Reform Bill Research Articles

Navigating the Secular Landscape: Religious Discourse on Transgender Rights in the United Kingdom

Transgender people face high rates of discrimination and health problems yet supportive policy measures are often opposed, especially by religious organisations adhering to cis-normative theologies. Scholars exploring the links between religion and transgender issues have examined a number of themes, but the way religious actors discursively frame transgender issues remains under-researched. This article contributes to work in this area by using the concept of political opportunity structures to examine the discourse of religious groups on the 2022 Scottish Gender Recognition Reform Bill. The study shows that arguments were typically framed in secular terms, drawing on the epistemic authority of science and a language of individual rights. Supporting groups used arguments designed to highlight the difficulties that transgender people face. Oppositional groups used themes based on biological essentialism, concern for the well-being of trans people, the risks to cisgendered women and warnings about the negative impact on society and religious freedoms.

Reform bills in Jordan: A Dawn of a new era or continuous missed opportunities?

AbstractThis study aims to identify the concept, mechanisms and motives of political reform under the reign of King Abdullah II of Jordan. Concisely, the study attempts to identify obstacles to and opportunities for political reform in Jordan. To this end, the weaknesses and challenges facing the process of political reform in Jordan as well as opportunities to achieve political reform will be addressed. The opportunities are represented in the new constitutional amendments and the new laws governing political life (political parties and election laws). The main finding of this study is that since Jordan's problem today is not just economic, there is a pressing need for political reform. The political reform in Jordan, as a form of adjusting and accommodating, is the best alternative for the regime to face the popular pressures. This is probably so because Arab Spring regimes with minimal capacity to ‘bend’ or respond to change had eventually collapsed.

The effect of police reform on overall police misconduct and misconduct that involves the use of force

PurposeThis study investigates whether the Police Reform Bill significantly reduced overall incidents of police misconduct, including those involving the use of force, in Massachusetts. MethodsThe current study employed a monthly interrupted time series (ITS) design using data on overall incidents of police misconduct and incidents involving the use of force, collected from the 438 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts. The Police Reform Bill was introduced in December 2020. The monthly data covers the period from January 1989 through December, 2023 (N = 420), with January 1989 through December 2021 serving as the period before the implementation of the Police Reform Bill (N = 384) and January 2022 through December, 2023 as the period following the implementation of the Police Reform Bill (N = 36). ResultsThe results of the monthly interrupted time series analyses showed that, compared to before the implementation of the Police Reform Bill, the trend in the overall number of police misconduct incidents and the number of misconduct incidents involving the use of force significantly declined after the implementation of the Police Reform Bill. ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the Police Reform Bill is effective in reducing police misconduct and misconduct incidents involving the use of force.

At the Forefront: Social Workers' Role in Psilocybin Treatment for Depression and Substance Misuse.

This article underscores the critical role of social workers in harnessing the potential therapeutic benefits of psilocybin for treating major depressive disorder (MDD) and substance use disorder (SUD). Contemporary treatments for MDD often have side effects, and the success rate for SUD treatments remains low. The pervasiveness of MDD, combined with the challenges in treating SUD, highlights a need for innovative treatments. This article provides an overview of the resurgence of literature over the past two decades that illuminates the therapeutic promise of psilocybin for mental health treatment; clinical trials elucidate the efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy in mitigating MDD and demonstrate great promise in reducing SUD symptoms. The long-lasting posttreatment effect emphasizes its potential as a novel treatment modality. Furthermore, psilocybin's recognition as a "breakthrough therapy" by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the accelerating pace of psychedelic reform bills indicate growing acceptance and interest in its therapeutic capacities. Psilocybin-assisted therapy emerges as a potent treatment option, showcasing remarkable effectiveness even after a single dose. Recommendations and pathways for social workers to be involved in psilocybin-assisted therapy investigation, advocacy, and implementation are provided.

Navigating Vicarious Trauma: The Importance of Planning, Teaching, and Delivering Vicarious Trauma Training to Support Law Students and the Legal Profession

The significant effects of Vicarious Trauma (VT) are now being recognised in various professions, including law where the requirement for trauma informed practice’”[1] is now starting to be recognised. VT can be defined as: “a process of change resulting from empathetic engagement with trauma survivors. Anyone who engages empathetically with survivors of traumatic incidents, torture, and material relating to their trauma, is potentially affected” . Trauma- informed practice then focusses on how to work with those who have been impacted by their traumatic experience as a result of exposure to reading, writing, and hearing details of cases that they deal with. This may lead to a one-off feeling of despair or may be the result of the cumulative effect from working constantly with complicated, sensitive, and emotional materials and people. The legal professional may take on the emotions of a client and experience trauma that puts them in the place of the individual that they are trying to assist. Certain areas of the profession may be more prone to such experiences, for example criminal lawyers dealing with such cases as murder, manslaughter, and serious sexual offences. These feelings can be overwhelming, even for the most experienced practitioner. VT too, may also be experienced by students participating in Clinical Legal Education (CLE) undertaken in universities, again impacting on those involved in criminal case work where students have their first exposure to complicated and sensitive cases. This article considers the experience of members of the Criminal Justice Clinic (CJC), within the Open University (OU) and looks at the scope and impact of the VT training that is being delivered and its importance in preserving students’ mental well-being. Added is the factor of this being an online only clinic where isolation can also be an issue. There is a need to provide VT training to support the mental welfare of students, and staff alike. This training is paramount to the success of the CJC and is pivotal to any CLE provision and should be expanded to the law curriculum and onto legal practice. This article argues that the experience in the CJC demonstrates that there is a need for professional legal education to recognise and address the incidence of VT and to provide skills to those who may be affected. Consideration is given to measures that should be adopted in the delivery of CLE to support students participating in pro bono projects. This should carry on beyond university into their future careers. A brief mention will be made of the provisional results of a small-scale research project in this area. Another article is planned to discuss those results fully in the future. [1] Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill as introduced references the introduction and definition of trauma -informed practice. https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/victims-witnesses-and-justice-reform-scotland-bill/introduced/https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/legislation/bills/s6-bills/victims-witnesses-and-justice-reform-scotland-bill/introduced/bill-as-introduced.pbill-as-introduced.pdf (accessed 12th January 2024).

Parliamentary questions, institutional change, and legislative oversight in a non‐Western context

AbstractThis study examines how the Federal National Council (FNC), the parliament of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), transformed from a consultative body to a legislative institution through gradual and incremental changes. It argues that the increasing number of parliamentary questions led to legal, procedural, and behavioral changes in the FNC, influenced by external (government support and public pressure) and internal (rationality, competence, incrementalism, and system development) factors. The success of this transformation is attributed to its gradual nature. Anticipating continued momentum, the study outlines future prospects shaped by the UAE government's commitment to FNC empowerment, heightened public expectations, and the influx of educated and experienced individuals into parliamentary roles. This ongoing institutional change reflects a responsive adaptation to evolving governance demands in the UAE. The study contributes to the theory of institutions and the understanding of legislative oversight in newly liberalized political systems.Related ArticlesAntwi‐Boateng, Osman, and Noura Hamad Salim Al Jaberi. 2022. “The Post‐Oil Strategy of the UAE: An Examination of Diversification Strategies and Challenges.” Politics & Policy 50(2): 380–407. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12457.Jouini, Nizar, and Manel Ben Akal. 2022. “Political Consensus, Economic Reforms, and Democratic Transitions in the Middle East: Evidence from Voting on Tunisian Reform Bills.” Politics & Policy 50(4): 851–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12489.Sarquís, David J. 2012. “Democratization after the Arab Spring: The Case of Egypt's Political Transition.” Politics & Policy 40(5): 871–903. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2012.00381.x.

The Penal Dimension in the French Reform Bill on Civil Liability: Civil Penalty

The Penal Dimension in the French Reform Bill on Civil Liability: Civil Penalty

A Study of the Legislative Process of Political Reform Bills in Japan : Focusing on the Limitations of the Preliminary Review of the Non-LDP Ruling Coalition

A Study of the Legislative Process of Political Reform Bills in Japan : Focusing on the Limitations of the Preliminary Review of the Non-LDP Ruling Coalition

Pension Reform Bill in Colombia: A Critical Analysis from a Risk Management Approach

Pension Reform Bill in Colombia: A Critical Analysis from a Risk Management Approach

How Will the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 Affect the Principle of EU-Law Conforming Construction in UK Law?

Abstract Following prolonged political controversy, the provisions from the initial Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill which abolish general principles of EU law, as well as its supremacy, have been enacted. This article investigates whether this is likely to affect the principle of EU-law conforming construction, and contemplates three scenarios how EU-derived UK law might be interpreted in the future.

The Portrayal of Women’s Power Ambivalence: in Literature- to- Film Adaptation of Enola Holmes

The pursuit of dreams by women often results in a complex state of ambivalence, as they contend with societal, familial, and personal obstacles. This underscores the need for a new cultural narrative that reconciles the strengths and weaknesses of women. Our research focuses on examining the portrayal of woman's power in the novel and film Enola Holmes. Utilizing a qualitative approach and Betty Friedan's liberal feminism as a framework, we explore the multifaceted nature of female empowerment as represented by the character Enola Holmes. Our findings reveal that Enola's aspiration to become a detective symbolizes female empowerment but is marked by ambivalence. A form of ambivalence can be seen when Enola ends up in boarding school, falls in love with a man, gets help from male friend, gets a culture shock, and uses the name “Holmes”; Eudoria’s absence after her enthusiastic efforts of teaching Enola and making a plan for reform bill with her feminist movement; Dowager's plan to kill Tewkesbury is defeated by Enola Holmes and Tewkesbury; women oppressing women through the character Enola Holmes fights Edith and Enola Holmes argues Miss Harrison. Therefore, these complexities suggest a paradox: efforts to challenge patriarchal norms can inadvertently reinforce the culture they seek to change. In conclusion, our study highlights the nuanced nature of female empowerment in "Enola Holmes," offering insights into the intricate interplay between women's agency and societal norms in the ongoing struggle for gender equality.

Identifying deficits in Ukrainian law: Forensic psychiatry misuse in proceedings of administrative offenses

Ukraine is actively denouncing and abandoning its Soviet legacy, with the legal process of decommunization being at the forefront of this process.11Two bills from 2015 regulate the process of decommunization: ‘On denouncing the Communist and the National-Socialist (Nazi) totalitarian regimes in Ukraine and banning the propaganda of their symbols’ and ‘On access to archives of repressive bodies of the Communist totalitarian regime of 1917–1991’ However, despite Ukraine's ongoing judiciary reformation process amplified by the signing of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union, Ukraine's legal system still contains inherited Soviet legal deficiencies that allow for human rights violations. Some of the most glaring deficiencies relate to the rules and regulations for assigning and conducting forensic psychiatric examinations in cases of administrative offenses.With an aim to aid Ukraine in eliminating present legal deficiencies that allow for violations of human rights, here we discuss current definitions, rules, and regulations concerning appointment and execution of forensic psychiatric examinations in cases of administrative law violations. We place particular emphasis in our discussion on the European Court for Human Rights case “Zaichenko v Ukraine, No 2”, and the reform bill that followed this case. This case is an ‘in vivo’ illustration of how Ukraine's legal deficiencies have created grounds for the violation of individual human rights.Our assessment of the current rules and regulations for assigning and conducting forensic psychiatric examinations in proceedings of administrative offenses reveals that the legal deficiencies persist. The proposed reform bill is thus a highly warranted initiative, which however has several issues in its formulations and fails to address a few of the worst existing deficiencies. Ukraine's legislators must do further work to put through reforms that will safeguard individuals from unjustified forensic psychiatric examinations.

An Exploration of the Association of Police-Involved Killings of US Citizens and Police Reform Bills—A Punctuated Equilibrium Theoretical Application

An Exploration of the Association of Police-Involved Killings of US Citizens and Police Reform Bills—A Punctuated Equilibrium Theoretical Application

The Parliamentary Inquiry into Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Bill 2021 in Australia: A Qualitative Analysis

Recently, Australia became the second jurisdiction worldwide to legalize the use of mitochondrial donation technology. The Mitochondrial Donation Law Reform (Maeve’s Law) Bill 2021 allows individuals with a family history of mitochondrial disease to access assisted reproductive techniques that prevent the inheritance of mitochondrial disease. Using inductive content analysis, we assessed submissions sent to the Senate Committee as part of a programme of scientific inquiry and public consultation that informed drafting of the Bill. These submissions discussed a range of bioethical and legal considerations of central importance to the political debate. Significantly, submissions from those with a first-hand experience of mitochondrial disease, including clinicians and those with a family history of mitochondrial disease, were in strong support of this legislation. Those in support of the Bill commended the two-staged approach and rigorous licencing requirements as part of the Bill’s implementation strategy. Submissions which outlined arguments against the legislation either opposed the use of these techniques in general or opposed aspects of the implementation strategy in Australia. These findings offer a window into the ethical arguments and perspectives that matter most to those Australians who took part in the Senate inquiry into mitochondrial donation. The insights garnered from these submissions may be used to help refine policy and guidelines as the field progresses.

President Donald Trump's Abraham Accords initiative: Prospects for Israel, the Arab states, and Palestinians

AbstractFocusing on recent U.S. policy developments toward the Middle East, this commentary examines the potential influence of the Abraham Accords' agreements on politics in the region, the resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and the future of Israel as a democratic and Jewish state. It is based on a review of media coverage of the accords. It begins with a brief history of President Donald Trump's earlier Middle East policies involving Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” limiting Iran's access to nuclear weapons. I then examine the development of the Abraham Accords under the direction of Jared Kushner. This is followed by an analysis of the potential consequences of the Accords on relations between Israel and the Arab states including Saudi Arabia, on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and on the potential policy implications for the Palestinians. I close with a comment on the future sustainability of Israel as a Jewish and democratic political entity.Related ArticlesFriedlander, Melvin A. 1988. “Jimmy Carter's Fascination with the Middle East.” Politics & Policy (formerly, Southeastern Political Review) 16(1): 205–30. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.1988.tb00251.x.Jouini, Nizar, and Manel Ben Akal. 2022. “Political Consensus, Economic Reforms, and Democratic Transitions in the Middle East: Evidence from Voting on Tunisian Reform Bills.” Politics & Policy 50(4): 851–71. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12489.Sarquís, David J. 2012. “Democratization after the Arab Spring: The Case of Egypt's Political Transition.” Politics & Policy 40(5): 871–903. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2012.00381.x.

Amid controversy, Mexico passes major science reform bill

Many researchers oppose law, which could face court test.

Access to information research in the digital era

Access to information research in the digital era

The 1832 Reform Act and the Place of Illuminations in Late Hanoverian Political Culture

Abstract This article explores the place of illumination festivity in the struggle for the 1832 Reform Act. Illuminations, a form of revelry in which crowds took to the streets and threatened to break the windows of those householders who did not submit to the demand of an exhibition of lights, were a staple of Britain’s repertoire of popular contention throughout the long eighteenth century. But their role in the Reform Bill agitation, and their place in late Hanoverian political culture, has not been explored. The fifteen months of the Reform Bill struggle were a particularly intense period of illumination activity and witnessed a significant debate concerning the acceptability of the practice. This debate involved national political figures, local authorities, radicals and anti-reformers. An exploration of this episode not only helps to explain the process of change in a cultural practice, it also enhances our understanding of the debate over reform. Considerations of class are revealed to have been fundamental to the functioning of the illumination ritual, and those considerations were used by reformers for tactical purposes. Based on extensive research in contemporary newspapers, the article reframes our understanding of the changes occurring in Britain’s political culture as it entered a new phase of liberal democratic modernity.

Contagion and the Body Politic: De Quincey on the 1830 Revolution in France.

Writing in the fall of 1830, in the period immediately following France's révolution de juillet, Thomas De Quincey predicts the imminent breakdown of social order in Britain. In his political writing for Blackwood's Magazine over the course of this period, he consistently frames the threat of French-style revolution in terms of the body politic and its vulnerability to contagion, often playing on the meaning of a country's "constitution." In 1831, upon the introduction of the Reform Bill, his worst fears appear to have been confirmed, and he now presents the upcoming revolution almost as a fait accompli. De Quincey's dire predictions fit into a larger framework of nineteenth-century alarmism surrounding contagion, "sympathy," and the collective action of the mob. This article examines the presence and influence of these concepts in De Quincey's political writing for Blackwood's over the period of 1830 to 1832, the year the Bill was successfully passed.

미국 시민권 미취득 입양인 문제 해결을 위한 미국입법 현황과 한인 입양인의 추방 방지를 위한 우리의 대응

The ｢2021 Adoptee Citizenship Act｣ was issued by the House of Representatives on March 3, 2021, and the U.S. Senate on March 25, 2021. It is a bill that amends Section 320(b) of the ｢Immigration and Nationality Act｣ within U.S. Federal Law. If the U.S. Congress passes the ｢2021 Adoptee Citizenship Act｣, the number of adopted children who were born in a third country and automatically acquire U.S. citizenship after being adopted by U.S. citizens could increase in comparison to the time period ｢2000 Child Citizenship Act｣ has been in effect. Presently, the Overseas Director of Korean Consular Affairs, the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Los Angeles, civic group that campaign for the rights of adoptees in the United States, as well as Korean American groups, are making efforts to pass the bill.
 Although the Biden administration has made significant positive amendments to the immigration regulations of the Trump administration, the bill is still in a deadlock along with other significant immigration reform bills proposed by the Biden administration and the prospects for the passage of the bill remain unclear. In addition, even if the ｢2021 Adoptee Citizenship Act｣ passes, the law could not be a remedy for all the Korean adoptees (their estimated number is 19,000) who have not been able to receive U.S. citizenship.
 Hence, South Korea needs to understand the situation of the adoptees who have not acquired U.S. citizenship and should individually and legally support these people so that they could obtain the legal status of residence and citizenship within the United States. As South Korean supports Korean adoptees in their acquisition of citizenship, it is of utmost importance to respect the territorial sovereignty of the United States and pay close attention not to undermine the friendly relationship between the two sides. Meanwhile, the United States needs to actively seek legislative measures for granting citizenship to all Korean non-citizen adoptees based on the principle of respect for human rights (the right to family reunification in this case). These are people who legally entered the United States immediately after birth, under the connivance of the governments of the two sides, and have lived all their lives in the United States as children of parents who are U.S. citizens. However, classifying them as illegally residing foreigners and deporting them from the United States is quite an inhumane and humiliating treatment to those people of concern who naturally consider the United States as their homeland.