Job stress in the law enforcement sector: comparing the linear, non-linear and interaction effects of working conditions

This study addresses a gap in much of the research involving stress among high-risk occupations by investigating the effects of linear, non-linear and interaction models in a law enforcement organization that has undertaken a series of efficiency-driven organizational reforms. The results of a survey involving 2085 police officers indicated that the demand-control-support model provided good utility in predicting an officer's satisfaction, commitment and well-being. In particular, social support and job control were closely associated with all three outcome variables. Although the demand × control/support interactions were not identified in the data, there was some support for the curvilinear effects of job demands. The results have implications for the organizational conditions that need to be addressed in contemporary policing environments where new public management strategies have had widespread affects on the social and organizational context in which policing takes place.

Officer wellbeing, satisfaction and commitment : job conditions of Australian law enforcement personnel

Excessive job stress caused by unreasonably high employer demands, low control over one's own work and limited support can have far-reaching effects for the individual, organisation and community. The present study sought to investigate the relationship between officer working conditions and their self-reported levels of wellbeing, satisfaction and commitment using a well-known job strss model, the demand-control-support (DCS) model. Using a large (N= 2085) sample of law enforcement personnel, findings indicated that social support from work sources was the best predictor, whilst job control and workload both had significant influences on levels of employee wellbeing, satisfaction and commitment. Additionally, non-linear relationships were found between workload and wellbeing and satisfaction, indicating that both high and low levels of workload can produce negative outcomes. The results have implications for job design and management training programs, particularly in reference to social support training and workload models.

Regulatory and enabling approaches to corporate law enforcement : patterns of litigation 1986-2002 and the effect of recent reforms in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom

Enforcement of corporate rights and duties may follow either a ‘regulatory’ or ‘enabling’ model. If a regulatory approach is taken, enforcement action will generally be undertaken by regulatory agencies such as, in New Zealand, the Registrar of Companies and Securities Commission, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) or the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the United Kingdom. If an enabling approach is chosen, enforcement action will more often be by private parties such as company shareholders, directors or creditors. When New Zealand's company law was reformed in 1993, a primarily private enforcement regime was adopted, consisting of a list of statutory directors' duties and an enhanced collection of shareholder remedies, based in part upon North American models and including a statutory derivative action. Public enforcement was largely confined to administrative matters and the enforcement of the disclosure requirements of New Zealand's securities law. While the previous enforcement regime was similarly reliant on private action, the law on directors' duties was less accessible, and shareholder action was hindered by the majority rule principle and the rule in Foss v Harbottle. This approach is in contrast with that used in Australia and the United Kingdom, where public agencies have a much more prominent enforcement role despite recent and proposed reforms to directors' duties and shareholder remedies. These reforms are designed to improve the ability of private parties to enforce corporate rights and duties. A survey of enforcement litigation in New Zealand since 1986 indicates that the object of a primarily enabling enforcement regime seems to have been achieved, and may well have been achieved even without the 1993 reform package. Private enforcement has, in fact, been much more prevalent than public enforcement since well before the enactment of the new legislation. Most enforcement action both before and after the reform was commenced by shareholders and shareholder/directors, and most involved closely held companies. Public enforcement was largely undertaken in areas such as securities law, where the wider public interest was affected. Similar surveys of Australian and United Kingdom enforcement litigation reveal a proportionally much greater reliance on public bodies to enforce corporate rights and duties, indicating a more regulatory approach. The ASIC and DTI enforced a wider range of provisions, affecting both closely and widely held companies, than those subject to public enforcement in New Zealand. Publicly enforced provisions in Australia and the United Kingdom include directors' duties and provisions dealing with disqualification from managing companies, as well as securities law requirements.

Preventative detention and the right of personal liberty and security under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966

Preventive detention enables a person to be deprived of liberty, by executive determination, for the purposes of safeguarding national security or public order without that person being charged or brought to trial. This paper examines Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 to assess whether preventive detention is prohibited by the phrase 'arbitrary arrest and detention '. To analyse this Article, this paper uses a textual and structural analysis of the Article, as well as reference to the travaux preparatoires and case law of the Human Rights Committee. This paper argues that preventive detention is not explicitly prohibited by Article 9(1) ofthe International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1966. If preventive detention is 'arbitrary', within the wide interpretation of that term as argued in this paper, it will be a permissible deprivation of personal liberty under Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966. Preventive detention will, however, always be considered 'arbitrary' if sajeguards for those arrested and detained are not complied with, in particular the right to judicial review of the lawfulness of detention.

A haptically enabled low-cost reconnaissance platform for law enforcement

Traditionally, the control system of a modern teleoperated mobile robot consists of one or more two-dimensional joysticks placed on a control interface. While this simplistic interface allows an operator to remotely drive the platform, feedback is limited to visual information supplied by on-board cameras. Significant advances in the field of haptics have the potential to meaningfully enhance situational awareness of a remote robot. The focus of this research is the augmentation of Deakin University's OzBot trade MkIV mobile platform to include haptic control methodologies. Utilising the platform's inertial measurement unit, a remote operator has the ability to gain knowledge of the vehicle's operating performance and terrain while supplying a finer level of control to the drive motors. Our development of a generic multi-platform ActiveX allows the easy implementation of haptic force feedback to many computer based robot controllers. Furthermore, development of communication protocols has progressed with Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) compliance in mind. The haptic force control algorithms are presented along with results highlighting the benefits of haptic operator feedback on the MklV OzBot trade chassis.

Against settlement? Owen Fiss, ADR and Australian discrimination law

In his celebrated article, Against Settlement, Owen Fiss objected to settlement for, among other things, securing the peace while not necessarily delivering justice and denying the court the opportunity to interpret the law. Fiss sees settlement as a technique for streamlining court dockets, the civil equivalent of plea bargaining. This paper explores Fiss’s criticisms through the lens of resolving discrimination complaints in Australia. It argues that although it is valuable to offer complainants a system for resolving complaints quickly and informally, especially in a jurisdiction in which complainants are often from marginalised groups, it is also necessary to recognise that this system is limited in how effectively it can develop the law and, by extension, eradicate discrimination. In essence, the system’s operation epitomises Fiss’ opposition to settlement. Modifying the complaint resolution system would improve this situation. The paper concludes by proposing three reforms based on mechanisms used in comparable countries: introducing direct access to the court or tribunal; strengthening ADR by making it voluntary and incorporating a ‘rights-based’ approach; and encouraging the regular publication of specific information about settlements and significant cases.

Australian tort law reform: statutory principles of causation and the common law

By mid-2004, Parliaments in each Australian jurisdiction will either complete or will be in the process of partial codification of the law of torts. The reforms, including those to the law of negligence, are extensive. This article focuses on codification of the law of causation as an element of the cause of action in negligence. It examines the background to "tort reform", as the process has been labelled, and discusses the common law paradigm of negligence and various approaches to causation. It then analyses and compares the causation provisions in each jurisdiction.

OzBot TM - Haptic augmentation of a teleoperated robotic platform for search and rescue operations

A continued increase in computing power, sensor capability, software functionality, immersive interfaces and hardware modularity has given robot designers seemingly endless potential in the area of mobile robotics.  While some mobile robotic system designers are focusing on expensive, full-featured platforms, developers are realising the advantages of emerging technology in providing small, low-cost mobile reconnaissance vehicles as expendable teleoperated robotic systems.  The OzBot^TM mobile reconnaissance platform presents one such system.  The design objectives of the OzBot^TM platform focus on the development of inexpensive, lightweight carry-case sized robots for search and rescue operations, law enforcement scenarios and hazardous environment inspection.  The incorporation of Haptic augmentation provides the teleoperator with improved task immersion for an outdoor search and rescue scenario.  Achieved in cooperation with law enforcement agencies within Australia, this paper discusses the performance of the first four revisions of the OzBot^TM platform.

Survey commentaries and analysis on Singapore biotechnology venture capital, intellectual and property regulatory law

The article presents survey commentaries and analysis on biotechnology venture capital, intellectual and property regulatory law in Singapore as of April 2006. The survey revealed that the financial sector and venture capitalists lack the ability to evaluate and understand biotechnology. Some major concerns for stakeholders are the lack of experience in the litigation of cases by Singaporean law firms and the lack of strategic management of portfolios for biomedical and pharmaceutical companies and the government. Stakeholders cited the need for Singaporean laws to be amended to accommodate developments in medical devices, herbal medicine, some biological areas and pre-clinical and clinical trials.

Panel data, cointegration, causality and Wagner's law : empirical evidence from Chinese provinces

This paper tests Wagner's law of increasing state activity using panels of Chinese provinces. The paper's main methodological contribution is in that we employ for the first time in the literature on Wagner's law a panel unit root, panel cointegration and Granger causality testing approach. Overall, we find mixed evidence in support of Wagner's law for China's central and western provinces, but no support for Wagner's law for the full panel of provinces or for the panel of China's eastern provinces.