Parole Board Robert, the Chair
This paper consists of four cases studies that highlight potential ethical dilemmas in the criminal justice field. The ethical dilemmas and their potential solutions are considered, with the author recommending one resolution. The problems include a warden faced with prison overcrowding, a parole board member faced with prison overcrowding, a district attorney faced with arrests without probable cause, and a police officer forced to choice between arresting a drug suspect and responding to a burglary call.
Senkaku Diaoyu Islands Dispute
Senkaku / Diaoyu Islands Dispute Between China and Japan
Introduction and History of the Islands
The Senkaku Islands (also known as Pinnacle Islands and Diaoyu Islands) are composed of eight volcanic islands that are not inhabited and that have a relatively small land area of 6.2 square kilometers. The Japanese government claims the islands for Japan, while China also claims ownership of the islands. According to Seokwoo Lee, writing in the International Boundaries Research Unit (IBRU) publication, Territorial Disputes among Japan, China and Taiwan Concerning the Senkaku Islands (Boundary & Territory Briefing Vol. 3 No. 7), the islands are in the East China Sea about 200 kilometers northeast of Taiwan and 300 kilometers west of Okinawa (Lee, 2000, p. 2).
Lee writes that during the 16th century travel accounts of Ming Dynasty envoys mentioned three of the islands (their Chinese names were Tiaoyutai, Huangweiyu, and Chihweiyu), which they visited on their way to the Ryukyu Islands. The Senkaku Islands were considered at that time to be the "…boundary separating Taiwan from the Ryukyu Islands" (Okinawa) (Lee, p. 2). After the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-95 China agreed to "cede" Taiwan to Japan; the deal was made under the "Shimonoseki Treaty" (May, 1895).