South-West Africa, the Union and the United Nations

The following address was given at a joint meeting of the RoyalAfrican Society and Royal Commonwealth Society on December 3,1959, by Sir Charles Arden-Clarke G.C.M.G., Chairman of theCouncil, former Governor-General of Ghana, and Chairman of theUnited Nations Good Offices Committee that visited South Africain 1958 to discuss the problem of South-West Africa with theUnion Government. Sir John Macpherson, G.C.M.G., former Governor-Generalof Nigeria, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Colonial Office,took the chair.     

REPRESENTATION, REAPPORTIONMENT, AND THE SUPREME COURT

Abstract. The reapportionment of congressional and state legislative districts occasioned by decennial censuses has generated intense political and judicial conflict. This conflict has made clearer several obstacles to a deeper understanding of the nature of representation. It has also led to the fashioning of a new equal protection jurisprudence by the Supreme Court in an attempt to grapple with apportionment disputes. The Court has established clear standards for redistricting congressional and state legislative seats. Yet after two decades, the Court has still not produced judicially manageable standards to deal with the problems of partisan gerrymandering, affirmative gerrymandering,'political fairness', and the Court's impact on public policy. A review of the pertinent cases makes it possible to forecast the probable outcome of litigation involving these issues in the 1980 round of reapportionments.     

Citations to Authority in Supreme Court Opinions

This article analyzes citations used by the U.S. Supreme Court in its majority opinions. The research explores variations in citations and evaluates various explanations for these variations, including the potential impact of individual judicial style, legal factors, and group interaction in the formation of opinions. The article suggests that systematic analysis of citations holds potential for contributing to our understanding of the judicial process.     

INDEFINITE PUNISHMENT AND THE CRIMINAL RECORD: STIGMA REPORTS AMONG EXPUNGEMENT‐SEEKERS IN ILLINOIS*

Although criminal records in the United States are more publicly accessible than ever before, we lack knowledge about how record‐bearers seek to overcome the negative consequences associated with a visible criminal record as they apply for jobs, housing, and financial aid. Furthermore, although criminal histories record all arrests—and not just those that result in conviction—researchers have yet to compare how those with more extensive versus minor criminal records cope with criminal record stigma. We present interview data from a comparative study of expungement‐seekers (N = 53) who have petitioned the courts to remove their criminal records from public view. One group had extensive criminal records (46 percent); the other group had more minor criminal records (54 percent). Several key findings emerged. First, both groups of participants tried, but failed, to persuade potential employers and landlords to overlook the criminal record. They also faced restricted educational opportunity. Second, participants in both groups expressed distress that criminal justice contact could follow them throughout their lives, subjecting them to ongoing stigma. However, those with extensive versus minor criminal records offered different rationales explaining why the visible criminal record history unfairly burdened them. Implications for reintegration theory and policy are discussed.