The insanity defence and international human rights obligations

Limited Knowledge and Unsafe Practices in Usage of Pesticides and The Associated Toxicity Symptoms among Farmers in Tullo and Finchawa Rural Kebeles, Hawassa City, Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia

“…Therefore, acquiring domain knowledge through aging might be due to daily observations and interaction with people who are knowledgeable and very well experienced in farming work. According to item 3, Table 3, the odds of knowledge is also positively influenced by farmers' educational level, especially with the second cycle primary (grade [5][6][7][8] and secondary level (grade 9-10) of education. Hence, farmers who achieved second cycle primary (grade 5-8) education level are (12.222) times more likely to have a good knowledge in pesticide handling and toxicity, than those who did not achieve this level of education since (p = 0.037) which indicates (p < 0.05).…”

“…Excessive and indiscriminate use of the most infamous synthetic organic chemicals, specifically chlorinated hydrocarbons like DDT, left a long-lasting imprint on every atom on earth since the beginning of the green revolution to date [6]. Despite the early alarming signs on the gruesome effects of these chemicals, such as the sharp decline of the bald eagle and other birds in the highest trophic levels of the food chain [7], the ascendency of using these chemicals pressed onward.…”

Does the Insanity Defence lead to an Abuse of Human Rights?

“…These differences are found even between regions within these countries. 2,3 Worse still, no legislation actually defines 'mental illness', or gives any indication which psychiatric disorders would qualify for the legal definition. For example, Austria allows for a 'profound impairment of consciousness', Denmark a 'state equal to mental illness', Finland a 'state of lunacy' and so on.…”

“…For example, Austria allows for a 'profound impairment of consciousness', Denmark a 'state equal to mental illness', Finland a 'state of lunacy' and so on. 3 Every country would allow psychosis, especially if due to schizophrenia, to be used as a valid insanity defence. But some allow addiction, neuroses, and personality disorders too.…”

Effects of Tephrosia vogelii formulation with rabbit urine on insect pests and pollinators of sesame in Singida, Tanzania

“…This instigates sesame smallholder farmers to combine two or more synthetic insecticides to control A. gossypii (Shahid et al, 2019). Mixing of the synthetic pesticides leads into environmental adulteration and killing of the useful insects like the pollinators and natural enemies (Tosi & Nieh, 2019) and imperiling the human heath (Hopper & McSherry, 2001;Kapeleka et al, 2019). To evade effects brought by the utilization of synthetic pesticides, biological agents, which are known to be environmentally benign, have been used in controlling a broad range of insect pests, including the A. gossypii pest, and have proved to be efficacious (Isman, 2006).…”