Economics of Education after Covid

This article looks at the influence of financial accounting procedures on the way that investment in education is conceptualized. This field has been dominated by the idea that investment in public institutions should be seen as contributing to the public deficit, and accounting arrangements that reduce a current charge on the public purse encouraged. Drawing on the work of Kelton and Mazzucato, the authors argue that this thinking will be a blight on educational spending in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, and that a more thorough-going debate is urgently needed to secure the future of education.

SUPERFLUOUS LITIGATION, IN A WRONG FORUM ABOUT NOTHING: WHEN LAWYERS AND EXPERTS COLLUDE Motswai v RAF 2012 SA (GSJ) Case No: 2010/17220

The case of Motswai v RAF (2012 SA (GSJ) Case No: 2010/17220, not yet reported) is a clear indication of how lawyers and experts should not act in a case against the Road Accident Fund (RAF). From the facts of the case it is clear that there was no need to institute an action, yet the lawyers proceeded and experts even wrote lengthy opinions on a bruised ankle. The only inference the judge drew from this was that the lawyers (and experts) were only concerned about being paid even if it meant being paid from the funds intended to compensate road accident victims. Satchwell J therefore after analysing all the evidence made a cost order that neither the plaintiff’s nor the defendant’s attorneys should receive any fees at all in respect of this claim or litigation. The expenses incurred in respect of “experts” should not be a burden on the public purse and therefore the attorneys should meet these disbursements de bonis propriis. She further stated that counsel should be paid only on a scale of the Magistrate’s Court and it should not include trial fees.

Research into mental health supported accommodation – desperately needed but challenging to deliver

Summary Around 100 000 people live in mental health supported accommodation in England, at considerable cost to the public purse, but there is little evidence to guide investment in the most effective models. We consider the various barriers to research in this field and offer suggestions on how to address them.

The UK Economy: Forecast Summary

Economic growth has stalled and there is around a one-in-four chance that the economy is already in a technical recession.The outlook beyond October, when the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union, is very murky indeed with the possibility of a severe downturn in the event of a disorderly no-deal Brexit.On the assumption that a no-deal Brexit is avoided, the economy is forecast to grow at around 1 per cent in 2019 and 2020 as uncertainty continues to hold back investment and productivity growth remains weak.On the assumption of an orderly no-deal Brexit, the economy is forecast to stagnate, before starting to grow again in 2021.Some loosening of the public purse appears inevitable and we expect public sector borrowing to rise above 2 per cent of GDP, with the possibility of substantial over-runs of the government's fiscal objectives in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Undermining Parliamentary Sovereignty and Federalism

This article explores the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and its role in altering two core concepts of Canadian democracy: parliamentary sovereignty and federalism. The author argues that the Charter has undermined these concepts through the empowerment of Canada's judiciary, namely the Supreme Court of Canada. The article explores ways in which the powers of parliament have been superseded by the courts, specifically through the establishment of "charter proofing," parliament's loss of power over the "public purse," and the erosion of the provinces' policy autonomy. Ultimately, the article seeks to demonstrate that the Charter has "legalized" Canadian politics to the extent that the judiciary unwieldy an unacceptable amount of power in Canada's political environment. Cases explored in the essay include Morgentaler v. the Queen (1988), Schachter v. Canada (1992), and Attorney-General of Québec v. Association of Québec Protestant School Boards (1984).