Through the most recent proceedings initiated by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Walter Barasa, the issue of proceedings for alleged offences against the administration of justice pursuant to Article 70 of the Rome Statute has gained relevance for both legal practice and in the academic field. The regime established by the article differs significantly from the one applicable to the ad-hoc tribunals as it shifts power from the Chamber to the Prosecution. This article aims at exploring the implications this changed legal framework has for the upcoming legal proceedings, taking into account in particular the rights of the accused and the risks of the OTP’s investigatory and prosecutorial monopoly. It will further explore the legal tools available to ICC judges in order to remedy these implications and discuss the possibilities for applying lessons learned.

The conservation of many endothermic species depends critically on the availability of suitable retreat sites, yet we know little about the variation in thermal quality of such microhabitats. Studies of thermal habitat suitability for birds and mammals must account for the effect of endothermic heat production on their microclimates. For example, endotherms may significantly raise the air temperature in their retreat sites and this effect must be considered when assessing retreat site quality. We devised an inexpensive means by which to construct pseudo-endothermic 'environmental temperature' models with the use of disposable heat pads. We applied this technique to investigate thermal aspects of nest box design, illustrating the potential positive and negative effects of nest box insulation depending on the environmental context. We suggest that, from a thermal perspective, the avoidance of heat stress is an important and underappreciated issue in the retreat site selection of endotherms.

Rising tourism-based activities supported growth in the Cook Islands, Palau, Samoa, and Vanuatu in 2007, while logging fueled growth in Solomon Islands. But economies contracted in the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, and Tonga owing to cuts in government spending; growth was low elsewhere in the subregion. The outlook is for growth in the better performing economies to ease in 2008. Inflation is generally projected at moderate levels. Renewed efforts are required across the Pacific to lift growth by strengthening the environment for private sector development. The need is greatest in the weaker economies, which would also benefit from a determined effort to raise standards of governance.