Leadership and Employee Relations

As a leader have been described as having the patience of a Saint and that I encourage free thinking. Turnover has been low for me as It was for the supervisor before me was the same type. While staff relations are not quite harmonious, they will support each other when needed. I find it difficult sometime because I have come to the conclusion not everyone has a natural desire to work hard for what they want. This makes It confusing to understand those who do not give 100% to achieve the job goals.This will be a study of how to improve employee relations. Improving employee relations can be done by bringing morale up through effective and open communication. The supervisors ability to address concerns and to follow up on those concerns; and by setting the example will give the employee a feeling of worth. It is also important for the supervisor to show support for better or worse the employee's actions.Delegating tasks Is not by Itself empowerment but giving guidance and encouragemen t and the willingness to support the employee whether the outcome was ideal or not (Weiss, Suppose, Volvo. 72 Issue 9). It is important to give employees praise and recognition for the work that they do, people like to hear when they are doing a good Job. When the only recognition heard is the pointing out of errors It brings down morale and people's work start to suffer. This writer also states that actively listening with feedback not only clarifies what is being said but also shows empathy.Motivation can be difficult but some ways that may help is: to make sure employees have all the tools available to do a good job, recognize those employees who do a great Job, being friendly and enthusiastic can ester a better atmosphere, get input from employees to find better ways to complete a job, act quickly on complaints, avoid favoritism, and most important is for the supervisor to spend time in the workplace (Weiss, Suppose, Volvo. 72 Issue 9). The manager working side by side with the employees shows an Interest In what they do and the manager shows firsthand experience In the department.I notable ten development AT poor employee relations rater taking ten position AT supervisor. The department had gone for 6 months without a supervisor and then I as promoted to the post. We had been working as a team to fill in the slack with the loss of our supervisor, pulling extra shifts, doing inventory, making orders, and creating schedules. Even though I had said thank you to them after receiving the posting it was not what they were looking for. As I had been one of the ones filling in on extra duties, what they wanted to hear was some acknowledgement or thank you for doing so much for so long.It never came, now I believe if it were it would not make things better as it has been over a year now. This is what has sold me on paving praise and acknowledgment when it is due. There have been studies to support this, when employees are poled on what is important in their Job be sides pay and chances to rise, they feel the need for praise and acknowledgement (Assonance, Octoroon, Volvo. 44 Issue 2). Some of the most successful businesses are those who offer employee perks and recognition as individuals. Fell-Pro of Cookie, Illinois has never had a labor dispute or a work stoppage in 68 years.They attribute that to giving their employees extras and the recognition of each as an individual. Besides the normal financial extras that can come from a company, they have monetary recognition such as posting on an electric sign board of birthdays, anniversaries and congratulations for all to see (Articulation, Jug, Volvo. 75 Issue 7,). Recognition is a big part of morale which has a direct effect on employee relations. Unhappy employees make unhappy workplaces and that is bad for the employee and the business. Low morale starts people looking for new Jobs, someplace that is more pleasant to work.

Role of Sex Education

| PSYCHOLOGY REPORT| EXPLORE THE ROLE OF SEX EDUCATION AND AIDS INFORMATION IN THE CLASSROOM| | Submitted To Prof. Navin Kumar Submitted By Aayush Guide:Dr. Navin Kumar1 Vellore Institute of Technology University, Vellore April 2013 Abstract The study deals with social outlook towards sex education and AIDS patients. It aims to understand public perception towards the same. The study was carried out in 3 steps. The research outreach involved university students over a period of 11/2 months.The students were required to answer a questionnaire dealing with sex education and day to day interactions with an AIDS patient. The research delved into the varied responses to understand general understanding of the terms ‘Sex Education’ and what deals with it and behavioural approach towards an AIDS patient in your immediate workspace or private life. The study allows us to conclude that the outlook to sex education and dealings with AIDS patients are liberal and progressive though t process of the society. Keywords: sex education, sex, education, students, HIV, parentsINTRODUCTION: What is sex education? Sex education is needful and necessary for today’s youth. Being aware of the exposure given to students in school, in the media and among their peers, sex education not only teaches them about sexual intimacy, but also enlightens them on their reproductive systems, birth control, and sexually transmitted diseases. It also exposes them to their gender identity, gender role, family role, body images, sexual expression, intimacy and the marriage relationship. Why is it important?Sexual health can be identified through the free and responsible expressions of sexual capabilities that foster harmonious personal and social wellness, enriching life within an ethical framework[1]. Sex Education in schools addresses the issue of sexual health and also makes students aware of the above mentioned points, thus our society can only benefit from sex education. Sex ed ucation has been and is still a taboo to the Indian society but according to the Justice Verma committee, set up after the Delhi gang rape case,there is no basis to say sex education leads to early sexual initiation by children [2].The committee suggests that sex education be introduced in schools in a clinical manner through trained teachers and child  counsellors. Children should be able to access informed, non-prejudiced sources in sexuality rather than misinformation through internet ormisleading advertising. Ever since the internet boom and the outburst of the social media platform many teenagers turn to the internet and seek solutions for their queries regarding sex and the information they get is not always right and is often misleading.Some common misconceptions: 1. Many people  believe that washing the genitals after sex protected them from STDs. Likewise, urinating after sex and use of oral contraceptives are considered as ways of preventing STDs [3]. 2. You can get ST Ds from toilet seats. 3. You can tell if someone has a STD. Educating students about STDs has also become very important in recent times. Most people have a stigmatizing attitude toward people living with HIV aids and also misconceptions about its transmission routes.Hence sex education can bring about a positive change in the society. Methodology: 1. Research method: This research is on the analysis of sexual education in schools. Over 230 university students were the respondents for this research. As this research needed the respondents to make their evaluation on their experience of sexual education thus, it was suitable for the university students to be the respondents since their age and cognitive level are at its best level to evaluate [4].In the background of this research, the respondents are matured thinkers that are able to make comparison and evaluation on their experience of sexual development that they have gone through since school. 2. Research instrument: This researc h was based on the qualitative method and the instrumentation of the research was on structured questions where the respondents needed to answer 14 questions. 3. Procedure: Questions were decided after an exhaustive group discussion.A questionnaire (appendix A) was prepared using Google forms and it was posted on various social media platforms. Reponses were then recorded over a time period of 3 weeks. The data was analyzed using Microsoft excel tools. Results and findings: Responses given by people for various questions: 1) Was Sex Education provided in the classroom? The poll abovesuggest that there is an equal number of students on either side of the line. So as to say that an equal number of students received sex education in the classroom and an equal number did not.Now there can be various reasons to this, such as the kind of school these students received their education in. Also, not attending or bypassing such sessions (when they are provided to them). Another reason beingn ot paying attention to detail. Discrepancy in the data is another reason, which can be due to not taking the survey seriously (although a sincere attempt has been made to cordon such answers) 2) When were you provided Sex Education? The above result clearly indicates the findings that most of the students have received their sex education between 9th-12th standard.This gives an idea that students generally receive sex education in the Age Group of 14-17 years. Now, the remaining 24% receive their sex education while in college, this indicates that these students receive their sex education through friends mostly, as no such sex education is provided specifically in college. 3) Where did you get your Sex Education, if not in Classroom? This clearly indicates that students not receiving their sex education in school premises receive it primarily through ‘Friends’ and ‘Internet’.Now this points out the fact as to why so many students get misleading information about HIV and Sex, because internet and peer groups are themselves not fully aware of the nuances of these things. This leads to dispersal of wrong information which can, at times, be dangerous. 4) What do you think is the right age to receive Sex Education? This poll substantiates our findings about most number of students receiving their sex education between Classes 9th-12th. This indicates that the people who are providing sex education are providing it at a correct age and to the correct age group. ) Did you share your Sex Education experience with your parents? Now this was something very much expected as most of the students do not share their sex education experience with their parents. Now the particular reasons to this can be like being Not so extrovert with parents, a situation similar to when kids leave the room when an advertisement on condoms or HIV is projected on television. Also, the society and culture of our country where things such as sex and HIV are considered taboo. Another reason being fear of the fact as to how the parents would react to it.Some of the possible solutions can be parents taking the initiative with their children, also parents should try to teach their kids the ‘Bees’ thing so as to give them a fair idea of sex and HIV. Also, children can initiate the issue with their mothers/fathers whoever they feel more comfortable to discuss with. 6) Do you think ‘Teen Pregnancy' will be reduced by Sex Education? To a certain extent this result was expected, 90% of the people believe that ‘Teen Pregnancy’ will be reduced by the help of sex education.Reasons as to what we feel why students think this way in these regards is that Sex Education introduces them to condoms and contraceptives; this helps students to realize as to how the mechanism of birth can be controlled. Apart from this, it opens them up to more ideas and they might have a healthy discussion as to how it can be controlled, which helps th e overall reduction of Teen pregnancy. We also believe that sex education does help the youth in understanding the way intercourse can be performed and at the same time drawing the line.Also, it is the duty of the individuals to take care that a mistake does not occur which might hamper their personal and professional lives. 7) Should we have ‘Condom Vending Machines' in public? This result draws a very positive focus on the fact that students are basing their answers on something that is very essential, also it points out as to how the youth has totally transformed into something more modern which makes it less vulnerable and open minded. 8) Have you ever tried finding about AIDS at your own will?This is a very positive aspect of the students that can be seen through the above poll, the tenacity to want to learn more about the subject of HIV on their own makes us feel that the students, who of course hold an image of the future in them, are taking an initiative on their own t o get to know more about this ghastly problem AIDS. 9) Have you ever met someone with AIDS? This does not come as a surprise as to very few students have actually met an AIDS infected person.It also draws light on how many students have wanted to visit an AIDS infected person (though in a very subtle manner), because those who have met might have met them out of their own accord or while working with an NGO. 10) What will you do if you find out that an AIDS infected person? The goal of this poll was to find out how students would react if they find out that they are dining with an AIDS infected person. Now we are happy to realize that there have been answers on both ends which show that an AIDS infected person can be maltreated, albeit in some cases only. 1) Do you think HIV+ people should have different schools and colleges? A very optimistic result, which again projects the positive mentality of students who would not want AIDS infected people to be maltreated. 12) Will you change your attitude towards your best friend if you find out him/her having AIDS? This poll projects the honesty of individuals in specifying the way they would treat or change their behaviour if they find out about their best friend being infected with AIDS.It shows that more number of people (92%) are ready to not change their reaction towards their AIDS infected friend (if they come across such a case). Conclusion: There were so many facts and opinions related to Sex Education and HIV which were presumed to be true, but with the help of this survey, we can now clearly accept these facts and statistics reason being that most of the questions had a ‘one-sided’ weight age which shows that these question were correctly answered and can be accepted.It also points out that Sex is still treated as a taboo topic in India where most of the students, not only those surveyed, still do not discuss Sex and HIV with their parents and instead receive and discuss these issues with their friends and over the internet, which leads to students leading to receiving ‘misleading’ information. The survey also draws light on the positive aspect of ‘student thinking’ when it comes to taking personal initiative to enquire more about AIDS and HIV, which shows the enthusiasm and ‘wanting to learn’ capacity of the students apart from personal awakening.Overall, the survey has indicated the thought process of the student community in a college curriculum. References: 1. Coleman E (2002), Promoting sexual health and responsible sexual behavior, J Sex Research, Volume 39, Page no. 3-6. 2. The Economic Times, 25-01-2013 3. Richard A Crosby et al (2000), Misconceptions about STD protective behavior, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 19, Page no. 167-173. 4.JohariTalib et al (2012), Analysis of Sex Education in Schools across Malaysia, Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 59, Page no. 340-348 AIDS & Sex Education Survey A survey to understand the role of sex education and AIDS information at the classroom level. ————————————————- ————————————————- Top of Form Specify your sex *   Male *   Female Mention your Age Was Sex Education provided in the classroom? *   Yes *   NoWhen were you provided Sex Education? *   Class 7th – 8th *   Class 9th – 12th *   College Where did you get your Sex Education, if not in Classroom? *   Parents *   Friends *   Magazines *   Internet What do you think is the right age to receive Sex Education? Did you share your Sex Education experience with your parents? *   Yes *   No *   I was given Sex Education by parents itself Do you think ‘Teen Pregnancy' will be reduced by Sex Education? *   Yes *   N o Should we have ‘Condom Vending Machines' in public places?   Yes *   No Have you ever tried finding about AIDS at your own will? *   Yes *   No Have you ever met someone with AIDS? *   Yes *   No What will you do if you find out that an AIDS infected person is dining with you at a restaurant? *   Will continue dining *   Will switch places or leave Do you think HIV+ people should have different schools and colleges? *   Yes *   No Will you change your attitude towards your best friend if you find out him/her having AIDS? *   Yes *   No Bottom of Form

International Banks Functions and Regulations Essay

International Banks Functions and Regulations - Essay Example This research will begin with the overview of international banks. A proper definition of International Banks mainly depicts a facility, which permits various funding organizations belonging to diverse regions of the nations throughout the globe to perform credit and debit operations. It also facilitates these funding organizations to participate in offering various loan provision services to various foreign inhabitants and establishments. Depending on the services, the international banks usually avails various sorts of exemptions in terms of reserve requirements and imposed tax rates that set by the respective governments. It is worth mentioning that direct as well as indirect support from the above-discussed funding organizations such as ‘International Banking Facility’ (IBF) eventually leads towards bringing about greater efficiency and effectiveness in the operational procedures of multiple international banks. After acquiring a brief idea about the international ba nks, it can be apparently observed that these banks offer a wide variety of services to both domestic and international clients. A few of these services have been described in the following. One of the services, which offer by international banks, is the ‘letter of credit’ service. This service is basically provided in the cases of products or services that purchase by individuals or organizations from the international banks. In relation to this particular service, the banks issue a document, which acts as an assurance of payment to the seller of the goods or the services, even if the buying individuals or organizations fail to comply with the payment process. It would be vital to mention that the banks issuing the ‘letter of credit’ document will certainly make the buyers liable for making payments to the sellers.

Evaluate the current application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Essay - 1

Evaluate the current application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV). Discuss the potential future applications of UAV technology based on current issues - Essay Example Control of the craft is achieved remotely by use of autonomous computer system or use of remote controls from a specific place on the surface. Typically launching and recovering these aircraft is achieved by use of automated systems located at some location on the earth’s surface. Initially, operation of the unmanned aerial vehicles relied on remote piloting but more complex autonomous control system are being programed and used instead (Mark, 2012). Traditionally, these facilities were mostly deployed for use in the military operations but their uses have evolved to include other special operations. Such aspects as firefighting, surveillance, civil application and policing among others are the current applications where the drones are being used to promote efficiency and effectiveness. Missions that are dangerous, gloomy or even filthy require the use of these devices as human control could be putting the lives of some people at risk. This paper seeks to evaluate the current applications of unmanned aerial vehicles and their potential future applications. For years, the use of drones has been associated mostly with military application. As a result of advancement in the use of computers, marked with the advancements in engineering, a number of civil aviation applications are now possibly carried out with the help of drones. Such aspects as land surveying, film shooting and photography, air rescue missions, power inspections and wildlife surveillance among others are possibly carried out effectively with the help of unmanned aerial vehicles (Cosic et al., 2013). Professionals such as medical practitioners are currently employing the unmanned aerial vehicles to deliver medics in arrears that could otherwise not be accessible such as flooded areas. Illegal poaching and hunting of wild animals is possibly monitored with the help of this technology. Other

International Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Ethics - Assignment Example Lastly, illegal immigrants pose serious problems to the states, imposing enormous economic costs and are a major concern in the times of today. In the recent years the outbreak of the global war on terror has raised serious issues of human rights and distributive justice in the international system. According to scholars "the term  distributive justice  refers to fair, equitable, and appropriate distribution determined by justified norms that structure the terms of social cooperation" (Beauchamp and Childress, 226). Moral and ethical troubles take place with distributive justice when there is tug war for resources. Also with the ongoing war on terrorism serious human right violations are observed, bloodshed of innocents, torture and targeted killings of many etc. Human rights are relevant to terrorism as concerns both its victims and its perpetrators ( Zalman). It is believed by many that for a state to emphasize on its national security, it has to steal away the rights of others resulting in concerns of human security and distributive justice. These beliefs however vary in different schools of thoughts. Where war is inevitable for realists, the idealists view it unnecessary, unethical and immoral.  Idealism holds that a state should make its internal political  philosophy  the goal of its foreign policy which is never war. A â€Å"realist† foreign policy of a state places national interests and security above ideology, ethics and morality (Ziring et al, 9). The idealist school believes that foreign policy must reflect the ethical, moral and philosophical values of the country. Realists approach would defend and promote violation of human rights and distributive justice for the defense of national security however an idealists approach would condemn that. As a Secretary of Foreign Policy and International Ethics I would design an assessment which would

Teaching methods and strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Teaching methods and strategy - Essay Example It evolves and conforms according to the imagination and opinion of the teacher. The teacher is provided with numerous techniques that can be applied in ensuring that the learners comprehend and utilize the accumulated and assimilated knowledge. Such strategies and methods include gaming quizzes, lectures, class discussion, story and role playing, brainstorming, active learning, distance learning, and case method. The current society requires learners who are creative, proactive, and flexible in communicating ideas and thoughts, making decisions, and working effectively within groups and teams. Possessing knowledge is not enough to succeed or make a difference in the current ever-changing world; teachers have a crucial role in moulding learners to fit and be competitive through application of effective teaching methods and strategies. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of each of the stipulated methods is presented with a suggestion of the most effective level of applica bility. Gaming Quizzes Games are used to enhance competition, participation, and feedback during teaching (Accardi, Drabinski and Kumbier, 2010). They serve as a motivator and entail practical application of learning concepts. The technique is efficiently applicable when teaching children and primary level learners. In gaming quizzes, the expatriates are actively involved in the exercise. This frustrates boredom and enhances motivation and positive attitudes towards learning. Gaming promotes team work and application of collaborative efforts towards solving educational problems. The trainers are able to obtain feedback on learning progress of the expatriate candidates instantly. Practical application of theoretical concepts in the form of games instils confidence among learners in acquiring education facts. However, gaming quizzes can discourage learners who are not competitive compared to their colleagues. Gaming may lead to rivalry and unhealthy relationship among competing groups . Most members would shun creativity and device short cuts or crude methods to secure victory as most of the games are focused towards winning. Another weakness is that team work may derail the application of individual efforts. Lecture Lecture method entails the teacher solely controlling the core focus of information transfer. The instructor normally positions him or herself in front of a class and presents educational facts to the students who are listening and taking notes. Occasionally, teachers use a board or overhead projector to provide visuals to the learners. The method is normally common at all levels of learning although the use of visuals is common with higher levels of learning. Minimal exchange exists between the instructors and students in this learning method. When preparing for a lecture, the instructor should have a clear introduction and summary of the topic of discussion (Lang and Evans, 2006). Lectures should also be presented in the form of summary with time u tility. The message being relayed is made clearer through the use of examples and anecdotes. Lectures are advantageous in that the proceedings of a lecture session can be recorded for future reference. The method is a fast and straight forward way of relaying knowledge to a large,

Holocaust - Dr. Mengele Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Holocaust - Dr. Mengele - Research Paper Example According to the discussion it it is clear that apart from millions of victims, the Nazi holocaust had its own heroes, martyrs and villains. Dr. Joseph Mengele is one of the most hated villains of that epoch. History describes Dr. Mengele as â€Å"the SS physician at Auschwitz†, and â€Å"the angel of death.† He was a doctor, who conducted cruel medical experiments on hundreds of Jewish prisoners during the period when he was stationed at the notorious Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz that killed thousands of Jews by burning them alive in mass gas chambers and crematoria. He conducted weird and cruel clinical experiments on the Jewish prisoners as if they were guinea pigs. The most intriguing aspect of his personality was his utter indifference towards others’ suffering, and the way he even did not spare children as objects of his experiments.This paper stresses that the paradox presented by the personality of Dr. Mengele has intrigued the world ever since the cruelties of the holocaust came out in public. But the best way to remember this person would be as a reminder that, given such odd circumstances of fascist mass hostility, even the normal human being is capable of inflicting unbecoming cruelties on fellow humans. And more significantly, it has to be understood that in such a circumstance, a person with even a slight psycho-pathetic mindset could turn into a real and grave danger to humanity-Hitler being the number one example for this.   But when perused from closer premises, the Nazi mindset can be understood as an outcome of ideological frenzy overpowering all humane feelings and responses, a dangerous human possibility indeed, that was revealed before our eyes through the Nazi holocaust, as never revealed before. Here the term, ideology can be understood as â€Å"any idea or set of ideas that provides a prescriptive view of life.†16 An ideology can either be â€Å"a formalized and presumably conscious world view† or it can simply be â€Å"unconscious shared group fantasies, which have the power to charge up the entire group with sufficient energy to trigger unified mass action.†17 In this context, Dr. Mengele has to be understood not as a rare exception

Business and professional communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business and professional communication - Essay Example awareness, ritual interpretation, level of likelihood that key differences will be put aside and the employee will assimilate into the culture of the organization, as well as a host of others. As such, this brief analysis essay will seek to lay out this author’s view, supported by key course concepts, with relation to how incorporation of organizational culture/assimilation is achieved. Firstly, as a way to understand the extent to which cultural assimilation will take place, the reader should consider the attitudes and belief systems that one brings with them into the process. No one would be foolish enough to argue that having a distinct belief system is a hindrance with regards to being able to accept a company culture and work to assimilate oneself into the mores and norms of this culture as a way to differentiate oneself into a useful and valuable employee; however, the fact of the matter is that certain belief systems are rather incompatible with the assimilation process (Beamer 1997). Although it is beyond the scope of this short essay to enumerate upon which belief systems are a retardant with respect to the individual being both willing and able to incorporate/assimilate into the mold that has been set forward by the organization in question, the fact remains that a type of open minded liberalism is required to allow the individual to accept the constraint s that the organization may lay upon them and work to incorporate these as long as they do not violate any of the laws of universal ethics and/or morality. One of the premier determinants that should be discussed with relation to an employee seeking to assimilate himself/herself into the given company/organizational culture is the fact that there are key different between culture/rituals/and policies. Oftentimes, due to a liberal use of vocabulary terms, these three are coalesced into a singular idea; however, this could not be further from the truth. In fact, the company culture is merely a

Engineering Project Management Essay Example for Free

Engineering Project Management Essay Typical Practice Estimating time to undertake design and drafting tasks, such as the crafting of blueprints for the construction of wooden furniture (e.g. stool, desk, chest) by an expert and the creation of blueprints for buildings of commercial establishments by an architect, requires the method of estimating labor costs. After all, cost estimates require time estimates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Computing the labor cost (technically called as the direct labor cost in management accounting) proceeds by adding the worker’s base rate and indirect payroll costs, such as government securities and insurance. The result is multiplied with the worker’s labor hours. The product of the operation is the labor cost. If labor cost is known and the estimated labor hour is unknown, the manager only has to work around the equation to obtain the estimated time of performing the task. This is the easiest method for the manager, and also the most unreliable because it relies on past data of labor costs. It relies on past data of labor costs because an empirical method is needed, which this method does not include. In such a case, this method is just mere ‘speculation’. It is not an ‘estimation’ in the proper sense of the term because there are no trials and errors done to gather data. From this, there is also a differentiation between ‘past data’ and ‘empirical data’. Past data are also empirical data, but they are gathered in the past, therefore acquiring a less accurate information. Empirical data, after all, require certain use of tools to be obtained. Also, it is unreliable because if the company is new, it cannot use this method—there is no recorded information regarding past operations. Only a long-existing company can benefit from this method of estimating labor hours.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One problem in estimating the time and cost in performing design and drafting jobs is that managers can only speculate about the amount of time required by a specific job. For instance, the manager of a firm that designs and produces musical instruments can not know exactly how long in a day can a staff of twenty finishes a certain number of musical instruments. Time is a variable that depends on the quality and quantity of tools, materials, equipment, and workers assigned in performing tasks. In the example of designing musical instruments, the manager should know how long each instrument is designed in its entirety by a specific worker. It would help to get an average rate for this. Afterwards, the average rate will be multiplied to the number of instruments to be designed. If one stops here, this is an incomplete method of computing labor time. The manager should get the time it took the labor to prepare for the task, and how long it took him to bring the musical instrument to the corresponding collectors of the aforementioned products in the management system. Then, the sum is multiplied with the distance of the labor from the shop or wherever he is taking the musical instruments. The resulting product is then added to the product of the average rate and the number of instruments to be designed. Another method in estimating the labor time is by taking the average hours of preceding homogenous tasks. In creating a musical instrument, the manager gets the time it took for a worker to complete one instrument. He then obtains data from the proceeding tasks. By getting the average of the values, we obtain the average hours. Variability and Contingencies The accuracy of the first method is low. First, there is a huge possibility of error in relying past data or performance. A company that designs cars ought to measure the time and cost of labor through direct empirical methods, such as obtaining the rates by which workers accomplish their jobs. However, this method depends on the accuracy of historical data. If historical data are inaccurate, there is a 100% tendency that the result of using this method will produce inaccuracies. This is not recommended for companies because it is not an engineering standard.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second method is more empirical and far more accurate than the first method. Considering the computation of the average rate, one can not be sure of the precision of this statistical tool. Using the mean, median or mode as a way to produce data for the estimation of the time and cost of labor is inefficient. It is recommended that a variance analysis be conducted so that deviations will be taken into consideration. After all, workers are not robots. They have higher levels of inefficiency and inconsistency of output. A worker has fluctuating labor rates. The time he finishes a job fluctuates in hours or minutes, thereby changing the amount of labor cost. Using the variance analysis as a statistical method in obtaining work rates is more efficient. When this is done, it makes the second estimation method more accurate because deviant cases, or changes in time and labor costs, are taken into consideration. The variance analysis can also be applied on the third method, which also relies on using the mean, median or mode. Since averages are less reliable than doing a variance analysis, the third method can be inaccurate. More statistical methods are needed. Monitoring and Updating As the design and drafting tasks proceed, the practices used to update estimates are the following: regular, intermittent, and periodical recording of average rates in designing and drafting jobs. The practice of having a regular recording system, which requires inputs for every day of labor, is the most accurate but also the most costly. Therefore, it is far from inefficient. Only a huge company can take advantage of this, if there is a high risk involved in not monitoring the time and cost of labor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   An intermittent recording practice entails intermediate accuracy and cost. This requires inputs every week, month or quarter of the year, depending on the needs of the company to monitor the progress of the fluctuations in time and cost of labor.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A periodical recording practice is the least costly, but has the risk of being inaccurate because it does not measure everything. It only measures the fluctuations in time and cost of labor between points in time, and not within a span of time. References: Baskette, C. (2006). Avoided cost estimation and post-reform funding allocation for Californias energy efficiency programs. Electricity Market Reform and Deregulation, 31, 1084-1099. Farsi, Mehdi. (2006). Cost efficiency in the Swiss gas distribution sector. Energy Economics, 28, 1050-1062. ASSIGNMENT 2 (Y) Basis for Project Methodology The specific method chosen for a certain project is based on the inherent characteristics of that project. There are as many methods as there are kinds of projects. The basis for choosing a method depends on the variables that differentiate one project from another, like the level of complexity involved in the activity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The following is the list of factors that may be the basis of project methodology: Project area Level of complexity Type of communication used   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the many considerations in project methodology decision-making is the project area. Is the project small, medium, or large? Even this question requires some thinking, since the size of a project is arbitrary. It depends on the sizes of other projects the manager or company considers as points of comparison. The area of the project may mean the geographical area concerned. For instance, an electric company that aims to build a network of electric facilities may be one kilometer by 500 meters. Judging whether this is small, medium, or large varies from one project to another. There may have been other similar projects built, requiring only two or three hectares of land. In such cases, this project may be considered large in area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The area can also be seen in terms of influence. In the example of an electric company building a network of electric facilities, the area may mean the number of households it would serve. Again, judging whether a number of ten-thousand households is small, medium or large depends on other similar projects made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another basis is the level of complexity involved in the project. Complexity can be measured by how many interactions among units are required to accomplish a task, and judging the data whether the project system is simple or complex. In the above example, measuring the complexity of building a network of electric facilities may require determining the organization of managers and workers that are involved in the project. Some organizations interact according to hierarchy. These kinds of organizations tend to be simple because there are defined ways on how the units interact among one another. Some, which are more complex, require units to interact in different ways. To put it concretely, let us say that the electric company assigns the maintenance department to be always under the engineering department, which means that the staff would only take commands from the latter. This is a simple scenario. A complex scenario would be when the company assigns the maintenance department to communicate with the other divisions of the company in accomplishing its own task. The connection between complexity and method is that the complexity determines the method. After knowing a project’s level of complexity, the method may then be configured depending on this information.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The third basis is communication. What is the message of the project? What are the kinds of media used? For whom is the message? These are significant things to take in mind when characterizing what sort of communication exists in an activity. Is the electric company making use of an intranet, which simplifies complex interactions? What tools are used for one division to communicate with another? Are telephones preferred over online chatting between departments?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is also significant to determine the contexts in which communication occurs. Is it one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many? Determining this also affects the level of complexity of the project. A one-to-one communication is simple but slow and inefficient. A one-to-many communication is fast and efficient, but the message reception loses quality. Many-to-many communication is fast and complex, thereby increasing the level of complexity in the project. Decisions regarding matters on communication are only part of choosing what methodology to use. Criteria for Best Project Methodology In order to illustrate how one method is better than another given a specific project, let us take the following popular methods in project management: Waterfall Development, Rational Unified Process, and Extreme Programming (Asrilhant, 2005). These are the best methods in project management because they generally are flexible to different factors, like budget and project size. They compliment each other. One strategy’s weakness is another’s strength.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the project has high budget, one may say that the Waterfall Development is the best method for it. That is because this method requires little or zero corrections in inputs. This is possible because the planning function of the management is more crucial. A low budget means a high risk to undertake the project. Therefore, quality planning is indispensable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For instance, if the electric company funds a 5-hectare electric network facility 30% lower than similar projects, the management has to undertake Waterfall Development. This means the planning function is geared on decreasing costs. There will be much labor required on the part of engineers and analysts to increase the level of certainty in inputs. The company cannot afford to do experimentations and much testing. High technical proficiency is required.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the project entails intermediate risk, and there is an intermediate number of staff who would man it, then the Rational Unified Process may be used as the best methodology. This is because risk management is balanced with a medium amount of budget or allowance for failure in inputs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the electric company funds a 10-hectare electric network facility 2% lower than similar projects, the management may afford to increase the costs of testing and experimenting with inputs to produce outputs in electric services.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, if there is a need for regular testing and experimentation of inputs, and corrections in testing failures, then the Extreme Programming may be undertaken as the best methodology. Budget given here is high, and the risks are lower. The population of staff is also considerably higher than the two other methodologies. Here, the management can afford to run the risk of losing resources, albeit with prudence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Determining which method is best for a project requires measuring the amount of risks associated with the project, the budget allocated for the activity, the number of participants in the staff, and the affordability of the project to receive failing outputs. References: Asrilhant, Boris. (2005). On the strategic project management process in the UK indutrial sector. Omega, 35, 89-103. ASSIGNMENT 3 Alternative Classification   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rationale of having a new project classification is to respond against the inefficiencies of the older classifications. The project method concerns itself much on the processes and ways on how tasks are carried out in the activity. However, it is too formalistic and technical. It is formalistic because it is focused on empirical observations. It is too technical because it does not leave room for speculation and theorizing. There is a huge chance that it will lose sight of the project’s objectives.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The project end-product, being goal-oriented, is weak on the part of specific matters. It may lose sight on technical issues such as the method of computation to use in estimating labor costs. If a firm that manufactures cars undertake an activity in which the project is classified as belonging under the project end-product, the managers will fall short on practicality. Important details are missed, like the choosing of a certain metal as a material in making automobiles. There may be one end-product but there are many methods in which inputs can be processed into outputs. These methods determine the level of costs associated with the production. If a company is too concerned about output, it loses sight on the possibility of gaining productivity by merely choosing the method. This is to say that a new classification is needed—a new classification that would account for the weaknesses of project methodology and project end-product. Since the two classifications do not take into consideration certain factors of production and labor, which are important determinants of the success of a project, a new chosen classification is labeling projects according to the types of constraints. The traditional constrains in a project are the following: Time Cost Production Labor These variables define the shape or form of the project. Changing one variable changes the whole project in its entirety. To illustrate, assume that an automobile manufacturing company undertakes a project of creating fifty units of luxury cars. The time constraint associated with the project makes it different from all the other projects with similar methods and end-products. For instance, this project is similar to five other projects whose goals are also to create fifty units of luxury cars. The only hypothetical difference is the amount of days required to accomplish it. This is to say that a project is different from another when there is a significant time interval between the required time to accomplish one project and the required time to accomplish another.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, it is too trivial if the manager only relies on the time constraint. Costs are also important contributors of project type determination. The amount of money allotted for a budget determines the influence of the project on the area it is being undertaken, and on the unit is serving. This is an indispensable category because the cost also gives way to knowing the area and quality of the project.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If the car company gives a budget to a car-manufacturing project which is 50% lower than that of another project with similar end-product, then the two projects are different because the former is constrained in using resources. It must tap the planning function of the management at its best, because it cannot afford high risks and high expenses.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Production is a consequence of the cost constraint. The number of cars to be produced by the company depends on the allotted budget in producing these cars. Consequently, this is also related to labor in the sense that, if the budget is low and the production is high, then the labor must be intensive. It is empirically impossible to increase labor if the budget remains the same.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In short, projects can be classified according to the variability of their traditional constraints. They be classified as the following: Long-term undertaking, high-budgeted, labor intensive. Mid-term undertaking, with intermediate budget, intermediate production, and medium labor intensiveness. Short-term undertaking, low-budgeted, small production, and low concentration in labor. This is not to say that there are only three ways to classify projects. There are different permutations of classifying them because a project can be both long-term and low-budgeted, short-term and high-budgeted, and the like. There are twenty-seven combinations possible for the project manager. It is helpful for the project manager because there are varied choices to be undertaken with this typology. Enhancement   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This classification gives an enhanced understanding of project management because the inefficiencies of project end-product and project method are revealed and solved. The old classification system is poor because there are only small categories where projects fall under. In logic, the lesser concepts there are to stand for heterogeneous things, the more abstract the ideas become. By taking into consideration the traditional constraints of a project, and basing from it to form a new project classification, one achieves a more concrete and detailed description of the different projects that are to be executed. Project classification, through this kind of classification, becomes more useful not only as a mere science of classification. It also helps management keep an improved system of managing the projects, thereby increasing productivity and output quality. This project classification also enhances the understanding on the content of projects. Project method concerns itself with the processed item but not the one being processed. Project end-product concerns itself with the output but not the materials or inputs that led to its creation. This classification gives a new lens through which projects are seen by the manager. References: Project management. Retrieved September 4, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management#Project_systems

The Function Organization And Structure Of The International Court Of Justice Law Essay

The Function Organization And Structure Of The International Court Of Justice Law Essay Introduction In this essay the author wants to explain the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Important in that context is the history and former organizations, which were the pathfinder of the contemporary institution. It should be explained how the ICJ is working and who is working. The duties, functions and the international importance of the Court, plus the reasons why world politics need that kind of international Court. Further will be explained the most important Conventions, rules and Conferences, which build up the ICJ in its present- day. There are some important research questions, which are the main issues of the essay: What is the importance or the meaning of International Court of Justice? Most of the time the organization is mentioned as an institution with judicial arbitration in case of national disputes. It is standing over all states and has a very strong arbitration. The states are not able to appeal against the ICJs decisions or convictions, what caused the second research question: How the International Court of Justice does achieve these convictions? Who is the judge or who are the judges of the International Court of Justice? This is the question of the formation of the Court. Questions b) and c) have their focus on the inner- organizations of the Court and the author wants to find out, why the Court acts in certain cases in disputes and what are their concerns and requests to mediate a dispute. Hopefully all the questions will be answered in the end of the essay, in the conclusion there will be a comprehensive review of the topic and the important research questions. There is enough literature to use and with some examples of cases between national states, the process and interfering of the International Court of Justice, it should be well explained. History All began with the Jay Treaty of 1794, also called the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation, between the United States of America and Great Britain. It was made out of three mixed commissions with American and British nationals and they had to work as tribunals.  [1]   The second more important phase was marked by the Alabama Claims arbitration in 1872 again between the United States and Great Britain. In the Treaty of Washington the same parties arranged a sort of neutrality and fixed some important conditions for arbitration. They tried to avoid with the treaties conflicts between the states and they created a proposal of a permanent international arbitral tribunal.  [2]   The third phase was marked by The Hague Peace Conference in 1899 which got initiated by the Russians (Czar Nicholas II). The phase was part of modern international arbitration. The main concern of the conference was discussing peace and disarmament. It got finished with the Convention on the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes (between Asian, American and Europe countries). Out of the Convention the Permanent Court of Arbitration got formed. A panel of jurists (from each country) administered the Permanent Court and also a leading office, located at The Hague, got set up. The Court got institutionalized and was generally accepted. The official establishment was in 1900 and the operating began in 1902.  [3]   In 1907 the second Hague Peace Conference started and also States of Central and South America participated. At this conference some participants (United States, Germany and Great Britain) tried to form a Permanent Court of Justice, but not all participants agreed with that. The problem was how and who had to choose the judges.  [4]   The Conference confined itself to recommending that States should adopt a draft convention for the creation of a court of arbitral justice as soon as agreement was reached respecting the selection of the judges and the constitution of the court. Although this court was never in fact to see the light of day, the draft convention that was to have given birth to it enshrined certain fundamental ideas that some years later were to serve as a source of inspiration for the drafting of the Statute of the Permanent Court of International Justice  (PCIJ).  [5]   The Permanent Court worked with cases like the territorial and marine dispute and delimitation between Eritrea and Yemen in 1898 and 1899 and in case which concerned Great Britain and Ireland and caused the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North- East Atlantic in 1992 (OSPAR).  [6]   The Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ) Article  14 of the Covenant of the League of Nations gave the Council of the League responsibility for formulating plans for the establishment of a Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ), such a court to be competent not only to hear and determine any dispute of an international character submitted to it by the parties to the dispute, but also to give an advisory opinion upon any dispute or question referred to it by the Council or by the Assembly.  [7]   In 1920 the Council engaged an Advisory Committee of Jurists to present a report if the establishment of the PCIJ, they sat in The Hague under Baron Decamps (Belgium). After the report, the First Assembly of the League of Nations opened in Geneva in the end of 1920. In this case the legal frame of the PCIJ got fixed and realized. Every member country had a vote in case of decisions and elections. The first elections took place in September 1921. After the first Assembly, more of them took place in 1921, 1929 and finally in 1936 the Statute and legal frame of the PCIJ became effective and operative.  [8]   The PCIJ had after the long road of formation and development some differences to the former Court of Arbitration. First it got a permanently governed body and had an own Statute and Rules of Procedure. Second it had a permanent Registry which stayed always in touch with governments and international organizations. Third the proceeding was public and got documented for evidence. It also had a permanent tribunal; what offered a constant practice with international law and bodies. It also influenced the development in that case. Further all member states had to accept the principles and rules of the PCIJ. The PCIJ had also advisory function in case if the League of Nations Council or Assembly and a member state of the PCIJ were not normally a member state of the League of Nations. Last, it got more and more representive in the international context.  [9]   The International Court of Justice (ICJ) Case of the Second World War the PCIJ had less space for activities. The last conference was in December 1939, after that the PCIJ advanced backward and did not act in cases of disputes between countries. In 1942 the United States and Great Britain tried to establish a new international Court and the Inter- American Juridical Committee started to construct a new way of the PCIJ. In connection with this development, some informal Committees got held and published in February 1944 a report, which contained that the Statute has to be an international law and had to be based on the Permanent Court of International Justice. It should have advisory character and acceptance in jurisdiction.  [10]   Meanwhile, on 30  October  1943, following a conference between China, the USSR, the United Kingdom and the United States, a joint declaration was issued recognizing the necessity of establishing at the earliest practicable date a general international organization, based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all peace-loving States, and open to membership by all such States, large and small, for the maintenance of international peace and security.  [11]   The result of the meeting (October 1944) was a proposal for the International Court of Justice and represented in the beginning at one of the first meetings in Washington 1945, 44 states with a Committee of lawyers. The preparations of the Statute of the ICJ happened at the San Francisco Conference in 1945 with 50 participants and were based on the Statute of the PCIJ. That conference was one of the most important in the history of the ICJ.  [12]   The Conference decided against compulsory jurisdiction and in favour of the creation of an entirely new court, which would be a principal organ of the United Nations, on the same footing as the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the Secretariat, and with the Statute annexed to and forming part of the Charter.  [13]   The Court was the judicial part of the United Nations and was linked to the League of Nations. All member states of the United Nations are member states of the ICJ. In the beginning of the ICJ the European countries dominated national, political and judicial affairs and case, that was the reason why the ICJ and the United Nation added some countries as members and they increased from 51 (1945) to 192 (2006).  [14]   Functions and structure The official formation date is the 26. June 1945. The official seat is like the former organization in The Hague. The ICJ consists out of fifteen judges, who have to be from the member states of the United Nations. These are independent and have a diplomat status. They get voted from the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations. The main duties of the ICJ are to communicate between two or more disputing parties, but they have to be states, because the ICJ is not working with cases of individuals or organizations. Decisions are based on international law.  [15]   Current Judges ad hoc The following judges ad hoc have been chosen in the cases currently pending before the Court: Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo) Guinea: Mr. Ahmed Mahiou Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mr. Auguste Mampuya Kanunka Tshiabo Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo v. Uganda) Democratic Republic of the Congo: Mr. Joe Verhoeven Uganda: Mr. James L. Kateka Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Croatia v. Serbia) Croatia: Mr. Budislav Vukas Serbia: Mr. Milenko KreĆ¡a Territorial and Maritime Dispute (Nicaragua v. Colombia) Nicaragua: Mr. Giorgio Gaja Colombia: Mr. Jean-Pierre Cot Certain Criminal Proceedings in France (Republic of the Congo v. France) Republic of the Congo: Mr. Jean-Yves de Cara France: Mr. Gilbert Guillaume Maritime Dispute (Peru v. Chile) Peru: Mr. Gilbert Guillaume Chile: Mr. Francisco Orrego Vicuà ±a Aerial Herbicide Spraying (Ecuador  v. Colombia) Ecuador : Mr. Raà ºl Emilio Vinuesa Colombie : Mr. Jean-Pierre Cot Case concerning Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Georgia v. Russian Federation) Georgia: Mr. Giorgio Gaja Application of the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995 (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia v. Greece) Greece: Mr. Emmanuel Roucounas The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Mr. Budislav Vukas Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v. Italy) Italy: Mr. Giorgio Gaja Questions relating to the Obligation to Prosecute or Extradite (Belgium v. Senegal) Belgium: Philippe  Kirsch Senegal: Serge Sur Certain Activities carried out by Nicaragua in the Border Area (Costa Rica v. Nicaragua) Costa Rica : Mr. John Dugard Nicaragua : Mr. Gilbert Guillaume  [16]   The ICJ is the only institution of the United Nations which has its head quarter not in the main quarter in New York, like mentioned is it in The Hague, Netherlands. In the graphic presentation below is explained how the ICJ works. The General Assembly and the Security Council vote the judges all three years for nine years. These judges represent different cultures, communities and legal frameworks. They are responsible for right decisions between state litigations and preconditions for the states who deposit their requests at the ICJ. Important is that they subordinate themselves under the jurisdiction of the ICJ. They are also responsible for the legal options in case and questions of the international law for the United Nations.  [17]   The authorities of the ICJ are provided in the fourteenth chapter of the UN- Charta, decided in 1945 in San Francisco. One the one hand the ICJ has his one statute and one the other it is based on the UN- Charta. That means that a member of the ICJ is also a member of the United Nations. The ICJ in connection with international law The ICJ has to base its decisions on the international law, mentioned above. Because of the international law, the ICJ is a legal person which is allowed to make his own decisions on a juristically structure on which it is based. In Act 38 Paragraph 1 it is mentioned that the Court has a statute based on international law, but it can also decided with the acceptance of the parties which are the main characters in a dispute.  [18]   The UN- Charta and the ICJ The chapter XIV of the UN- Charta says in Act 92 that the ICJ is the main adjustication of the United Nations and has a permanent statute and its duties, responsibilities and arrangements are based on the Charta and the statute. The first point of Act 93 means that all members of the United Nations are members of the Court. Second, a state who is not a member of the United Nations can get a member of the Court, but under different circumstances. There has to be held a conference at the General Assembly of the United Nations and the state has to have a reference of the United Nations Security Council. The first part of Act 94 says that every member of the United Nations is committed, in case of disputes to follow the interventions of the ICJ. If one of the parties of the dispute does not follow the rules of the ICJ, the other party is allowed to bring their case to the United Nations Security Council. The Security Council is the last institution who can finish the dispute and is able to make harder arrangements for the dispute parties. In Act 95 is written that the states can also ask other Courts to interfere in the dispute. The last Act, Act 96, says that United Nations Security Council can make requests for information of dispute cases and other institutions of the United Nations can with the allowance of the General Assembly ask for information of cases.  [19]   These conditions of work and service did not help very much at peace- keeping and with international security, which is one of the main duties and responsibilities. The former idea of the ICJ was to interfere between disputes and the result should be no war and military access, but this was and is impossible, because many states do not want to make compromises.  [20]   In official demonstrations, the ICJ most of the time interpreted and based their judgments and actions in international contexts on the UN-Charta. Every time they fell a judgment, they add, that they worked with the conventions of the Charta and the international law. The reason why they are so careful with their information is because of the international context and the cases with which they are working and the worrying about making problems between countries worse.  [21]   Types of Proceeding There are existing two different types of proceeding. First is the disputable proceeding based on Act 92 of the UN- Charta and second is the procedure of advisory opinion or expert assessment based on Act 96 of the UN- Charta and the IJC- Statue.  [22]   Disputable Procedure The disputable procedure should be a procedure which is based on peaceful resolutions for all contributing parties, in case of ICJ. The countries which are acting like parties, when they have a litigation at ICJ they have to be members, to be able to ask for help at the ICJ. If they are no members of the ICJ or the United Nations, they have to get a recommendation of the Security Council and afterwards the General Assembly is deciding if they are allowed to access the process and if they get a party for that time of the United Nations and the Court. If not, they cannot work with the ICJ together. International organizations are not allowed to get parties of the ICJ. These decisions were made on the Conference of San Francisco. The only way they can participate, is the way of listening.  [23]   Also important for the ICJ is the responsibility of an international tribunal. The Court can only work with a dispute between countries, when all parties agree to the litigation at the ICJ. This is based on a general principle of international law. At the Conference of San Francisco in 1945 it got discussed to base the Court on an obligatory jurisdiction, but in the end the Court got the statute of the traditional system with the former sovereignty principle. The countries have the possibilities to form an agreement, before the case comes official to the Court, who shows the responsibilities of the ICJ, but both parties have to agree. They can make a sort of compromise to abbreviate the proceeding. The states have also the possibility to arrange agreements for the time after the trial. Such a compromise should control the disputes and the acting. This should work like diplomacy or mediation- to prevent wars and conflicts. These agreements could be for example multi- or bilateral cont racts. Additional the countries can arrange the responsibilities of the ICJ also for the future, like they can work out compromises. This way of acting is called facultative obligatory. These compromises and obligatories can have time- limits or there could be instructions which they have to follow with or without a time- limit. That depends on the case and if there is the necessity from the Court to interfere. If there is a case, where the parties are not able to define the responsibilities of the Court together, then the Court is deciding the circumstances of the trial.  [24]   In the text above is written that the ICJ only interferes if there is a conflict between countries and there is no other possibility to solve the problem or conflict without a Court. The ICJ defines a conflict and its rule: disagreement on a point of law or fact, a conflict of legal view or if interests between two persons  [25]  That definition defines conflicts, but it does no show if it has to be juristically or non- juristically. The interpretation of the definition could also factor in political and social disputes. If it also includes social problems, then there is duty- problem with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Because of this defining problem the cases has to be totally clear and they have to be cases which do not have effects on political and social positive working structures. If they have such effects, then it would not be any more a case of the ICJ, but of the ICC (International Criminal Court).  [26]   The trial of the dispute has to be separated in two parts, the written and the spoken part (Act 43). Very important in this context is the preliminary objections  [27]  which could be used before the trial and during the trial from the parties against the Court. The law which is used from the ICJ for decisions is the mentioned international law. The international law gets split in three parts: first the under international law contracts, second general legal principles and third customary international law. Facilities for the ICJ can be already given verdicts or scientific consensus. The second mentioned form was in the past mostly used at national courts and in international law. Nowadays the general legal principles are disappearing and are not used very often. Today the ICJ is using the international law contracts and the customary international law most of the time.  [28]   The decisions of the ICJ can be obligation or declaratory judgments. The judgment concerns only the disputing parties and the judgment has to be accepted. There is nothing existing which could change that, but under conceivable explanations the trial can be scheduled. If a stated does not follow the guidelines of the judgment, the Security Council can threat and order penalties.  [29]   The Procedure of Advisory Opinion or Expert Assessment In this procedure the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations can get an advisory opinion from the ICJ. In this context an advisory opinion or assessment means a juristically statement of a case of disputing countries. In the procedure no parties exist and an advisory opinion is in that context essential. The Court has more power over the case and more ways to interfere. This power results out of the advisory opinion, which gets verbalized by the Court for the UN- institutions. A reason why the procedure get used, results out if the not given capacity to sue and be sued of the United Nations. It should be a sort of compensation. The Court is not only checking the advisory opinion, because it has to involve the statements of the requisitioning institution and the statement of the states which are not the main characters of the trial, but they get mentioned. There are some other institutions who are also allowed to ask for an expert assessment, for example the I nternational Labor Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency or the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and more. The General Secretary is not allowed to request for an advisory opinion, but different organizations and institutions tried to get the ability to receive that. Up to the present day the ICJ and the people who are responsible for the UN- Charta did not react for this request. The General Secretary has just the possibility to summon the Security Council or the General Assembly to get an advisory opinion. These institutions of the United Nations can request for every question of law, but that is not the common treatment nowadays.  [30]   To get an expert assessment an institution or another different applicant has to have a question of law for the ICJ. Here is again the problem to separate political and juristically questions, but in this case until today the Court did not find a working consensus. The most of the time the Court decides when it gets the request. The questions do not need any form or structure; they just have to show the problem.  [31]   When the advisory opinion includes states, then the ICJ do not need the acceptance of these countries for such a request. The Court can make that and there is no different statement in the UN- Charta which would forbid that. But the ICJ cannot make a trial without the agreement of the states that means when the ICJ would make a verdict because of an advisory opinion, the states do not have to agree. If that would happen the ICJ has to refuse the request of an advisory opinion. The procedure of expert assessment belongs like the disputable procedure to the international law.  [32]   Differences between the ICJ and the Security Council of the United Nations A comparison between the ICJ and the Security Council is important, because they are both main parts of the UN-Charta (Act 7 para. 1). They are on the same level and have the same possibilities, but also their own functions and skills. The main subject of differentiating between the two important institutions is the independence or dependence of the members. A second important point is the difference between the types of procedure, because the ICJ should only work with juristical questions and the Security Council is responsible for political differences. The trials in the ICJ are stricter and more formal. The way to the Court, during and after the Court, has exact guidelines and they have to be accepted from the requesting states. In the Security Council there are more liberties for the involved parties. The states do not have to take care of many responsibilities or formal conventions in comparison to the ICJ. One of the most important differences is the handling with a verdict aft er the trial. If states request at the ICJ they have to accept the verdict and they cannot do anything again. The Security Council gives advice, so the countries do not need to feel compelled it do any action they dislike. The decisions of the Security Council are for the protection of the global peace and the international security.  [33]   Decisions of the ICJ in the past and its handling The activity of the International Court of Justice is not too rich. In its twenty four years of existence, the I.C.J. has received about fifty cases, rendered judgments in twenty one, and has issued thirteen advisory opinions.  [34]   In this topic the handling of the ICJ in different cases with disputes should be described. There will be some examples from the past to explain difficult backgrounds and the view of the ICJ. In its judicial activity, as well as in the advisory one, besides the decisions and the advisory opinions delivered, the Court has recorded, every time a decision was rendered or it issued an advisory opinion, numerous individual or separate opinions. Some of these opinions, real juridical masterpieces, are often of particular significance, due to the fact that they insist on some principles and arguments of international law, dissimilar to those which led to the solution rendered by the Court. These individual and separate opinions are regularly presented in extenso [emphasis added] in Recueil des arrest, avis consultatifs et ordonnances [emphasid added].  [35]   The decisions of the ICJ did not only help to find solutions in the international context. They also are an expression for the structure of the international law, where it comes from and how it gets handled. International justice, international law and international relations are very young from a historical perspective. The ICJ got established around eighty years ago and the former international tribunals maybe existed twenty years longer. This has many reasons; the world how we know it today, did not exist that way in the nineteenth century. The civilizations changed with the medial facilities for example or the First and Second World War, the forces in the international context changed in that case rapidly. The ICJ had started small and big revolutions in law perspectives, because law was not longer a part of one or two countries, law got global and international.  [36]  The author of the essay will take the first three cases as examples for the working processes in the ICJ. The Corfu Channel Case  [37]   The first case of the ICJ handled about the Corfu Channel Case in April 1949. The parties of the trial were the United Kingdom of Great Britain including Northern Ireland and the Republic of Albania.  [38]   The judges: Acting President GUERRERO; President BASDEVANT; Judges ALVAREZ, FABELA, HACKWORTH, WINIARSKI, ZORIĈIĆ , DE VISSCHER, Sir Arnold MCNAIR, KLAESTAD, BADAWI PASHA, K RYLOV, R EAD, HSU MO, AZEVEDO; M. EĈER, Judge ad hoc.  [39]   The case started in October 1946 when British ships drove into the Albanian water territories for mine- sweeping without any allowance of the Albanian government. The Albanians left after the Second World

Models Of Forensic Psychology Case Study Social Work Essay

Models Of Forensic Psychology Case Study Social Work Essay Andrew is fifteen. He has been accused of sexually assaulting his younger sister and may be charged with this in the near future. Some of his family have a history of mental disorder and he has a history of learning and behavioural difficulties, as a result of which he has been attending a residential special school. He does not acknowledge the accusations against him and is reluctant to discuss them. INFORMATION FROM INTERVIEW Andrew presents as a tall, slim-built youth who is restlessly anxious, looking away for most of the interview, and repeatedly yawning in an exaggerated manner to indicate how little he wants to be involved in the discussion. Despite this he is essentially polite in manner and answers all questions, at least in some measure. His apparent level of intelligence puts him in the mild range of impairment, and he is also very sensitive to anything that he thinks puts him at a disadvantage or makes him look thick. He has some social skills, although these are not always used and sometimes he appears socially disinhibited. He has a reasonable vocabulary and powers of speech. There are no behavioural stereotypies (repetitive apparently purposeless movements) and no perseverative behaviour (continuance of behaviours after their original purpose has been served). However, his powers of concentration are limited and he is easily distracted from discussion. His attention is focused on his perceived likelihood that he will automatically go to prison, regardless of whether he is charged or not. He hopes that a combination of his medical history and denial of the allegations will be enough to get him through any legal processes. Andrew says he hasnt been charged with anything because I aint done nowt. Nevertheless he is able to say that sexual assault means trying to make somebody do something have sex, how to make babies and that penetration means putting a finger up someone up (the) clitoris of women. He has already been officially asked on one occasion about for whats going on now basically but can describe no details and says that he aint bothered because I havent done it. CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES Andrew has his own room at his special school and has made one or two friends. The activity that he enjoys most, and gets most from, is studying motor vehicles and he has developed an ambition to become a mechanic. He comes home for some weekends and for holiday periods. At present he feels he hasnt got a life anymore. This is both because of the possible pending charges and because he feels people are dropping dead around me. A close friend (female) of his died recently, and his life has not felt the same since his father died unexpectedly the day before his birthday four ago, and his paternal grandmother died about a year afterwards. He would like to become a motor mechanic, but thinks this will not be possible, unless he can get training in prison, because of his possible court case. PERSONAL AND FAMILY HISTORY He is the youngest member of his family, although his own list of his siblings and half-siblings is slightly different to that provided by his family. His father died from a heart attack and his mother has a lot of problems with her health. He was excluded from his first school for throwing a brick at a teacher or something like that they were doing my head in all the time. MEDICAL HISTORY He has been diagnosed as having ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), and says that this is why he is at boarding school. He says that he used to get all mad and hate people and take it out on them but that this has improved more recently. Two years ago he tried to hang himself with two belts because he just felt like it I couldnt be bothered living anymore I did it for fun I thought it was funny. He also tried to cut his wrist, and still has a faint scar from this. He continues to have periodic thoughts about a quick premature death as a way of not having to put up with living anymore. Although these thoughts reflect a depressed view of life there is no indication that he currently has a depressive illness. He has previously taken the antihyperactivity drug Ritalin, but has now discontinued this and describes it as doing my head in. SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT HISTORY He first became sexually aware at a very young age, as a result of being given information either by one of his sisters or a friend. His father told him not to have sex until he was older so as to avoid having children. His strongest sexual experience so far has been with a girlfriend who he described as the nicest person you could meet even though my sister called her a smackhead'. He denies the allegations about his sister and describes them as all lies. Questions What identifiable risks, giving your reasons, does Andrew present a) in the short term and b) in the longer term? Rank them once in their order of certainty, and again in their order of importance. Construct an interview strategy to help investigating police officers further question Andrew about the allegations regarding his sister, explaining your rationale. Case Study 2 Mr D Case Study Read the following case study carefully. Using your knowledge of risk assessment, mental disorders and offending behaviour and interview and treatment strategies answer the following questions: Describe the type(s) of mental disorder Mr D may be suffering from Consider whether those disorders are likely to contribute to the risk he poses of future violence Identify those risks that Mr D poses to himself and others Consider whether you would discharge Mr D from hospital at this time and give your reasons why (Point 5 is optional) Highlight what challenges Mr D may pose in treatment and how you might overcome them. Background Early Childhood Mr D was born to a 16 year old mother and conceived following a one night stand. Mr D recalled an unsettled childhood due to his mother handing over his care to her parents. Mr D described how he liked living with his grandparents, however he also described how his grandfather frequently used alcohol and his grandmother was strict and did not allow him to socialise with other children. Behavioural problems were noted from the age of 4. Throughout this time period Mr D began having severe tantrums which involved hitting and kicking and Mr D was referred to the Childrens Hospital at the age of 8. This followed a severe attack levied against his grandfather involving a knife. Throughout the interview process Mr D remained closed about his relationship with his grandfather. Later reports indicate he was sexually abused by his grandfather but Mr D refuses to discuss this subject. Mr D was taken into care at the age of 8, where again he reported an unsettled period of time characterised by isolation and bullying. Mr D was able to live with a foster family whom he described as supportive for the next two years and it is of note that there were no behavioural difficulties noted for Mr D within this time period. Mr D appeared to settled with this family and their two sons, which allowed him to form secure attachments with this family. Unfortunately the family needed to emigrate to South Africa, and although he was asked to go with them, Mr D chose to remain close to his grandparents. Mr D spent the next five years in Childrens homes, interspersed by foster placements which broke down. Mr D returned to live with his grandparents following this period. Previous reports indicate conflicting points of view about this time period, some indicating that Mr D had more positive relationships with his grandparents and mother at this time, but with others highlighting that his grandparents did not really speak to him. Education and employment Mr D attended approximately five different schools as he was moved due to his living situation changing. Mr D recalled an unsettled period of time at school as he was bullied. He also described himself as hyper, I would scream and shout a lot and recalled finding lessons boring. Records indicate that Mr D began refusing school at the age of 4 and has a significant history of truancy throughout his education. Mr D left school with no qualifications but school reports describe him as exceptionally bright. Mr D has never been in formal employment. After leaving school he was unemployed for 2 years as he reported he could not find a job that interested him and he was having difficulties with his mental health. Following this, Mr D has been detained due to the conviction for his index offence. Substance and alcohol misuse Mr D reports a substantial history of cannabis use and a history of binge drinking. Psychiatric History Mr D first came into contact with mental health services at the age of 8 when he was admitted to the Childrens Hospital for 6 weeks following a violent attack on his grandfather. An ECG and neurological examination at the time were found to be normal, however Mr Ds mother recalled a black patch being found. Following this Mr D was referred to an Adolescent Unit at the age of 14 due to behaviour problems such as refusing to attend school and standing naked in the window. Later that year, Mr D was admitted to the hospital and was described by the doctor as an isolated and withdrawn individual, having no self confidence who responded with aggressive outbursts when frustrated. Mr D self-harmed by cutting his arms with a piece of glass. After being convicted of two incidents of indecent exposure at the age of 17, Mr D received outpatient treatment initially, but following another charge for indecent exposure Mr D was admitted as an inpatient. At this point he was talking about injuring people before they had the chance to injure him. On the 9th April 1987 Mr D was again charged with indecent exposure and was remanded under section 35 of the Mental Health Act (1983). During his assessment there, it was noted that he was hearing voices telling him to commit acts of violence. No specific diagnosis was made at this time, although a condition of residence and psychiatric treatment was made. Following his 18th birthday he was moved to Arnold Lodge Hospital. Whilst there it is reported that Mr Ds mental health appeared to deteriorate and violence towards others increased. At the age of 20 Mr D was transferred to a Hostel in Liverpool as it was thought that he would benefit from integration with other people, however three months after this he was discharged after assaulting another resident. Mr D managed to live in the community on his own for approximately two and a half years before he committed his index offence. At this point he was remanded to HMP Hull for approximately 2 months. Mr D attempted to hang himself during his first night in custody. He was then transferred to Wathwood hospital due to him exhibiting paranoid ideation and experiencing auditory hallucinations commanding him to harm a female prison officer. Whilst at Wathwood Hospital, initially Mr Ds presentation seemed to improve to the point that he was granted conditional discharge by a Mental Health Review Tribunal, however at this point Mr Ds fixation with a female member of staff began to cause concern. Mr D began exposing himself to female members of staff and his mental health deteriorated. Mr Ds presentation continued to decline over the next two years in terms of incidents of violence, aggression and sexually inappropriate. His mental health also fluctuated with episodes of paranoid ideation, delusions, thoughts of harming himself and incidents of aggression. Forensic History Mr D has three previous convictions for offences of indecent exposure. There are seven previous convictions for driving offences (e.g. driving whilst under the influence, reckless driving, driving without a license, insurance and MOT) and 4 convictions of acquisitive offending (2 offences of shoplifting and2 burglary offences). Mr D has no other convictions for violent offences apart from the index offence, however there has been other violence evident in Mr Drivers past when he has been a patient in hospital. Index Offence Mr D was convicted of the murder of his neighbour. The offence occurred in the context of ongoing difficulties Mr D was experiencing with his neighbours in terms of loud music they were playing in the early hours of the morning. Mr D had raised this problem with his neighbours and it is reported that they responded to this in a less than positive way. Mr D then tried to involve the council to alleviate the problem, however this appeared to have had no effect. On the day of the index offence, the victim was taking his rubbish out and Mr D approached him from behind and struck him once in the back with a 5 inch bladed knife. Mr D immediately ran away from the scene and made his way to the Family and Community Services Department with whom he was in regular contact and the police were contacted and Mr D was subsequently arrested. The victim had removed the weapon himself and in the meantime had made his way to nearby premises to seek assistance. He later died of his injuries in hospital . Mr Ds account of the offence is that he had been living next to neighbours who were noisy. He said he had lived next to them for about six months and I kept knocking, asking them to turn it down, they just said it was their house. When asked how many times this had occurred Mr D said, probably approached them about 5 or 6 times. Mr D stated that he didnt phone the police at all, but that he did phone the housing association. He said that nothing happened as a result of this and the music continued. On the last occasion that Mr D asked for the music to be turned down before he committed the index offence Mr Driver stated he started threatening me and said Im not turning the music down and was arguing. I cant remember what was being said, but I just kept asking him to turn it down. He was shouting and I think I hit him first, we had a scuffle and the police were called. The Police told me to get in touch with the housing association. Following this incident Mr D said that a few weeks passed and the music continued. Mr D stated that he had been going out shopping he had been carrying the same knife that he eventually stabbed the victim with. On the day of the index offence, Mr D reported being woken at 9am by music being played. He stated, I felt really stressed and angry. I got up, got dressed, I was standing in my kitchen and could hear it (the music) and I saw him going to the bin. Id come to the end of how I was feeling and looking for a way out. Mr D stated, I got a knife and stabbed him in the lower back. When asked what might have happened to resolve the situation had the index offence not occurred Mr D said, If I hadnt seen him, I probably would have gone on carrying the knife and gone round to his house. In terms of why Mr D felt he committed the offence, he stated, I couldnt stand them playing loud music. Mr D went onto say Yes I regret it, its led to me being kept in hospital. There is nothing else I could have done. He deserved it because he wouldnt turn down his music. Assessments Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale -3rd edition (WAIS III) This assessment examines general cognitive abilities, specifically thinking and reasoning skills. It explores non-verbal reasoning skills, spatial processing skills, visual-motor integration, attention to detail and acquired knowledge such as verbal reasoning and comprehension. Mr D presented with a full scale IQ of 130. International Personality Disorder Examination Mr D was assessed for personality disorder using the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE: Loranger; 1999). The IPDE is a semi-structured clinical interview developed to assess personality disorders defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) and the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10; World Health Organisation, 1992). Mr Ds current presentation indicates that definite diagnoses of Antisocial and Narcissistic personality disorders are warranted. The Antisocial features most relevant in Mr D include a lack of concern for the feelings of others, reckless behaviour, consistent irresponsibility, disregard for rules and punishment, low tolerance to frustration leading to acts of aggression and violence, and a proneness to rationalise and blame others for his own behaviour. The Narcissistic features which Mr D presents with include a grandiose sense of self-im portance, a belief that he should be treated differently, an overinflated sense of self-entitlement, arrogance in his behaviour and attitudes, a persistent pattern of taking advantage of others to achieve his own ends and an unwillingness to recognise or identify with the feelings of others. Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R The Hare Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R, Hare 1991, 2003) is a rigorous psychological assessment, widely regarded as the standard measure of psychopathy in research, clinical and forensic settings. It measures different aspects of a persons emotional experience, the way they relate to others, how they go about getting what they want and their behaviour. High levels of psychopathic traits as measured by the PCL-R are associated with high rates of re-offending and future violence (however a low PCL-R score alone does not imply low risk) and can impact on responsivity to therapeutic intervention. Mr D presented with moderate levels of psychopathic traits which fell just below the diagnostic cut off for psychopathic disorder. Items that he scored on include failure to accept responsibility for his actions, irresponsibility, lack of remorse, callous disregard for others, grandiose sense of self worth, manipulation and early childhood problems. Presentation in interview Mr D presented as a difficult and challenging patient to interview. He was dismissive at times, questioning my experience, qualifications and competence. He stated that psychology was not a proper science and would prefer to talk to the proper doctor i.e. the psychiatrist. Mr D appeared to have some knowledge of psychiatry and psychology and used technical terms throughout. He appeared to have little insight into his mental disorder stating that he does need to take medication and that everyone is like him. Mr D stated he does not under stand why anyone would think he poses a risk to people and that he should be discharged from hospital immediately. Case Study 3 Ms W Case Study Read the following case study carefully. Using your knowledge of risk assessment, mental disorders and offending behaviour and interview and treatment strategies answer the following questions: Describe the type(s) of mental disorder Ms W may be suffering from Consider whether those disorders are likely to contribute to the risk she poses of future violence Consider what techniques/strategies/considerations you would use when interviewing Ms W Highlight what further areas of work you may wish to undertake with Ms W (concentrating on what areas of her presentation you would like to explore/assess further and why) Background Early childhood Ms W was the eldest child of three, the other two children being boys. Ms W recalled an unhappy childhood due to the sexual abuse she experienced from her father (for which he received a conviction) and then the emotional detachment that was apparent between her mother and herself. Social services records support Ms Ws account of her early childhood. In addition to being sexually abused by her father, Ms W also reported being sexually abused by an uncle and a next door neighbour. Ms W also reported that the relationship between her mother and father was a turbulent one and although she did not witness any physical violence, she did hear arguments which resulted in her repeatedly banging his head against the wall through the stress this caused. Ms Ws behaviour became uncontrollable both within school and the community, in terms of fighting at school and committing petty crime such as shoplifting. Whilst still living with her parents, at the age of 14, Ms W became involved in a relationship with a man who was much older than her, in his 60s. This further contributed to the deterioration between Ms W and her parents, and her parents subsequently placed her in care. Ms W remained in care until the age of 17, and upon leaving she was given support from social services and moved into independent housing in which she was happy on her own. Education and employment Ms W reported that her school performance was average; teachers would not have found her a management problem, but that she did get distracted easily. Whilst at school she was subject to bullying from peers and this resulted in her engaging in fights outside of school. Ms W left school with no formal qualifications. Ms W obtained employment as soon as she left school and worked as a packer, a cleaner and in a pet shop. All of the employment she engaged in was in a short period after school, with her last job being held at the age of 20. Ms W reported that the last job she had needed to leave because her mental health was causing her difficulties and she needed to attend various appointments. Following this period of employment, Ms W was unemployed for the next 16 years due to mental health, drug and alcohol difficulties. Ms W claimed incapacity benefits and before coming into custody she reported having an income of approximately  £800 per month. Substance and alcohol misuse Ms W reported that she began drinking at the age of 14 or 15 as she would visit pubs with her partner at the time. She suggested that she became a heavy drinker at age 20 and that she needed alcohol every day as otherwise she would suffer with withdrawal symptoms. Ms W would consume approximately 12 cans of Stella a day or 2 bottles of 2 litre Cider. Ms Ws drinking caused her health problems in the form of liver failure and pancreatitis. Ms W was under the influence of alcohol when committing the index offence and this followed a period where she had tried to go through a detoxification process without medical support. It is of note that Ms W reported hearing voices whilst she completed this home detoxification process. In terms of drug use, Ms W remembered beginning to use substances at around the age of 18. She reports using acid tabs, microdots, magic mushrooms, speed, heroin (smoking) and cannabis. She also reported that she would take prescription medication if the opportunity arose. Ms W recalls that she would use whenever she had the money to do so and that she would frequently take drugs and drink at the same time. She estimated that she would spend approximately  £14 per day, but that this would depend on what funds she had available at the time. In the early 1990s Ms W was diagnosed with drug induced psychosis. Psychiatric history Ms W first recalled being in contact with psychiatric services in her 20s. She was first seen by a psychiatrist due to the hallucinations she was experiencing and she voluntarily stayed in hospital for a few months. Ms W had spent time in group mental health homes and has had support from psychiatrists, CPNs and social workers. Ms W had attempted to commit suicide on a number of occasions through taking overdoses. She was diagnosed with depression in her late 20s and has been on a number of anti depressant drugs which she combined with drink and non prescription drugs. Whilst in custody Ms W was taking antidepressants, anxiolytics and anti psychotics. The latter were prescribed due to Ms W experiencing hallucinations and also mood instability. Ms W had most recently been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder with features of depersonalisation and derealisation. Forensic history Ms W had three previous convictions. Two were received in 1989 which were both fraud offences, and then the third in 1990 for burglary and theft of a non dwelling. Ms W cannot recall specific details regarding the situations. Ms W had no other convictions for violent offending, apart from the index offence, but there has been other violence present in Ms Ws past especially within interpersonal relationships. Index offence The offence occurred in the shared home of Ms W and her partner. Two weeks before the index offence occurred, police had been called to the home after Ms W had taken an overdose of her partners medication. When Ms Ws partner had attempted to summon help, Ms W threatened her with a knife to try and prevent this. On the 10th June 2006 when the offence occurred, it was alleged that Ms W had been drinking cider from the early hours of the morning. Ms W insists that she was so drunk that she has no recall of the stabbing which then occurred and all that she remembered was seeing the blood on her partners stomach. After stabbing her partner in the stomach she then threatened to cut her throat with the knife. The stab wounds caused a near fatal injury. The victim was able to summons help by activating the emergency pull cord for the accommodations warden. Assessments Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale -3rd edition (WAIS III) This assessment examines general cognitive abilities, specifically thinking and reasoning skills. It explores non-verbal reasoning skills, spatial processing skills, visual-motor integration, attention to detail and acquired knowledge such as verbal reasoning and comprehension. Ms W presented with a full scale IQ of 75. The assessment showed that Ms W processes information more effectively when presented visually rather than verbally and that she struggles to concentrate for long periods of time. International Personality Disorder Examination Screening Questionnaire (IPDE-SQ) This assessment is a screening questionnaire which indicates whether there are certain personality traits which need further investigation using the full International Personality Disorder Examination assessment. The IPDE-SQ indicated the possible presence of paranoid, schizotypal, emotionally unstable, avoidant and dependent personality disorders but this should not be considered as a formal diagnosis. Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory III (MCMI-III) This assessment is used to evaluate elements of personality and also pathological syndromes within psychiatric populations. On this occasion the MCMI- III was used to provide a more comprehensive picture of Ms Ws personality and presentation in combination with the outcome of the IPDE-SQ. This measure was not used to diagnose personality disorder but to contribute to the understanding of Ms Ws presentation. The Millon highlighted that Ms W presented with anxiety, drug dependence and post traumatic stress disorder and may possible present with thought disorder and major depression. Presentation in interview Ms W presented as a shy, pleasant individual with very low confidence and who suffered with anxiety. It was evident that she was lacking in confidence in terms of speaking to people and being sure of her own opinions. She had also seemed to struggle in terms of her level of concentration. Over the course of the sessions Ms Ws mood could be quite volatile, changing from happy to depressed in the period of a couple of hours. Ms W consistently spoke of thoughts of self harm throughout the sessions and when feeling depressed would project these feelings onto others as having caused them. Ms W also presented at times as quite paranoid in terms of thinking that people were talking about her. Ms W also disclosed that she was experiencing visual hallucinations particularly when she felt stressed.