Cave Jurisdictionem – Recent Cases on Family Law and Conflicts in Australia

This article examines some recent decisions of the Family Court of Australia as they relate to matters of private international law in family law matters. Although the notion of forum non conveniens is considered, a major focus remains on the approach of the jurisdiction to the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. In the various issues which have appeared before it, the Family Court of Australia has demonstrated a degree of confusion which suggests that other jurisdictions should be cautious in their dealings with Australia in the areas which the article discusses.Professor of Law, University of Newcastle (NSW).     

Deterrence and social control: Rethinking the relationship

Until recent years, the operationalization of the deterrence concept has been largely legal in nature. That is, deterrence was defined in terms of certainty and celerity of arrest and severity of sanction. Contemporary research has called this narrow viewpoint into question, pointing out that legal factors are only part of the range of social-control mechanisms. One of the more important of these reformulations was found to have an analytical flaw which could have easily affected the results (Meier and Johnson, 1977). The present study corrects the analysis problems of this previous study and upholds the findings that, for a sample of adult Texas residents, extralegal factors are of more import for determining marijuana use than traditional legal deterrence. Since both legal and extralegal factors are products of the social context, deterrence may be appropriately incorporated into contemporary social- control theories.     

Book reviews

Ernest Gellner, Conditions of Liberty: Civil Society and its Rivals, (Hamish Hamilton, London 1994). 225pp. ISBN 0–241–00220–6 (hb).

James Petras and Morris Morley, Empire or Republic? American Global Power and Domestic Decay, (Routledge, London 1995). 172pp. ISBN 0–415–91064–1.

Keith Cowling and Roger Sugden, Beyond Capitalism: Towards a New World Order, (Pinter, London 1994), 195pp. ISBN 1 85567 301 0.

John Lewis Gaddis, The United States and the End of the Cold War. Implications, Reconsiderations, Provocations, (OUP, Oxford 1994). x. + 301 pp. ISBN 0–19–508551–5.

Alan Haworth, Anti‐Libertarianism: Markets, Philosophy and Myth, (Routledge, London 1994). 154pp. ISBN 0–415–08254–4.

Honi Fern Haber, Beyond Postmodern Politics. Selves, Community and the Politics of Difference, (Routledge, London 1995). 160pp. ISBN 0–415–90822–1.

Stjepan G. Mestrovic The Balkanization of the West: The Confluence of Postmodernism and Postcommunism (Routledge, London 1994). 226pp. ISBN 0–415–08755–4 (pbk).     

Using input-output models to measure local economic impacts

State governments are often interested in the economic impact of various policies and shocks to local economies. Typically, multipliers from an input-output model are used to determine the total effect, which includes the direct effect of the policy or shock and the so-called ripple effects. This paper presents the theoretical background and examples of applications of a regional input-output model. The theoretical background will focus on explaining hour to correctly use such models so that exaggerated effects are not claimed. Examples of how to apply a tailor made model, namely RLMS II, are discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the value and the potential misuses of regional impact models.     

Aid,conditionality and ownership: A transactions cost perspective

An argument for conditionality in aid programmes from a transactions cost perspective.     

Adaptation to Climate Change and the Everglades Ecosystem

Water management, development, and farming continue to degrade the structure and function of the Florida Everglades. Global climate change is expected to exacerbate these anthropogenic impacts. This article explores the historical and current adulteration of the Everglades, reviews the expected effects of climate change on the ecosystem, and recommends an amendment to the farm bill to support the implementation of adaptive management to increase climate resilience.