An Economic Analysis of State and Individual Responsibility Under International Law

The international law of state responsibility determines whenstates are liable for international law violations. States aregenerally liable when they have control over the actions ofwrongdoers; thus, the actions of state officials can implicatestate responsibility whereas the acts of private citizens usuallydo not. We argue that the rules of state responsibility havean economic logic similar to that of vicarious liability indomestic law: the law in both cases provides third parties withincentives to control the behavior of wrongdoers whom they canmonitor and influence. We also discuss international legal remediesand individual liability under international criminal law.     

Managing Equality in Social Dilemmas: Emotional and Retributive Implications

The equality rule is an important coordination rule in symmetric public good dilemmas. Although prior research emphasized that people use the equality rule out of efficiency concerns (as it helps to obtain the public good in the most efficient manner among group members), it may also reflect a true preference for fairness. More precisely, research examining emotional and retributive reactions as a result of a violation of the equality rule by a fellow group member showed that equality indeed is related to people’s personal values and what they consider to be fair. The present paper suggests that a violation of the equality rule results in emotional reactions, and these emotional experiences encourage further retributive actions. The different reactions following an equality violation are described as a function of three features: (1) the motives to use equality, (2) attributions for explaining the violation, and (3) the honesty of the given explanation. The write-up of this paper was partly supported by GOA/05/04 from the Research Fund of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. The research and write-up was supported by a fellowship of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO, Grant No. 016.005.019), awarded to the second author.     

Joint custody: a comprehensive review

This article presents a comprehensive overview of joint custody. The history and legislative implications are discussed, as are pertinent issues relative to the reported advantages and disadvantages of joint custody. Finally, the role of the mental health professional in assisting with counseling divorced families either before, during, or after a custody decision is discussed.     

A comparison of methods used in the UK and Ireland for the extraction and detection of semen on swabs and cloth samples

The recent formation of a United Kingdom and Irish working group, the Body Fluids Forum (BFF), highlighted the need to investigate different working practices prior to any inter-laboratory comparison work and identification of best practice. Various dilutions of semen were seeded onto swabs and cloth samples for each BFF member laboratory to test using their standard techniques. The results showed that the detection of acid phosphatase on swabs is best achieved using direct testing rather than on an extract from the swab. Extraction methods for spermatozoa require a balance to be achieved between using a sufficient volume of water to ensure optimal release and minimal volume to ensure a concentrated extract. PSA tests were investigated and found to be more sensitive than Choline. DNA profiles were obtained from samples in which no spermatozoa had been detected during microscopic examination.     

Institutionalizing ambiguity: the management review group and the reshaping of the defence policy process in Canada

Abstract: The Department of National Defence (dnd) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CF) have been the subject of many studies intended to elicit a better return from defence efforts. None of these studies have been at all comprehensive. The 1971 white paper, Defence in the 70s, introduced a new study aimed at “ensuring maximum effectiveness” in DND. The 1972 Management Review Group (MRC) report changed the entire administrative structure of DND and the CF, introduced new concepts for management, and shifted the power structure of the central bureaucracy. By the end of 1972, DND and the CF had a new set of principal actors, a new administrative structure, and a new policy process. To some the changes were more significant than previous unification reforms. The mrc report stands in sharp contrast to other studies because it has not been available to officials, scholars, or the public. Yet an awareness of die concepts that underlie the recommendations of the MRG is fundamental to understanding why the National Defence Headquarters exists and functions as it does today and why some issues are advanced over others. Sommaire: Le ministére de la Défense nationale (MDN) et les Forces armées cana-diennes (FC) ont fait l'objet de nombreuses “études” visant à accroître le rendement des efforts faits dans le domaine de la défense. Aucune de ces études n'est exhaustive. Le livre blanc de 1971, s'intitulant La défense dans les années 70, présentait une nouvelle étude dont l'objectif était “d'assurer une efficacité maximale” au sein du MDN. Le rapport de 1972 du Management Review Group (MRG) a modifyé toute la structure administrative du MDN et des FC, a introduit de nouveaux concepts de gestion et a entraîné un déplacement des pouvoirs de la bureaucratie centrale. Vers la fin de 1972, le MDN et les FC étaient dotés de nouveaux acteurs principaux, d'une nouvelle structure administrative et de nouvelles méthodes d'établissement de politique. Pour certains, ces changements ont été plus importants que les précédentes réformes d'unification. Contrairement aux autres études, le rapport du MRG n'a pas été mis à la disposition des responsables, des intellectuels ou du public. II est pourtant essentiel de con-naître les concepts sur lesquels s'appuient les recommandations du MRG si Ton veut comprendre pourquoi le Quartier général de la Défense nationale est ce qu'il est aujourd'hui, son mode de fonctionnement et les raisons pour lesquelles certaines questions ont pris le pas sur d'autres.     

Implications of trombiculid mite bites: report of a case and submission of evidence in a murder trial

Bites of Trombiculid mites implicated a suspect during a homicide investigation. Clinical documentation of the bites, correlation with entomological studies, and submission of evidence at trial are reported. Insects that have a discrete geographic distribution and leave bites of a characteristic nature may have important forensic science implications.     

Military combat, posttraumatic stress disorder, and criminal behavior in Vietnam veterans

Although data are inconclusive, popular perception has linked military combat, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and criminal behavior. This paper discusses the multifactorial elements of this association that include both conscious and unconscious parameters of psychologic functioning. Testimony on combat-related PTSD has been presented in the courtroom to support veterans' claims of not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) and diminished capacity and for consideration during judicial sentencing. Because there is a known connection between the degree of combat involvement and PTSD, verification through collateral sources of the veteran's report of combat experiences is an important component of forensic assessment. The DSM-III-defined diagnosis of PTSD and the presence of a dissociative state have particular relevance in NGRI determinations. In other aspects of the judicial process demonstration of the absolute presence or absence of PTSD is often irrelevant and should be replaced by efforts to establish plausible links between provable combat experiences and the circumstances of the crime.