Evaluation of the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987: Impact and Challenges for Preserving Underwater Cultural Heritage

In the demand of regulatory policy to control salvage of shipwrecks and protect the nation's underwater cultural heritage, the Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987 allowed the exception of the admiralty law to give states authority and management of abandoned shipwrecks for the purposes of preservation and recreation. Due to the lack of its regulatory power and vague standards, the Act has been harshly criticized for being ineffectual in resolving conflicts between commercial salvors, and states or protecting illicit salvage. This research will examine the purpose and impact of the policy under the framework of the National Historic Preservation Act, which restrained options in the policymaking. While acknowledging its limitations, this research finds that the Act enabled the inclusion of historic shipwrecks in the nation's preservation system, allowed funding, and promoted its use for public benefits. Studying the Act in the policy context of the U.S. historic preservation can promote the rightful understanding of its policy limitations as well as impact, and support feasible policy improvement.     

Forensic DNA retention: Public perspective studies in the United Kingdom and around the world

This review analysed public perspective studies on forensic DNA retention in the United Kingdom and around the world. The studies generally show strong public support for the long-term or indefinite retention of DNA from convicts and suspects. There is considerable support for the retention of DNA from all or some arrestees and potentially the entire population. This was predicated upon the belief that forensic DNA databases have crime-solving abilities, which the public rate highly. In the UK, it was found that the current Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 regime is broadly representative of the recommendations of the surveyed British public. Nevertheless, the studies highlighted a gap in forensic DNA education among the public, suggesting that public views may not be well informed. Overall, there was clear evidence of privacy concerns and the potential misuse of DNA records among the public, with a significant number opposing the retention of DNA from the innocent. It was found that most of the studies were qualitative or non-representative of the relevant population, limiting the generalisation of the results. There was also limited studies among a representative sample of primary stakeholders who are well-informed or directly exposed to the benefits, challenges and risks associated with DNA retention. A research into stakeholders rating of different forensic DNA retention regimes is therefore highly recommended. This is important because the studies suggest divergent views among criminal justice professionals and other members of the public, with the former expressing expansive views and the latter expressing restrictive views. The primary stakeholder's survey will help establish whether the relevant safeguards have been put in place to protect both public security and individual interests.     

越共“十一大”:坚持社会主义与发展对华关系

2011年初召开的越共"十一大",明确规定了越南今后一个时期的总体发展方向。此次大会坚持越共既定的革新开放路线和政治取向,继续总结越南社会主义的基本特征,维持和发展对华睦邻友好关系。越共"十一大"关于越南社会主义的个别具体提法有所调整,但原则上仍延续了越共"十大"的理论总结,再次确认该国正在实行的走向现代化发展模式。     

Of demons and angels: The “international” gaze on electoral democracy in Africa

This article reflects on the role of international election observers in African elections, following the so-called wave of democratisation at the end of the Cold War. When analysed against the role of the “international” as a geopolitical entity and the construction of the political as an epistemic heritage of the West, international observation comes across as a western gaze over the gale of democratisation sweeping through Africa. This observation is not motivated by meeting the expectations and aspirations of generations of Africans who have been waiting for and working towards freedom, but by the convergence of elite interests locally and abroad. The article therefore suggests that international observation of Africa in a neo-colonised post-colonial environment raises suspicions of imperialist designs to impose on Africa the manner in which it must organise the political arena, and the kind of democracy that it should pursue.     

“African Know Thyself”: Epistemic Injustice and the Quest for Liberative Knowledge

This article is framed against the historic myth of emptiness and its consequences on Africa, and takes a closer look at the project of modernity and the question of epistemic injustice in Africa. It deploys the phrase “African know thyself” to capture the need for Africans to grasp the distinctive particularity of their history as a people of equal ontological standing with the rest of humanity. This injunction affords special significance to history and its role in shaping the philosophical agenda in Africa by reminding us that philosophic discourse originates from, and is linked to the concrete conditions of existence, out of which it is formulated. To address the problem of epistemic injustice, Africans need to become more critically conscious of themselves and their situation in ways that inform their intellectual practice. This author submits that philosophy in Africa should assist in both “re-writing and re-righting” Africa’s position in the global knowledge landscape.     

正确处理“四对关系”，提高企业共青团工作的科学化水平

共青团工作是企业党建工作的重要组成部分，党的十八大关于全面提高党的建设科学化水平的总体部署。给企业共青团更好地发挥党的助手作用以及履行组织、服务、凝聚职能提出了更高的要求。企业团组织要深入学习贯彻党的十八大精神，主动融入党建格局，彰显团组织个性，处理好党建与团建的关系；着眼全局，统筹兼顾，处理好有为与不为的关系；善于虚功实做和虚中有实，处理好务虚与务实的关系；坚守工作主题。创新方式方法，处理好创新与发展的关系，在探索实践中找到契合企业实际的共青团工作方法和路径，更好地履行团组织各项职能，成为企业价值链中的有效一环。     

Nigeria’s 2015 General Elections: The Salience of Electoral Reforms

Nigeria’s 2015 general elections were followed by positive remarks by trusted local and international observers. The highpoint of the elections was the emergence of the opposition candidate as the winner of the 28 March presidential elections. Clearly, this is unprecedented in the electoral history of Nigeria considering the enormous influence that surrounds the office of the incumbent executive in the country. This article analyses the reforms that enhanced the integrity of the elections. The article illustrates the electoral reforms introduced by the electoral management body and their connection to the improvement of the integrity of the 2015 general elections.     

The role of African Union law in integrating Africa

This article traces how the development of regional law is linked to the state of regional integration in Africa. Given the prominent role European Union law plays in the functioning of the European Union, the question is posed whether there is similar scope for the development of ‘African Union law’, a term not established hitherto. Initially devoid from the necessary supranational elements required to adopt law that would automatically bind member states, the African Union is leaning towards a functionalist approach paving the way for transfer of sovereign powers to African Union institutions. It is argued that law-making capacity, be it through the activities of the Pan-African Parliament, the Peace and Security Council or the African court system, is a necessary requirement to accelerate the process of regional integration. African Union law will hold member states accountable to comply with international and continentally agreed standards on, inter alia, democracy, good governance and human rights.     

The big circle boys: Revisiting the case of the flaming eagles

Asian criminals known as the ‘Big Circle Boys’ (BCB) are a growing concern to law enforcement agencies in Canada and the United States. However, no academic study has been undertaken to investigate them. This paper examines whether there is any basis for identifying the BCB as a criminal group. The background of the BCB is briefly discussed, and a case study from the ‘first-generation’ BCB is presented, using a criminal memoir and testimonial evidence. The ‘Flaming Eagles’ is shown to be an organisation comprising several BCB subgroups, unified by leader Johnny Kon. This criminal group had membership procedures and rules, and was primarily involved in the heroin trade. Within the organisation, there was no clear division of labour except for the specialised role of the courier. Three distinct levels of hierarchy were apparent during most of its existence, except for the period when a five-person committee was in place. Internecine wars accounted for some of the fatalities among members and associates, while the rest were mostly attributed to assassination orders resulting from business disputes or betrayal. Analytical definitions are also surveyed for the criminal organisation models of organised criminal group (OCG), mafia and criminal firm. The Flaming Eagles is found to best fit the criminal firm model, since it lacked the territoriality characteristic of an OCG and did not provide protection as mafias do.