scholarly journals Macroscopic Examination of Multiple-Shot Cattle Heads—An Animal Welfare Due Diligence Tool for Abattoirs Using Penetrating Captive Bolt Devices?

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Grist ◽  
Toby G. Knowles ◽  
Stephen Wotton
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Anatomical Variation ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Training Material ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Medial Plane ◽  
Multiple Shot ◽  
Determining Factor ◽  
Macroscopic Examination

Ideally, the application of a penetrating captive bolt device to render cattle immediately unconscious prior to slaughter would be 100% effective. Unfortunately, due to various factors this is not always the case. This paper examined, as an initial proof of concept, 12 bovine heads which had received more than one shot from a penetrating captive bolt, collected from various abattoirs within the United Kingdom. The heads were frozen to facilitate splitting on the medial plane to prevent distortion of soft tissue and each sagittal section was examined macroscopically to ascertain if this method could be used to determine the reasons for repeated stun attempts. In 10 out of 12 heads, shot placement was the determining factor, in one other head it was felt that anatomical variation was the reason and the twelfth head demonstrated signs of gun malfunction as the likely cause. This work provides evidence for a larger trial to facilitate the production of guidance for the abattoir industry, the Animal Welfare Officer and regulators on the examination of heads as part of an investigation of failures of a mechanical stunning system and to provide training material for slaughter staff tasked with effectively stunning cattle.

scholarly journals Vedanta Resources Plc and Another v. Lungowe and Others

2020 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-116
Author(s):  
Tara Van Ho
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Duty Of Care ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Copper Mines ◽  
Public Disclosures ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Right ◽  
Parent Companies ◽  
Human Rights Due Diligence

In Vedanta v. Lungowe, the United Kingdom Supreme Court determined that civil claims for negligence brought by Zambian claimants against an English parent company (Vedanta) and its Zambian subsidiary (Konkola Copper Mines plc (KCM)) for damages experienced in Zambia can proceed in English courts. While framed as a domestic tort law case, the decision is significant for international efforts aimed at holding businesses accountable for their “negative impacts” on human rights. Writing for a unanimous Court, Lord Briggs's judgment hinged narrowly on the right of victims to access substantial justice. More broadly, Lord Briggs suggested that parent companies that hold themselves out in public disclosures as overseeing the human rights, environmental, social, or labor standards employed by their subsidiaries assume a duty of care to those harmed by the subsidiary. This suggestion has the potential to transform current corporate approaches to human rights due diligence and accountability.

scholarly journals Rapid implementation of mobile technology for real-time epidemiology of COVID-19

Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 368 (6497) ◽  
pp. 1362-1367 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Drew ◽  
Long H. Nguyen ◽  
Claire J. Steves ◽  
Cristina Menni ◽  
Maxim Freydin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Application ◽  
The United States ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Data Collection And Analysis ◽  
Public Health Challenge ◽  
Rapid Pace ◽  
Scale Data

The rapid pace of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presents challenges to the robust collection of population-scale data to address this global health crisis. We established the COronavirus Pandemic Epidemiology (COPE) Consortium to unite scientists with expertise in big data research and epidemiology to develop the COVID Symptom Study, previously known as the COVID Symptom Tracker, mobile application. This application—which offers data on risk factors, predictive symptoms, clinical outcomes, and geographical hotspots—was launched in the United Kingdom on 24 March 2020 and the United States on 29 March 2020 and has garnered more than 2.8 million users as of 2 May 2020. Our initiative offers a proof of concept for the repurposing of existing approaches to enable rapidly scalable epidemiologic data collection and analysis, which is critical for a data-driven response to this public health challenge.

THE ROLE OF DUE DILIGENCE IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (04) ◽  
pp. 1041-1054
Author(s):  
Neil McDonald
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
General Principle ◽  
Component Part ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
Legal Requirement ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Primary Rule ◽  
Fact Finding ◽  
Policy Guidance

AbstractThis article makes two main propositions about the role of due diligence in international law, in response to recent interest in the topic. First, a legal requirement to exercise due diligence may be a component part of a primary rule of international law, but this can only be determined by referring back to the primary rule in question (eg what degree of fact-finding does treaty provision X require a State party to that treaty to undertake, either explicitly or implicitly, to act consistently with its terms?). In other words, there is no ‘general principle of due diligence’ in international law. Second, States undertake what could be characterised as ‘due diligence’ activity (eg by introducing policy guidance for their officials), some elements of which may be a result of a legal requirement and some of which may not (eg where done solely for policy reasons). Current practice of the United Kingdom and United States is used to illustrate the point. The lack of a distinction between the ‘legal’ and ‘non-legal’ elements of conduct in a given area gives States the flexibility to act without feeling unduly constrained by international law, and at the same time actually promotes compliance with international law and may assist in its development over time. In contrast, pushing for a ‘general principle of due diligence’ in international law is unnecessary, and risks having a chilling effect on this positive legal/policy ‘due diligence’ behaviour by States.

scholarly journals The role of conservators in facilitating the theft and trafficking of cultural objects: the case of a seized Libyan statue

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 117-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Brodie
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
The State ◽  
Due Diligence ◽  
Cultural Objects ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Cultural Sites ◽  
Demand Reduction ◽  
The World

AbstractA 2015 court judgment in the United Kingdom ruled that a seized Libyan statue should be returned to the ownership of the State of Libya. The judgment prompts a critical discussion of the involvement of professional conservators in the trafficking of cultural objects. Higher standards of due diligence are recommended for conservators and other professional experts engaging with cultural objects that might have been stolen and trafficked. Stronger professional due diligence is but one component of a broader policy of demand reduction that will be necessary to control the theft and trafficking of cultural objects, and to offer protection to cultural sites around the world.

scholarly journals Social Impact Assessment: A Systematic Review of Literature

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Alomoto ◽  
Angels Niñerola ◽  
Laia Pié
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Social Impact Assessment ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Current State ◽  
New Concepts ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Social Environmental ◽  
Large Clusters ◽  
Determining Factor

AbstractMeasuring, analyzing, and evaluating social, environmental, and economic impact is crucial to aligning the sustainable development strategies of international organizations, governments, and businesses. In this sense, society has been a determining factor exerting pressure for urgent solutions. The main objective of this paper is to provide an exhaustive analysis of the literature about the tools for measuring social impact and their evolution over the last 50 years. The search was conducted in the main academic databases (Scopus and Web of Science), where 924 articles were found from 1969 to 2020 related to the topic. The results of the quantitative analysis show that 71% of the publications were in the last ten years and the most productive countries were the USA and the United Kingdom. The relational analysis identifies 4 large clusters that fragment the literature into different subfields. The most used keywords are linked to the term "Social" in measurement methods, new concepts, and participants. This article contributes to the literature by giving the researcher an insight into the current state of art, trends, categories within the field, and future lines of research.

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