Mephedrone focus of legal highs bulletin

This update bulletin on legal highs focuses on mephedrone.

Characteristics of victims of violence admitted to a specialized medico-legal unit in Switzerland.

To improve care and services to victims of interpersonal violence, a medico-legal consultation unit was set up at the Lausanne University Hospital, Switzerland in 2006. Adult victims of violence are referred to the consultation by the emergency department. Patients are received by forensic nurses for support, forensic examination and community orientation. A descriptive study of medical reports filled for the 2006 population was conducted in 2007 with the aim to explore characteristics of this specific population and to better orient prevention. Among the 422 patients in 2006, 57% were men and 43% women, with a median age of 31 years old. Violent episodes took place in a public place for 90% of male victims and at home for 70% of female victims. The perpetrators were mostly unknown to male victims (62% of all men victims) and mostly known (usually the partner or a former partner) to female victims (90% of all women victims). For 80% of the women and 47% of the men, the violent event which brought them to the consultation, was not the first one. Because 90% of all patients under study were victimized by men., not only is it necessary to target prevention program to match the potential victims, prevention messages must also focus on potential offenders, especially on young men.

L’atribució legal de drets successoris al cònjuge i al convivent: bases per a una reforma

Se explora el fundamento y finalidad de las atribuciones legales mortis causa previstas para el cónyuge y el conviviente. Los beneficios viudales y sucesorios se analizan para aportar reflexiones que sirvan para afrontar una reforma de los mismos que sea capaz de ajustarles mejor técnica, familiar y socialmente.

La valoració del coneixement de la llengua pròpia i del dret propi de Catalunya en la provisió de places del personal al servei de l’administració de justícia

La recerca proposa l’estudi del contingut i abast de les principals disposicions normatives que ordenen la valoració del coneixement de la llengua i el dret propis de Catalunya en la provisió de les places judicials. L’anàlisi de la tramitació parlamentària de les disposicions ha permès posar en context decisions del legislador, oferint instruments d’hermenèutica útils per resoldre debats interpretatius que avui es plantegen en seu doctrinal. La recerca inclou l’estudi dels efectes d’aquests textos normatius, en tant que permeten mesurar-ne la seva eficàcia i s’han de tenir en compte en el debat de les reformes que, eventualment, puguin desplegar-se. Des de la perspectiva d’anàlisi de les polítiques públiques, la recerca descriu les principals mesures formulades i implementades per les diferents Administracions Públiques, i molt especialment per la Generalitat de Catalunya, amb l’objectiu de corregir disfuncions que presenta aquest marc legal i reglamentari. La recerca ha posat en evidència que el règim jurídic que ordena l’aptitud lingüística i el coneixement del dret propi de Catalunya per part del personal judicial es caracteritza per la seva complexitat i falta de coherència. La valoració del coneixement de la llengua i el dret propis de la Comunitat Autònoma s’ha regulat molt tardament. Com a regla general, es valora com un mèrit en la provisió de la plaça, sotmès a més a intenses controvèrsies pel que fa a la determinació dels barems de puntuació concedits. En certs casos, com és el cos de Fiscals substituts, la valoració de la llengua i el dret propis de la Comunitat Autònoma ni tan sols es valora com un mèrit. Simplement no es té en compte. Pel que fa referència als secretaris judicials, la darrera reforma de la L.O. 6/1985 d’1 de juliol, del Poder Judicial, aprovada per L.O. 19/2003 de 23 de desembre, ha introduït el requisit de la capacitació lingüística per cobrir determinades places, per bé que el criteri general és el de la meritació puntuable. Altrament, en el cas del personal judicial depenent de la Generalitat s’ha garantit el requisit d’aptitud lingüística. D’aquesta manera, s’ha optat per assegurar un coneixement adequat i suficient de les dues llengües oficials, tant en l’expressió oral com en l’escrita, per a desenvolupar eficaçment les funcions pròpies del seu lloc de treball.

Ageing prisoners' health care: analysing the legal settings in Europe and the United States.

BACKGROUND: Relatively little is known about the current health care situation and the legal rights of ageing prisoners worldwide. To date, only a few studies have investigated their rights to health care. However, elderly prisoners need special attention. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to critically review the health care situation of older prisoners by analysing the relevant national and international legal frameworks with a particular focus on Switzerland, England and Wales, and the United States (U.S.). METHODS: Publications on legal frameworks were searched using Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, HeinOnline, and the National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Searches utilizing combinations of keywords relating to ageing prisoners were performed. Relevant reports and policy documents were obtained in order to understand the legal settings in Switzerland, England and Wales, and the U.S. All articles, reports, and policy documents published in English and German between 1774 to June 2012 were included for analysis. Using a comparative approach, an outline was completed to distinguish positive policies in this area. Regulatory approaches were investigated through evaluations of soft laws applicable in Europe and U.S. Supreme Court judgements. RESULTS: Even though several documents could be interpreted as guaranteeing adequate health care for ageing prisoners, there is no specific regulation that addresses this issue completely. The Vienna International Plan of Action on Ageing contributes the most by providing an in-depth analysis of the health care needs of older persons. Still, critical analysis of retrieved documents reveals the lack of specific legislation regarding the health care for ageing prisoners. CONCLUSION: No consistent regulation delineates the provision of health care for ageing prisoners. Neither national nor international institutions have enforceable laws that secure the precarious situation of older adults in prisons. To initiate a change, this work presents critical issues that must be addressed to protect the right to health care and well-being of ageing prisoners. Additionally, it is important to design legal structures and guidelines which acknowledge and accommodate the needs of ageing prisoners.