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From Nickelback to Sesame Street: how music is used to battle crime and fight war
A Canadian police force on Prince Edward Island is threatening drink drivers with the music of Nickelback. Police in the town of Kensington have said: On top of a hefty fine, a criminal charge and a year’s driving suspension we will also provide you with a bonus gift of playing the office’s copy of Nickelback…
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Spalding murders must not be used to justify more punitive responses to young offenders
Sean Creaney, Edge Hill University and Stephen Case, Loughborough University Two teenagers convicted of stabbing and smothering to death a mother and daughter in their own home in Spalding, Lincolnshire have been sentenced to life in prison. The extreme nature of the sentence – which means the two will not be eligible for parole for…
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Restorative Justice offers benefits to victims and offenders
Restorative Justice, simply put, is concerned with conflict resolution and the repairing of harm caused by anti-social behaviour and crime. It involves the offender accepting responsibility and apologising to the victim. It is good value for money and can provide great benefits to victims and offenders. Meeting face to face can be a powerful and…
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Young offenders views rendered invalid: children must have a stronger voice in the system
Across the youth justice system, young offenders’ views are not being listened to and in turn there has been a failure to act upon their wishes. But if this reluctance to allow youth offenders to have a say in the care they are receiving is not addressed, there will be a negative impact both on…
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Robot babies from Japan raise all sorts of questions about how parents bond with AI
Driven by a declining population, a trend for developing robotic babies has emerged in Japan as a means of encouraging couples to become “parents”. The approaches taken vary widely and are driven by different philosophical approaches that also beg a number of questions, not least whether these robo-tots will achieve the aim of their creators.…
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Why the case against the Human Rights Act is so weak
The Human Rights Act was enacted in 1998 and made the rights set down in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) part of UK law for the first time. The ECHR was drafted after World War II and places obligations on its signatories to protect certain rights, such as the right to a fair…
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Truth, Justice and Hillsborough: A Personal Reflection
In early 1990, before the first set of Hillsborough Inquests, the Liverpool Social Services Hillsborough Team had a team meeting in its Anfield Road base. I was a young social worker, not long qualified, inexperienced and yet to face bereavements of my own. Invited to the meeting were Phil Scraton and colleagues (Ann Jemphrey and…
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Here’s why St Patrick’s day and ‘the craic’ are two of Ireland’s greatest myths
Paddy Hoey, Edge Hill University and David Shaw, University of Liverpool There are two world famous symbols of Irish culture: St Patrick’s day, and the Irish pub – both synonymous with drinking and “good craic”. But history tells us that these icons of Irish identity were first conceived far away from Ireland. Since then, these…
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Why I wish I’d listened more to mum
I miss her terribly; she told me that I would. I can’t say that she didn’t warn me. “Your mother should be number one. You’ll regret not taking me out more,” she used to say. Then the emotion and the tears would come. “I’m way down the list; I think that you care more about…
