Observer determination of the make,model, and year of questioned vehicles

Often, criminal acts involving a vehicle are caught on digital video surveillance systems. While potentially useful for an investigation, the recording conditions are typically less than optimal for the extraction of key information for the identification of the perpetrator, such as a license plate. Providing the make, model and year of a questioned vehicle is a common request for examiners, to narrow the field of potential suspect vehicles. This study seeks to compare the performance of a nonpeer-reviewed make, model, and year determination between two separate groups, specifically, trained forensic image examiners and nontrained individuals. Results show that even with varied image capture conditions and quality, the trained forensic image examiners more correctly and completely identified the test group of questioned vehicles make, model, and year.     

An Honourable Profession: Public Employees and Identity Construction in Chile, 1880–1920

This paper analyses how public employees at two Chilean government offices constructed their occupational identities. In contrast to the vast majority of previous work, which took the 1920s as its starting point, this study focuses on the period between 1880 and 1920. Additionally, the construction of identity is analysed in direct relation to performance in the workplace. The paper asserts that public criticism of their performance prompted public employees to develop an image of themselves based on the concept of their honourability as competent and honest workers.     

Building socialism: from ‘scientific’ to ‘active’ Marxism

Abstract

Historical materialism envisages law-like tendencies (‘scientific’ Marxism) promoting the development of productive forces and, concurrently, a political praxis (‘active’ Marxism) requiring human intervention. These positions give rise to conflicting interpretations of Marxism: first to understand society, second to change it – to abolish economic exploitation. The twentieth century witnessed a shift in the locus of the contradictions of capitalism to the economically dependent territories of the imperial powers. Socialist parties, when in power and adopting a Leninist political praxis, furthered modernisation and were successful in reducing economic exploitation. The paper addresses the relationship between the scientific and praxis components of Marxism in contemporary global capitalism. It considers post-Marxist interpretations of the changing class structure, the rise of identity politics and the evolving nature of capital. Forms of domination, oppression and discrimination (bureaucracy, patriarchy, racism, militarism and credentialism) give rise to their own distinctive forms of power relations. It is contended that they should not be equated with Marx’s crucial insight into the nature of economic exploitation. Many current Marxist (and ‘post-Marxist’) writers adopt a ‘scientific’ position emphasising the inherent contradictions of capitalism. The author claims that without appropriate political praxis, the resolution of such contradictions is unlikely to transcend capitalism.     

工人阶级仍然是当代我国最先进的阶级

要回答中国工人阶级是否先进的问题,必须首先掌握先进性的衡量标准,并用其对中国工人阶级进行具体分析。     

提高课堂教学质量的几点体会

课堂教学效果直接关系到教学质量的高低,素质教育的大力提倡,对课堂教学提出了新的要求.如何在新的形势下提高课堂教学质量、教师综合素质、教师课堂角色、课堂引导、教法改革、教学艺术等方面起着十分重要的作用.     

论增强党的阶级基础、扩大党的群众基础的必要性

在新世纪 ,增强党的阶级基础、扩大党的群众基础是建设有中国特色社会主义事业的必然要求 ;是改革开放以来我国社会阶级、阶层发生深刻变化带来的新要求 ;是新世纪加强党的建设的根本要求。     

国际刑事司法协助制度的若干新发展

《联合国打击跨国有组织犯罪公约》和《联合国反腐败公约》对国际刑事司法协助制度的新近发展作出了一定程度的总结,特别是确立了以追缴被非法转移的犯罪所得或收益为中心的司法协助新体系,放宽了双重犯罪原则对非强制性司法协助活动的限制作用,全面推广司法协助"中央机关"的联系机制,同时,倡导各国在条件允许的情况下采纳远程视频听证和联合调查的取证新方式。这些发展所涉及的一些新规则值得加以深入研究。     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
Charles Bergquist, Ricardo Peñaranda, and G. Gonzalo Sánchez (eds.), Violence in Colombia 1990––2000. Waging War and Negotiating Peace
H. Kline, State Building and Conflict Resolution in Colombia, 1986–1994
N. Richani, Systems of Violence. The Political Economy of War and Peace in Colombia
Maxwell A. Cameron, and Brian W. Tomlin, The Making of NAFTA: How the Deal Was Done
Ben Fallaw, Cárdenas Compromised: The Failure of Reform in Postrevolutionary Yucatán
Aníbal González, Killer Books: Writing, Violence, and Ethics in Modern Spanish American Narrative
Valerie Boyle (ed.), A South American Adventure: Letters from George Reid, 1867–1870
Caroline Salvin, A Pocket Eden. Guatemalan Journals 1873–1874/Un paraíso. Diarios guatemaltecos 1873–1874     

论"劳模精神"的内涵和弘扬

"劳模精神"是中国工人阶级在我国社会主义建设各个历史时期不断凝聚传承的宝贵精神财富."劳模精神"与时俱进,不断丰富发展,是激励工人阶级投身社会主义现代化建设的强大精神动力.要以劳动模范为榜样,调动广大职工的劳动热情,充分发挥工人阶级在构建和谐社会中的主力军作用.     

中国现行法律解释制度研究

法律解释制度是国家法律制度整体中具有辐射性和跨越性的重要制度。全国人大常委会行使首要的法律解释权 ,解释法律应当遵循五道程序 ,法律解释同法律具有同等效力 ,最高司法机关可以就司法中具体应用法律的问题进行解释 ,这些内容构成了中国现行法律解释的制度框架。这一制度框架中 ,立法法规定的法律解释制度在法律意义上是成立的 ,1981年全国人大常委会关于加强法律解释工作的决议是否合法则存在疑问。现今绝大多数国家一般都以司法机关为主要的法律解释主体。中国实际采行的则是全国人大常委会和最高司法机关都解释法律的二元化体制 ,前者是法律上的首要法律解释主体 ,后者则是实践中最主要的法律解释主体。几十年间 ,全国人大常委会所作的法律解释为数非常有限 ,倒是法律上处于其次地位的最高司法机关的法律解释为数甚多。在人民代表大会制度下 ,由全国人大常委会行使首要的和主要的法律解释权 ,在逻辑上是成立的。然而逻辑上成立未必能完全解决问题。全国人大常委会会期不足因而不能随时根据需要解释法律 ,它并不具体应用法律因而难以适时就法律应用特别是法律适用做出法律解释。转变这种状况 ,单用所谓立法解释、司法解释、行政解释这种颇具中国特色的分类方法是不敷需要的。在法治发达的环境下