Court finds solicitor in breach of fiduciary duty owed to client but loss not caused by the breach

A solicitor owes fiduciary obligations to his or her client including the obligations of loyalty and disclosure. The Court of Appeal in Mantonella Pty Ltd v Thompson (2009) 255 ALR 367; [2009] QCA 80; BC200902311 recently considered when the fiduciary duty owed by a solicitor to a client is breached and the consequent liability of the solicitor...

Liability of principal contractor for independent subcontractor considered by the High Court

Case note of Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd v Fox (2009) 258 ALR 673 ----- In Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd v Fox (2009) 83 ALJR 1086 ; 258 ALR 673 the High Court considered the liability of a principal contractor for the negligence of independent subcontractors on a building site. In its decision, the court considered the nature and the scope of the duty owed by principals to independent contractors.

Assessment of damages for property damage

In Gagner Pty t/as Indochine Café v Canturi Corporation Pty Ltd (2009) 262 ALR 691, the assessment of damages awarded for the rectification work to the premises of the respondent was in issue. The appellant operated a restaurant above the respondent’s jewellery store in Sydney. When the kitchen of the restaurant flooded, water escaped causing damage to the jewellery store’s fit-out. The escape of the water was held to be due to the negligence of persons for whom the appellant was vicariously liable. The trial judge awarded damages, measured by the amount required to return the premises as close as was possible to the condition prior to the flood damage as well as an allowance for interruption to the business for 10 days. The 10 day allowance reflected the number of days the store would have been closed for if it was to be returned to its previous condition. The evidence was that the flooding has only affected approximately 10% of the floor area of the store. However, instead of having work carried out to bring the premises back to its condition as before the water damage, the respondent closed the business for 29 working days for a complete internal refurbishment – at a cost substantially more than simple rectification. On appeal it was argued that the trial judge had assessed the damages incorrectly as by undertaking a complete refurbishment had the effect that the respondent did not suffer any loss as a consequence of the negligence in relation to the fit-out. It was asserted that the claim for damages was in the circumstances a claim for betterment. It was also argued that the damages should not include a component for GST. Campbell JA gave reasons, with Macfarlan JA and Sackville AJA agreeing.

Keats, Cornwall and the 'Scent of Strong-Smelling Phrases'

Marggraf Turley, Richard, 'Keats, Cornwall and the 'Scent of Strong-Smelling Phrases,' Romanticism (2006) 12 (2), pp. 102-114 RAE2008

Coupling ground and airborne geophysical data with upscaling techniques for regional groundwater modeling of heterogeneous aquifers: Case study of a sedimentary aquifer intruded by volcanic dykes in Northern Ireland

In highly heterogeneous aquifer systems, conceptualization of regional groundwater flow models frequently results in the generalization or negligence of aquifer heterogeneities, both of which may result in erroneous model outputs. The calculation of equivalence related to hydrogeological parameters and applied to upscaling provides a means of accounting for measurement scale information but at regional scale. In this study, the Permo-Triassic Lagan Valley strategic aquifer in Northern Ireland is observed to be heterogeneous, if not discontinuous, due to subvertical trending low-permeability Tertiary dolerite dykes. Interpretation of ground and aerial magnetic surveys produces a deterministic solution to dyke locations. By measuring relative permeabilities of both the dykes and the sedimentary host rock, equivalent directional permeabilities, that determine anisotropy calculated as a function of dyke density, are obtained. This provides parameters for larger scale equivalent blocks, which can be directly imported to numerical groundwater flow models. Different conceptual models with different degrees of upscaling are numerically tested and results compared to regional flow observations. Simulation results show that the upscaled permeabilities from geophysical data allow one to properly account for the observed spatial variations of groundwater flow, without requiring artificial distribution of aquifer properties. It is also found that an intermediate degree of upscaling, between accounting for mapped field-scale dykes and accounting for one regional anisotropy value (maximum upscaling) provides results the closest to the observations at the regional scale.

Single and joint effects of natural and chemical stressors to the terrestrial isopod Porcellionides pruinosus

Environmental contamination and climate changes constitute two of the most serious problems affecting soil ecosystems in agricultural fields. Agriculture is nowadays a highly optimized process that strongly relies on the application of multiple pesticides to reduce losses and increase yield production. Although constituting, per se, a serious problem to soil biota, pesticide mixtures can assume an even higher relevance in a context of unfavourable environmental conditions. Surprisingly, frameworks currently established for environmental risk assessments keep not considering environmental stressors, such as temperature, soil moisture or UV radiation, as factors liable to influence the susceptibility of organisms to pesticides, or pesticide mixtures, which is raising increasing apprehension regarding their adequacy to actually estimate the risks posed by these compounds to the environment. Albeit the higher attention received on the last few years, the influence of environmental stressors on the behaviour and toxicity of chemical mixtures remains still poorly understood. Aiming to contribute for this discussion, the main goal of the present thesis was to evaluate the single and joint effects of natural stressors and pesticides to the terrestrial isopod Porcellionides pruinosus. The first approach consisted on evaluating the effects of several abiotic factors (temperature, soil moisture and UV radiation) on the performance of P. pruinosus using several endpoints: survival, feeding parameters, locomotor activity and avoidance behaviour. Results showed that these stressors might indeed affect P. pruinosus at relevant environmental conditions, thus suggesting the relevance of their consideration in ecotoxicological assays. At next, a multiple biomarker approach was used to have a closer insight into the pathways of damage of UV radiation and a broad spectrum of processes showed to be involved (i.e. oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, energy). Furthermore, UV effects showed to vary with the environment medium and growth-stage. A similar biomarker approach was employed to assess the single and joint effects of the pesticides chlorpyrifos and mancozeb to P. pruinosus. Energy-related biomarkers showed to be the most differentiating parameters since age-classes seemed to respond differently to contamination stress and to have different metabolic costs associated. Finally, the influence of temperature and soil moisture on the toxicity of pesticide mixtures was evaluated using survival and feeding parameters as endpoints. Pesticide-induced mortality was found to be oppositely affected by temperature, either in single or mixture treatments. Whereas chlorpyrifos acute toxicity was raised under higher temperatures the toxicity of mancozeb was more prominent at lower temperatures. By the opposite, soil moisture showed no effects on the pesticide-induced mortality of isopods. Contrary to survival, both temperature and soil moisture showed to interact with pesticides to influence isopods’ feeding parameters. Nonetheless, was however the most common pattern. In brief, findings reported on this thesis demonstrated why the negligence of natural stressors, or multiple stressors in general, is not a good solution for risk assessment frameworks.

Targeting the cultural history of Iraq : implications for national identity and democracy

Since its inception in 1921, a number of successive regimes have sought to politicize Iraq’s cultural history in order to build nationalistic sentiment and social cohesion across this rich and complex nation. Foremost among these were the Baath party, particularly under the rule of Saddam Hussein, who used much of the nation’s Oil wealth to undergo an extensive nation-building campaign. However, with the invasion of Iraq by the US in 2003 came the deliberate destruction and blatant negligence of the occupying forces. In addition, Iraqi civilians targeted the cultural landscape of their nation with wanton looting and arson, as well as systematic attacks on sites of archaeological or ethno-religious significance. More recently, the Shia and Kurdish dominated Iraqi Government have organised the “Committee for Removing Symbols of the Saddam Era” and plan to purge the state of its Sunni dominated past. This paper argues that the destruction of Iraq’s cultural history has played a part in eroding the national identity that many of these symbols and institutions were designed to promulgate. In turn, this has brought about the rise of ethno/religious sectarianism in Iraq which has had particular implications for the nation’s fledgling democratic order.

The importance of the lifelike esthetic appearance of all-ceramic restorations on anterior teeth

The success of rehabilitation will not depend on just clinical procedures. A proper dental technique (ceramist) is required as well as the respect for some biomimetic principles to obtain the desired final result. This study has the purpose of describing a prosthetic rehabilitation with laminate veneers and all-ceramic crowns of a patient unsatisfied with a previous esthetic treatment because of the negligence of some biomimetic principles. A 45-year-old female patient was admitted to the dental clinic complaining about the lifelike appearance of her all-ceramic restorations. Before the fabrication of new restorations, a mock-up was conducted to verify the patient's satisfaction. A ceramist conducted all the fabrication process so that surface characterizations could be visually verified and the lifelike appearance of natural tooth could be reproduced. After the cementation procedure, the patient reported being satisfied with the lifelike appearance of the new restorations. Based on the clinical findings of the present case report, it can be concluded that the reproduction of the lifelike esthetic appearance of natural teeth and the visualization of the final results before definitive procedures are essential to obtain the clinical success.

Variable phenotypic expressivity in inbred retinal degeneration mouse lines: A comparative study of C3H/HeOu and FVB/N rd1 mice

PURPOSE Recent advances in optogenetics and gene therapy have led to promising new treatment strategies for blindness caused by retinal photoreceptor loss. Preclinical studies often rely on the retinal degeneration 1 (rd1 or Pde6b(rd1)) retinitis pigmentosa (RP) mouse model. The rd1 founder mutation is present in more than 100 actively used mouse lines. Since secondary genetic traits are well-known to modify the phenotypic progression of photoreceptor degeneration in animal models and human patients with RP, negligence of the genetic background in the rd1 mouse model is unwarranted. Moreover, the success of various potential therapies, including optogenetic gene therapy and prosthetic implants, depends on the progress of retinal degeneration, which might differ between rd1 mice. To examine the prospect of phenotypic expressivity in the rd1 mouse model, we compared the progress of retinal degeneration in two common rd1 lines, C3H/HeOu and FVB/N. METHODS We followed retinal degeneration over 24 weeks in FVB/N, C3H/HeOu, and congenic Pde6b(+) seeing mouse lines, using a range of experimental techniques including extracellular recordings from retinal ganglion cells, PCR quantification of cone opsin and Pde6b transcripts, in vivo flash electroretinogram (ERG), and behavioral optokinetic reflex (OKR) recordings. RESULTS We demonstrated a substantial difference in the speed of retinal degeneration and accompanying loss of visual function between the two rd1 lines. Photoreceptor degeneration and loss of vision were faster with an earlier onset in the FVB/N mice compared to C3H/HeOu mice, whereas the performance of the Pde6b(+) mice did not differ significantly in any of the tests. By postnatal week 4, the FVB/N mice expressed significantly less cone opsin and Pde6b mRNA and had neither ERG nor OKR responses. At 12 weeks of age, the retinal ganglion cells of the FVB/N mice had lost all light responses. In contrast, 4-week-old C3H/HeOu mice still had ERG and OKR responses, and we still recorded light responses from C3H/HeOu retinal ganglion cells until the age of 24 weeks. These results show that genetic background plays an important role in the rd1 mouse pathology. CONCLUSIONS Analogous to human RP, the mouse genetic background strongly influences the rd1 phenotype. Thus, different rd1 mouse lines may follow different timelines of retinal degeneration, making exact knowledge of genetic background imperative in all studies that use rd1 models.

Open for Inspection? Julstar Pty Ltd v Lynch Morgan Lawyers [2012] QDC 272

In Julstar Pty Ltd v Lynch Morgan Lawyers [2012] QDC 272 Dorney QC DCJ considered whether an applicant for an assessment of all or part of their costs under s 335 of the Legal Profession Act 2007 (Qld) (LPA) must provide grounds on which they dispute the amount of the costs charged or their liability to pay them. His Honour also made an order for inspection of the solicitor’s file, despite a claimed lien for unpaid fees.

A responsabilidade extracontratual da Administração pública por atos omissivos

Trata-se de estudo dirigido à afirmação da natureza objetiva da responsabilidade objetiva da Administração Pública por atos omissivos. Defende-se a correta aplicação do artigo 37 parágrafo 6 da Constituição da República, em que se fora estabelecida a responsabilidade objetiva da Administração em todas as hipóteses em que esteja configurado nexo causal entre sua atuação, comissiva ou omissiva, e um dano injusto ocorrido. É novo o enfoque que norteia a reparação civil, não mais a atividade realizada pelo agente, mas as conseqüências sofridas pela vítima deste dano injusto. Exercitada na seara da responsabilidade civil do Estado, considerado em sentido lato, parece ainda mais lógica a mudança de enfoque mencionada, em razão do princípio norteador do seu dever de reparar, que é o da repartição eqüitativa dos encargos da Administração. De fato, sempre que a atividade administrativa estatal, exercida em benefício de toda a coletividade, gerar dano injusto a um particular específico, configurar-se-á sua responsabilidade de reparar este dano, já que, se é em nome da coletividade que se adotou a conduta geradora do dano, esta a idéia principal daquela diretriz enunciada. Daí por que a verificação da presença do elemento subjetivo culpa, em sede de responsabilidade do Poder Público, fora tornada inteiramente estranho ao exame. A correta leitura do artigo constitucional, com reconhecimento da responsabilidade objetiva do Estado nas hipóteses de ato comissivo e omissivo da Administração Pública, realiza, ainda, o princípio da solidariedade social, que implica preponderância do interesse da reparação da vítima lesada sobre o interesse do agente que realiza, comissiva ou omissivamente, o ato lesivo. Essa a legitimidade da teoria do risco administrativo adotada, a adoção de coerente verificação do nexo causal, com admissão da oposição de excludentes de responsabilidade. Ademais, entre a vítima e o autor do dano injusto, a primeira não obtém, em geral, beneficio algum com o fato ou a atividade de que se originou o dano. Se assim é, a configuração do dever de indenizar da Administração Pública dependerá, apenas, da comprovação, no caso concreto, de três pressupostos que se somam: a atuação do Estado, a configuração do dano injusto e o nexo de causalidade. Será referida a jurisprudência espanhola consagrada à regra de responsabilidade objetiva da Administração Pública por atos omissivos, com considerações acerca da resposta da Jurisprudência daquele país ao respectivo enunciado normativo. Buscou-se, desta forma, elencar-se os elementos básicos à compreensão do tema, e também os pressupostos essenciais à afirmação da natureza objetiva da responsabilidade da Administração Pública por atos omissivos, que são, primordialmente, a compreensão do fundamento da regra constitucional, a correta delimitação do conceito de omissão e de causalidade omissiva. Destacados os pressupostos necessários à correta compreensão do tema, conclui-se pela afirmação da natureza objetiva da responsabilidade da Administração Pública por dano injusto advindo de ato omissivo, desde que assim o seja, querendo-se significar, desta forma, que a responsabilidade mencionada não prescinde da configuração do nexo causal entre o comportamento omissivo ocorrido e o dano injusto que se quer reparar.

As práticas de participação institucionalizadas e sua interface com a cultura política: um olhar sobre o cotidiano de um conselho municipal de saúde no nordeste brasileiro

A Constituição federal e a Lei 8.142/90 definem a participação da comunidade como condição necessária para o funcionamento do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Tal definição constitucional surge no processo de l uta pela democratização do país e pela universalização dos direitos sociais, entre eles, o direito à saúde. Todavia, esse processo de democratização tem significado mais a adoção de procedimentos democráticos para organização do sistema político do que uma efetiva democratização das relações sociais pautadas pelos valores democráticos de igualdade e justiça social. No Brasil, a relação entre Estado e sociedade tem sido mediada por uma cultura política marcada pelo autoritarismo, patrimonialismo, clientelismo e o favor. Com o processo de democratização, na década de 1980, emergem elementos de uma nova cultura política adjetivada como democrática orientada pelos valores da autonomia, igualdade, solidariedade e justiça que passa a coexistir com a velha cultura. O objetivo geral deste estudo é analisar as práticas de participação presentes no Conselho Municipal de Saúde (CMS) de Fortaleza, no período de 1997-2005, e sua relação com a cultura política local. Para tanto partiu-se do principal pressuposto teórico: as práticas de participação exercidas nos conselhos de saúde inauguram uma nova institucionalidade que inclui novos sujeitos sociais os usuários na esfera pública, com as quais o processo de democratização amplia essa esfera, criando visibilidade para identificar o confronto entre a cultura política tradicional e a cultura política democrática. As técnicas de pesquisa utilizadas foram: a análise documental, a observação participante e a entrevista semiestruturada. A partir das diferentes evidências observadas no material empírico, identificou -se na análise dos dados a predominância da cultura política tradicional do autoritarismo e cooptação nas relações entre o poder público municipal e os representantes da sociedade civil ; e entre os conselheiros a tensão se manifestava na não-observância dos procedimentos democráticos, como eleições periódicas, respeito à lei e ao regimento que regula o funcionamento do CMS e no encaminhamento dos conflitos e disputas políticas. Quanto às práticas de participação, manifestaram-se de forma contraditória e dialética em ações caracterizadas pela crítica, denúncia, reivindicação, com poucas ações propositivas e na maioria das vezes tendo seu poder deliberativo desconsiderado pelo gestor. A condução política do conselho muitas vezes foi questionada, ocasionando crises de hegemonia e gerando conflitos e disputas pelo poder. A partir da análise desses conflitos e disputas políticas entre os grupos no interior do Conselho, tornou-se possível realizar uma leitura metódica acerca do confronto entre a cultura política tradicional e a democrática no CMS, constatando-se a predominância da primeira sobre a segunda. Por fim verificou-se o protagonismo do Ministério Público na resolução dos conflitos, em detrimento da força do melhor argumento. Em que pese a recorrente tutela do Ministério Público, foi pavimentado um caminho de resistências, ainda que minoritárias , contra a cultura política tradicional , cujas práticas de participação apresentam elementos constituintes para a sua transformação.

Crianças e adolescentes em situação de rua

Dissertação apresentada à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Psicologia Jurídica

A participação das crianças em lares de infância e juventude: representações e práticas. um estudo de caso.

Dissertação de 2º Ciclo conducente ao grau de Mestre em Ciências da Educação - especialização em Educação Social e Intervenção Comunitária