The Architecture of Jurisprudence
Two marks of a mature field of inquiry are that its central problems are well-formulated and that its conventional wisdom is sound. Even in the most mature fields, however, the conventional wisdom can sometimes be misleading and the central problems poorly cast. Unfortunately, this is the state of affairs in analytic jurisprudence. Progress can be made only if much of the conventional wisdom is displaced and its central questions are reframed.[1]
Jurisprudence: Theory and Context
Jurisprudence is aimed at students new to the study of legal philosophy, also offering new ideas and perspectives that will be of interest to established scholars. Bix seeks to explain the often complex and difficult ideas in Jurisprudence clearly, but in a way that avoids distortion of the ideas through over-simplification. As well as introducing the reader to the fundamental themes in legal philosophy, it also describes and comments critically on the writing of the foremost legal theorists. The fifth edition has been revised and updated, taking into account the most recent scholarly work and elaborating on many of the key ideas and arguments.[2]
Jurisprudence
This new edition of Jurisprudence brings the book fully up to date and incorporates the following new topics: Utilitarianism, Scandinavian realism, Feminism, Liberalism, the New Critics, and the Hart v Dworkin debate. It also includes a separate chapter on Dworkin’s Law’s Empire, and the previous chapter on Rights has been substantially revised, to make this a useful and highly readable addition to the student’s library.[3]
Women’s Reproductive Rights: A Judicial Rhetoric towards a Privacy Jurisprudence
Women’s reproductive rights or abortion decisions are complex and riddled with moral considerations. It is for that reason that women must be permitted to make the decision themselves. This sentiment echoes the notion that women are to be left alone with regard to their reproductive rights decisions. Such decisions will have an impact on their family and professional work commitments. It is the anti-choice position that drains the abortion decision of its moral complexity by insisting that it is always wrong. It is amidst this debacle that this research embarked on a judicial discourse comprising of case law in several jurisdictions to explain the notion of a privacy jurisprudence in order to teach the wider community. A privacy jurisprudence, as adumbrated in this study, engenders certain fundamental constitutional guarantees against governmental control or state regulations, which aim to invade the area of protected freedoms, such as abortion decisions by women and the use of contraceptives. In America, state interference has been detested because it wanted to foil women’s right to privacy, whereas in South Africa, state interference is welcomed in the sense that the state must avail resources in order for women to exercise their right to freedom of decision. Botswana recently encountered an inertia with regard to legal literature on women’s reproductive rights and even a dearth of research in the medical arena on the issue. It is suggested that Botswana follow in the footsteps of South Africa and disentangles herself from her zealous patriarchal stand and elevate women so that the latter can be free to exercise their right to privacy in abortion decision or reproductive rights.
The discourse towards a privacy jurisprudence enjoys elaborative discussion in the study and evokes some pointers for jurisdictions worldwide to take recognition.[4]
Scorpion Sting and Acute Kidney Injury: Case Series from Pakistan
Objectives: We aim to report here a series of cases developing AKI after scorpion stings.
Patients and Methods: During a period of 25 years that is; from January 1990- December 2014 all the patients coming to Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, with AKI after scorpion sting are included in study. AKI was defined according to RIFLE criteria and Scorpion sting was labeled on history of person stung by scorpion.
Results: During studied period 18 patients were brought with scorpion sting. Mean age of patients was 29.22±18.48 years, 7 were male and 11 females. Mean duration of insult was 8.94±4.12 days. Sixteen out of 18 patients were either oliguric or anuric on presentation. Uremia was advanced on arrival with mean urea of 324.38±116.82 and creatinine of 11.8±4.30 mg/dl. Hyponatremia was a common finding with mean sodium of 129.16±8.76 meq/l. Extensive tissue damage at site of sting observed in many patients and mean values for LDH and CK were 2349.71±3499.15 and 3116.23±5468.22 U/L respectively. Hemodialysis required in all patients. Complete renal recovery seen in 13 patients, 2 expired and 3 discharged from hospital in partial state of recovery and never turned for follow up.
Conclusion: Scorpion sting is major health problem in many parts of our country, in majority it takes a benign course but in some may affect multiple organs and result in death, especially if initial treatment is delayed.[5]
Reference
[1] Coleman, J.L., 2013. The architecture of jurisprudence. In Neutrality and Theory of Law (pp. 61-126). Springer, Dordrecht.
[2] Bix, B., 1996. Jurisprudence: theory and context.
[3] Riddall, J.G., 1999. Jurisprudence.
[4] Swartz, N.P., 2016. Women’s Reproductive Rights: A Judicial Rhetoric towards a Privacy Jurisprudence. Journal of Education, Society and Behavioural Science, pp.1-14.
[5] Naqvi, R., 2015. Scorpion sting and acute kidney injury: case series from Pakistan. Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research, pp.1-6.
