The Abuse of Ownership: A Social Justice Perspective

Given that property rights are politically sensitive, and that the right of ownership is the most extensive property right, this article undertakes a political analysis of the so-called abuse of ownership doctrine as a private law limitation to the right of ownership. The notion of the abuse of rights as is defined and described by the Serbian academic, Professor Vodinelić, is explained, and examined with respect to how it fits into four different social justice theories. This analysis shows that the doctrine of abuse of rights would change in structure, and in the way it is applied, depending on the underlying value system which is adopted in a society.

The Waqf Estates of Pānḍūa: Historical Analysis (from Fifteenth to Twentieth Centuries)

In its first section, the article examines the creation of two major Sufi institutions, the khanqāhs of Shaikh Jalāluddīn Tabrīzī (d. 1225) known as Badi dargā h and Shaikh Nūr Quṭb Ālam (d. 1410) as Chhotī dargā h. Further, for the smooth functioning and maintenance, the rulers of Ilyas Shahi dynasty and other independent rulers of Bengal endowed rent-free lands to the respective khanqāhs presently known as Bāis Hazārī and Shash Hazārī waqf estates. The present study also attempts to look into a more comprehensive and detailed analysis of the sanads concerning with these grants were confirmed and continued by the Mughal emperors, Nawab Nazims of Bengal and British officials that testify to the importance of the place during the pre-colonial times. The extensive property enjoyed by the mutawallis of these dargā hs continued till date. The focus of the article in its second section, on the historical changes of these waqf estates basing on official records from these institutions, court proceedings of the litigations, historical works by the mutawallis and other connected histories. This examination is followed by a discussion of the gradual decline of these institutions and subsequent patronage for the education and other measures of welfare for the society.

'As to the Land, Buy by All Means' – the Hampshire Estate of William Cobbett (1763–1835)

William Cobbett, the political writer and reformer, made extensive property purchases in Hampshire during the early 1800s but his investment in land resulted in financial ruin, rather than the political independence and financial security that he had sought. Within about 15 years, his farms had been repossessed by the mortgagee and he had been made bankrupt. This article will consider his landownership in southern Hampshire in detail. It will not only identify his principal land holdings, and the uses to which he put the land, but also consider the factors that drove him to buy land, the complex manner in which he financed his purchases, and the wider significance of his land ownership, in terms of his career as a political writer and reformer.

THE MULTI-TECH PROTECTIVE MONITORING OF THE LION FOREST GARDEN STONY ARTIFICIAL HILLS (SUZHOU, CHINA)

The Lion Forest Garden was originally built in 1342, during Yuan Dynasty, and became one of the most famous gardens in Suzhou. In 2000, it was inscribed in the World Heritage List as an extensive property of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou. The Lion Forest Garden is famous for its stony artificial hills covering more than 4,000 square meters, which were continually built during Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasty. However, as a long time passed, stony artificial hills appear damaged showing stone cracking - which could be seen in many places-, gaping, weathering, water erosion, and subsidence. Besides, a new underground line will pass through the road west to the Garden. In 2018 and 2019, the Landscape Architecture Engineering Lab of the Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture collaborated with the Lion Forest Garden Administration on a research to define the strategy to monitor these stony artificial hills. Multiple technologies were used, such as 3D Scanning, Ultrasonic Testing, Side-Scan Sonar, sensors, and so forth. During the monitoring, some technologies worked well while others did not. The paper, based on the mentioned research, will discuss the strategy and technologies used in monitoring historical rockeries, describe the procedure, analyse the outcomes, and find out the reasons causing the unsuccess of some technologies.

“Wireline + Wireless” Networking Remote Monitoring Technology for Analysing the Unloading Deformation Characteristics of the Fractured Surrounding Rock Mass Induced by Underground Excavation

Collapse or large deformation of fractured surrounding rock mass occurs frequently in underground tunnelling and results in many casualties and extensive property damage. This paper proposed a new type of remote telemetry system for monitoring the mechanical responses of underground tunnels during unloading. This system adopted both wired and wireless networking schemes, including a signal collection and transmission subsystem, a management analysis subsystem, and a remote receiving subsystem, in the tunnels. The application of this new approach in a subway tunnel indicated that the complete unloading performance of a surrounding rock mass can be captured in real time and high frequency using this method, recording the deformation of the surrounding rock, the stress in the bolts, and the stress in the shotcrete between the surrounding rock and steel arch. The in situ experimental study also found that deformation of the fractured surrounding rock mass in the Dashizi Tunnel showed a step-like fluctuating growth pattern. Additionally, the mechanical response of the surrounding rock mass during unloading tended to stabilize when the opening face was approximately 35 m away from the monitoring section, providing new ways to optimize the excavation process and support measure.

The Winding Path to the Courthouse, 1778

This chapter begins by summarizing the cases of misprision of treason heard in the county courts. The state government began a controversial attainder policy, a process that led to extensive property confiscations. The court of oyer and terminer, consisting of the three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices, finally opened. Through grand-jury charges, the justices explained their understanding of treason law. Following the British evacuation of Philadelphia in June 1778, the state government sorted through charges of disloyalty against hundreds of individuals, eventually winnowing them down for trial that fall. The trial of Joseph Malin in Chester County in September 1778 was the first treason case heard by a Pennsylvania court during the Revolution. The defendant was represented by high-quality defense counsel, the court issued moderate rulings, and the jury acquitted the defendant, patterns that would recur in future cases.

Genetic Analysis of Invasive Conehead Termites (Blattodea: Termitidae) Reveals a Single Origin for Two Populations in Florida

In 2001, Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky), common name conehead termite, were discovered near a marina in Dania Beach, FL, where the invasive species was probably transported from its native range in Central and South America or the Caribbean. In January 2016, an infestation was found in Pompano Beach, Florida, approximately 21 km north of the Dania Beach population. This study compares variants in seven microsatellite loci across specimens from 11 nests in Dania Beach and 8 nests in Pompano Beach. Results are consistent with all N. corniger in both locations being descendants of a single introduced colony, spreading within Broward County, FL through human transport of infested materials. No more than four alleles were found at any of the seven microsatellite loci analyzed, inferring that a single Queen and King, or multiple sibling reproductives descended from a monogamous pair, headed the colony that arrived in Florida. The potential economic and environmental impacts of this invasive termite are enormous due to its broad diet, including agricultural crops and orchards, native and ornamental plants, natural landscapes, and structures. Conspicuous tunnels and aboveground nests are the key aspects of N. corniger biology that render colonies vulnerable to discovery and control. The now proven ability of N. corniger to establish breeding populations in the United States, to cause extensive property and landscape destruction, and to spread by human transport underscores the need for continued aggressive efforts toward eradication of known infestations as well as quick operational actions the next time invasive N. corniger are discovered.

Overview of Landslide Hydrology

Most landslides and debris flows worldwide occur during or following periods of rainfall, and many of these have been associated with major disasters causing extensive property damage and loss of life [...]