Research malpractice and the issue of incidental findings.

Human subject research involving brain imaging is likely to reveal significant incidental findings of abnormal brain morphology. Because of this fact and because of the fiduciary relationship between researcher and subject, board-certified or board-eligible radiologists should review the scans to look for any abnormality, the scans should be conducted in accordance with standard medical practice for reviewing the clinical status of the whole brain, and the informed consent process should disclose the possibility that incidental findings may be revealed and what consequences will follow. In the event such findings are revealed, qualified physicians should explain to the subject the significance of the findings and the alternatives available.     

Interpretation of blood alcohol concentration in maritime accidents—A case report

The human element is increasingly acknowledged as an important factor contributing to accidents at sea. Alcohol and drug abuse is becoming an increasing problem among seafarers in the last few years. Recently we registered a few similar maritime accidents on the Adriatic coast. During the analysis of these incidents, it became apparent that the consumption of alcohol on duty was the main cause of the ship being stranded. We report a maritime accident recently happened in port of Rijeka, where the merchant ship stranded on the main breakwater. During the investigation, forensic alcohol analysis established that master's consumption of alcohol on duty was the main cause of the incident. The BAC–UAC relation we found was not physiologically possible, so further diagnostic workup demonstrated that urine was diluted. Various issues are being discussed, such as urine dilution, retrograde calculation, elimination rate, two subsequent blood samples, drinking after the accident, as well as prevention measures. Our observations indicate a need for stricter and more precise legislation as well as more frequent police control that will hopefully result in prevention of serious maritime accidents caused by alcohol consumption. In our opinion, better understanding of the above mentioned apparent problems in navigation rules and maritime law regulations can prevent similar accidents from happening in the future. Accidents like the one described cause double damage for society: due to acute health problems of the crew and navigation safety, as well as due to the long-term harmful consequences such as suspension of career on ship board and early retirement of employees.     

Excusing Necessity and Terror: What Criminal Law Can Teach Constitutional Law

This essay proposes a theory of excuse that, without blending it into exculpation, avoids the condonation of crime. The question it takes up is: given that neither compulsion by circumstances nor by human threats removes the legal reason for punishing, how can its exonerating force be rendered compatible with the state’s general duty to punish the guilty? The chapter criticizes various proposals for reconciling excuse with the duty to punish the guilty, including the moral involuntariness theory, the concession to frailty theory, and the conformity to moral expectation theory. It then proposes a solution: moral blamelessness exonerates because it simulates the conditions for legal exculpation. Just as the exculpated actor acknowledges the legal norm of mutual respect for agents, so does the excused actor acknowledge the public reason of the self-sufficient political community of which the legal norm is a part. The author argues that this theory would excuse the altruistic no less than the self-preferring murderer.     

Terrance McConnell,Inalienable Rights

Law and Philosophy -     

Zero-base budgeting: some lessons from an inconclusive experiment

Abstract. This paper describes the consequences of an experiment conducted with four governmental programs intended to evaluate the utility of ZBB for improving public sector decision-making. The results of this experiment were mixed. On the one hand, we clearly observed greater participation by operating managers in the formulation of budgets. This, we were frequently told, had positive consequences for staff development and program planning. The zbb experiment also resulted in the generation of more and better information in support of budget requests. However, information has value only to the extent that it increases the probability that decision makers will choose better options than they would without it. In no case was it possible to identify changes in budget amounts or program content that might not have occurred following standard budgeting practices. We do not believe the absence of fiscal or program impact resulting from this experience is in any way conclusive evidence against zbb , but it should serve as a warning to the unwary or over-enthusiastic user. Sommaire. Cet article fait état d'une expérience conduite sur quatre programmes gouvernementaux dans le but d'évaluer l'utilité de la méthode zbb comme moyen d'améliorer le processus de décision à l'intérieur du secteur public. Les résultats de l'expérience sont partagés. D'une part, il apparaît évident que cette méthode suscite plus de participation chez les gestionnaires dans la formulation des budgets; cette participation accrue produit — nous a-t-on affirméà plusieurs reprises — des effets positifs sur le perfectionnement du personnel et sur la planification des programmes. L'expérience a eu aussi pour effet d'engendrer des informations plus nombreuses et de meilleure qualité aux fins de justification des demands budgétaires. Cependant, l'information n'a de valeur que dans la mesure où elle augmente la probabilité que de meilleurs choix seront effectués. Or, dans aucun cas, il n'a été possible d'identifier des changements dans les budgets alloués ou dans le contenu des programmes qui ne seraient pas survenus avec l'emploi des méthodes traditionnelles de préparation des budgets. Nous ne croyons pas que cette absence d'impact sur la fiscalité ou sur les programmes témoigne de façon concluante contre la méthode du zbb , mais c'est une mise en garde pour ceux qui seraient tentés de surestimer les avantages de cette méthode.