Australian Magistrates, Therapeutic Jurisprudence and Social Change
Therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) is an orientation to decision-making that is attracting interest amongst some judicial officers and courts. A TJ approach emphasises the quality of the interaction between judicial officers and the individuals who appear before them, which is enhanced by direct engagement, empathy and communication. Drawing on a national survey of Australian magistrates, this paper shows that many magistrates are concerned to make a difference to the operation of the courts and those who use them. Magistrates identify many of the qualities and values associated with a TJ approach as important aspects of their work or as the characteristics of a good magistrate, regardless of whether they explicitly or consciously adopt a TJ orientation. There is also some evidence that the capacity to interact positively with citizens is a source of job satisfaction for some magistrates. However, the limited capacity in their current position to contribute to change in the court system is a source of dissatisfaction for many magistrates. Therapeutic jurisprudence (TJ) is an orientation to decision-making that is attracting interest amongst judicial officers, especially those in the lower courts, both in Australia and overseas. A TJ approach focuses on the quality of the interaction between judicial officers and the individuals who appear before them, with an emphasis on direct engagement, empathy and communication. The core idea is that legal processes have the potential for positive impact on the physical and psychological well being of participants, perhaps ultimately contributing to progressive social change. This paper examines the TJ implications in individual magistrates‟ orientation to their work in two ways. First, drawing on a national survey of Australian
Judicial Officers: Complementing Conventional Law and Changing the Culture of the Judiciary
This article focuses on practical aspects of therapeutic jurisprudence as it impacts specifically on judicial officers. It examines ways in which therapeutic jurisprudence has unwittingly been practised in Victoria over a number of years with reference to similar trends in the United States. Therapeutic jurisprudence is a legitimate jurisprudential technique, and one that it is complementary to traditional law. A change in thinking is required by judicial officers together with a concomitant realisation that the traditional role of judicial officers is evolving to meet the changing needs of the communities they serve.
Influence of pressure and fluidization velocity on the hydrodynamics of a fluidized bed containing horizontal tubes
Abstract An experimental investigation of the influence of horizontal tubes on the bubble behaviour and through-flow velocity of gas inside bubbles was carried out and the influence of pressure and fluidization velocity was studied. The visible bubble flow rate and the gas velocity through the bubbles were measured simultaneously in a pressurized fluidized bed, using capacitance and Pitot-static pressures probes respectively. Silica sand with a mean particle diameter of 0.7 mm was fluidized at pressures between 01. and 1.6 MPa, in a bed of 0.2 × 0.3 m cross-section. Six different horizontal tube configurations were used and comparisons were made with results obtained in the same bed operated without tubes. The results from the bed with tubes show that the influence of pressure and fluidization velocity is basically the same as in the bed without tubes; an increase in pressure and fluidization velocity increases the bubble activity. At low excess gas velocities, the influence of immersed tubes on the bubble behaviour is less pronounced than at high excess gas velocities. Measurements and visual observations show that a small tube pitch gives a more uniform distribution of the visible bubble flow over the bed cross-section. At a combination of high pressure, high excess gas velocity and a large tube pitch, a preferred bubble path was observed in the centre of the bed cross-section. The pressure probe measurements show that the through-flow velocity of gas inside the bubbles is in most cases higher when tubes are present in the bed. The through-flow velocity consistently decreases with increasing pressure in the bed without tubes. The tendency is largely the same at a low excess gas velocity when tubes are present, but at a high excess gas velocity the through-flow velocity first decreases and then increases as the pressure is increased.