The past has not passed away: burdens of an unreformed judiciary

Nigeria has now experienced more than two decades of civil rule after nearly 30 years of military authoritarian rule. The judicial record in governance during the authoritarian period was virtually unaddressed despite widespread public concerns about the role of the judiciary during the period. The political transition proceeded with the judicial institution’s baggage of complicity for legitimising authoritarian rule and a record of corruption. In an age of increasing involvement of the judiciary in governance, the Nigerian judiciary has been a strategic actor across diverse and critical aspects of governance in the country. While the Nigerian judiciary has made significant contributions to governance in the troubled post-authoritarian state, the judiciary remains blighted from unaccounted institutional legacy. This continues to have serious consequences for the rule of law, human rights, and democracy in the polity. This chapter examines and evaluates the effects of the institutional legacy of the Nigerian judiciary on human rights, rule of law and democracy

Global Maoist optics among diaspora: The Indian Workers' Association during India's food 'crisis', 1965-69

This article considers the Indian Workers’ Association (Great Britain) [hereafter IWA]’s responses to food scarcities in India during the late 1960s. It reveals Maoist optics informed IWA critiques, departing from coexistent appraisals articulated in leftist circles in India. In doing so, the article demonstrates the relevance of worldviews, idioms and paradigms emanating from global conjunctures beyond places of origin among diaspora. IWA luminaries were embedded in revolutionary anti-colonial networks shaped by decolonization and the global Cold War, and bestowed substance upon Maoism in these contexts. Ultimately, this informed IWA perceptions of causes and solutions to the food ‘crisis’: in their characterizations of reliance on external aid as indicative of post-1947 India’s semi-colonial status; in portrayals of Soviet ‘social imperialism’ in India during the Sino-Soviet Split; or in demands for radical land reform based on a selective rendering of the Chinese model, which downplayed the consequences of the ‘Great Leap Forward’

The social licence to operate in the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry: A new approach to governance under the Petroleum Industry Act 2021

In 2021, the erstwhile primary law regulating the oil and gas industry in Nigeria – the Petroleum Act 1969 – was abrogated, and a new law – the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) – was enacted. A major development enshrined in the PIA is the creation of the Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT). The HCDT is mandatory and is premised on fostering sustainable prosperity in the petroleum host communities in Nigeria. Furthermore, this chapter argues that social license to operate (SLO) is one of the strategies that has been utilised by oil producing communities and other stakeholders to improve access to justice and improve the plight of oil producing communities in Nigeria thereby promoting accountability and transparency in the sector. This chapter suggests that the HCDT has the potential to improve the ability of companies to achieve the requisite SLO from host communities in the Niger Delta if successfully implemented. However, the provisions of the PIA on host communities suffer from some inadequacies and this chapter proffers some recommendations to enhance the potential of the PIA in this regard

Alcohol additives to enhance ammonia-methane combustion efficiency and reduce emissions: A reactive force field analysis

Exploring the impact of alcohol additives on combustion and pyrolysis of ammonia/methane is of great importance in the pursuit of sustainable energy technologies. This work employs Reactive Force Field (ReaxFF) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate the underlying mechanism of how ethanol and methanol additives affect reaction pathways, NOx emissions and bond energy characteristics in ammonia-methane pyrolysis and combustion processes. It shows that adding alcohols altered NOx formation pathways, reducing the diversity of NOx and shifting the equilibrium toward simpler NOx such as NO and NO2. At 2,000 K, alcohol blends, particularly methanol, demonstrated a notable reduction in NO2 formation. At 3,000 K, both ethanol and methanol suppressed NO production, but the influence of methanol was stronger. Nitric acid production, HNO3, was present at lower temperatures but became negligible at higher temperatures because of the thermal breakdown of the higher-order NOx. These trends confirm that alcohol additives play a potential role in moderating NOx emissions and stabilizing reaction pathways. The pyrolysis in modified reaction pathways, which facilitated the decomposition of ammonia and methane in these blends, affected the formation of intermediate species, leading to the reduction in peak emissions. In addition, methanol and ethanol showed significant impacts on hydrogen bond energies of the mixture, especially key radicals such as CH2O, CH3, H2N, and CHN encouraging higher complexity pathways. By leveraging a computationally robust and scalable methodology, this study not only advances a fundamental understanding of alcohol-enhanced ammonia/methane combustion but also informs strategies to optimize these mixtures for practical use in modern propulsion systems

Conversation analysis

Conversation Analysis (CA) originated within sociology as an alternative way to understand social action. New, more accessible recording technologies of the 1960s, alongside fine-grained transcription of these recordings, allowed attention to the social order as it unfolded, sequentially, in interactions. Studies showed that mundane talk was actually a complex ongoing system that could be analysed by speaker turns. The patterning of phenomena such as pauses provided insights into interactants’ deep understanding of social organisation, attunement to others and the hidden orderliness of conversation. Studies of naturally occurring institutional talk have allowed comparisons to conversation, to understand talk in a range of contexts. Recently, CA has been more widely applied in research to provide a disciplined approach to understanding participants’ viewpoints within interactions, as directly evidenced in transcriptions. Its methods offer rich insights into facets of education for those interested in issues of how actions and practices are achieved in interactions

Getting "[be]wildered on the fells": Navigating upland ecologies in Elizabeth Gaskell's Cumbrian Tales

Elizabeth Gaskell was a recurring visitor to and ardent admirer of the English Lake District, its surrounding environs, and cultural history; and much more than this, its fellscapes appear as a recurring and material environment in a range of her short fiction. In ‘Martha Preston’ (1850), a child is rescued from the heights of Loughrigg by the story’s heroine, and he claims that as a result of the snow and subsequent lack of landmarks, he had become lost and ‘wildered on the fells’. As this chapter will explore, through variations of this episode, Gaskell adapts Dorothy Wordsworth’s tragic account of a Grasmere couple who were ‘bewildered’ when crossing the snow-covered hills, and in doing so, situates her own work in a tradition of regional and Lakeland literature. In ‘The Cumberland Sheep-Shearers’ (1853), the Gaskellian narrator recounts that ‘there [are] no lack of tales’ about ‘the wild and desolate Fells’, and this is realised by the author in several of her short stories set in the area. In ‘The Old Nurse’s Story’ (1852), Cumbrian hillsides become a treacherous site of ghostly encounter, Susan Dixon saves Michael Hurst from certain death on the fells in ‘Half a Life-Time Ago’ (1855), and two siblings lose their bearings in the mountains at night in ‘The Half-Brothers’ (1859). In tracing the palimpsestic iterations and variations of these climactic set-pieces closely, this essay examines the author’s psychogeographical depictions of individuals navigating and losing their way in this wild environment; a setting that can be rendered strange by altitude and climate, to the uninitiated and experienced Lakelander. Through an Ecocritical lens, this chapter meditates on the author’s familiarity with these bewildering environments and localised cultures, and in turn, reflects on what these upland narratives reveal about Gaskell’s interest in regional environments and ecological perception, more broadly

Sport, sexuality and sexual abuse

This chapter explores important issues and debates around the construction of gender and sexuality in sport. We explore the challenges that heteronormative constructions of gender and sexuality can play for the marginalisation of athletes who do not conform physically or sexually to these normative ideals. Further to this, and drawing upon findings from a series of reports into sexual abuse in a variety of sports, we problematise the closed nature of sporting communities and the way in which this can facilitate harmful sexual behaviours. Drawing upon a case study of ice hockey which has witnessed a number of hazing, voyeurism and other sexual abuse scandals, we highlight some of the important changes are required at micro, meso and macro levels to better protect athletes and reduce the potential for abuse to occur

Artificial intelligence for regulatory compliance in chemical engineering industries

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the regulatory compliance landscape in the chemical engineering sector, where organizations should navigate complex environmental, safety, and operational standards. AI technologies such as machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and predictive analytics offer innovative solutions to the challenges posed by regulatory complexity. It enable organizations to process vast data sets, reduce human error, and enhance decision-making. This chapter investigates the ability of AI to improve compliance systems, eliminate human errors, and increase operational efficiency. It also emphasizes the significance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), shedding light on the potential of evolving AI platforms for global regulatory compliance. However, AI adoption is not without its problems. Significant challenges exist regarding data quality and integration, cybersecurity, and regulatory approval

Foreign trade in Benin Kingdom: A rethink of the historical evolution of trading norms in Africa

African societies and institutions developed structures and norms that embodied the uniqueness of their own trading arrangements even before the consolidation of European rule in the region. This chapter focuses on trading interactions between Benin Kingdom and foreign traders (including traders from Europe and Africa) in this era. This chapter focuses on the period immediately prior to British conquest of Benin Kingdom in 1897. This chapter discusses some of the indigenous trading devices or mechanisms including the role of guilds (for example, trading associations), credit or trust system and the role of the Oba (king) in trade or commerce in Benin. Hence, this chapter argues the trading practices of Benin were dissimilar to what was operational in Europe yet legible – to Europeans who engaged in trading interactions with Benin Kingdom in this era. This chapter argues that three distinct concepts of legal systems that govern trade between Benin and other polities including Africans and Europeans in 15th -19th centuries (before the consolidation of European rule in the region) can be extrapolated from some of the direct testimony of primary sources and concrete examples from the secondary literature. First, a sort of customary trans-jurisdictional code of conduct within a specific trade or profession (this is reflected in trading associations in Benin including traders involved in long-distance trade from Benin). This was a key aspect of the regulation of trade between Benin and its neighbours. Second, is royal or state law. These are laws promulgated by the ruler or government of the polity and which are specific to a jurisdiction. In the context of Benin, the Oba was the epicentre of royal law or customary norms. Third, is a special body of law developed through commercial treaties or agreements to regulate interactions between two states and their nationals (for example, the commercial agreement between the Dutch and Benin in the 18th century). Hence, the regulation of trade in Benin appears to have elements of all three concepts. This chapter analyses how trade in Benin was governed by these three distinct sets of laws and how certain aspects of these legal systems proved legible to European traders. The role of the Oba was integral to the success of the legal frameworks on trade in Benin. This chapter utilises the functional approach to comparative legal methodology. The research methodology adopted was heavily influenced by the research objectives explored in the chapter

Evaluation report for Generation Green 2. Assessing the impact of nature based short courses for young people

Evidence suggests that children are spending less time playing outdoors and in nature, with those from lower income and ethnic minority backgrounds having less opportunity to spend time outdoors and access green spaces. Generation Green 2 aimed to address these inequalities by offering young people opportunities to spend time in nature in beautiful natural landscapes through a mixture of multi-day residential experiences and day trips all of which aimed to support a deeper connection with the natural world. Questionnaire data was collected from the young people at three time points: Pre- and post-short course and 12 week follow up. Qualitative data was also collected from young people and the staff who worked with them. In total 941 young people completed pre and post questionnaires with 272 of these young people providing follow up data. 388 young people provided qualitative data, and 4 staff members participated in interviews. Significant short-term increases from pre- to post-short course were seen in both the day trip and residential experiences for nature connectedness, importance of looking after nature, wellbeing, connection to the night sky and inclusion of nature at night in self. Significant increases in nature connectedness, wellbeing, connection to the night sky and inclusion of nature at night in self were maintained at follow up for the residential group only. Residential experiences appear to support longer-lasting effects across all measures taken whilst day trips appear to support a more intense short-term boost. Qualitative data showed support for a deeper connection with nature with strong support for the importance of contact, beauty, emotion and compassion pathways to nature connectedness. Young people were also found to engage with nature through a wide variety of activities, were pushed out of their comfort zones, overcame challenges, learned new skills, had freedom to engage in self-led activities, developed greater appreciation of the natural world and had the opportunity for an amazing and awe-inspiring experience. These overwhelmingly positive results highlight the importance of offering such experiences to young people and for such opportunities to be offered more widely, so many more young people get to experience the benefits of outdoor nature based short trips and residential courses. This report presents the evaluation undertaken by researchers from the University of Derby Nature Connectedness Research Group to assess the impact of Generation Green 2 for the young people who participated