Cathedra Journal

Presentation of the edition Cathedra 23

2025-06-01T20:29:24-05:00

Como es lo acostumbrado con fina letra el Rector de UMECIT, José Alberto Nieto Rojas, como máxima autoridad de esta casa de estudios superiores, manifiesta su complacencia por esta nueva edición y admirable continuidad de la Revista Cathedra, como un medio de divulgación y aporte a la academia en el campo de las ciencias forenses y el derecho.

Legal basis to extend the educational guidance services to primary education

2025-04-21T13:30:19-05:00

Personal social Health Guidance is an area of study that focuses on how individuals interact with one another and uses self- awareness to acquire skills that facilitate decision-making in life. It involves understanding one’s circumstances, recognizing available opportunities, characteristics and perspective that the environment offers. In the educational sector, having access to professionals’ guidance is crucial, for students, teachers and parents or guardians, especially in official schools. Personal social Health Guidance has areas such as: social and educational personnel, fundamental for addressing problems that students face starting from elementary school.

These factors inspired as motivation to carry out this research which general objective is to analyze the guidance service provided in elementary education and how they relate to promoting educational equity and inclusion in some schools in Panama Oeste. To achieve this, the current regulations that support the educational guidance service in elementary schools are reviewed, along with gathering the opinion of school principals and teachers of educational centers regarding said service.

The study is carried out using an intentional non- probability sample from two schools in the Educational Region of Panama Oeste, primarily attended by children from rural areas. It presents findings on the perception of teachers and school principals regarding the access that students have in said service. It also examines the most common social and economic situations that arise most frequently and that justify the need of focusing educational policies that improve inclusion and equity, especially in rural areas.

Regulatory compliance, advantages and challenges for the business sector

2025-02-06T15:26:13-05:00

Compliance means acting in accordance with current laws and regulations. Its importance lies in the fact that companies develop management tools to prevent, detect and sanction conduct that violates the law, which strengthens customer confidence, guarantees ethical practices and legality in operations, reduces legal and financial risks, and improves the company's reputation.

It is a challenge for the modern business environment to promote a culture of compliance that includes guidelines within the company and a code of ethics, in order to continuously train staff, achieve assertive communication that facilitates complaints by employees, identifies risks and apply sanctions. In my opinion, the culture of compliance faces two major challenges, lack of knowledge about the regulations, and the economic benefits considered to be more important than what is established by the law.

In order to correctly apply compliance standards, it is necessary to have a compliance department or officer within the company's organizational structure, who is free to carry out his or her work in compliance with the law and without influence from others.

Compliance programs offer important advantages to the private sector, because they generate confidence in the market, as they send positive signals of commitment to transparency, good practices and sustainable eco-friendly measures. Clients, investors and potential allies identify with companies that have a solid compliance culture that highlights their ethical commitment and corporate social responsibility, which also attracts outstanding professionals to join the company.

Nowadays, regulatory compliance and corporate criminal liability plays an important role within companies, which are called to be part of the fight against money laundering, financing of terrorism, financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other criminal activities. Efforts must be made to strengthen the culture of compliance so that government entities, individuals and legal entities support the development of good practices as a requirement of modern markets.

Poisonous animals as pets: A threat to people’s health and life

2025-03-30T14:03:40-05:00

In fiction, stories with poisonous animals are presented, which can even be used as biological weapons. Some species, such as the black mamba (Dendroaspis polilepis Günther, 1864), rattlesnakes (Crotalus L., 1758), the black widow (Latrodectus mactans Fabricius, 1775), and scorpions, to name a few, have gained a very negative reputation as dangerous animals, which increases both fear and fascination among some people, who wish to acquire these kind of organisms as pets. This, if the necessary precautions are not taken, can lead to fatal endings. This work is a reflection on some poisonous animals raised as pets and that represent a threat to people’s health and life (negligent and even intentional homicides). To this end, related literature published mainly during the last decade was consulted. According to the results, snakes, while they are highly attention-grabbing animals, are not recommended as first pets, as they require specialized knowledge, appropriate conditions, and antidotes to prevent any potential accidents. In the case of insects, possibly Apis mellifera L., 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), it is the most widely bred poisonous species in the world for millennia with the emergence of beekeeping; therefore, technical information is available for their proper handling. Regarding arachnids, tarantulas (Araneae: Theraphosidae) and some species of scorpions are relatively common exotic pets; however, legal aspects must be considered for their possible ownership, in addition to prevention and proper care when handling them. Similarly, it is recommended that any potential owners of these animals be responsible adults with well-formed criteria. In conclusion, poisonous animals should not be considered as the first option when choosing a pet, no matter how attractive they may be.

Virtopsy and mass spectrometry as an auxiliary in forensic medicine

2025-04-22T17:13:09-05:00

Virtopsy and mass spectrometry are emerging technologies in forensic medicine that aim to change the way autopsies are performed and evidence is examined. Virtopsy uses techniques such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to make three-dimensional representations of the body without the need for incisions. This helps study injuries and identify trauma. On the other hand, mass spectrometry makes it possible to identify and quantify substances at precise molecular levels, which is essential for the identification of toxins, drugs and other relevant components in forensic investigation cases. The use of these techniques not only improves the information available to forensic doctors, but also contributes to preserving the dignity of the deceased and can influence the judicial verdict by providing clear and objective evidence. This article will examine case studies and practical applications of these technologies, examining their limitations and future potential in the forensic field.

The impact of forensic science on crime resolution and the improvement of the judicial system in Bocas del Toro

2025-03-20T14:19:47-05:00

Criminalistics has played a key role in the evolution of criminal law, providing scientific tools that allow for a more precise interpretation of evidence presented in court, the detailed analysis of evidence such as DNA, fingerprints, ballistics, and other forensic methods has provided a more objective and rigorous approach to solving crimes, ensuring that the criminal process relies on verifiable, scientific elements, thus enhancing justice and transparency within the judicial system, the relationship between criminalistics and criminal law has minimized errors and increased accuracy in judicial decisions.

This work aims to analyze how criminalistics has impacted criminal law, exploring various forensic techniques and their integration into the judicial system, the study will explore how these techniques have influenced the resolution of criminal cases and how science has enabled criminal law to adapt to the new challenges presented by crime.

Effectiveness of protection and cautionary measures in domestic violence investigations

2025-03-25T12:27:11-05:00

The current law in Panama comprehensively regulates and protects victims of domestic violence, specifically women, from a gender perspective. As is well known, women are victims of countless forms of abuse and violations of their human rights simply for being women, and this circumstance puts them at a disadvantage within their homes and in society. It is also sought, through a thorough explanation, to clarify the origin of existing laws, the path taken to arrive at the current laws, and the routes to obtaining these rights. With this in mind, a brief discussion will be provided to determine whether these laws are effective or not at the time a victim requests their application and whether they are of such a hierarchy that potential aggressors or recipients of the law feel obligated to respect women in their full capacity as human beings entitled to fundamental human rights, otherwise they may be subject to the sanctions provided for therein. In such a case, it is important to determine whether such sanctions, whether criminal, monetary, or administrative, constitute a true form of justice and reparation for the victim or, on the contrary, whether such sanctions are merely palliative measures to justify the issuance of the regulations.

Editorial Cathedra 23

2025-06-01T20:33:28-05:00

La Universidad Metropolitana de Educación, Ciencia y Tecnología (UMECIT) se encuentra actualmente inmersa en uno de los procesos más significativos para el fortalecimiento académico y científico de sus programas: la autoevaluación con fines de acreditación de las carreras de Licenciatura en Derecho y Licenciatura en Criminalística y Ciencias forenses. Este ejercicio de revisión integral, que exige responsabilidad, rigurosidad y análisis exhaustivo del recorrido histórico de las carreras, ha sido asumido con responsabilidad y compromiso por toda la comunidad universitaria, entendiendo que la búsqueda permanente de la calidad no solo responde a una exigencia institucional, sino a un deber ético frente a la sociedad.