![]() |
![]() |
Your cart is empty |
||
Books > Law > Laws of other jurisdictions & general law > Criminal law
This book investigates the penal culture in France and Germany – how it is shaped in politics, media, and public opinion. Although compared with the US or the UK, France and Germany seem to place a strong emphasis on the ideal of rehabilitation that would block excessive punishment and other outcomes of punitive developments in society, there is a steady increase in punitiveness over time for which the term “strained restraint” is proposed. The book shows that the idea of penal moderation is deeply rooted in public opinion, politics, and the media and that it is renegotiated every day in a dynamic interplay between these spheres. Punishment and society research has traditionally focused on the US and the UK. In comparative research, both are considered extreme in punitive developments with high rates of imprisonment and large groups of the population under penal control. The other extreme in comparative research would be Scandinavia with the famous Nordic Exceptionalism marked by low prison population rates. Germany and France are often considered to be “the same” when compared with each other, and “the other” with reference to both of these extremes. However, this book shows that France and Germany are far from being the same when it comes to state organization (centralistic vs. federal), criminal justice and the criminal law, political traditions, and the media. Also, research from both countries has looked at whether developments such as the “punitive turn” have occurred in Germany and France. Research focused on the domestic situation concludes that punitiveness is on the rise, and that both countries are indeed experiencing their own punitive turn. How do we reconcile these contradictory findings? Why do these two seem to follow the path of penal moderation in the overall outcome of punishment in society when we look at comparative research? And how is it that from a domestic perspective, punitive attitudes and desires are leading to more punitiveness? By focusing on the meso level, with a comparative perspective on the two countries and a dynamic analytical approach, this book reconciles the fluidity of individual attitudes and opinions with the relative stability of societal discourse. The authors posit that penal moderation comes at a price: overall and in an internationally comparative perspective, there is penal moderation, but a closer look at the domestic situation and development reveals that it is nonetheless challenged by a slowly rising tide of punitiveness. Going beyond the main tenets of punishment and society research with a dynamic analysis of two large societies in Europe, this book is ideal reading for scholars and students of penology, criminal justice, and European studies.
Criminal investigation is an essential topic, running through the new national policing curriculum from volume crime to serious organised criminality. This book provides accessible and comprehensive coverage, with case studies and examples to embed understanding, clear links between theory and practice, and a range of critical thinking and review activities. It examines investigation from inception to conclusion, detailing methods, explaining legal requirements and reflecting on past investigations. The contributory roles of specialists and forensic support are examined to provide an inclusive overview of the whole investigative process. The Professional Policing Curriculum in Practice is a new series of books that match the requirements of the new pre-join policing qualifications. The texts reflect modern policing, are up-to-date and relevant, and grounded in practice. They reflect the challenges faced by new students, linking theory to real-life operational practice, while addressing critical thinking and other academic skills needed for degree-level study.
This volume presents a leading contribution to the substantive arena relating to homicide in the criminal law. In broad terms, the ambit of homicide standardisations in extant law is contestable and opaque. This book provides a logical template to focus the debate. The overall concept addresses three specific elements within this arena, embracing an overarching synergy between them. This edifice engages in an examination of UK provisions, and in contrasting these provisions against alternative domestic jurisdictions as well as comparative contributions addressing a particularised research grid for content. The comparative chapters provide a wider background of how other legal systems treat a variety of specialised issues relating to homicide in the context of the criminal law. The debate in relation to homicide continues apace for academics, practitioners and within the criminal justice system. Having expert descriptions of the wider issues surrounding the particular discussion and of other legal systems' approaches serves to stimulate and inform that debate. This collection will be a major source of reference for future discussion.
This book is an attempt to approach the issue of defining international terrorism, proposing that the most workable way to do so is to achieve due balance between the two principal driving forces of international law developments: State sovereignty interests and cosmopolitan ideals. All those who aspire to the promotion of international criminal justice and the fight against impunity agree that the formulation of a universal definition of international terrorism will further enhance the fight against terrorism and offer a universally acceptable legal framework within which this fight can be conducted. Discussed in an in-depth manner are, for instance, the UN Charter Provisions, the Rome Statute and the principle of complementarity, the Kampala amendments on the crime of aggression, the paradigms of aggression and terrorism, and prominent anti-terrorist Security Council Resolutions such as Resolution 1368 and Resolution 1373. The volume broadens the reader's understanding on how State sovereignty interests and priorities as well as ideals of cosmopolitanism have influenced the development of international law in general and international criminal law in particular. Furthermore, it simplifies the complicated picture of defining international crimes by explaining how the 'State sovereignty' and 'Cosmopolitanism' dynamics have also been of relevance throughout the drafting process of the definition of the crime of aggression for the purposes of the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court. In addition, it equips the reader with an understanding of the reasons behind the lack of an international definition for terrorism and suggests an appropriate context within which such a definition can take shape. It intends to appeal to academics and students with an interest in international criminal law and the international criminal justice system, international law and security, but also to anyone with an interest in transnational crime and counter-terrorism. Stella Margariti has recently graduated from the University of Dundee where she attained the title of Doctor from the School of Law.
This book discusses the relation between morality and politics, and morality and law, a field that has been studied for more than two thousand years The law is a part of human culture, and this touches upon a dynamic reality that is connected to the relation between nature and freedom, nature and culture. If such relations are not clearly understood, as is the case today, the relation between morality and law cannot be properly comprehended either. The relationship between morality and criminal law must constantly evolve to meet the needs of changing times and circumstances. Social changes and new situations require new answers. And since the relationship involves criminal law, legal philosophy and legal history, interdisciplinary approaches are always needed. Featuring fifteen original contributions by legal scholars from various European and American universities, the book does not pretend to solve the complexity of the relation between morality and criminal law, but instead expresses criticism, offers some proposals and stimulates further thought. The book tackles the topic from an interdisciplinary perspective (criminal law, constitutional law, legal philosophy and legal history, among others). As such, it appeals not only to scholars and students, but also to lawyers, policymakers, historians, theologians, philosophers and general readers who are interested in the legal, social, political and philosophical issues of our time.
To ensure a fair criminal trial, effective sentencing advocacy is needed in every stage of prosecution, from investigation through plea, trial and sentencing hearings. With fewer criminal cases proceeding to trial, advocacy is increasingly critical for both prosecutors and defense attorneys and can determine whether or not a defendant receives an appropriate sentence. Here is a volume that comprehensively describes the steps to effective sentencing advocacy, addressing not only terms of imprisonment or probation, but fines, forfeiture, restitution and other collateral sentencing consequences. It emphasizes approaching sentencing advocacy holistically, treating it as a key component of attorney advocacy in every criminal case. Covering the fundamental sentencing procedures and concepts, it describes where and how attorneys can use advocacy to advance their clients' goals. It also explains aspects of sentencing that otherwise may appear too complex to a novice criminal practitioner. Importantly, this is not a book on sentencing law, although it addresses legal sentencing issues as they pertain to sentencing advocacy. Rather, the focus is on teaching attorneys how to use advocacy to achieve the best sentence for their clients.
An analysis of criminal behavior from the perspectives of rational choice theory leading to suggestions for a criminal policy. Previous edition sold 900 copies world wide since its release in June 2001.
Gender Inclusive Policing: Challenges and Achievements is an edited collection focused on current challenges, innovations, and positive achievements in gender integration in policing in different subject domains and locations. Comprised of essays from expert contributors from across the globe, the book covers a variety of topics including jurisdictional achievements (South Africa, British Isles, Scandinavian countries, Australia), women in leadership (achievements and methods, merit and affirmative action issues), performance comparisons (conduct, ethics, peacebuilding), intersectionality (Indigenous women), and women's police stations (South America). The book explores and grapples with issues of recruitment, deployment, and promotion; obstacles to equity; effective integration strategies; management, conduct, and policing styles; race and ethnicity; and specialization. It is an essential resource providing practical exemplars for police managers involved in gender equity programs and for professionals involved in advanced-level research, teaching, and consulting.
When is a political trial "good" or "bad" in terms of responsible governance and fairness to individuals or groups? Professors Abel and Marsh define, evaluate, and justify the usefulness of various kinds of political trials, going back through history to answer these questions in practical terms. They point to basic assumptions and various theoretical approaches and assess specific court practices and cases, while showing real dangers and opportunities that have been part of our history. They cover cases involving the establishment and free exercise clauses of the Constitution, including privacy, religious, medical, bioethical, and health-care issues that are of major concern today. This history is important to political scientists, legal scholars, lawyers, historians, and others concerned with civil rights.
Traditionally, human rights have protected those facing the sharp edge of the criminal justice system. But over time human rights law has become increasingly infused with duties to mobilise criminal law towards protection and redress for violation of rights. These developments give rise to a whole host of questions concerning the precise parameters of coercive human rights, the rationale(s) that underpin them, and their effects and implications for victims, perpetrators, domestic legal systems, and for the theory and practice of human rights and criminal justice. This collection addresses these questions with a focus on the rich jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The collection explores four interlocking themes surrounding the issue of coercive human rights: First, the key threads in the doctrine of the ECtHR on duties to mobilise the criminal law as a means of delivering human rights protection. Secondly, the factors that contribute to a readiness to demand coercive measures, including discrimination and vulnerability, and other key justificatory reasoning shaping the development of coercive human rights. Thirdly, the most pressing challenges for the ECtHR's coercive duties doctrine, including: - how it relates to theories and rationales of criminalisation and criminal punishment; - its implications for the fundamental tenets of human rights law itself; - its relationship to transitional justice objectives; and - how (far) it coheres with the imperative of effective protection for persons in precarious or vulnerable situations. Fourthly, the (prospective) evolution of the coercive human rights doctrine and its application within national jurisdictions.
Penal Abolitionism and Transformative Justice in Brazil discusses how penal abolitionism provides fundamental theoretical bases and practical references for the construction of a transformative justice in Brazil, supporting the claim that justice is a socially constructed conception and that victims do not unanimously stand for punishment. The book explores how the active participation of the protagonists of a conflict in a face-to-face negotiation of symbolic reparation, can produce a sense of justice without the need to punish or impose suffering on anyone. Mapping the ways that restorative justice in Brazil has distanced itself from the potential of transformative justice, to the extent that it fails to politicize the conflict and give voice to victims, the book shows how it has resulted in becoming just a new version of penal alternatives with correctionalist content. Moving away from traditional criminal justice language and also from conservative approaches to restorative justice, the author argues that the communicative potential of the transformative kind of redress can be dissociated from the unproved assumption that legal punishment is essential or even likely to achieve justice or deterrence. The arguments are grounded in the Brazilian reality, where life is marked by deep social inequalities and a high level of police violence. By providing a review of the literature on restorative justice, transformative justice, and abolitionism, the book contextualizes the abolitionist debate in Brazil and its history in the 19th century. Penal Abolitionism and Transformative Justice in Brazil is important reading for students and scholars who study punishment and penal abolitionism, to think about what it is possible to do in societies so deeply marked by social injustice and a history of oppression.
Terrorism: Commentary on Security Documents is a series that provides primary source documents and expert commentary on various topics relating to the worldwide effort to combat terrorism, as well as efforts by the United States and other nations to protect their national security interests. Volume 137, The Obama Administration's Second Term National Security Strategy, provides insight into the national security strategy pursued by the Obama administration, during its second term. The documents included in this volume include the Department of Defense's Quadrennial Defense Review, an assessment of the Department of Defense's strategy for operating in cyberspace, assessments of the ramifications of reducing the size and capabilities of the U.S. Army, and reports on naval irregular warfare and special operations forces.
The new Judicial Federalism is a significant development in American law: more cases are being decided by state constitutions than ever before in history. In this book, Barry Latzer provides the most thorough treatment available of the criminal law aspects of the New Federalism. His comprehensively researched and documented analysis of the state law movement covers all fifty states over the past two decades. Drawing from both legal and political science perspectives, Latzer examines recent court interpretations of state constitutions, specifically those pertaining to the criminally accused. He provides background on the development of the New Federalism, details the relationship between the U.S. Supreme Court and state courts, and analyzes all of the state constitutional provisions on the issues covered in the book. This is an important resource for professionals and students of criminal justice and law, and anyone concerned with the political-ideological tension between federal and state courts.
This book explores the relationship between policing and mental health. Police services around the world are innovating at pace in order to develop solutions to the problems presented, and popular models are being shared internationally. Nevertheless, disparities and perceptions of unfairness remain commonplace. Innovations remain poorly funded and largely unproven. Drawing together the insights of eminent academics in the UK, the US, Australia and South Africa, the edited collection evaluates the condition of mental health and policing as an interlocked policy area, uncovering and addressing a number of key issues which are shaping police responses to mental health. Due to a relative lack of academic texts pertaining to developments in England and Wales, the volume contains a distinct section on relevant policies and practices. It also includes sections on US and Australian approaches, focusing on Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs), Mental Health Intervention Teams (MHITs), stressors and innovations from Boston in the US to Queensland in Australia. Written in a clear and direct style, this book will appeal to students and scholars in policing, criminology, sociology, mental health, cultural studies, social theory and those interested in learning about the condition and trajectory of police responses to mental health.
This open access book explores the legal aspects of cybersecurity in Poland. The authors are not limited to the framework created by the NCSA (National Cybersecurity System Act - this act was the first attempt to create a legal regulation of cybersecurity and, in addition, has implemented the provisions of the NIS Directive) but may discuss a number of other issues. The book presents international and EU regulations in the field of cybersecurity and issues pertinent to combating cybercrime and cyberterrorism. Moreover, regulations concerning cybercrime in a few select European countries are presented in addition to the problem of collision of state actions in ensuring cybersecurity and human rights. The advantages of the book include a comprehensive and synthetic approach to the issues related to the cybersecurity system of the Republic of Poland, a research perspective that takes as the basic level of analysis issues related to the security of the state and citizens, and the analysis of additional issues related to cybersecurity, such as cybercrime, cyberterrorism, and the problem of collision between states ensuring security cybernetics and human rights. The book targets a wide range of readers, especially scientists and researchers, members of legislative bodies, practitioners (especially judges, prosecutors, lawyers, law enforcement officials), experts in the field of IT security, and officials of public authorities. Most authors are scholars and researchers at the War Studies University in Warsaw. Some of them work at the Academic Centre for Cybersecurity Policy - a thinktank created by the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland.
This volume explores the role that European institutions have come to play in regulating national prisons systems. The authors introduce and contribute to advancing a new research agenda in international penology ('Europe in prisons') which complements the conventional comparative approach ('prisons in Europe'). The chapters examine the impact - if any - that institutions such as the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the European Court of Human Rights have had on prison policy throughout Europe. With contributions from a wide range of countries such as Albania, Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Norway and Spain, this edited collection offers a wide-ranging and authoritative guide to the effects of European institutions on prison policy.
This book provides an in-depth examination of current, high-profile debates about the use of sexual history evidence in rape trials and presents original findings regarding the impact of this evidence on jurors. The book presents findings of the first research in England and Wales that has examined how jurors interpret, discuss, and rely upon sexual history evidence in deliberations. It draws upon qualitative and quantitative findings of 18 mock jury simulation panels, to highlight the complex, nuanced and intersectional impact of this evidence. Findings highlight ongoing prejudicial impact of sexual history evidence, with jurors routinely drawing upon rape myths and stereotypes about sexual violence, to posit relevance of this evidence and undermine the perceived credibility of the complainant. These findings are embedded within broader discussions about evidential legitimacy in rape trials and use good practice observed in other jurisdictions, to make numerous recommendations for change. Aiming to inform academic, policy and legislative discussions in this area, Sexual History Evidence in Rape Trails will be of great interest to students and scholars of Criminal Law and Criminology, as well as policy makers and legal practitioners.
This book presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of the substantive and procedural aspects of compensation for wrongful convictions among European countries and the USA, as well as the standard derived from the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. The collection draws comparative conclusions as to the similarities and differences between selected jurisdictions and assesses the effectiveness of the national compensation schemes. This enables the designing of an optimum model of compensation, offering accessibility and effectiveness for the victims of miscarriages of justice and being acceptable for jurisdictions based on common law, and civil law traditions, as well as inquisitorial and adversarial types of criminal process. Moreover, the discussion of the minimum European standard as established in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights enables us to identify how the Strasbourg Court can contribute to strengthening the compensation scheme. The book will be essential reading for students, academics and policymakers working in the areas of criminal law and procedure.
Alcohol, Crime and Public Health explores the issue of drinking in the criminal justice system, providing an overview of the topic from both a criminal justice and public health perspective. The majority of prisoners in the UK (70%) have an alcohol use disorder, and evidence tells us that risky drinking is high amongst those in contact with all areas of the criminal justice system. Uniquely, this book brings both a criminal justice and public health perspective to the topic. The book opens by exploring the levels of crime attributed to alcohol, the policy context of alcohol and crime, and the prevalence of risky alcohol consumption in the criminal justice system. The following chapters examine risky drinking amongst men, women and young people in the criminal justice system. The final chapters look at the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for risky drinking in the criminal justice system, and look forward to how researchers and practitioners can work together to produce research in the criminal justice system. Written in an accessible and concise style, Alcohol, Crime and Public Health will be of great use to students of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Public Health as well as the wider area of Public and Social Policy in relation to alcohol and crime.
This book analyses the impact of Integrated Offender Management (IOM) on contemporary policing and separates the rhetoric from the reality. Drawing on a qualitative study within an English police force over two years, this book examines the experiences of prolific offenders, subject to IOM, and sheds light on the culture and practice of the police and staff from other criminal justice agencies, working within the scheme. While IOM has been judged to have had initial successes in reducing the criminal activities of prolific offenders, this book tests the validity of such claims, and considers the apparent disjuncture between policy statements made about the workings of IOM and how IOM policing operations are realized on the ground. It makes a unique contribution to research on police culture and practice, and multi-agency working in the criminal justice system. An accessible and compelling read, this book will appeal to policy makers, as well as students and scholars of criminology, sociology policing, and politics.
In this book, which is the first of its kind, leading experts examine the civil and criminal forfeiture systems in Australia, Canada, China, Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States. In the fight against organized crime and international money laundering, there is a global trend for countries to enact forfeiture and confiscation laws that are applied through the civil process rather than the traditional criminal justice system. The authors gathered here analyze the appeal these civil forfeiture laws have for governments for their potential to disrupt criminal organizations and for their quantifiable benefits to the state. But without the usual safeguards of the criminal process, civil forfeiture laws are controversial, attracting constitutional challenges, particularly on human rights grounds. This book will be of great interest to policy-makers in government, and law enforcement agencies who are thinking of reforming their own laws, as well as to law reform agencies or select parliamentary committees where the issue of reform is topical. It will also appeal to students in criminal law, criminology and human rights.
This book provides a focused discussion of how families are governed through technologies. It shows how states attempt to influence, shape and govern families as both the source of and solution to a range of social problems including crime. The book critically reviews family governance in contemporary neo-liberal society, notably through technologies of self-responsibilisation, biologisation, and artificial intelligence. The book draws attention to the poor working class and racialised families that often are marked out and evaluated as culpable, dysfunctional, and a threat to economic and social order, obscuring the structural inequalities that underpin family lives and discriminations that are built into the tools that identify and govern families. Filling a gap where disciplinary perspectives cross-cut, this book brings together sociological and criminological perspectives to provide a unique cross-disciplinary approach to the topic. It will be of interest to researchers, scholars and lecturers studying sociology and criminology, as well as policy-makers and professionals working in the fields of early years and family intervention programmes, including in social work, health, education, and the criminologically-relevant professions such as police and probation.
Women, Trauma, and Journeys towards Desistance: Navigating the Labyrinth provides an examination of women's desistance from crime from a gender-responsive, trauma-informed perspective. The book is based on the reflections of fifty-six women over a three-year period as they transition from custody to the community. With the women, the author examines how experiences of trauma, victimisation, and intersectional oppression constrain access to traditional desistance supporting processes, including supportive relationships, identity construction, the exercise of agency, and engagement with treatment and interventions, reframing these processes from trauma-informed perspective. The book joins together the women's insights and experiences with principles of gender-responsive, trauma-informed principles in a framework through which criminal justice practitioners can support women in their efforts to leave crime behind. The framework for practice is a fusion of concepts from desistance theory, principles of gender-responsivity, and trauma-informed practice designed to help women understand the root causes of the problems they face in the present whilst building on their resilience and strengths to achieve their goals for their futures. This book is ideal reading for scholars and students of criminology and criminal justice, particularly rehabilitation, gender and crime, and feminist criminology. It will also be of interest to academics and practitioners of forensic psychology and social work, as well as probation officers, social workers and prison officers.
Cultural Expertise, Law and Rights introduces readers to the theory and practice of cultural expertise in the resolution of conflicts and the claim of rights in diverse societies. Combining theory and case-studies of the use of cultural expertise in real situations, and in a great variety of fields, this is the first book to offer a comprehensive examination of the field of cultural expertise: its intellectual orientations, practical applications, and ethical implications. This book engages an extensive and interdisciplinary variety of topics - ranging from race, language, sexuality, Indigenous rights, and women's rights to immigration and asylum laws, international commercial arbitration, and criminal law. It also offers a truly global perspective covering cultural expertise in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East and North America. Finally, the book offers theoretical and practical guidance for the ethical use of cultural expert knowledge. This is an essential volume for teachers and students in the social sciences - especially law, anthropology, and sociology - and members of the legal professions who engage in cross-cultural dispute resolution, asylum and migration, private international law, and other fields of law in which cultural arguments play a role. |
![]() ![]() You may like...
|