Critically Review the Empirical Evidence on the Relationship between Trade Openness and Economic Growth Introduction: In 2008, the world as a whole produced goods and services worth an estimated $50trillion at current prices. Of that total, more than 30 percent was sold across national borders (Krugman, Obstfeld and Melitz, 2012, p.40). That statistic alone highlights […]
Month: April 2016
Justice as fairness and justice as entitlement
‘Let us never forget this fundamental truth: the State has no source of money other than money which people earn themselves. If the State wishes to spend more it can do so only by borrowing your savings or by taxing you more. It is no good thinking someone else will pay – that ‘someone else’ […]
In evolving the duty of care, the Irish Courts in Glencar v Mayo County Council have unnecessarily slowed down the development of new duties of care.
Introduction: A duty of care is a legally recognised obligation requiring the defendant to adhere to a certain standard of behaviour to those it has a proximate relationship to for their protection against foreseeable unreasonable risks and is the first element that must be established in negligence in the law of torts. The concept of […]
In its responses to the Eurozone Crisis, the European Union has sacrificed the clear interpretation of Union law and the very primacy of the Union treaties themselves in order to address short term economic problems, some of which are the Union’s own fault.
Introduction. This essay title is quiet broad covering a number of different issues that are all very much interrelated and are of current concern for the European Union and its’ citizens. Each aspect of the title will be defined and discussed using the case of Ireland and its’ bailout as a case study throughout the […]
Consideration need not be adequate but must be sufficient – Contract Law
Introduction. There are five elements to a contract; these are offer, acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations and capacity. A person or persons making an offer to another person or persons is the first step is creating a contract. Clarke defines an offer ‘as a clear and unambiguous statement of the terms upon which […]
PR-STV is the worst electoral system, except for all the others.
Introduction PR-STV or proportional representation – single transferable vote, is a unique electoral system in that it is very much a candidate centred method of voting, which accommodates intraparty competition in elections. However, it also allows the voter to support a political party simultaneously if they so wish. It differs greatly from the other two […]
The recent proposal to abolish the Seanad was poorly communicated to voters
The thirty-second Amendment to the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Eireann) Bill 2013 states ‘it is proposed – (A) to amend the constitution for the purpose of abolishing Seanad Eireann and providing that the Oireachtas shall, from the date of such abolition, consist of the President and Dail Eireann; and (B) in consequence of the foregoing, […]
Why is it so difficult to amend the U.S Constitution?
Introduction The American federal constitution is one of the oldest consolidated constitutional documents in the world, coming into force in 1789 after being ratified by the thirteen original states. A constitution must be balanced in such a particular way that it holds societies core values, usually regarding the governance of the state and the rights […]
What Causes Civil Wars?
What Causes Civil War? Between 1945 and 1999, about 3.33 million battle deaths occurred in the 25 interstate wars that killed at least 1,000 and had at least 100 dead on each side.” (Fearon and Laitin 2003) This quote reveals that although civil wars are only occurring in a relatively small geographical area of the […]
Albert Goering
“I am not my brother’s keeper” – Albert Goering Albert Goering was a shy, introverted, sensitive child, given easily to tears. His adult professional life was quiet, conservative and uncontroversial. Only when his brother’s political party set about destroying everything he believed in did Albert reveal the extent his personal courage, conviction and incorruptibility: “when […]
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