Suchergebnisse

"This book analyses the compatibility of data retention in the UK with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The increase in the use of modern technology has led to an explosion of generated data and, with that, a greater interest from law enforcement and intelligence agencies. In the early 2000s, data retention laws were introduced into the UK, and across the European Union (EU). This was met by domestic challenges before national courts, until a seminal ruling by the Court of Justice in the European Union (CJEU) ruled that indiscriminate data retention was incompatible with EU law. Since then, however, the CJEU has revised its position and made certain concessions, particularly under the guise of national security. This book focuses on data retention in the UK with the principal aim of examining compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This is explored through a variety of ways including providing an account of democracy and why secret surveillance poses a threat to it, a history of data retention, assessing the seriousness that data retention poses to fundamental rights, the collection of rights that are affected by data retention which are crucial for a functioning democracy, the implications of who can be obligated to retain (and what to retain), the idea that data retention is a form of surveillance and ultimately, with all things considered, whether this is compatible with the ECHR. The work will be an invaluable resource for students, academics, researchers and policy-makers working in the areas of privacy, human rights law and surveillance"--

Accessibility is a key issue facing e-assessment. In this paper, a broad definition of accessibility is deployed, including not only candidates with disabilities and specific needs being able to take the test, but also those with limited or no ICT skills. It is crucial to the validity of the test that a candidate's disability, specific needs or ICT skills do not influence the result of the test either positively or negatively. The paper looks at more than just the technological aspects by also focusing on the physical test environment: after all, there is no point in getting the technological aspects right if your candidates cannot access the technology in the test centre.This paper presents the experience gained by learndirect in delivering the Life in the UK Test on behalf of the UK Border Agency , where an additional accessibility challenge is that most candidates will be tested in a language which is not their mother tongue. It shows that by including accessibility in the design principles of the test, rather than as an afterthought, that e-assessment, defined throughout as e-testing, can deliver an inclusive service open to all. It also shows that it is necessary to go beyond the minimum requirements demanded by legislation with respect to disability and discrimination (at least in the UK) if you are to deliver a fully inclusive and accessible service.

Policymakers often seek to limit energy prices following market shocks, and instead issue public appeals to reduce demand. This article presents new evidence on how price changes and conservation appeals affect energy consumption, using household‐level data from California's energy crisis during 2000 and 2001. The evidence indicates that when policymakers cap energy prices following market shocks, they preclude substantial—and quite rapid—reductions in energy use. The data also reveal that conservation appeals and informational programs can produce sustained reductions in energy demand.