Supporting the automated generation of modular product line safety cases

Abstract The effective reuse of design assets in safety-critical Software Product Lines (SPL) would require the reuse of safety analyses of those assets in the variant contexts of certification of products derived from the SPL. This in turn requires the traceability of SPL variation across design, including variation in safety analysis and safety cases. In this paper, we propose a method and tool to support the automatic generation of modular SPL safety case architectures from the information provided by SPL feature modeling and model-based safety analysis. The Goal Structuring Notation (GSN) safety case modeling notation and its modular extensions supported by the D-Case Editor were used to implement the method in an automated tool support. The tool was used to generate a modular safety case for an automotive Hybrid Braking System SPL

Environmental Risk and the Traditional Sector Approach: Market Efficiency at the Core of Environmental Law

Professor Gillroy provides an in-depth discussion on the evolution of environmental law and the proposition that market efficiency has been, and still is, at its core

A question of confidence: an appraisal of the operation of the Gene Technology Act 2000

[Abstract]: This article examines the Gene Technology Act 2000 and its operation during its short existence. The Act is examined from the perspective that the regulatory regime in the controversial area of gene technology should engender the confidence of the public and industry if the innovative technology is to be accepted, especially in relation to food crops. The provisions of the Act are examined in comparison with Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The article also looks at the nature of some applications to the Regulator, the manner with which these have been dealt and some administrative issues which have arisen. Critical issues in relation to the operation of the Act are the absence of any economic or marketing considerations and the declaration or threatened declaration by some States of moratoriums on the commercial release of GMOs

Disruptive Innovations and Disruptive Assurance: Assuring Machine Learning and Autonomy

Autonomous and machine learning-based systems are disruptive innovations and thus require a corresponding disruptive assurance strategy. We offer an overview of a framework based on claims, arguments, and evidence aimed at addressing these systems and use it to identify specific gaps, challenges, and potential solutions