interventions demand, and generally receive, independent scrutiny. This article looks back at reviews of the Australian government's economic stimulus measures introduced in the aftermath of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis (GFC), in anticipation of reviews of responses to the COVID-19 emergency, noting similarities and differences between the two crises. We examine 10 independent reviews of the Australian government's response to the GFC with a particular focus on their nature and the context in which they occurred. As a result, we identify five themes: when and how often reviews are conducted; recognition of context; the need for clear program objectives; explicit design principles; and governance. We develop a typology of independent reviews that has three key and interrelated dimensions: purpose, timing, and reviewer. We observe that there was patchwork coverage of the GFC measures, with no single report providing a holistic assessment of what was achieved or lessons learnt. We contend that, notwithstanding differences between crises, the typology will aid understanding of the role, key issues, and contributions of reviews that have already been, or will be, commissioned into COVID-19 and future emergency economic stimulus measures.     

Validation of the Short Amplicon Multiplex Q8 Including the German DNA Database Systems*

Abstract: We have developed a concept to enable the analyzing of degraded stains with limited DNA template quantity. Therefore we have constructed a short tandem repeat (STR) multiplex including the German DNA database systems (Q8). The amplicon lengths are smaller than 280 bp. For the validation of Q8 over 50 degraded samples were investigated. Amplifications were performed with “low copy number” PCR, the number of PCR cycles was increased to 33 and the reaction volume was decreased to 12.5 μL. Compared with the MPX2 and Nonaplex kit, the average success rate was increased using the Q8 kit by approximately 20% and 30%, respectively. The efficiency of a sensitive STR multiplex with reduced amplicon lengths was confirmed in comparing the success rates of Q8 for typing degraded samples and samples with limited amount of DNA template while partial profiles were observed with the majority of the samples using commercially available kits.     

Subway Train‐Related Fatalities in New York City: Accident versus Suicide*

Abstract: We examined the characteristics of subway train‐related fatalities in New York City between Jan. 1, 2003 and May 31, 2007 in order to determine which factors are useful in differentiating accident from suicide. Subway train‐related deaths with homicide and undetermined manners also are included. During this period, there were 211 subway train‐related fatalities. The manners of death were: suicide (n = 111), accident (n = 76), undetermined (n = 20), and homicide (n = 4). The causes of death were blunt trauma (n = 206) and electrocution (n = 5). Torso transection and extremity amputation were more frequent in suicides. Antidepressant medications were more frequently detected in suicides, whereas cocaine and ethanol were more frequent in accidents. However, autopsy findings should be weighed in the context of the entire evaluation along with other circumstantial and investigative findings. In unwitnessed deaths where additional information is unavailable or discrepant, the most appropriate manner of death usually is undetermined.     

Straddling Two Worlds: Reflections of a Retired Criminal Cases Review Commissioner

In this paper, I draw upon the 'systems theory' approach to miscarriages of justice (adopted by Nobles and Schiff) to reflect upon my experience as a member of the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission. I demonstrate how the Commission manages the tensions between the rather different 'legal' and 'lay' worlds which it inhabits. More particularly, I argue that the Commission, while heavily constrained by the law and a legal world view, is more independent of the legal 'system' than some commentators would suggest. I substantiate my arguments through describing some of the debates that took place within the Scottish Commission and analysing in depth the judgements of the Scottish appeal court in some of the cases referred to it by the Commission. Much of what I say is applicable in varying degrees to the English Commission and to the current debate in England as to what constitutes a 'miscarriage of justice'.     

Resisting the Long Arm of Criminal Antitrust Laws: Norris v The United States

This note analyses the judgment of the House of Lords in the case Norris v USA , and argues that its ruling on whether mere price-fixing can amount to a common law conspiracy to defraud will have a significant effect on both US and UK criminal anti-cartel enforcement. In particular, the potential negative impact of the judgment on the future viability of the UK Cartel Offence is highlighted.     

Eyewitness Memory of a Supermarket Robbery: A Case Study of Accuracy and Confidence After 3 Months

In this case study, 14 witnesses of an armed robbery were interviewed after 3 months. Security camera recordings were used to assess memory accuracy. Of all information that could be remembered about 84% was correct. Although accurately recalled information had a higher confidence level on average than inaccurately recalled information, the mean accuracy–confidence correlation was rather modest (0.38). These findings indicate that confidence is not a reliable predictor of accuracy. A higher level of self-reported, post-event thinking about the incident was associated with higher confidence levels, while a higher level of self-reported emotional impact was associated with greater accuracy. A potential source of (mis)information, a reconstruction of the robbery broadcasted on TV, did not alter the original memories of the witnesses.     

Aktuelle Rechtsprechung zum ElektroG

Das deutsche “Gesetz über das Inverkehrbringen, die Rücknahme und die umweltvertr?gliche Entsorgung von Elektro- und Elektronikger?ten” (ElektroG) ist eines der auf europ?ischen Vorgaben beruhenden Rechtsinstrumente zur Vermeidung und Entsorgung von Abf?llen. In letzter Zeit sind hierzu eine Reihe von h?hergerichtlichen Urteilen ergangen, so dass bisher bestehende Unsicherheiten über die Reichweite der Registrierungspflicht beseitigt, sowie mehr Klarheit bei der Gruppenfinanzierungsverantwortlichkeit geschaffen wurde.     

The pluralization of policing and the rise of private policing in China

Policing in China has undergone tremendous change during the economic transformation of the past three decades. This paper describes the plural policing bodies that have existed during pre- and post-reform periods in China. In the pre-reform period the policing bodies were generally public in nature with the public security police playing an important role in providing professional guidance to the other policing bodies. In the post-reform period, there has been a transition from a monopoly of public policing to an integration of public/private policing, with the public security police still playing a leading role in the policing network. Apart from the emergence of private policing (the security service industry), there is also a trend towards privatizing some previously public policing bodies in line with the movement toward strengthening the rule of law and towards privatization in general.     

Zur Abgrenzung von Leihe und Miete (Anerkennungszins)

Für die Beurteilung, ob Gebrauchskosten iSd § 981 ABGB vorliegen oder aber ein Entgelt für eine Gebrauchsüberlassung vereinbart wurde, ist ausschlie?lich darauf abzustellen ist, ob die übernommenen Kosten ihrer Natur nach aus dem Gebrauch resultieren. Die übernahme jener Kosten, die den Liegenschaftseigentümer unabh?ngig vom Gebrauch treffen, stellt hingegen Entgelt dar. Ein entgeltliches Rechtsverh?ltnis liegt dann nicht vor, wenn für die überlassene Sache ein "Anerkennungszins" geleistet wird, der gegenüber dem Nutzungswert nicht ins Gewicht f?llt, wobei eine Grenze von etwa 10% des ortsüblichen Entgelts angenommen wird. Die Frage, ob in diesem Sinne Entgeltlichkeit oder Unentgeltlichkeit vorliegt, ist nach den Verh?ltnissen bei Vertragsabschluss zu beurteilen; zu prüfen ist dabei, welcher ortsübliche Hauptmietzins zuzüglich Betriebskosten für das Objekt damals erzielbar gewesen w?re.