Mercosur: the road to economic integration in the southern cone

This review of the historical record of economic integration in southern South America demonstrates that while MERCOSUR is very much an outgrowth of historical attempts at Latin American political and economic integration, and closely follows on the bilateral Argentina-Brazil accords of the mid-1980s, it also represents an adaptation to the contemporary political climate. The political process through which MERCOSUR was pursued and the emphasis on regional cooperation is reminiscent of the traditional rhetoric and strategy associated with Latin American integration attempts. Yet, the form and timing of its growth has clearly been influenced by international events and conditioned by current trends toward free markets and neo-liberal economic policies. As such, MERCOSUR represents the current set of public policies which define the new competitive environment for business in the Southern Cone.     

Toolmark Identification of a Mattock to a Clod of Soil from a Grave

Abstract: At a recent bushland gravesite that contained a deceased male, a clod of soil displaying a striated toolmark was collected during the excavation of the grave. This clod was preserved, and the mark was cast using Mikrosil?. Shovels and a mattock, which had been discarded by the suspects, were subsequently found at another location. A toolmark comparison identified the hoe end of the mattock head as having produced the striated toolmark.     

Parallel imports, repackaging of pharmaceuticals, and the forfeiture defence under Article 242 of the German Civil Code

Trade mark owners cannot legitimately oppose further commercializationof repackaged pharmaceuticals if they fail to object in a timelymanner to a new type of repackaging after being notified ofit by a parallel importer.     

The impact of sentencing options on recidivism among domestic violence offenders: A case study

Past domestic violence research has tended to focus on issues related to law enforcement responses. More recently, the focus has shifted to other components of the criminal justice system, such as prosecution and correctional responses, to determine the best way to reduce domestic violence. This project is a case study of 177 male convicted domestic violence offenders who were sentenced to one of five options: community corrections; jail; a suspended sentence; private counseling, a fine, or restitution; and advisement. The focus of this inquiry is on the likelihood of each sanction reducing future arrests and convictions for domestic violence. The results reveal that no one sanction is more effective than the other options. A draft of this paper was presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Criminal Justice Association, Chattanooga, TN, 1999. The authors would like to thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions on an earlier version of this paper. This work stems from a project started by Chesterfield County and Melissa Gross to complete her Master of Social Work degree requirements. The primary authors of this piece are Jill A. Gordon and Laura J. Moriarty. The ordering of names are alphabetical after Melissa Gross.