Predicting success: A research study based on law degree courses at Trent Polytechnic

Abstract

THIS STUDY was set up to investigate the possibility of a relationship between the General Certificate of Education ('G.C.E.’) ‘A’ level qualifications of the entrants on to the law degree courses at Trent Polytechnic and their degree classifications.

Very little evidence was found of any such significant relationships. Further analysis of both G.C.E. ‘A’ and ‘O’ level qualifications similarly showed no significant relationships except in the case of ‘O’ levels. The most clear finding was that significant relationships do exist between being a full‐time female student and obtaining a good honours classification, and that all LL.B. Legal Studies (four‐year sandwich) students have a better chance of obtaining good honours than do LL.B. Law (three‐year full‐time) students.

Various other analyses were also attempted, but no other significant relationships were found, although it is possible that choice of final‐year options may influence degree classifications.

Overall, this study suggests that while G.C.E. results may be suggestive of a basic ability to complete degree courses successfully, they do not predict degree classifications. From this I draw the conclusion that G.C.E. results should not be used to exclude students from these, and possibly other, courses in higher education.

In considering the possible predictive value of the ‘A’ level G.C.E. qualifications of entrants on to the law degree courses at Trent Polytechnic and their degree classifications, other possible predictive relationships and factors were also investigated, in order to examine whether any other (reasonably available) variables were linked to degree classifications. Analyses were therefore carried out in relation to ‘O’ level G.C.E., gender, age of student, course, G.C.E. subject‐groupings and course progress. Other variables were not possible to test because of the quality of the information available.     

The decision to provide discovery: an examination of policies and guilty pleas

Journal of Experimental Criminology - Prosecutors’ decisions to provide discovery can have vast implications for defendants. When prosecutors do not provide exculpatory information in the...     

From European Integration to European Integrity: Should European Law Speak with Just One Voice?

Abstract: This article examines whether and how the moral principle of legal coherence or integrity, which has recently been developed further as a response to disagreement in the national legal context, applies to European law. According to the European integrity principle, all national and European authorities should make sure their decisions cohere with the past decisions of other European and national authorities that create and implement the law of a complex but single European legal order. Only by doing so, it is argued, can the European political and legal community gain true authority and legitimacy in the eyes of the European citizens to whom all these decisions apply. Although European integrity is primarily a product of European integration, it has gradually become one of the requirements of further integration. The article suggests that the principle of European integrity would help dealing with the growing pressure for common European solutions under conditions of increasing diversity. It places disagreement at the centre of European politics, as both an incentive and a means of integration by way of comparison and self‐reflectivity. It constitutes therefore the ideal instrument for a pluralist and flexible further constitutionalisation of the European Union.     

Auricular surface aging: a blind test of the revised method on historic Italians from Sardinia

Age determination from human skeletal remains is an important biological parameter in both forensic and bioarchaeological contexts. This study presents the results of a blind test of the revised auricular surface age estimation method proposed by Buckberry and Chamberlain (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 119 (2002) 321-329) on a large sample (n=404) of known sex and age from the Sassari collection, housed at the Museum of Anthropology, University of Bologna, Italy. Ilia were scored for five features: transverse organization, surface texture, microporosity, macroporosity, and apical changes, which combined for a composite score. The results indicated that all features and the composite score were positively correlated with known age. Composite scores were significantly different between the sexes, suggesting that males and females should be treated separately. Bias and inaccuracy varied across age intervals. Age tended to be overestimated in individuals under age 59 and underestimated for those over age 60 years. However, the revised method showed improvement over the original auricular surface method (Lovejoy et al., Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 68 (1985) 15-28), especially for aging older individuals. Considerable variation exists in the age ranges derived from composite scores and few significant differences were found between age stages, suggesting that fewer stages with wider age ranges may be necessary. The independent, quantitative scoring of the surface features makes the revised method substantially easier to apply and the method shows significant improvement for aging older individuals.     

An innovative transfer DNA experimental design and qPCR assay to identify primary,secondary, and tertiary DNA transfer

“Touch DNA” is a form of trace DNA that is presumed to be deposited when an individual touches something and leaves behind DNA-containing skin cells, sweat, or other fluids. While touch DNA is often the result of direct contact (i.e., primary transfer), it can also be indirectly transferred between surfaces or individuals (e.g., secondary or tertiary transfer). Even experts cannot distinguish between different types of transfer and do not fully understand which variables affect direct versus indirect transfer or how often each type of transfer occurs. In this study, we utilize an innovative protocol that combines a paired male and female transfer DNA experimental design with an Amelogenin qPCR assay to generate data on primary, secondary, and tertiary DNA transfer. We report frequencies of indirect DNA transfer and also investigate the potential effects of participant age, self-identified ethnicity, and skin conditions on DNA transfer. Out of 22 experimental trials, we detected primary transfer (male + female) in 71% of trials, secondary DNA transfer in 50% of trials, and tertiary DNA transfer in 27% of trials. No significant associations were found between primary DNA transfer and age, self-identified ancestry, or skin conditions, however, all individuals with sloughing skin conditions demonstrated primary DNA transfer and we suggest this variable be explored in larger samples. These results contribute to a better understanding of the conditions under which secondary and tertiary DNA transfer occurs and can be used to propose realistic DNA transfer scenarios in court cases.     

The Legal and Social Construction of Value in Government Procurement Markets

The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 introduces a social value duty. It requires public authorities in England and Wales that are carrying out procurement activities to ‘consider’ how such activities might ‘improve … economic, social and environmental well-being’. This article analyses qualitative, empirical data on how the social value duty has been interpreted and applied across local government in England. Although only a weak legal duty, this law has made a notable impact on practice. The article explains the changes brought about in practice under the social value duty and seeks to understand why these changes have occurred. It does so by recognizing local government procurement markets, as well as local government organizations themselves, as strategic action fields. In these fields, there are competing visions for social value. It is through conversations between actors that a common meaning comes to be attached to the law.