Law and Social Sciences

The Scottish NHS arguably has the worst performing NHS in the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) in the UK. There has been a radical policy response to combat this which includes but is not limited to: the introduction of new NHS uniforms, a quasi-nationalisation of NHS cleaning services, and the introduction of hand hygiene targets. Although, there are many contextual factors such as the NHS funding cuts, the ageing population and the growing population which will hinder any real development that has been achieved thus far. While many viewed the private sector as a worthy competitor, they do not offer a comprehensive alternative because they do not provide emergency services or the equipment for serious operations. In order for the Scottish NHS to deal with this problem effectively, more work has to be done, as the contextual factors outlined will mean that the NHS will have a larger and more individually demanding patient load, and less funding to make any real difference. Less notice should be taken of public opinion, as it has drawn policy in the wrong direction, and should instead consult groups such as the British Medical Association, and the Royal College of Nursing, as their input into policy are currently years ahead of any recent policy developments. The public are extremely sensitive and vocal towards health issues, and this has caused a problem for politicians when trying to deal with the issue effectively. This means that it is difficult to calm any public fears and deal with the public perception of the problem, and to deal with the real problem simultaneously. This is difficult when voters are becoming increasingly de-aligned from political parties; it is impossible to ignore public fears without jeopardising party support. The Scottish government’s reforms are currently not nearly extensive enough.

Government press release and newspaper analysis of healthcare-associated infections suggests the public is being bombarded with simplified information that is leading the government towards a policy approach that is too narrow to do the job, but that is hoped to be the most beneficial politically. This approach is potentially not only dangerous to public health but is electorally short-sighted if the public find out about the true extent of the problem. In this study, I examine the effects of providing participants with more information on infections on their perceptions of government policy and find that the more you know the more you lose confidence in the government. Findings have implications for the public’s knowledge and awareness of the issues and for the electoral prospects of the SNP in the event of policy over-focus and myopic response to wider infection concerns.

Report for Friends Provident Foundation.

The requirement for money advice has increased, however the funding future of this advice, especially that in the voluntary sector, is uncertain. This report reviews current services and considers future options.

This article examines union revitalization in Central and Eastern Europe, focusing on two countries: Hungary and Latvia. Trade unions have not only had to cope with a declining membership base, but have also had to respond to austerity programmes and government cuts in public sector employment. We argue that the inability of unions to provide a strong voice for alternative policies to the current neoliberal orthodoxy has been driven by a declining membership base, but also by weakened social dialogue mechanisms, limited industrial representation and an ageing membership profile, exacerbated by net outward migration in recent years. However, we find that unions in Latvia and Hungary have responded differently to these issues.

This paper presents an analytical review of judicial directions to guard against wrongful convictions based upon erroneous eyewitness identification evidence. Factors known as the Turnbull Rules, derived from the English case R v. Turnbull, are of significance within many common law jurisdictions when considering the accuracy of eyewitness identifications and the practice of jury directions or mandatory warnings. The influence of these rules, together with variations in the approach taken by Commonwealth jurisdictions, illustrates that while the factors identified in Turnbull are to be found in the approaches adopted across the various jurisdictions studied, there is diversity in terms of whether or not such directions are mandatory and also as to their form and scope.

The frailties of eyewitness evidence are of primary concern to any reliable prosecution and exist irrespective of jurisdiction. Eyewitness identification can be central to many trials and illustrates that while the factors identified in Turnbull are to be found in the approaches adopted across the various jurisdictions studied, there is diversity in terms of whether or not such directions are mandatory and also as to their form and scope. Such evidence has been the subject of psychological evaluation and the findings of such studies cross national, ethnic and jurisdictional boundaries. These findings, and the processes employed to test such evidence, can be used to develop the form which directions to a jury may take. The requirement for a jury direction and the scope of such a warning are two matters where there are differences between the approaches taken by individual Commonwealth legal systems. While approaches differ according to jurisdiction, generally either legislation and/or case law will provide guidance to judges in terms of formulating a sufficiently robust warning. It is suggested that this wide variation in practice is incompatible with the universal theory of honest, yet mistaken, eyewitnesses. However, any approach which is adopted must also seek to prevent the balance tipping so far in favour of the accused that a jury discounts the evidence of the honest and accurate eyewitness. This paper will examine the approach to eyewitness identification evidence adopted in several Commonwealth nations and evaluate the influence of the English Turnbull case within these jurisdictions. A universal paradigm will be suggested, which would require directions to be given to juries in all cases which involve eyewitness evidence. Such a direction would incorporate a common framework which the judge would then tailor as required to take account of the circumstances of each particular case.

This article is a response to Campbell-Tiech and Brynes’ article “Stockwell Revisited: The Unhappy State of Facial Mapping” [2005] 6 Archbold News 4, bringing attention to the ACPO guidelines and other agreed methodologies for image comparisons, as well as to more recent case law, notably Gardner [2004] EWCA 1639. It has been written in consultation with, and on behalf of, the Forensic Imagery Analysis Group to review the current criminal procedure regarding the admissibility of image analysis and the associated expert opinion; and to address the comments made by Campbell-Tiech and Brynes.

An Innocence Project comprises a group of students investigating the case of a convicted person maintaining innocence and who has exhausted the initial appeals process. Students aim to find evidence that will assist them in making an application to an appellate court, or other review body such as the Scottish Criminal Case Review Commission.