Court strikes out latest action in contaminated blood litigation

On 24 June 2003, the Federal Court of Canada--Trial Division struck out an action by three hemophiliacs infected with HIV through contaminated blood products. The case arose out of the destruction of records by members of Canadian Blood Committee (CBC) in 1989. The defendants were the government of Canada and three government of Canada employees who worked at the CBC in 1989 and were alleged to have been involved in the destruction of records.     

When Scientists Deceive: Applying the Federal Regulations

Deception is a useful methodological device for studying attitudes and behavior, but deceptive studies fail to fulfill the informed consent requirements in the U.S. federal regulations. This means that before they can be approved by Institutional Review Boards, they must satisfy the four regulatory conditions for a waiver or alteration of these requirements. To illustrate our interpretation, we apply the conditions to a recent study that used deception to show that subjects judged the same wine as more enjoyable when they believed it had a higher price.     

Building metropolitan governance capacity: The case of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal

Abstract: This article is about building metropolitan governance capacity. Based on the case study of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (the Montreal Metropolitan Community), the authors seek to understand how this new metropolitan institution develops its capacity to manage metropolitan issues. What factors influence metropolitan governance capacity? What are the impacts of actor behaviour, incentive structures, and political leadership on that capacity? Specifically, results focus on two of the CMM's areas of responsibility: land‐use planning, and social and affordable housing. Based on the analysis of official documents of the CMM (its act of incorporation, activity reports, budget, etc.) and thirteen interviews with elected municipal officials and public servants, the authors show that the building of metropolitan governance capacity is influenced by the interactions between those three factors, as well as by other elements specific to each context.     

Armed and academic: Perceptions of college students on concealed carry on campus policies

Following the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech, policymakers have sought ways to improve safety on college and university campuses nationwide. Among the more recent proposals is to permit concealed handgun licensees to carry on campus. To date, eight states have enacted legislation implementing this measure. A limited body of research considers the perceptions of students and other members of the campus community about these laws and their passage. The present study seeks to offer a new perspective, assessing student opinions about the recently passed legislation in Texas and whether they would support such a law in a state with strict gun control measures in place. The results indicate that while students collectively did not support concealed carry on their campus, males, Republicans, and gun owners were significantly more likely to express attitudes favorable of the law. Policy implications for its implementation, as well as limitations of the study, are considered.     

Barriers to the ballot: implications for the development of state and national crime policies

In 2013, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Shelby County v. Holder that Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which included the preclearance formula for determining which state and local jurisdictions needed to obtain federal approval before changing their election laws and voting procedures, was unconstitutional. By requiring federal approval, this provision prevented historically repressive jurisdictions from enacting covert policies to hinder non-whites from voting. The ruling in Shelby County is problematic because methods in use across the country prevent non-white citizens from casting their ballots, leaving their interests unaddressed. As people of color hold different attitudes and views than whites towards specific criminal justice measures, contemporary barriers to the ballot have potential implications for criminal law and policy. Consequently, analyses of two contemporary methods of denying non-whites a voice in government are warranted: felon disenfranchisement and voter identification laws. After considering the disproportionate effects of these laws on non-white voting, the paper reveals the potential harm that may result from Shelby County if similar laws spread to jurisdictions no longer covered by the Voting Rights Act.     

Roulement des professionnels au Centre Hospitalier Restigouche

Sommaire: Le Centre Hospitalier Restigouche (CHR) connait depuis plusieurs années un taux de roulement élevé chez ses professionnels. Il a done autorisé cette étude afin d'identifier les différents facteurs qui influencent le départ de ses professionnels. Cette recherche a vérifié trois hypothèse susceptibles, d'influencer le taux de roulement des employés. La première hypothèse suggère que le taux de roulement est relativement élevé chez les jeunes à leur premier emploi. Le CHR embauche plusieurs jeunes professionels et les résultats de cette recherche tendent à confirmer cette hypothèse. La deuxième hypothèse suggère un lien possible entre la province d'origine et le taux de roulement des professionels. Le CHR, pour combler ses postes, fait souvent appel au recrutement hors province. Les résultats tendent à infirmer cette hypothèse. La troisième hypothèse tente de vérifier le degré de satisfaction des employés. Un questionnaire de satisfaction fut distribuéà tous les professionnels en cause. Les résultats de ce questionnaire ont démontré la satisfaction des professionels à l'égard de certains, facteurs comme les salaires, les avantages sociaux, l'intégration sociale, etc. Toutefois, certains commentaires receuillis ont semblé vouloir démontrer une insatisfaction envers des facteurs comme l'accomplissement, le travail bien fait, la reconnaissance, etc. Le but de cette recherche n'était pas de répondre à toutes les questions concernant le roulement des employés au CHR. Espérons qu'elle réussira à répondre à quelque-unes. Abstract: The Centre Hospitalier Restigouche (CHR) has been experiencing for the past several years a high turnover rate among its professional employees. It has therefore authorized this study in order to identify the different factors which may have a bearing on the resignations among its employees. In this inquiry, three theories were examined which may have been factors influencing the employee turnover rate. The first suggested that the turnover rate is relatively high among the young employees in their first job. The CHR hires a number of young professionals and the results of this study tend to confirm this theory. The second theory suggested a possible link between the province of origin and the turnover rate among the professional employees. In order to fill its vacant positions, the CHR frequently resorts to recruitment outside the province. The results of the study seem to invalidate this theory. In dealing with the third theory, an attempt was made to examine the employees' degree of satisfaction. A questionnaire was distributed among all the professionals concerned. The results of this survey indicated satisfaction among the professionals with respect to certain factors such as remuneration, fringe benefits, social integration, and so on. At the same time, certain comments garnered from the questionnaires seemed to indicate that the respondents wanted to show dissatisfaction in such areas as accomplishment, a job well done, and recognition. The study was not aimed at answering all the questions surrounding employee turnover at the CHR. We hope, however, that it was successful in answering some of them.