Legal education: the integrated law school

University legal education is currently beset by many conflicting pressures. Different law schools will respond to these pressures in different ways. This article argues that the experience of one vocational law school offers a useful model for integrating both academics and practitioners into a cohesive whole capable of delivering a range of educational objectives to varying groups

Legal education in transition: a study from Georgia

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the development of legal education in Georgia in its transition to becoming a democratic country. It is important to clarify at the outset that the emphasis here is on developing a viable structure and system for legal education as opposed to a theoretical basis for the development of a new legal order. Such a fundamental doctrinal exercise would form the academic and intellectual basis of an entirely different paper. In establishing a viable system of legal education, a significant challenge is to reconcile the education of professionals with the underlying difficulty arising where governments have sought to determine professional education from ideological positions. The Georgian government is producing reform proposals which have to be considered in terms of the most expedient processes for implementation. It is therefore necessary to develop reforms which construct a new framework to facilitate and promote the incorporation of aspects of legal education which hitherto have been unknown. Fundamental principles have to be determined such as recognition of the rule of law, as well as the knowledge and training best suited to developing a coherent and properly established legal profession. The whole reform process can be hindered without the presence of well-qualified professionals. It is therefore crucial to ensure the integrity of establishing this body of professionals who are well-placed to take reforms forward. There is of course the obvious paradox in terms of the country needing the best professionals whilst at the same time putting reforms in place to achieve that. There are great possibilities and Georgia is in the position of considering systems and structures which best suit its needs in establishing reform of the educational infrastructure in which professionals can develop. The paper identifies some key issues and themes which provide an insight into the possibilities. It focuses on three main areas: the changing nature of the constitution and the need for reform, the United Kingdom framework as a possible model for consideration in establishing a process of implementation, and aspirations for the future. It is self evident that Georgia is experiencing a period of significant development and change in terms of shaping a system for legal education which is significantly more advanced even now than when this work began. It continues to be in the process of being formed and there are many influences on its shape. The authors, having worked together, acknowledge there are limitations in terms of producing a fully comprehensive joint paper based on a period of such complex transition and change

A narrative exploration of the lived experience of being born, raised in, and leaving a cultic group: the case of the Exclusive Brethren

There is considerable evidence that experiences in cultic groups can be harmful. Most studies have been on First Generation former members. Second Generation former cultic group members (SGA) are an under-researched population. Multi-Generational former members (MGA), i.e. those born into families whose membership of the cultic group goes back more than two generations appear never to have been researched. This thesis underpinned by social constructionism, explores the experiences of being born and raised in The Exclusive Brethren, an exemplar of a cultic group, and subsequently leaving. As a counselling psychologist and a former member of the Brethren, this thesis is of professional and personal interest. Unstructured interviews were conducted with three male and three female participants in their mid 30s to mid 70s, who left at various times over the last 50 years. Two participants are ‘true SGA’ –their parents were the first generation to join the Brethren. The other four are MGA coming from families with a long generational history in the Brethren. A qualitative narrative inquiry methodology was used, informed by critical and dialogical narrative analysis. Each story’s interview was represented in collaboration with the storytellers using their words as far as possible. At the heart of every story lay their experience in the Brethren; the doctrines and practices forming the bedrock. The stories told how storytellers came to leave and how, in leaving, they renegotiated their identities. A cross-story view led to a continuum model of families’ degree of enmeshment with the Brethren system. The representations were viewed through the lenses of disorganised attachment and identity theory. The implications for therapy were discussed stressing the importance of therapists’ knowledge of cultic groups. Approaches need to facilitate the telling of stories focussing on attachment, identity, trauma, bereavement as well as life and relationships skills

The radical potentialities of biographical methods for making differences visible

This paper is part of work in progress which explores the use of biographical methods and the radical potentialities there may be for making difference(s) visible. 'Radical potentialities' refers to the extent to which there are opportunities to effect change. This paper is primarily concerned with exploring prevailing narratives which generate epistemological assumptions creating a conceptual framework within which the law of provocation as it relates to women who kill their partners operates. The stories of Kiranjit Ahluwalia, Sara Thornton and Emma Humphreys, in particular, generate concern on a number of levels. They present poignant and disturbing tales of violence. These women have each killed abusive partners and their cases have received extensive attention. The focus of this paper is to explore, through the stories of these women, the extent to which it is possible to say that their experience is explained and determined by a legal system which has yet to recognise the reality of the circumstances in which such women kill. Explanations are advanced from a range of perspectives which construct the conceptual framework within which the experience of these women unfolds. It may then be possible to identify precisely what is at stake and respond accordingly

Associations between trajectories of obesity prevalence in English primary school children and the UK soft drinks industry levy: An interrupted time series analysis of surveillance data

Background Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the primary source of dietary added sugars in children, with high consumption commonly observed in more deprived areas where obesity prevalence is also highest. Associations between SSB consumption and obesity in children have been widely reported. In March 2016, a two-tier soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) on drinks manufacturers to encourage reformulation of SSBs in the United Kingdom was announced and then implemented in April 2018. We examined trajectories in the prevalence of obesity at ages 4 to 5 years and 10 to 11 years, 19 months after the implementation of SDIL, overall and by sex and deprivation. Methods and findings Data were from the National Child Measurement Programme and included annual repeat cross-sectional measurement of over 1 million children in reception (4 to 5 years old) and year 6 (10 to 11 years old) in state-maintained English primary schools. Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis of monthly obesity prevalence data from September 2013 to November 2019 was used to estimate absolute and relative changes in obesity prevalence compared to a counterfactual (adjusted for temporal variations in obesity prevalence) estimated from the trend prior to SDIL announcement. Differences between observed and counterfactual estimates were examined in November 2019 by age (reception or year 6) and additionally by sex and deprivation quintile. In year 6 girls, there was an overall absolute reduction in obesity prevalence (defined as >95th centile on the UK90 growth charts) of 1.6 percentage points (PPs) (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 2.1), with greatest reductions in the two most deprived quintiles (e.g., there was an absolute reduction of 2.4 PP (95% CI: 1.6, 3.2) in prevalence of obesity in the most deprived quintile). In year 6 boys, there was no change in obesity prevalence, except in the least deprived quintile where there was a 1.6-PP (95% CI: 0.7, 2.5) absolute increase. In reception children, relative to the counterfactual, there were no overall changes in obesity prevalence in boys (0.5 PP (95% CI: 1.0, −0.1)) or girls (0.2 PP (95% CI: 0.8, −0.3)). This study is limited by use of index of multiple deprivation of the school attended to assess individual socioeconomic disadvantage. ITS analyses are vulnerable to unidentified cointerventions and time-varying confounding, neither of which we can rule out. Conclusions Our results suggest that the SDIL was associated with decreased prevalence of obesity in year 6 girls, with the greatest differences in those living in the most deprived areas. Additional strategies beyond SSB taxation will be needed to reduce obesity prevalence overall, and particularly in older boys and younger children. Trial registration ISRCTN18042742

Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in England, 2009 to 2011: a greater burden of severe illness in the year after the pandemic than in the pandemic year.

Influenza pandemics are often perceived as single-year events, but the burden of previous influenza pandemics has in reality been spread over a number of years. The aim of this paper is to compare the burden of influenza in the pandemic year 2009/10 with that in the year immediately after (2010/11) in England. We compared four measures of disease. There was a greater burden of severe illness in 2010/11 compared with 2009/10: more deaths (474 vs 361), more critical care admissions (2,200 vs 1,700), and more hospital admissions (8,797 vs 7,879). In contrast, there were fewer general practice consultations in 2010/11 compared with 2009/10 (370,000 vs 580,000). There was also much less public interest in influenza, as assessed by number of Google searches. This is a worrying finding, as by the time of the second influenza season, much had been learnt about the potential impact of the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus and an effective vaccine developed. We suggest that a widespread assumption of 'mildness' led to insufficient ongoing action to prevent influenza and hence to avoidable influenza-related deaths. This offers a lesson to all countries, both for future influenza seasons and for pandemic preparedness planning

Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in England, 2009 to 2011: a greater burden of severe illness in the year after the pandemic than in the pandemic year

Influenza pandemics are often perceived as single-year events, but the burden of previous influenza pandemics has in reality been spread over a number of years. The aim of this paper is to compare the burden of influenza in the pandemic year 2009/10 with that in the year immediately after (2010/11) in England. We compared four measures of disease. There was a greater burden of severe illness in 2010/11 compared with 2009/10: more deaths (474 vs 361), more critical care admissions (2,200 vs 1,700), and more hospital admissions (8,797 vs 7,879). In contrast, there were fewer general practice consultations in 2010/11 compared with 2009/10 (370,000 vs 580,000). There was also much less public interest in influenza, as assessed by number of Google searches. This is a worrying finding, as by the time of the second influenza season, much had been learnt about the potential impact of the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus and an effective vaccine developed. We suggest that a widespread assumption of 'mildness' led to insufficient ongoing action to prevent influenza and hence to avoidable influenza-related deaths. This offers a lesson to all countries, both for future influenza seasons and for pandemic preparedness planning

Children and young people's behaviour in accidental dwelling fires: A systematic review of the qualitative literature

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd Children and young people are considered one of the most vulnerable population groups when exposed to accidental dwelling fires. Understanding how children behave in these circumstances and the reasons for their decision making are important to support rescue and fire safety education. We undertook a systematic review of the qualitative literature to identify studies where children and young people were asked to recount their experiences of being in an accidental dwelling fire in order to inform UK Fire and Rescue Service training and fire safety education programmes. We found no studies designed specifically to explore children's behaviours in dwelling fires, and only four studies (including 39 children's stories) where their behaviours had been recorded coincidentally to the main study aim. The evidence arising from these stories was frequently incomplete, often out of date (15–20years old), and 38/39 (97%) of stories were from the United States. This review indicates there is inadequate evidence of the current lived experience of children in accidental dwelling fires to support fire and rescue services in either their fire and rescue training or community fire safety education activities, particularly for non-US countries

Longitudinal associations of active commuting with wellbeing and sickness absence.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to explore longitudinal associations of active commuting (cycling to work and walking to work) with physical wellbeing (PCS-8), mental wellbeing (MCS-8) and sickness absence. METHOD: We used data from the Commuting and Health in Cambridge study (2009 to 2012; n=801) to test associations between: a) maintenance of cycling (or walking) to work over a one year period and indices of wellbeing at the end of that one year period; and b) associations between change in cycling (or walking) to work and change in indices of wellbeing. Linear regression was used for testing associations with PCS-8 and MCS-8, and negative binomial regression for sickness absence. RESULTS: After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, physical activity and physical limitation, those who maintained cycle commuting reported lower sickness absence (0.46, 95% CI: 0.14-0.80; equivalent to one less day per year) and higher MCS-8 scores (1.50, 0.10-2.10) than those who did not cycle to work. The association for sickness absence persisted after adjustment for baseline sickness absence. No significant associations were observed for PCS-8. Associations between change in cycle commuting and change in indices of wellbeing were not significant. No significant associations were observed for walking. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides some evidence of the value of cycle commuting in improving or maintaining the health and wellbeing of adults of working age. This may be important in engaging employers in the promotion of active travel and communicating the benefits of active travel to employees.The Commuting and Health in Cambridge study was developed by David Ogilvie, Simon Griffin, Andy Jones and Roger Mackett and initially funded under the auspices of the Centre for Diet and Activity Research (CEDAR), a UKCRC Public Health Research Centre of Excellence. Funding from the British Heart Foundation, Economic and Social Research Council, Medical Research Council, National Institute for Health Research and the Wellcome Trust, under the auspices of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration, is gratefully acknowledged. The study is now funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme (project number 09/3001/06: see http://www.nets.nihr.ac.uk/projects/phr/09300106). David Ogilvie is supported by the Medical Research Council [Unit Programme number MC_UP_12015/6]. Jenna Panter is supported by an NIHR post-doctoral fellowship [PDF-2012-05-157] and Oliver Mytton by a Welcome Trust clinical doctoral fellowship. The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the NIHR, the NHSor the Department of Health. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish, or the preparation of the manuscript. We thank all staff from the MRC Epidemiology Unit Functional Group Team, in particular for study coordination and data collection (led by Cheryl Chapman and Fiona Whittle) and data management (Lena Alexander). We also thank Emma Coombes for linking postcodes to deprivation indices and Louise Foley for her contribution to preparing the questionnaire data for analysis.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.12.01