Diminished Responsibility: Jury verdicts and ‘uncontradicted’ psychiatric evidence

Case note on R v Brennan [2014] EWCA Crim 238

Jury research in Scotland: a rejoinder

Responds to an article by Cheryl Thomas in Crim. L.R. 2016, 12, 915-923, criticising the authors' earlier article "How should we go about jury research in Scotland?", Crim. L.R 2016, 10, 697-713, which discussed why jury research is needed and the methods available. Replies to Thomas's criticisms of their understanding of jury research methods and their findings on methods used to answer the questions of the Post-Corroboration Safeguards Review

A Dangerous Situation: The Duty of Care in Gross Negligence Manslaughter

Case commentary on R v Bowler [2015] EWCA Crim 849, Court of Appeal and R v S [2015] EWCA Crim 558, Court of Appea

State of Utah, Appellee/ Plaintiff, v. Dennis Terry Wynn, Appellant/Defendant

Appeal from the denial of motions under Utah R. Crim. P. 30(b), Utah R. Crim. P. 22€, and Utah R. Civ. P. 60(b) for relief from a 2008 sentence and restitution order, in the Third judicial District, Salt Lake County, the Honorable Paul B. Parker presidin

Investigative psychology

The domain of Investigative Psychology covers all aspects of psychology that are relevant to the conduct of criminal or civil investigations. Its focus is on the ways in which criminal activities may be examined and understood in order for the detection of crime to be effective and legal proceedings to be appropriate. As such Investigative Psychology is concerned with psychological input to the full range of issues that relate to the management, investigation and prosecution of crim

Heat and Light in the City of the Future: A Feasibility Study of Renewable Energy in Lewiston, Maine

Urban energy systems are critical to mitigating and adapting to climate change. Cities demand massive amounts of both heat and electricity, but conventional methods of creating this energy release large amounts of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Effectively addressing climate change requires that these energy systems be transitioned to low-carbon alternatives as quickly as possible. Hybrid distributed renewable energy systems can be implemented within the urban framework to produce local renewable energy efficiently and affordably. The proposed system, composed of multiple types of small renewable energy generators located around the city, provides significant reductions in energy cost and greenhouse gas emissions, increases the stability of the local electrical supply, hardens the grid to physical and cyber-attacks, and generates income for the city. This study identifies four types of renewable heat and energy generators suitable to the urban environment of Lewiston, a small city in central Maine. Solar, microhydropower, and conduit hydropower are considered for energy generation, and air-source heat pumps and electric resistance heaters are suggested as ways to sustainably produce heat. The hybrid distributed renewable energy system modeled in the paper can completely heat and power the city’s residential buildings and more than cover our commercial electricity usage at a cost significantly lower than current energy prices and with 90% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than our baseline energy use. This paper proves that updating urban energy infrastructure is both a feasible and necessary step towards lowering energy costs and fighting climate change

A Phenomenological Study of Stress and Burnout Experienced by Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors

This phenomenological qualitative study examined the causes and coping strategies associated with personal, occupational, and organizational stress and burnout experienced by 15 Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors (LADC). The review of literature described occupational hazards associated with stress, including interpersonal contacts with clients in emotionally demanding situations and organizational factors, such as leadership, are likely to affect employees’ stress levels. Findings described sources of personal stress as lack of money, caring for family members, aging, and family-work conflicts. Occupational stress included documentation requirements, a lack of time to complete paperwork, and difficulty with clients. Organizational stress included managing relationships with co-workers, adapting to change, working within a complex management structure, lack of diversity within management, and experiences associated with racism. Counselors experienced stress, reporting negative emotions, cognitive or thinking impairment, and poor health. Coping strategies included staying organized, taking short breaks, clinical supervision, professional therapy, thinking positively, relaxation and meditation techniques, humor, teamwork, effective leadership, maintaining cultural identity, establishing boundaries, and successful transition from work to home. Counselors adopted several preventative strategies to reduce the actual or anticipated effects of stress and maintain a healthy lifestyle, including talk therapy, meditation, religious practices, spirituality, physical activity, and taking vacations. Four theoretical frameworks were used to inform research findings: role, self determination, stereotype threat, and social cognitive theory. Recommendations to reduce stress and burnout included improving communication, addressing individual needs, and adopting supportive and inclusive leadership styles