Politics, Power, and Parole in Strasbourg: Dissociative Judgement and Differential Treatment at the European Court of Human Rights

In the judgement rendered by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in Hutchinson v. United Kingdom (2017) states were seemingly confirmed as enjoying a wide margin of appreciation with regard to review and release from life prison terms. However, as this paper contends, after the decision of the second section of the European court in Matiošaitis and Others v. Lithuania (2017), that margin of appreciation is wider for the more influential and politically powerful jurisdictions than for newer states before the court, those more susceptible and amenable to policy dictation, who are subject to a differential measure of state discretion

Dehumanising Capital Offenders through Incarceration: Functionality and Irrevocability

Measured in executions, the death penalty in the USA is declining. Yet, under that shadow, death sentences continue to be imposed and offenders are destined to spend longer in that incarceration than ever before. Even the punctuation of death penalty decline, five legislative death penalty abolitions, has little effect on death row; in three states abolition was not retroactive and death row incarceration remains. This article argues that the dominant manner of death row incarceration, punitive, retributive incarceration and its dehumanising effect is functional in maintaining stereotypes and thus death penalty support. Moreover, it is the cultural recognition and permanence of the commonly attributed labels and descriptions attached to capital offenders that explains the continuation of death row incarceration in newly abolitionist states

A Tale of Two Cities: Whole of Life Prison Sentences in Strasbourg and Westminster

The recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Hutchinson v United Kingdom (2015) is the latest twist in the political legal struggle between Westminster and Strasbourg. Whilst the British government has made several successions to the ECtHR regarding the role of the executive in the imprisonment of lifers, the thorny issue of the whole of life tariff, and prospect of prisoner release under that tariff, has been an ongoing debate. Whilst the ECtHR appeared to directly challenge domestic policy in the preceding decision in Vinter and Others v United Kingdom this latest decision, the seeming retreat from Vinter, by the Fourth Section of the court, appears to be more of a response to hard line domestic politics than a continuation of holistic legal principle which the ECtHR has outwardly supported in the past

A Vinter Retreat in Europe: Returning to the Issue of Whole Life Sentences in Strasbourg

In Vinter and Others v. United Kingdom, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights held that domestic procedures for reviewing whole life prison sentences in England and Wales were in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. In response, the domestic Court of Appeal declined to revise those procedures, or the material relating to them, and held that the Grand Chamber was incorrect in its finding; the law did in fact give prisoners hope for future release. Rather than reasserting the reasoning and findings of Vinter, the Grand Chamber has been appeased by the clarification offered by the UK court. The contradictions in that retreat from the Vinter judgement are analysed here and the future standing of the court is prophesized in relation to that decision

Final evaluation of the saving gateway 2 pilot: main report

The Saving Gateway is a government initiative aimed at encouraging savings behaviour among people who do not usually save. Each pound placed into a Saving Gateway account is matched by the government at a certain rate and up to a monthly contribution limit. Matching provides a transparent and understandable incentive for eligible individuals to place funds in an account

Voluntary Health Insurance expenditure in low- and middle-income countries: Exploring trends during 1995-2012 and policy implications for progress towards universal health coverage.

BACKGROUND: Most low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) rely significantly on private health expenditure in the form of out-of-pocket payments (OOP) and voluntary health insurance (VHI). This paper assesses VHI expenditure trends in LMIC and explores possible explanations. This illuminates challenges deriving from changes in VHI expenditure as countries aim to progress equitably towards universal health coverage (UHC). METHODS: Health expenditure data was retrieved from the WHO Global Health Expenditure Database to calculate VHI, OOP and general government health (GGHE) expenditure as a share of total health expenditure (THE) for the period of 1995-2012. A literature analysis offered potential reasons for trends in countries and regions. RESULTS: In 2012, VHI as a percentage of THE (abbreviated as VHI%) was below 1 % in 49 out of 138 LMIC. Twenty-seven countries had no or more than five years of data missing. VHI% ranged from 1 to 5 % in 39 LMIC and was above 5 % in 23 LMIC. There is an upwards average trend in VHI% across all regions. However, increases in VHI% cannot be consistently linked with OOP falling or being redirected into private prepayment. There are various countries which exhibit rising VHI alongside a rise in OOP and fall in GGHE, which is a less desirable path in order to equitably progress towards UHC. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Reasons for the VHI expenditure trends across LMIC include: external influences; government policies on the role of VHI and its regulation; and willingness and ability of the population to enrol in VHI schemes. Many countries have paid insufficient attention to the potentially risky role of VHI for equitable progress towards UHC. Expanding VHI markets bear the risk of increasing fragmentation and inequities. To avoid this, health financing strategies need to be clear regarding the role given to VHI on the path towards UHC

Improving primary care through information. A Wonca keynote paper.

Information from health care encounters across the entire health care spectrum, when consistently collected, analysed and applied can provide a clearer picture of patients' history as well as current and future needs through a better understanding of their morbidity burden and health care experiences. It can facilitate clinical activity to target limited resources to those patients most in need through risk adjustment mechanisms that consider the morbidity burden of populations, and it can help target quality improvement and cost saving activities in the right places. It can also open the door to a new chapter of evidence-based medicine around multi-morbidity. In summary, it can support a better integrated health system where primary care can provide continuous, coordinated, and comprehensive person-centred care to those who could benefit most. This paper explores the potential uses of information collected in electronic health records (EHRs) to inform case-mix and predictive modelling, as well as the associated challenges, with a particular focus on their application to primary care

Encouraging Self-Regulation of Children's Food Consumption

The prevalence of childhood obesity and the associated negative health implications highlight the urgent need for interventions to assist families in preventing and treating the condition. This study focused on children’s awareness of the need to regulate their own food intakes. In a sample of over 500 low and medium socioeconomic children, around two-thirds believed they should always finish what is on their plate and that they should not be permitted to determine the quantity of food they consume. They were thus largely unaware of the need to regulate their own appetites, which is an important element of weight control. The reasons provided by the children for their beliefs indicate that both children and parents need to be better informed on this issue. The results have implications for interventions that aim to encourage parents to adopt authoritative parenting styles in their feeding practices