Two items of evidence, no putative source: an inference problem in forensic intelligence

Intelligence analysts commonly associate cases on the basis of similarities found in compared characteristics of scientific evidence. The present paper studies some of the inferential difficulties associated with such operations. An analysis is proposed that breaks down the reasoning process into inference to common source, and inference to case linkage. The former requires an approach to the difficulty associated with evaluating the similarities of items of evidence from different cases with no putative source being available. The latter requires consideration to be given to the relevance of evidence. Throughout the paper, probability theory is used to describe the nature of the proposed inferences. Graphical models are also introduced with the aim of providing further insight into the dependence and independence relationships assumed to hold among the various propositions considered. Notions from decision theory are used to discuss ways in which intelligence analysts may assist investigators in deciding whether or not cases should be considered as linked.     

Designing Ethical Online Dispute Resolution Systems: The Rise of the Fourth Party

As the pandemic forces public and private institutions to move online, many court and business leaders are looking to the field of online dispute resolution (ODR) for best practices and lessons learned. Developed over the last twenty years, largely in response to the growth of e‐commerce, the ODR field has generated a deep well of theory and practice while also identifying potential ethical dilemmas and risks. The application of technology, the “fourth party,” plays an increasingly integral role in how we negotiate resolutions to our disputes, with or without a third party. A brief overview of the history of ODR’s development will set the context for the exploration of the range of tools and techniques encompassed by online dispute resolution. Consideration of the ethical challenges raised by ODR practice will illuminate key questions and choices that need to be made in designing ODR systems and in governing their use.     

Impurities,adulterants and cutting agents in cocaine as potential candidates for retrospective mining of GC-MS data

Cocaine is one of the most widely used illicit drugs worldwide. Cocaine powders seized by the Police may contain numerous other substances besides the drug itself. These can be impurities originating from the coca plant or the production process, or be purposely added to the drug formulation as adulterants and cutting agents. In forensic laboratories, identification of cocaine is routinely done through GC-MS analysis, but other components are often ignored even if the method allows for their detection. Yet, they can provide valuable insight into the history of a seizure and its potential connection to other samples. To explore this idea, an extensive review of common impurities and adulterants encountered in cocaine is presented. Based on their incidence, concentration in the end product and compatibility with GC-MS methods, their overall usefulness as candidates for the statistical investigation of existing forensic data is evaluated. The impurities cis- and trans-cinnamoylcocaine, tropacocaine, norcocaine and N-benzoylnormethylecgonine as well as the adulterants lidocaine, procaine, tetracaine, benzocaine, caffeine, acetylsalicylic acid, phenacetin, ibuprofen, levamisole, hydroxyzine and diltiazem are promising candidates to provide additional forensic intelligence. Future research on optimized routine GC-MS methods, signal reproducibility, comparison, statistics and databases is suggested to facilitate this concept. Ultimately, such an approach may significantly advance the amount of information that is extracted from routine casework data, elucidate developments in the cocaine markets in the past and facilitate Police work in the future. Preliminary assessment of existing data from the forensic laboratory of the Amsterdam Police has been included to show that the detection of the identified target impurities is feasible, and that small adjustments to the analysis method could significantly increase the detectability of these analytes in prospective drug screenings. Forensic intelligence based on retrospective data mining of cocaine containing casework samples may thus be realized with minimal additional laboratory efforts by using already available instrumentation, samples and data.     

性骚扰案件中的证据问题研究

本文根据性骚扰案件的特点,就性骚扰案件在诉讼过程中的证明责任的分配、证据的收集和认定等主要问题进行了分析,提出了以下主要观点:(1)在性骚扰案件中,仍应实行“谁主张谁举证”的证明责任分担规则;(2)在证据的收集方面,正确理解“非法证据排除规则”,确认原告以偷拍、偷录方式获得的证据的证据能力。因性骚扰案件体现出的公益性质,当事人除可申请法院调取证据外,法院应主动依职权调取相关证据;(3)在证据认定方面,提高对原告陈述的证明力的认定,同时,应降低对原告的证明标准的要求。通过以上措施可以切实保护性骚扰案件的受害人。     

论逻辑思维方法在公安情报信息研判中的运用

逻辑思维是公安情报信息研判的重要工具,运用逻辑思维可以研判情报信息是否具有真实性;可以研判情报信息所反映事物的特征和深层次原因;可以研判情报信息所反映犯罪嫌疑因素;可以研判情报信息所反映事物的危害性和可能发展趋势;可以研判情报信息中所需解决问题的预警措施;还可以研判案件与案件之间的相同或相似特征。     

再造监听情报的诉讼价值实现途径研究

随着现代警务科技的发展和监听技术的日臻成熟,监听侦查在控制和打击犯罪中正发挥着越来越重要的作用。但是,关于监听手段的法律规制在学界尚存在争议。在实践上,各国关于监听侦查的法律规制虽各不相同,但对于监听情报作为诉讼证据的证据价值都有严格的要求。在依法治国,全面推进社会主义法制化国家的大形势下,本文探究性的挖掘监听情报的诉讼价值及其在现代法治国家的立法规范,期望以此对完善我国监听情报侦查制度有所裨益。     

吉林省情报信息工作新体系构建的相关问题研究

随着情报主导警务理念在我国的发展,情报信息工作逐渐成为刑侦工作乃至整个公安工作的重要力量。但各地情报信息工作的发展却不尽相同,而吉林省的情报信息工作与其他地区在软、硬件设施及资源共享、管理规范等方面都有一些差距。弥补差距,构建吉林省情报信息工作的主要对策是:更新观念;全面采集社会信息,建立专兼结合、专群结合、点面结合的反应灵敏、覆盖面广的情报网络,提高情报意识,开展民警全员培训活动;加强对情报专业人员的培养;科学管理,逐步实现刑事情报的规范化发展。     

The Value of Crime Scene and Site Visitation by Forensic Psychologists and Psychiatrists

Site visits and crime scene visitation by forensic psychologists and psychiatrists may enhance the accuracy and credibility of their forensic work in criminal, civil, and other important contexts. This ethically sound technique of after‐the‐fact data collection and verification offers numerous potential benefits to the forensic mental health professional: clarifying the subject's actions, assessing the reliability of witness reports, identifying contextual determinants of behavior, and more fully illuminating subject motivation and decision‐making. Limitations and suggested guidelines for conducting site visits are offered. Guidelines include preplanning, arranging for an informed guide to accompany and narrate the visit, and conducting the site visit prior to forensic examinations.     

From Finances to Transnational Mobility: Searching for the Global Jihadists' Achilles Heel

ABSTRACT

This article seeks to uncover a primary source of vulnerability in the global Jihadist terrorist network. It offers a critical examination of the traditional money lead for countering global Jihadist terrorism, and concludes that in this case, it is not the most effective method. Rather, the concept of transnational mobility, both as it relates to socialization into and professionalization within the Jihadist network, is identified as the lifeblood of the network, and thus an arguably more appropriate focus for countering strategies. Issues surrounding travel document security are analysed within an overarching dichotomous framework of offensive/defensive counter-terrorism strategies, emphasizing the need for active penetration by intelligence forces into the terrorist networks and relevant mobility-related realms.