This post is about the uses of sulfite in daily life and how the court brings scientific evaluation to the public/society. For example, what counts as evidence? How are particular pieces of evidence made to count or not count in the judgement?). Specifically, it examines the cases of sulfite, like the uses of sulfite in daily life and how the court brings scientific evaluation to the public/society and determine how to classify sulfites
It is important to note that most societies have some means of delivering justice based on certain forms of evidence. However, what counts as evidence differs vastly in each society. Firstly, scientific evidence has become one of the most privileged forms of evidence in courts of law in many countries. Nonetheless, which scientific evidence should be admitted in courtroom still comes under heated debate. In this class, we will explore how scientific evidence is used in court cases and government regulations. Most importantly, the topics covered in this course may include: DNA fingerprinting technology, toxic tort litigations, and environmental regulations.
Assignments, evaluation criteria and course contents are negotiable on the first day of class
Evaluation:
Participation (Reading Notes) 20%
Take-home Midterm Exam 20%
Term Paper 60%
Textbook:
Jasanoff, Sheila. 1995. Science at the Bar: Law, Science, and Technology in America. Cambridge: Harvard
University Press
Reference: Sismondo, Sergio. 2009. An Introduction to Science and Technology Studies, Wiley-Blackwell
1. Explore the issues of (scientific) evidence in legal fact-finding and regulatory decision
making.
1) Participation (Reading Notes) (20%)
Students should come to class having read the assigned texts, taken notes on them and ready to participate in the discussion. Reading notes should be uploaded on Moodle Discussion.
In the summary, you should include a) the topics and the author’s main argument(s), b) a quotation you found most interesting, c) key concepts
(and a brief description), and d) a question about the reading. The submission of reading notes, taken as a reflection of readiness to participate,
replaces participation in class discussion. No marks deducted for 1) quality of the notes or 2) absence from class meeting. No marks given for attendance without the submission of reading notes before class time.