L’appréciation de la puissance cancérogène des fibres d’amiante chrysotile repose en grande partie sur des jugements subjectifs et incertains des experts et des analystes en raison des résultats hétérogènes et équivoques d’études épidémiologiques et toxicologiques sérieuses. L’approche probabiliste bayésienne en évaluation de risques peut formaliser l’impact des jugements subjectifs et de leurs incertitudes sur les estimations de risques, mais elle est encore peu utilisée en santé publique. Le présent travail examine la possibilité d’appliquer l’approche bayésienne dans une récente élicitation d’opinions d’experts pour estimer la toxicité du chrysotile, le degré de consensus et de divergence, ainsi que les niveaux d’incertitude des experts. Les estimations des experts concordaient assez bien sur la différence de toxicité entre chrysotile et amphiboles pour les mésothéliomes. Pour le cancer du poumon, les évaluations probabilistes étaient bien plus disparates. Dans ce cas, les jugements des experts semblaient influencés à différents degrés par des biais heuristiques, surtout les heuristiques d’affect et d’ancrage liés à la controverse du sujet et à l’hétérogénéité des données. Une méthodologie rigoureuse de préparation des experts à l’exercice d’élicitation aurait pu réduire l’impact des biais et des heuristiques sur le panel. / Characterizing the carcinogenic potency of chrysotile asbestos fibres relies a great deal on subjective and uncertain judgements by experts and analysts, given heterogeneous and equivocal results of important epidemiological and toxicological studies. The probabilistic Bayesian approach in risk assessments quantifies these subjective judgements and their uncertainties, along with their impact on risk estimations, but it is rarely used in the public health context. This report examines how the Bayesian approach could have been applied to a recent elicitation of experts’ opinions to estimate the toxicity of chrysotile asbestos, the degree of convergence and divergence, as well as the uncertainty levels of these experts. The experts’ estimations on the relative toxicity of chrysotile and amphibole asbestos were similar in the case of mesothelioma. However, in the case of lung cancer, the heterogeneity of the studies resulted in diverging and incompatible probabilistic evaluations. The experts’ judgements seemed influenced by heuristic biases, particularly the affect and anchor heuristics associated with a controversial topic and to heterogeneous data. If the elicitation process had been prepared following a rigorous methodology, these heuristics and biases could have been mitigated.

過去研究均指出審計委員會成員若具有財務或會計專才可以提升審計委員會執行效率與效果，降低公司異常交易與內空缺失的風險，進而提升財務報表品質，並降低外部財務報表使用者與公司內部之資訊不對稱情況。本研究探討在公開發行債券過程中，若發行公司審計委員會具有財務或會計專長，債務條款是否會改變。研究結果發現，債券投資人於選擇投資債券時，確實會考量到債券發行公司審計委員會成員之會計專長，然而，沒有證據顯示財務專長在其考量範圍內，因會計專長可提高財務報表可信度，降低資訊不對稱問題，減少債券投資人所面臨的投資風險，因此，若債券發行公司之審計委員會成員具備會計專才，債券市場將給予較低的債券利率以及較優惠的條件。 / The extant literature reveals that audit committee (AC) members with financial or accounting expertise can enhance the effectiveness of AC in monitoring the financial reporting quality. In this study, I focus on the effects of financial and accounting experts on the effectiveness of AC from bondholders’ point of view, respectively. First, I find no evidence that the presence of financial experts on AC, either alone or jointly with accounting experts, are significantly related to loan terms. Second, I find that bondholders charge lower interest rate, offer longer maturity, and are less likely to require convertible bonds issuance or require collateral to firms whose AC have at least one accounting expert or only accounting experts. Third, I further find that the association between AC experts and loan terms is driven more by accounting experts than by financial experts. Given the prior results of a negative relationship between accounting experts and loan terms, firms could enhance their financial reporting quality by appropriately structuring AC with accounting experts, thereby rewarding better loan terms.

This thesis perpetuates research aimed at deploying a diagnostic expert system for the MK 92 Mod 2 Fire Control System to 28 Oliver Hazard Perry class fast frigates. Referred to as the Maintenance Advisor Expert System (MAES) , this expert system is being jointly developed by the Naval Postgraduate School and Port Hueneme Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC PHD). This thesis focuses on the long-term implementation issues related to deploying MAES to the fleet, integrating MAES into the formal training pipeline, and transitioning life cycle Support for MAES to NSWC PHD. MAES long-term implementation issues, which include hardware, software, documentation, and training requirements, are examined within the context of implementation factors and risks historically associated with deploying expert systems. Plans for deploying MAES to the fleet and integrating MAES into the formal training pipeline are provided. As part of the documentation necessary to transition life cycle support of MAES to NSWC, a System Level Description document is also provided

Thesis (PhD) -- Macquarie University, Division of Information and Communication Sciences, Department of Computing, 2007. / "Submitted January 27 2007, revised July 27 2007". / Bibliography: p. 281-304. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / xiv, 487 p., bound ill. (some col.)

Introduktion: Tillsammans med den tekniska utvecklingen ställs nya kompetenskrav på revisorerna, men utbildningen av dessa kompetenser verkar dock inte ske med samma framfart som IT-utvecklingen. Det uppstår därför ett behov av IT-experter i revisionen, vilket kan påverka revisorns risk och komfort. Syfte: Studiens syfte är att skapa förståelse för IT-expertens roll i revisionen genom att utforska revisorers och IT-experters uppfattningar om revisorns användande av IT-experter i revisionsprocessen. Metod: Denna kvalitativa studie utgår från en induktiv ansats och har ett hermenutistiskt perspektiv. En intervjustudie har genomförts med syfte att utforska revisorns användande av IT-experter i revisionen. Slutsats: Vår studie visar att revisorernas användande av IT-experter beror på fem olika faktorer: IT-utvecklingen, revisorns kompetens, revisionens tillvägagångssätt, den konservativa branschen och budget. Studien visar även att revisorerna har en bristande IT-kompetens, vilket leder till fyra konsekvenser: att de inte ser risker, känner sig ”för” komfortabla, att de blir dåliga beställare och inte utnyttjar experten optimalt. Hade revisorn bättre kunnat komplettera IT-experterna med en förståelse för IT-området, hade en mer effektiv och kvalitativ revision kunnat genomföras. / Introduction: With the technological development, new competence requirements are imposed on the auditors, but the education of these skills does not appear to develop in the same speed as the technology. There is therefore a need of using IT experts in the audit, which may affect the auditor's risk and comfort.  Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create an understanding of the role of the IT expert in the audit by exploring auditors ́ and IT experts ́ perceptions of the auditor ́s use of IT-experts in the audit process.  Method: This qualitative study is based on an inductive approach and has a hermeneutic perspective. An interview study has been conducted with the purpose of exploring the auditor ́s use of IT experts in the audit.  Conclusion: Our study shows that the use of IT experts by the auditors depends on five different factors: the IT development, the auditor's competence, the audit approach, the conservative industry and budget. The study also shows that the auditors have a lack of IT skills, which leads to four consequences: they do not see risks, they feel “too” comfortable, they become bad requesters, and do not utilize the expert optimally. If the auditor had been able to better complement IT experts with an understanding of the IT area, a more efficient and qualitative audit could have been carried out.

Un défi important pour la gestion participative est de gérer des ressources renouvelables et la biodiversité. Dans le cadre de l'aide la la décision pour la gestion participative des territoires protégés, nous proposons dans cette thèse un agent expert qui fournit des informations sur la viabilité des solutions envisagées pour aider les joueurs à prendre une décision. C'est une nouvelle application de la théorie de la viabilité qui propose des concepts et méthodes pour contrôler un système dynamique afin de le maintenir dans un ensemble de contraintes de viabilité. Tout d'abord, nous avons étudié en quoi la théorie de la viabilité est particulièrement adaptée la la problématique de la gestion durable. L'analyse de viabilité prend en compte à la fois les comportements asymptotiques et transitoires qui doivent tous deux être considérés dans le cadre de la gestion de systèmes environnementaux. C'est l'intérêt de cette étude qui motive l'introduction d'un agent "viabilité" dans le cadre d'aide à la gestion participative. Nous décrivons ensuite un algorithme d'approximation du noyau de viabilité qui se concentre sur la réduction du temps de calcul. Cet algorithme utilise une procédure de classification du type "plus proche voisin", qui satisfait les conditions nécessaires pour garantir la convergence asymptotique de l'approximation. Nous comparons les résultats obtenus pour des problèmes de viabilité pour lesquels les noyaux théoriques ont été calculés. La fidélité de cet algorithme est toujours supérieure à 90 %. Le temps de calcul, relativement rapide, est très intéressant dans l'objectif d'intégrer ces calculs de noyaux dans des outils d'aide à la décision. Nous développons également un support logiciel qui est facile à utiliser par les joueurs pour les aider à analyser le problème de viabilité. Les joueurs définissent leur problème de viabilité grâce à une influence interface graphique utilisateur, puis lancent les simulations. Le logiciel permet aussi de visualiser les noyaux de viabilité et d'observer les trajectoires en 2D et 3D. Enfin nous étudions un agent expert viabilité dans un jeu de SimParc pour observer ses influences. Nous présentons des résultats fournis par l'agent expert viabilité en utilisant un modèle abstrait qui est axé sur la biodiversité. Puis nous présentons une expérimentation avec et sans agent expert viabilité. / An important challenge for participatory management is to manage renewable resources and biodiversity. In the framework of the decision support for participatory management of protected areas, we propose in this thesis an expert agent who provides information on the viability of the proposed solutions to help players to make a decision. This is a new application of the viability theory that provides concepts and methods for controlling a dynamic system in order to maintain the system in a set of viability constraints. Firstly, we study how the viability theory is particularly adapted to the problem of sustainable management. Sustainability analysis takes into account both the asymptotical dynamics and transient behaviors that have both to be considered in the context of environmental management systems. This study motivates the introduction of agent "viability" in the context of support participatory management. Then, we describe an algorithm of approximation of the viability kernel, which focuses on the reduction of computing time. This algorithm uses the "nearest neighbors" as a classification method, which satisfies the conditions guaranteeing the asymptotic convergence of the approximation. We compare the results obtained in cases where the theoretic viability kernel could be calculated. The accuracy of this algorithm is always higher than 90 percent. The computing time is relatively short, which is very interesting in the aim of integrating these calculations of viability kernel in tools of decision support. We also develop a software that is easy to use by players to help analyze the problem of sustainability. Players define their sustainability problem through a graphical user interface and launch simulations. The software also allows users to visualize the viability kernels and to observe the trajectories in 2D and 3D. Finally we study a viability expert agent in a game SimParc to observe these influences. We present the results provided by the viability expert agent using an abstract model which focuses on biodiversity. Then we present an experiment with and without viability expert agent.

O panorama das ciências forenses no Brasil poderia ser mais auspicioso. O aumento incontrolável das dissensões sociais e da criminalidade comum, o crescimento de facções do crime organizado, o surgimento de novas modalidades de delitos, os desastres de massa e o incremento de novas tecnologias são fatores que apontam no sentido de uma maior demanda por exames periciais e da crescente complexidade dos trabalhos relacionados com as ciências forenses. Paradoxalmente, a falta de investimentos públicos na área, os baixos salários, a ausência de perspectiva profissional e o acúmulo de serviço são alguns dos fatores que claramente influenciam na queda de qualidade do trabalho técnico. Não se publicam mais obras de Criminalística e Medicina Legal no país. As revistas especializadas são poucas e os cursos de Direito paulatinamente vão destinando cada vez menos espaço para aquelas que, ao lado da formação jurídica específica, deveriam ser as matérias principais na formação do bacharel, especialmente daqueles que militam na área penal. Além disso, e exatamente pela natureza técnica da matéria, poucos são os questionamentos que recaem sobre a cadeia de custódia ou sobre a validade das provas periciais apresentadas pelos organismos públicos encarregados da prevenção e da repressão criminal. Este trabalho pretende apresentar uma breve revisão dos dispositivos que regulamentam a prova pericial no sistema processual penal, recentemente alterados pela Lei n. 11.690, de 09/06/08, a estrutura da polícia científica e os procedimentos periciais de levantamento dos locais de interesse à Justiça Criminal, desde o momento que antecede à perícia até a entrega do relatório técnico, apontando seus limites, deficiências e qualidades. / The overview of forensic sciences in Brazil could be more auspicious. The uncontrollable raise of social disagreements and common criminality, the increase of organized crime factions, the appearance of new forms of crime, mass disasters and improvement of new technologies are factors which leads to a sense of higher demand for expert examinations and an increasing complexity of works related to forensic sciences. Paradoxically, the absence of public investment in the area, the low wages, the lack of professional perspectives and the accrual of workload are some of the factors that clearly influence the decline of quality of technical works. There are few new publications about Criminalistics and Legal Medicine in Brazil. The specialized journals are few and law schools are gradually giving less space for those which, like specific legal matters, should be the main ones in the training of new lawyers, especially those who work with criminal law. Besides that, and exactly because of the technical nature of the matter, few are the questions which fall upon the chain of custody or the validity of the expert evidence shown by the public organisms which are responsible for the criminal prevention and repression. This dissertation intends to present a brief review of the articles that regulate the expert evidence in the criminal procedural law, recently altered by Law nº 11.690 of 09/06/08, and the structure of forensic science and the expert procedures to gather places of interest to the Criminal Justice, from the moment preceding the expertise until the delivery of the technical report, pointing out its limitations, shortcomings and qualities.

Submitted by Roberto Godoy Junior (betorules_00@yahoo.com) on 2018-07-20T21:43:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 versão - biblioteca_2.docx: 1481466 bytes, checksum: 11094ff065f489e48891c814fdae1ae6 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Thais Oliveira (thais.oliveira@fgv.br) on 2018-07-24T16:18:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 versão - biblioteca_2.docx: 1481466 bytes, checksum: 11094ff065f489e48891c814fdae1ae6 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Suzane Guimarães (suzane.guimaraes@fgv.br) on 2018-07-24T17:04:06Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 versão - biblioteca_2.docx: 1481466 bytes, checksum: 11094ff065f489e48891c814fdae1ae6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-24T17:04:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 versão - biblioteca_2.docx: 1481466 bytes, checksum: 11094ff065f489e48891c814fdae1ae6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-06-25 / Esta dissertação investiga a nomeação de peritos judiciais no processo civil. Teve como intuito analisar impropriedades identificadas no modo pelo qual a relação jurídica entre o Estado-juiz e o particular toma forma no momento da eleição do auxiliar e se desenvolve ao longo da execução dos serviços técnicos. A observação profissional, aliada à pesquisa acadêmica, permitiu constatar que o tratamento legal e regulamentar de ato processual típico, que lhe é dispensado pelo Novo Código de Processo Civil e pelo Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ), dá margem a profundos questionamentos quanto à sua adequação para a dinâmica de resolução de conflitos empresariais no cenário contemporâneo. Isso apesar de a perícia se tratar de espécie probatória, que figura há muito no ordenamento nacional, de produção corriqueira em milhares de ações todos os anos. As apuradas deficiências, diante do caráter de imperatividade que o ato ostenta, têm o potencial de disseminar improbidades no Poder Judiciário, considerando-se a magnitude de recursos financeiros e interesses econômicos envolvidos em um grande número de processos judiciais. Ademais, geram insegurança jurídica a todos os envolvidos — magistrado, peritos e partes — naquilo que se refere à relação comercial de prestação de serviços entabulada. Suscitam-se, assim, prejuízos ao exercício jurisdicional propriamente dito e desestímulo ao incremento de mercado de negócios promissor para a indústria de consultoria. Traçada a problematização, elegeu-se, a fim de realizar a avaliação crítica do tema, o viés do cotejamento das peculiaridades das nomeações, com os elementos de (i) ato processual complexo; (ii) obrigações legais; (iii) contratos civis e (iv) contratos administrativos, observando os sinais distintivos de cada uma dessas categorias e alcançando conclusão de que seria judicioso o repensar da qualificação do ato — realidade que, se aceita, demandaria novos balizamentos à atividade pericial. A partir daí desenvolveram-se proposições de lege lata como possíveis encaminhamentos a serem dados à matéria, pautados pelos princípios da administração pública, com vistas à reflexão jurídica sobre a hodierna interpretação da legislação e a adequação da regulamentação do CNJ: tudo com vistas ao aprimoramento do modelo vigente no ordenamento, inibindo, dessa forma, improbidades e proporcionando segurança jurídica negocial. / This dissertation investigates the appointment of court experts in civil proceedings. The purpose of this study was to analyze improprieties identified in the way in which the legal relationship between the Judge-State and the individual takes shape at the time of the election of the court expert and throughout the execution of their technical services. Professional observation, coupled with academic research, made it possible to ascertain that the legal and regulatory treatment of a typical procedural act as established by the New Civil Procedure Code and by the Conselho Nacional de Justiça (CNJ) evokes deep questions about its suitability for the dynamics of business conflict resolution in the contemporary context — an unexpected reality, given that the appointment of judicial experts is a type of evidence which has enduringly been contemplated in the national legal system, having been employed in thousands of lawsuits every year. In view of the imperative nature of the act, the identified deficiencies have the potential of spreading misconducts in the Judiciary, considering the magnitude of financial resources and economic interests involved in a large number of lawsuits. Furthermore, they create legal uncertainty for all actors involved: magistrates, court experts and parties, with reference to the business relationships of service provision encapsulated. This generates, thus, damages to the jurisdictional exercise as well as a discouragement to the development of a promising business market for the advisory industry. In order to critically evaluate the subject, a comparative assessment of the particularities of the appointment of court experts was carried out, with regard to the following elements: (i) complex legal proceedings; (ii) legal obligations; (iii) civil contracts; and (iv) administrative contracts, observing the distinctive signs of each of these categories, having reached the conclusion that it would be judicious to rethink the qualification of the appointment of court experts — a reality, which, if accepted, would require a new characterization of the court expert activity. Hence, lege lata propositions were developed as possible directives to be given to the subject, guided by the principles of Public Administration, aiming to encompass the legal reflection on the current interpretation of the legislation and the adequacy of the CNJ regulations: all with a view to improve the model in effect in the national legal system, thus inhibiting misconducts and allowing for contractual legal certainty.

Submitted by audrey souza (audrey_ajs@yahoo.com.br) on 2012-06-26T20:41:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO-VERSÃO FINAL-SUBMISSÃO.pdf: 807877 bytes, checksum: 4644a892d7a17719575f32f1e5978822 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁURA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2012-06-28T12:20:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO-VERSÃO FINAL-SUBMISSÃO.pdf: 807877 bytes, checksum: 4644a892d7a17719575f32f1e5978822 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcia Bacha (marcia.bacha@fgv.br) on 2012-06-29T17:33:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO-VERSÃO FINAL-SUBMISSÃO.pdf: 807877 bytes, checksum: 4644a892d7a17719575f32f1e5978822 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-06-29T17:35:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO-VERSÃO FINAL-SUBMISSÃO.pdf: 807877 bytes, checksum: 4644a892d7a17719575f32f1e5978822 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-20 / The impacts of adopting International Accounting Standards (IFRSs) has been the subject of debate in the professional and academics media, however, little has been researched on the impact of adopting IFRSs in federal forensic expert. Therefore, the objective of this study is to capture and analyze the perception of the federal forensic expert on the impacts of the adoption of IFRSs in the investigative official activity held in accounting fraud. It was based on a quantitative and qualitative approach used to assess associations between perceptions, resorting to the chi-square test and content analysis, respectively. The results showed that most respondents agree partially or fully that the adoption of IFRS will facilitate the work of federal forensic expert, finding statistical association with the perception that fraud without financial engineering is easier to prove and with the perception that more space for technical judgments have positive impact on the activity of federal forensic expert. Other benefits mentioned were the increased comparability, reduction of complexity and professional development. However, it was verified the possibility of increased risks in the technical objections to expert reports, the risk of bias and the need for qualification, but without statistical association with the perception that IFRSs or otherwise facilitate the examination. No statistical differences were identified on the basis of perceived levels of knowledge of the precepts on IFRSs and the theoretical and practical knowledge of respondents. The study has limitations concerned primarily to generalization of the results, since the intended approach was qualitative and quantitative, and the number of answered questionnaires did not allow performing statistical tests with greater robustness. / Os impactos da adoção das Normas Internacionais de Contabilidade (IFRSs) tem sido objeto de debates nos meios profissionais e acadêmicos, entretanto, pouco tem sido pesquisado sobre as repercussões da adoção dos IFRSs na atividade pericial criminal. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo é captar e analisar a percepção dos Peritos Criminais Federais sobre os impactos da adoção dos IFRSs na atividade de perícia criminal oficial realizada em fraudes contábeis. Lastreou-se numa abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa utilizada para verificar associações entre as percepções, recorrendo-se ao teste Qui-quadrado de Pearson e a análise de conteúdo, respectivamente. Os resultados evidenciaram que a maior parte dos respondentes concorda parcial ou totalmente que a adoção dos IFRSs facilitará o trabalho de perícia criminal federal, encontrando associação estatística com a percepção de que fraudes cometidas sem engenharia financeira são mais fáceis de comprovar e com a percepção que um maior espaço para julgamentos técnicos tem impacto positivo na atividade de perícia criminal. Outros benefícios apontados foram o aumento da comparabilidade, a diminuição da complexidade e a valorização profissional. Entretanto, constatou-se como riscos a possibilidade de aumento nas contestações técnicas aos laudos periciais, o risco de viés e a necessidade de qualificação, porém sem associação estatística com a percepção de que os IFRSs facilitarão ou não o trabalho pericial. Não foram identificadas diferenças estatísticas de percepção em função do nível de conhecimento dos preceitos sobre os IFRSs e dos conhecimentos teóricos e práticos dos pesquisados. O estudo apresenta limitações que dizem respeito principalmente à generalização dos resultados, uma vez que a abordagem pretendida foi qualitativa e quantitativa e o número de questionários respondidos não possibilitou realizar testes estatísticos com maior robustez.

Le traitement des questions scientifiques est aujourd'hui un enjeu majeur pour les acteurs du contentieux interétatique : au-delà de son coût, il s'avère souvent décisif lorsqu'il s'agit pour les états de défendre leurs intérêts et pour le juge international de promouvoir la légitimité et la pérennité de son institution. La science est en effet considérée comme un gage d'objectivité, un outil capable de dire "le vrai" qui s'avère d'autant plus précieux pour les acteurs du contentieux interétatique que l'ordre juridique international est décentralisé. Pourtant, l'on ne peut manquer de constater le profond désenchantement suscité par la science au cours des dernières décennies : outre l'allongement souvent indu des délais, la multiplication des batailles d'experts dans le prétoire a fait naître un sentiment de méfiance grandissant à l'égard de la preuve scientifique, un doute quant à la part de vérité intrinsèque qu'elle est supposée pouvoir revendiquer. Pour déstabilisante qu'elle puisse être au regard de l'enjeu particulier du maintien de la paix, cette constatation ne doit néanmoins pas conduire à dénier à la science sa place et sa pertinence dans le cadre du règlement des différends interétatiques. La présente étude montrera ainsi que, dépouillé de toute prétention particulière à la vérité, l'expertise est susceptible de s'illustrer (et s'illustre parfois déjà) comme un outil utile et productif dans le cadre du règlement juridictionnel des différends entre états ; au-delà, l'on montrera encore que, dans certaines circonstances, l'expert possède même le pouvoir d'apaiser et de rapprocher les parties, favorisant ainsi l'émergence d'un règlement amiable entre elles / Dealing with scientific issues is nowadays a major concern in inter-state disputes : beyond the question of costs, these issues are often decisive for states in succeeding to defend their case and they are no less critical for international tribunals when it comes to promote their legitimacy and ultimately, their survival. Science is indeed perceived as possessing extraordinary qualities for the pursuit of the truth (in the widest sense of this word) and for this reason, it has traditionally been considered a very powerful and precious instrument, mostly in the international legal order which is naturally decentralized. Nevertheless, one cannot but notice the disenchantment science has given rise to over the last decades : the multiplication of expert battles in court has frequently induced an undesirable loss of time as well as a growing feeling of mistrust, both the litigants and the international judiciary finally doubting the power of science for ascertaining the real truth. However destabilizing this reality may be in the particular context of the maintenance of the peace, this study is dedicated to show that science is definitely relevant in the settling of inter-state disputes. Most often deprived nowadays of their alleged (and misleading) capacities for perfect objectivity and the search for truth, experts will be shown to be paradoxically useful and productive actors in the course of international judicial settlement ; moreover, they will be shown to possess, under certain circumstances, a real power for relieving pressure and promoting appeasement between the litigants, thus making it easier for them to reach an amicable settlement of their conflict