Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2004. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 70-74). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ99383

In 2012, the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin brought national attention to Florida’s Stand Your Ground (SYG) law. As of 2012, more than 20 states have enacted SYG laws. Previous studies suggest that these laws increase homicide, particularly justifiable homicide. However, these studies ignore race and/or gender. This study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by examining the effect of SYG laws on the number of homicide and justifiable homicide victims and offenders of a given race or gender. Using data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Supplementary Homicide Reports between 2000 and 2012, we create a generalized least squares model with random and fixed effects and controls for time-varying state effects and year fixed effects to empirically examine this impact. We find that while SYG laws have no effect on the number of homicide victims or offenders of any race or gender, they significantly increase the number of black and male justifiable homicide victims by 32 percent and 26 percent respectively and the number of white and female justifiable homicide offenders by 34 and 25 percent respectively. These findings suggest that, in terms of justifiable homicide, SYG laws differentially affect racial and gender groups.

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Violence against women is a profound social problem which has received much attention from feminists, academics, activists, media, and also government. One such form of violence is interracial rape. In South Africa, little is known about interracial rape (rape across race groups). The main aim of this study is to examine students' perceptions of power, gender and race in interracial rape. This thesis also explores what White male and female students said, and what Black male and female students said about power, race and gender when examining interracial rape. This study is based within an interpretive-hermeneutical paradigm, using qualitative methodology. Data was collected in six focus groups, three of which were held at a historically Black university and three at a historically White university. Both men and women participated in these groups. The data was analysed thematically with the aid of a computerised software package, Atlasti. The analysed text identified dominant and minor themes. The main themes that emerged were as follows: 1) a power and domination theme, 2) a justification of rape theme, 3) a race, racism and apartheid theme. The results indicate that power plays an important role in interracial rape. Power underpins both gendered and racial oppression. In interracial rape, racial oppression becomes dominant and takes on more prominence than gender oppression. It is thus fore mostly perceived as a racial issue

La mise en œuvre de la prescription de l’action publique n’est pas, en principe, subordonnée à la connaissance de l’infraction par les personnes pouvant déclencher les poursuites pénales. Le législateur retient en effet comme point de départ du délai de prescription le jour de la commission des faits et non celui de leur découverte. Cette règle connaît toutefois une exception lorsque l’infraction est dite clandestine. Parce que le ministère public et la victime n’ont pas pu avoir connaissance de l’existence de cette infraction, la prescription ne court pas tant que les faits ne sont pas apparus et n’ont pu être constatés dans des conditions permettant l’exercice de l’action publique. L’exception de clandestinité empêche donc le temps de produire son effet destructeur sur l’action publique. Sa mise en œuvre évite ainsi que certaines infractions restent impunies par le seul jeu de l’écoulement du délai. S’il ne fait aucun doute que la clandestinité d’une infraction constitue un obstacle à la prescription de l’action publique, la notion même de clandestinité reste à circonscrire. Elle recouvre en effet, en droit positif, de multiples réalités qui rendent impossible sa systématisation. Aux termes de la recherche, il apparaît que le critère déterminant de la clandestinité consiste dans l’ignorance légitime de l’existence de l’infraction par les personnes habilitées à mettre en mouvement l’action publique. En application de l’adage contra non valentem agere non currit praescriptio, cette ignorance caractérisée devrait autoriser le report du point de départ de la prescription de l’action publique de toute infraction au jour où les faits peuvent être constatés par le ministère public ou par la personne lésée. / In criminal matters, the setting of the time limit for prosecution is theoretically not subject to the knowledge of the offense by the people who can trigger criminal proceedings. Indeed, according to the law, the starting point of the said time limit period is the day the offense was committed, and not the day it was discovered. However, an exception to this rule exists when the offense is said to be clandestine. When both the prosecutor and the victim could not have know of the existence of this offense, the time-limit period does not run until the facts appear and can be noticed in the same conditions. An exception of clandestinity prevents time to produce its destructive effect on the prosecution. It avoids certain offenses to remain unpunished by the single flow of time. Undoubtedly, clandestinity is an obstacle to the prosecution of an offense. Yet, the notion itself remains to be circumscribed. In substantive law, clandestinity refers to a wide variety of realities ; its systematization is thus impossible. In a prospective approach, a criterion is to be found in the justifiable ignorance of the offense by those who can initiate a criminal action. Under the adage “contra non valentem agere non currit praescriptio”, this specific ignorance allows postponement of the starting point of the time limit for prosecution of any offence on the day on which the facts have been noticed by the prosecutor or the victim.

Breaking-off contract negotiations without justifiable grounds Abstract The thesis at hand deals with Sec. 1729 of the Civil Code which governs the liability for breaking-off contract negotiations without justifiable grounds. Its aim is to interpret the afore-said provision that forms an inherent part of the newly introduced regulation of pre-contractual liability. The thesis discusses both the conditions for establishing the liability for breaking-off contract negotiations and concurrently the legal consequences thereof. The difficulties in terms of interpretation, incidental to the introduction of this provision, are attempted to be solved by use of theological interpretative method and inspiration drawn from the comparative study of German and Austrian state of law. Finally, the thesis strives for analysing the case-law of the Czech Supreme Court related to the previous legislation and answering a question to which extent the conclusions previously arrived at by this court may be uphold following the recodification process. The thesis is divided into four main chapters. The first chapter emphasizes the importance and role of the principles of freedom of contract and good faith which are crucial for better understanding of culpa in contrahendo. It also elaborates, albeit in general terms, on the matter of...

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Die siviele lasterreg word gekenmerk deur verdeeldheid aangaande bewyspligtigheid. 'n Unieke situasie doen horn voor: weerlegbare regsvermoedens van onregmatigheid en animus iniuriandi word opgevolg deur verskeie regsverdigingsgronde. Bykomend hiertoe stel die Grondwet die vereiste van konstitusionele regverdiging vir beperkings op fundamentele regte. 'n Oorsig oor die regspraak in sowel die voorgrondwetlike - as na-grondwetlike bedeling, dui op 'n versuim deur die howe om behoorlik aandag te skenk aan die bewyspligtigheidsgevolge van die regverskynsels wat hulself in die lasterreg voordoen. In hierdie verhandeling word bewyspligtigheid in lastersake krities ondersoek om vas te stel of dit die reg korrek weerspieel en om 'n werkbare bewyslasformule vir lasteraksies in 'n konstitusionele litigasie te vind. Daar word voorgestel dat die probleem opgelos word deur 'n tweefase-benadering: Die eiser moet in die eerste fase die omvang van sy reg bewys en dat daarop inbreuk gemaak is. In die tweede fase moet die verweerder sy regverdigingsgronde bewys, asook dat dit konstitusioneel regverdigbaar is. / The civil law of defamation is marked by discord regarding onus of proof. A unique situation evidences itself: rebuttable presumptions of law concerning unlawfulness and animus iniuriandi are followed by various grounds of justification. In addition thereto the Constitution sets the requirement of constitutional justification for limitations on fundamental rights. An overview of case law in the pre-constitutional as well as the post-constitutional dispensation, indicates a failure by the courts to pay proper attention to the evidentiary consequences of the legal phenomena found in the law of defamation. In this dissertation onus of proof in defamation cases is critically examined to ascertain whether it reflects the law correctly and to find a workable "onus of proof" -formula for defamation cases in a constitutional dispensation. It is suggested that the problem be solved by a two stage approach: in the first phase, the plaintiff must prove the extent of his right and the encroachment thereof . In the second phase the defendant must prove his grounds of justification and show that they are constitutionally justifiable. / Constitutional, International & Indigenous Law / LL.M.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Text in Afrikaans / Die siviele lasterreg word gekenmerk deur verdeeldheid aangaande bewyspligtigheid. 'n Unieke situasie doen horn voor: weerlegbare regsvermoedens van onregmatigheid en animus iniuriandi word opgevolg deur verskeie regsverdigingsgronde. Bykomend hiertoe stel die Grondwet die vereiste van konstitusionele regverdiging vir beperkings op fundamentele regte. 'n Oorsig oor die regspraak in sowel die voorgrondwetlike - as na-grondwetlike bedeling, dui op 'n versuim deur die howe om behoorlik aandag te skenk aan die bewyspligtigheidsgevolge van die regverskynsels wat hulself in die lasterreg voordoen. In hierdie verhandeling word bewyspligtigheid in lastersake krities ondersoek om vas te stel of dit die reg korrek weerspieel en om 'n werkbare bewyslasformule vir lasteraksies in 'n konstitusionele litigasie te vind. Daar word voorgestel dat die probleem opgelos word deur 'n tweefase-benadering: Die eiser moet in die eerste fase die omvang van sy reg bewys en dat daarop inbreuk gemaak is. In die tweede fase moet die verweerder sy regverdigingsgronde bewys, asook dat dit konstitusioneel regverdigbaar is. / The civil law of defamation is marked by discord regarding onus of proof. A unique situation evidences itself: rebuttable presumptions of law concerning unlawfulness and animus iniuriandi are followed by various grounds of justification. In addition thereto the Constitution sets the requirement of constitutional justification for limitations on fundamental rights. An overview of case law in the pre-constitutional as well as the post-constitutional dispensation, indicates a failure by the courts to pay proper attention to the evidentiary consequences of the legal phenomena found in the law of defamation. In this dissertation onus of proof in defamation cases is critically examined to ascertain whether it reflects the law correctly and to find a workable "onus of proof" -formula for defamation cases in a constitutional dispensation. It is suggested that the problem be solved by a two stage approach: in the first phase, the plaintiff must prove the extent of his right and the encroachment thereof . In the second phase the defendant must prove his grounds of justification and show that they are constitutionally justifiable. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.M.

Hållbar utveckling har haft en växande inverkan på bygg- och fastighetsbranschen under de två senaste decennierna och en rad frivilliga miljöcertifieringssystem för byggnader har vuxit fram, däribland BREEAM och LEED, som idag är de två mest igenkända och internationella certifieringssystemen, samtidigt som allt fler länder bestämmer sig för att ansluta sig till denna gröna rörelse och utvecklar egna, nationella miljöcertifieringssystem för byggnader. Att bygga grönt och kunna verifiera detta med en certifieringsstämpel är idag en betydande och synlig aspekt, men fortfarande är det bara en sida av en mycket bredare strategi för hållbara affärer som sträcker sig in i företagets strategi och ledarskap, integrerad förvaltning och rapportering samt företagens miljöanpassning. Många nyckelaktörer i dessa branscher söker alltmer erkännande för sina hållbarhetsmeriter och har börjat utforska kopplingarna mellan hållbarhet och värde. I detta syfte använder allt fler bygg- och fastighetsbolag, investerare och företag så kallade gröna byggnader eller miljöcertifieringssystem för att placera sina byggnader isär från resten. Ett företag som idag väljer att utveckla, äga eller hyra en miljöcertifierad byggnad kommer att behöva fatta beslut om vilket system är att föredra – ett lokalt certifieringssystem, som är mer anpassat till de nationella förhållandena, eller ett internationellt. Aktörerna på den svenska bygg- och fastighetsmarknaden har agerat försiktigt, trots sitt utvecklade miljöarbete, när det gäller tillämpningen av miljöcertifieringssystemen, vilket gör att Sverige just nu ligger efter i antalet certifierade byggnader, och därmed tillgången till den kvantitativa databasen över dessa som skulle kunna bidra till en närmare undersökning av värdekopplingarna. Vi kan inte påstå att de barriärer, som anses hålla tillbaka spridningen av miljöcertifieringssystemen i Sverige, i form av bland annat ovilja att betala högre produktionskostnader vid tillämpningen av dessa, är borta idag, men vi kan notera att alltfler företag börjar känna av dynamiken i utvecklingen runt omkring sig och väljer att ansluta sig till den gröna rörelsen. De största fördelar med miljöcertifieringssystemen på den kommersiella marknaden i Sverige idag verkar vara:  Konkurrensfördelar, som även stärker varumärket och visar att företaget tar sitt miljöansvar.  Framtida hygienfaktor, som gör att företagen väljer att satsa på det redan idag.  Ett lättbegripligt kommunikationsmedel från tredje part. På bostadsmarknaden kan det idag inte observeras någon efterfrågan alls efter miljöcertifierade byggnader enligt de intervjuade. Detta kan till största del förklaras med att de privata konsumenterna än så länge fortfarande efterfrågar andra, mer traditionella faktorer vid val av sin bostad, såsom läge, pris och funktion. Med det underlag vi har samlat in under arbetets gång kan vi inte dra några generella slutsatser, men en trolig utveckling på bostadsmarknaden kan vara att efterfrågan kan komma efter att antalet certifierade byggnader ökar. Över tiden, när det finns tillräckligt många miljöcertifierade byggnader, kan det komma att leda till att det, likt den troliga utvecklingen på den kommersiella marknaden, blir en viktigivfaktor som kommer att övervägas tillsammans med de traditionella faktorerna vid valet av bostad. Utvecklingen av klimatarbetet har hittills huvudsakligen kretsat kring energieffektiviseringsfrågor. Miljöcertifierade byggnader kan i framtiden komma att innebära kvalitetsbyggnader. Det är även troligt att fokus kommer så småningom att flytta från energifrågan till byggnadsmaterial- samt inomhusmiljö aspekter. Medan utvecklingen av miljöcertifieringssystemen sannolikt kommer leda till att även innefatta de ekonomiska och sociala hållbarhetsfaktorerna, vilket innebär en mycket större samverkan mellan allt som finns och händer runt omkring en byggnad och gör den till en spindel i nätet. / Sustainable development has had a growing impact on building and real estate industry during the past two decades and a number of voluntary environmental rating systems for buildings have emerged, including BREEAM and LEED, which today are the two most recognized and international rating systems, whilst the increasing number of countries decide to join the green movement and develop own national environmental rating systems for buildings. To build green and to be able to verify that with a certification stamp is today a significant and visible aspect, but still it is only one side of a much broader approach for sustainable businesses that extends into corporate strategy and leadership, integrated management and reporting and corporate environmental adjustment. Many key stakeholders in these industries are increasingly looking for recognition of their sustainability credentials and started to explore the linkages between sustainability and value. For this purpose the increasing number of construction and real estate companies, investors and corporates are using so-called green buildings or environmental rating systems to set their buildings apart from the rest. A company that today chooses to develop, own or occupy an environmentally rated building will need to decide which system is preferable – a local rating system, which is better suited to the national context, or an international one. The stakeholders of the Swedish building and real estate industry have acted cautiously, despite its advanced environmental work, as regards the application of environmental rating systems, which means that Sweden is currently lagging behind in the number of rated buildings and thus the access to the quantitative database of these which could contribute to a closer examination of the value linkages. We cannot say that the barriers which are considered to hold back the spread of environmental rating systems in Sweden, in the shape of, among others, unwillingness to pay higher production costs when applying these systems, are gone today, but we can note that the increasing number of companies are beginning to feel the dynamics of the development around them and choose to join the green movement. The main benefits of certification systems in the commercial market in Sweden today seem to be:  Competitive benefits that also strengthens the brand and demonstrate that the company takes its environmental responsibility.  Future hygiene factor that makes companies choose to go for it already today.  An easily understandable communication means from a third-party. In the today’s residential market it cannot be observed any demand at all for environmentally rated buildings, according to the interviewees. This can be explained by that the private consumers up to now still are seeking for other, more traditional factors when choosing their accommodation, such as location, price and function. With the information that we have gathered during our work we cannot draw any general conclusions, but a likely development in the residential market can be that demand can come after the number of rated buildings increases. Over time, when there are a sufficient amount of rated buildings, it can lead to that, like the possible development in the commercial market, it will be an important factor that will be considered along with the traditional factors in the choice of accommodation. Environmentally rated buildings may in the future come to mean quality buildings. It is also probable that the focus will eventually move from energy issue to the building materials and indoor environment aspects. While the development of rating systems probably will expand to also include the economic and social sustainability factors, which means a much greater collaboration between all that exists and going on around a building and makes it into a spider in the web.

No abstract available. / Thesis (LLM-Law)-University of Natal, Durban, 2000.