Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Reparation (Criminal justice) Victoria'

In order for the proceeds of unlawful activities to be completely dislodged from the criminals’ hands, the latter should be effectively deterred from allowing their assets to be used to execute or facilitate the commission of offences. When properly exacted, in the interests of justice and within the existing constitutional framework, the legal process known as asset forfeiture should ensure that crime never pays. Asset forfeiture refers to both criminal forfeiture, which is conviction based following the United Kingdom asset forfeiture regime and civil forfeiture, which is non-conviction based following the United States of America one.2 Chapter 5 provisions of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act3 (hereafter POCA) provides for court, Basdeo M – Search, Seizure and Asset Forfeiture in the South African Criminal Justice System: Drawing a Balance between Public Utility and Constitutional Rights (2013) LLD, University of South Africa in Chapter 5 where a comprehensive comparative study of SA POCA and United States of America’s asset forfeiture and origin is undertaken. 3 Act 121 of applications for a restraint, confiscation and realisation for the recovery of proceeds of unlawful activities. The restraint is invoked when a suspect is to be charged or has been charged or prosecuted, there are reasonable grounds to believe that a conviction may follow and that a confiscation order may be made. Chapter 6 provisions of POCA provide for court applications for preservation and forfeiture order targeting both the proceeds of unlawful activities and removal from public circulation of instruments or assets used in the commission of offences where the guilt of the wrongdoer is not relevant. POCA has a Schedule with 34 items setting out examples of offences in relation to which civil forfeiture may be invoked. When the State discharges this noble professed task in the name of public safety, security and crime combating, legal challenges arise. This is more so within a constitutional democratic context where both individual and property rights are enshrined and protected. This study deals with some of these challenges. To the mind of a legal researcher, the law of asset forfeiture is, in this process, moulded and developed. South Africa (a developing country), Canada and New Zealand (developed countries in the north and southern hemispheres) have constitutional democracies. They also have asset forfeiture regimes, which attracted the attention of the researcher. The question is: can the developing country learn some best practices from the developed countries in this particular field? It would be interesting to establish this and the level of development of this field in the three countries under study. South Africa, with no federal government, has nine Provinces, single asset forfeiture legislation5 (combining both criminal forfeiture i.e. restraint, confiscation and realisation applications and civil forfeiture i.e. preservation and forfeiture applications), and a criminal statute6 applicable to all such Provinces. It also has, like Canada and New Zealand, pockets of asset forfeiture provisions embedded in various statutes. There is only one asset forfeiture office under the umbrella of the National Prosecuting Authority.7 It has branches8 in the Provinces, invoking the provisions of POCA, since 1999. It is not part of the police department. The researcher joined the South African Port Elizabeth branch in March 2003, Bloemfontein, Kimberly and Mmabatho branches from 2010 to 2011, July 2012 onwards in the Port Elizabeth and has practical experience in this regard. The Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998. The Namibian POCA 29 of 2004 is almost a replica of the South African POCA except that the former makes express recognition of the victims of the underlying victims. The Criminal Procedure Act, 51 of 1977 (as amended). The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) with its Head Office situated in Pretoria under the umbrella of the National Prosecution Authority, which Raylene Keightley in Young S Civil Forfeiture of Criminal Property Legal Measures for Targeting the Proceeds of Crime (2009) Cheltenham Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc.: Northampton, MA at 94 calls a specialist implementation agency. In Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban, Bloemfontein, Kimberley, Mmabatho, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. It comprises of eleven Provinces to which the Criminal Code of Canada, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act 1996 and a host of other statutes apply. Eight of the eleven Provinces have their own and distinct primary stand-alone asset forfeiture statutes introducing civil forfeiture10 as more fully explained in Chapter 2 of this study.

History is regrettably replete with wars and dictatorial regimes that claimed the lives of millions of people. Most of the time the planners were not held accountable for their misdeeds. Fortunately in recent years the idea of people being prosecuted for mass atrocities was launched and debated. The purpose of this study was to propose avenues for promoting respect for victims rights. It examined the rationale of the victims reparation, its evolution, its denial and its rebirth. It canvass victims rights in domestic law especially in the civil law in comparison with international law. It proposed means whereby the international community may better address the issue of victims rights.

With the introduction of the Criminal Justice and Licensing Act (Scotland) 2010, the Community Payback Order became the default non-custodial criminal justice sentence in Scotland as of February 1st 2011. The order’s focus upon reparation as a means to reintegrate offenders back into the community represented a shift away from retributive practices towards a relationally beneficent approach. The terms of the order, however, remain ambiguous. Lingering suspicions as to how this philosophical switch in policy manifests itself in practice remain. By ethnographically studying the working practices of Criminal Justice Social Workers’, this study presents CPO’s articulation of reparation as practiced. In addition the role of the social worker is interrogated using a performative lens to understand how the tensions between reparation and retribution, care and control, the courts and their clients, are made coherent in their practices. As a result the barriers to enacting a reparationally oriented criminal justice response are articulated so that the Habermasian intersubjectivity that reparation requires can be more wholly understood in the context of criminal justice workplaces for future practice innovations.

The purpose of the study is to determine the extent to which Benin’s Constitutional Court gives effect to the right to reparation under the African Charter and to examine relevant routes for the Court to discharge its duty fully and accurately. Ultimately, the study envisions suggesting Benin’s Constitutional Court a more genuine approach to the right to reparation with an emphasis on the content and scope of the right to reparation, competent remedial institutions and determination of the quantum in cases of monetary compensation.
Mini Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2007.
http://www.chr.up.ac.za/
Centre for Human Rights
LLM

La justice restaurative est une alternative aux méthodes conventionnelles de voir l’infraction et d’y répondre. Elle est devenue presque partout dans le monde, un sujet essentiel dans la réforme de la justice pénale et a gagné du terrain dans le monde universitaire et dans les pratiques judiciaires. Ainsi, son essor et expansion au niveau international sont remarquables aujourd’hui. Grâce à sa flexibilité conceptuelle, son adaptabilité pratique et ses atouts réels, ce mode de justice mérite d’être pleinement développé au sein des systèmes pénaux français et sud-coréen. La première partie, consacrée aux fondamentaux de la justice restaurative, en témoigne sans pour autant occulter ses limites et risques. Pourtant, comme le démontre la deuxième partie, consacrée aux pratiques en France et en Corée du Sud, l’implantation et le développement de la justice restaurative dans ces deux pays sont freinés par plusieurs obstacles socioculturels et par plusieurs difficultés pratiques. La présente thèse a pour objectif de trouver des moyens de sortir de l’état actuel des deux pays en matière de justice restaurative, marqué par l’imperfection, la réticence et la réserve, de manière que les mesures restauratives existantes puissent retrouver leur essence restaurative et que la justice restaurative puisse s’implanter et se développer avec succès en France et en Corée du Sud
The restorative justice is an alternative to the conventional methods to see the crime and to respond it. It has become, almost everywhere in the world, a key issue in the reform of criminal justice and has gained ground in academia and in the judicial practices. Its international growth and expansion are noteworthy today. With its conceptual flexibility, its practical adaptability and its real assets, this mode of justice deserves to be fully developed within the French and South Korean penal systems. The first part of this thesis, devoted to the fundamentals of the restorative justice, demonstrates this without obscuring its limitations and risks. However, as shown in the second part, dedicated to the practices in France and South Korea, the integration and the development of the restorative justice in both countries are constrained by several socio-cultural obstacles and a number of practical difficulties. This thesis aims to move away from the current state of the two countries in the field of restorative justice, marked by imperfection, reticence and reserve, so that the existing restorative measures can regain their restorative essence and that the restorative justice can be applied and developed successfully in France and South Korea

In terms of the Constitution every person has the right to freedom and security of the person. This includes the right to be free from all forms of violence from either public or private sources. The state is charged with the duty to protect the individual from such harm. While the Constitution refers to the protection of victims of crime in broad and general terms without indicating how these rights should be protected, it makes meticulous and detailed provision for the rights of arrested, detained and accused persons. This leads to the popular belief that the Constitution protects the criminal and not the victim, engendering public dissatisfaction with the status quo, which is amplified by the fact that South Africa’s current legal dispensation for victims of crime does not embody the requirements of ubuntu and African customary law, which the Constitution declares to be binding on South African courts. This study analyses the means that exist in South African law for the victim of crime to obtain redress for criminal acts and proposes effective avenues through which victims can obtain redress, should the existing machinery prove to be inadequate. The term restitution is used to indicate recompense obtained from the perpetrator, while the term compensation refers to recompense obtained from the state. A comparative study is conducted to ascertain how the legal position of victims of crime in South Africa compares with that of victims of crime in Great Britain, India and New Zealand, respectively. South Africa does not have a state-funded victim compensation scheme such as those which exist in most developed countries. The respective proposals of the South African Law Commission for a victim compensation scheme and revised legislation to deal with offender/victim restitution are considered critically, inter alia, in the light of the findings of the comparative study. Proposals are made regarding changes to the South African legal system to bring it in line with international developments regarding restitution and compensation to victims of crime, attention being given to the meaning, significance and implementation of the doctrine of restorative justice when dealing with the aftermath of criminal injury. In addition to a complete revision of South African legislation dealing with offender/victim restitution, this study recommends the consolidation of the Road Accident Fund and the Compensation Fund operating in terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act. These two bodies should be amalgamated to create a unified Compensation Scheme to compensate victims of crime, as well as victims of traffic and industrial injuries. General qualifying criteria for claimants would be drafted, with specific criteria applying in cases of traffic, industrial and crime related injuries, respectively.

The thesis contributes to the search for sound anti-corruption laws and practices that are effective and fair. It argues for the respect for human rights in the crafting and implementation of anti-corruption laws as a requisite for successful control of corruption. The basis for this argument is threefold: First, human rights provide a framework for checking against abuse of state’s police power, an abuse which if allowed to take root, would make the fight against corruption lose its legitimacy in the eye of the people. Second, human rights ensure that the interest of individuals is catered for in the crafting of anti-corruption laws and practices thereby denying perpetrators of corruption legal excuses that can be exploited to delay or frustrate corruption cases in the courts of law. Third, human rights provide a useful framework for balancing competing interests in the area of corruption control – it enables society to craft measures that fulfils the public interest in the eradication of corruption while concomitantly assuring the competing public interest in the protection of individual members’ liberties – a condition that is necessary if the support of the holders of these competing interests is to be enlisted and fostered in the fight against corruption. The thesis focuses on the study of the non-conviction based assets recovery mechanism, a mechanism that allows the state to apply a procedure lacking in criminal law safeguards to address criminal behaviour. The mechanism is thus beset with avenues for abuse, which if unchecked could have debilitating effects not only to individual liberties but also to the long term legitimacy of the fight against corruption. In this regard, the thesis examines how the human rights framework has been used in Kenya and South Africa to check on the potential dangers of the non-conviction based mechanism and to provide for a proportional balance between the imperative of corruption control and the guarantee against arbitrary deprivation of property. The aim is to unravel the benefits of respecting human rights in the fight against corruption in general and in the non-conviction based assets recovery in particular. Kenya and South Africa are chosen for study because they provide two models of non-conviction based mechanisms with different levels of safeguards, for comparative consideration.

The topic of training specifically designed for investigators of sexual offences has received little attention from academic researchers to date. Previous studies have not described training provided to police investigators of sexual offences in Australia. This thesis developed Turnley’s Framework for the Examination of Police Training in Sexual Assault Investigation, to examine and describe a Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigative Teams (SOCIT) Course, provided to Victorian Police from 2009 to 2011. This entailed triangulation of findings from non-participant observations of one SOCIT Course, with quantitative and qualitative data sourced though an in-depth interview with course trainers; feedback sheets voluntarily completed by trainees who undertook the course and responses from an online survey of 44 police who completed a course between 2009 and 2011. A description of the course design, resourcing, content, delivery, individual and organisational outcomes are presented as findings. Trainees reported the SOCIT course to be highly relevant for the work of specialist sexual assault investigators, with 80% of survey respondents self-reporting a change in their attitudes towards victims of sexual offences as a result of the SOCIT training. Despite these self-reports, findings from the survey indicate the maintenance of negative attitudes by some police in relation victims. The findings of this thesis concur and support findings of the Policing Just Outcomes Project with regard to the need for police to focus on, and refine the process of selection and recruitment, for this specialised area of police work.

Victim-offender reconciliation programs (VORPs), the hallmark of the restorative justice movement, offer an alternative to the retributive approach to crime. These programs seek to bring the victim and offender together for purposes of working out a mediated settlement agreement.

This research will be undertaken in the field of both criminal and civil law with particular focus on international interventions in the fight against organized criminal activities, assets forfeitsure in South Africa in general and its treatment of victims of the underlying forfeitsure crimes ("the victims") in assert forfeitsure, more specifically.

Using a multi-case study, three Ponzi schemes were investigated: Road2Gold, Bernie Madoff’s empire, and the Earl Jones affair. This grounded study used an inductive bottom-up methodology to observe and describe stakeholder mobilization in reaction to corporate fraud. This research on stakeholder behaviour in Ponzi schemes articulates new theory for describing stakeholder behaviour and possible determinants for successful mobilization to action. The data presented here point to a useful distinction in the stakeholders in a corporate fraud: reluctant and engaged stakeholders. Reluctant stakeholders seek only interest-based ends, whereas engaged stakeholders have additional identity and ideological goals shared by a mobilized group.
viii, 85 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

La notion de réparation est de plus en plus présente en droit pénal. Indépendamment de la réparation au sens civil du terme, la réparation évolue au cœur de mesures alternatives, communément appelées « troisième voie », et constitue parfois l’essence de certaines peines. La question de la place de la réparation en droit pénal est ainsi soulevée : la réparation est-elle une alternative à la justice pénale ou une composante de la justice pénale ? L’étude comparative des droits français, anglais et libanais apporte un éclairage intéressant à la question. Elle permettra d’analyser les différentes approches en matière de réparation et d’enrichir la réflexion sur la place de la réparation en droit pénal. Ainsi, dans une première partie, l’étude des manifestations de la réparation comme alternative à la justice pénale fait apparaître la réparation comme nouveau mode de réponse pénale. Dans une seconde partie, envisager la réparation comme une composante de la justice pénale permet de révéler des caractères propres à la réparation qui en font une notion autonome qui mérite d’être définie. La réparation pénale redéfinit ainsi aujourd’hui les contours de la justice pénale
The concept of reparation is becoming more common in criminal law. In fact, reparation is evolving, independently of the civil aspect of the notion, at the heart of alternative measures, commonly known as a “third way”, and in the essence of some sentences. This brings us to questioning the place of the notion of reparation in criminal law: is reparation an alternative to criminal justice or a component of criminal justice? The comparative study of French law, English law and Lebanese law will shed the light on some interesting aspects of the question. It will open the possibility to analyze the different approaches in terms of reparation and to enrich the study of the reparation’s position in criminal law. In a first part, the study of the reparation’s expressions in criminal law will reveal the concept of reparation as a new response to offences. In a second part, the idea of considering reparation as a component of criminal justice will reveal the notion’s special characteristics that make reparation an autonomous concept that needs to be defined. Nowadays, reparation in criminal law redefines the outlines of criminal justice

En réponse aux cycles de violences de masse et à la guerre civile qui ont jalonné son histoire douloureuse, le Burundi s’est engagé dans un processus de justice transitionnelle, officiellement depuis la signature des Accords de paix d’Arusha en 2000. Malgré la mobilisation des énergies internationales et l’omniprésence de la problématique au sein du débat public depuis douze ans, seules des consultations nationales destinées à recueillir l’avis de la population burundaise sur le sujet ont été organisées en 2009. Á l’aube de la mise en place d’une Commission Nationale de Vérité et de Réconciliation, à laquelle devrait être associé un tribunal spécial, le constat de la nature globale de la justice transitionnelle s’impose. Cette globalité s’exprime à travers le recours à des instruments à la fois judiciaires et extra-judiciaires mais également à des outils ayant vocation à s’appliquer de façon immédiate (ou conjoncturelle) et durable (ou structurelle). D’une part, dans une perspective normative et légaliste, le processus global de justice transitionnelle semble être cause d’inerties et de blocages comme peut a priori l’illustrer le cas du Burundi. D’autre part, à la lumière d’une approche systémique et inclusive, la globalité est au contraire source d’évolutions et d’émulations qui stimulent la créativité de la justice transitionnelle comme le démontre également le Burundi. Cette justice elle-même en transition est en réalité une justice réconciliatrice porteuse de doutes mais aussi d’espoirs. Elle est une justice complexe qui s’invente chaque jour, qui ne peut être efficace et efficiente qu’à condition d’être adaptée, légitime et appropriée par ceux à qui elle est destinée. Elle implique que soient trouvées des réponses satisfaisantes aux souffrances et aux besoins indissociables des victimes et des auteurs des violences de masse d’hier et des injustices sociales d’aujourd’hui. Elle a aussi pour ambition de prévenir la commission des crimes du futur en participant au renforcement de l’État de droit et, de façon plus globale, de rompre avec l’histoire de violences symboliques et actives subies et perpétrées au Burundi
As an answer to cycles of mass violence in Burundi, a transitional justice process has been opened. The Burundian case study presents some particularities among this kind of process. Whereas the Arusha peace and reconciliation agreement for Burundi in 2000 decided setting up two transitional justice instruments, a special court and a Truth Reconciliation Commission, the transitional justice process has not begun yet. Only National Consultations were organized in 2009. The negotiations and the mediation occurred during the ongoing war. There were no winners and no losers but just armed men who decided to discuss in order to conquer the power and then to keep it. That may explain why negotiations were so longer and staggered. A sort of consociativisme system was set up in Burundi as the model organization of power-sharing. Inside the politic game of power-sharing the peace-justice dilemma appears through instrumentalization of retributive justice which is assimilated to justice and the truth and pardon which claim referring to peace. Another particularity is found regarding numerous judicial and legal reforms relatively to children rights, lands conflict, electoral law or Criminal Code. On the eve of the implementation of the Truth Reconciliation Commission, the global nature of the transitional justice process is obvious. The Burundian context appears as an illustration of the extensive meaning of transitional justice which represents a justice in transition. The global nature of the matter is emerging through its temporal and disciplinary versatility. On one hand, transitional justice seems to be past justice, currently justice and future justice at the same time and on the other hand it may take several forms out of the official one, initially predicted. In a legalist and normative view, global nature of justice in transition might cause deadlock regarding the case of Burundi. In a systemic and multidisciplinary perspective, global nature of justice in transition reveals change capacities according to the case of Burundi. What really matter in such transitional justice process is relieving victims and perpetrators’sufferings which are undeniably linked and bringing answers to each protagonist of the crime as to the society with the permanent and ambitious aim of reconciliation

Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
Bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis is a reflection of the provisions of the Rome Statute in relation to the most fundamental condition for the effective functioning of the Court – the cooperation of states. It broadly examines the challenges experienced by the Court with respect to application of Part IX such as whether non-State Parties to the Rome Statute can, notwithstanding their right not to be party, be compelled to cooperate with the Court owing to the customary international law obligation for all States to repress, find and punish persons alleged to have committed the crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court (war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide). This is particularly challenging where such persons are nationals of non-States Parties. The various meanings of international cooperation in criminal matters is discussed with reference to and distinguished from the cooperation regime of the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. For States Parties to the Rome Statute, the thesis evaluates the measure of their inability or unwillingness to genuinely prosecute persons alleged to have committed crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court within the context of the principle of complementarity. It seeks to address, where such inability or unwillingness has been determined by the Court, how effective the cooperation between the States Parties and the Court could best serve the interests of justice. The thesis answers the question on what extent the principle of complementarity influences the cooperation of States with the Court, whether or not these States are party to the Rome Statute. The concept of positive complementarity that establishes a measure of cooperation between the Court and the national criminal jurisdictions is further explored in the context of the Court’s capacity to strengthen local ownership of the enforcement of international criminal justice. A nuanced discussion on the practice of the Court with respect to the right of persons before the Court is developed. The rights of an accused in different phases of Court proceedings and the rights of victims and affected communities of crimes within the Court’s jurisdiction are considered at length and in the light of recently-established principles regulating the Court’s treatment of these individuals. These persons are key interlocutors in the international criminal justice system and have shifted the traditional focus of international law predominantly from states to individuals and bring about a different kind of relationship between States as a collective and their treatment of these individuals arising from obligations to the Rome Statute. Finally the thesis interrogates the enforcement mechanisms under the Rome Statute. Unlike States, the Court does not have an enforcement entity such as a Police Force that would arrest persons accused of committing crimes within its jurisdiction, conduct searches and seizures or compel witnesses to appear before the Court. Yet, the Court must critically assess its practice of enforcing sentences that it imposes on convicted persons and in its contribution to restorative justice, the enforcement of reparations orders in collaboration with other Rome Statute entities such as the Trust Fund for Victims.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is 'n weerspieëling van die bepalings van die Statuut van Rome in verhouding tot die mees fundamentele voorwaarde vir die effektiewe funksionering van die Hof - die samewerking van State. Dit ondersoek breedweg die uitdagings wat deur die Hof ervaar word met betrekking tot die toepassing van Deel IX soos byvoorbeeld of State wat nie partye is tot die Statuut van Rome, nieteenstaande hul reg om nie deel te wees nie, verplig kan word om saam te werk met die Hof weens die internasionale gewoontereg verpligting om alle persone wat na bewering misdade gepleeg het binne die jurisdiksie van die Hof (oorlogsmisdade, misdade teen die mensdom en volksmoord) te verhinder, vind en straf. Dit is veral uitdagend waar sodanige persone burgers is van State wat nie partye is nie. Die verskillende betekenisse van die internasionale samewerking in kriminele sake word bespreek met verwysing na, en onderskei van, die samewerkende stelsel van die Internasionale Kriminele Tribunale vir Rwanda en die voormalige Joego-Slawië. Vir State wat partye is tot die Statuut van Rome, evalueer die tesis - in die konteks van die beginsel van komplementariteit - die mate van hul onvermoë, of ongewilligheid om werklik persone te vervolg wat na bewering misdade gepleeg het binne die jurisdiksie van die Hof. Dit poog om aan te spreek, waar so 'n onvermoë of ongewilligheid bepaal is deur die Hof, hoe effektiewe samewerking tussen State wat partye is en die Hof, die belange van geregtigheid die beste kan dien. Die tesis beantwoord die vraag op watter mate die beginsel van komplementariteit die samewerking van die State met die Hof beïnvloed, ongeag of hierdie State partye is tot die Statuut van Rome. Die konsep van positiewe komplementariteit wat samewerking vestig tussen die Hof en die nasionale jurisdiksies aangaande kriminele sake word verder ondersoek in die konteks van die Hof se vermoë om plaaslike eienaarskap in die handhawing van die internasionale kriminele regstelsel te versterk. 'n Genuanseerde bespreking op die praktyk van die Hof met betrekking tot die reg van persone voor die Hof word ontwikkel. Die regte van 'n beskuldigde in die verskillende fases van die hof verrigtinge en die regte van slagoffers en geaffekteerde gemeenskappe van misdade binne die hof se jurisdiksie word in diepte bespreek in die lig van die onlangs gevestigde beginsels wat die Hof se behandeling van hierdie individue reguleer. Hierdie persone is sleutel gespreksgenote in die internasionale kriminele regstelsel en het die tradisionele fokus verskuif van die internasionale reg van State na individue, en bring oor 'n ander soort verhouding tussen State as 'n kollektiewe en hulle behandeling van hierdie individue as gevolg van hul verpligtinge aan die Statuut van Rome. Ten slotte bevraagteken die tesis die handhawings meganismes onder die Statuut van Rome. In teenstelling met State, het die Hof nie 'n handhawing entiteit soos 'n Polisiemag wat persone kon arresteer wat beskuldig word van misdade binne sy jurisdiksie, deursoek en beslagleggings uitvoer of persone dwing om as getuies te verskyn voor die Hof nie. Tog, moet die Hof sy praktyk van uitvoering van vonnisse wat dit oplê op veroordeelde persone en in sy bydrae tot herstellende geregtigheid die handhawing van herstelling in samewerking met ander Statuut van Rome entiteite soos die Trust Fonds vir Slagoffers krities assesseer.

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of perceptions crime victims have of the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. This project focused on crime victims' perceptions of communication channels and service delivery at the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office. This research is based on a victim survey used for primary data collection.

Victim-offender mediation, a component of restorative justice, has been a valuable tool for rehabilitating juvenile offenders since the late 1970s. Victim offender mediation brings crime victims and offenders together to reach agreements for restitution and community healing. Resolutions Northwest, a non-profit organization in Multnomah County, offers a victim-offender mediation program to juvenile offenders and their victims. The purpose of this study was to analyze the recidivism rates for juvenile offenders who went through Resolutions Northwest's victim-offender mediation program as opposed to offenders who went through the traditional justice system. It was hypothesized that the participants in this program would have lower recidivism rates than the juvenile offenders who were not given this restorative justice option. Records on juvenile offenders who successfully completed the victim-offender mediation program were collected from Resolutions Northwest. These records were then compared to a secondary data set. This secondary data was from the Tri-County Juvenile Information System database, supplied by the Multnomah County Department of Adult and Community Justice to Professor William Feyerherm as part of the Casey Foundation supported Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative. It was found that 41.6% of the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative group reoffended within one year of their original arrest. In comparison, only 20.3% of the Resolutions Northwest group reoffended within a year of their victim-offender mediation program completion. It was also investigated as to whether the juveniles in both groups reoffended a second, third or even fourth time within a one year period. The explorations into second, third and fourth reoffenses yielded similar results in that the juveniles from Resolutions Northwest had significantly lower recidivism rates than those from the Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative group.

La présente recherche porte sur les rapports entre droit pénal des mineurs et justice restaurative dans le cadre d’une approche comparative entre la France et la Belgique. Au-delà de la révélation de similitudes et de différences entre les deux pays dans ces domaines, la recherche aborde également les difficultés présentées par la France et la Belgique dans l’acceptation de la justice restaurative en droit pénal des mineurs et de son développement au sein des institutions judiciaires. Par l’étude des raisons qui ont conduit la France à manquer le tournant restauratif et de celles ayant permis, en Belgique, l’implantation de la justice restaurative dans le droit pénal des mineurs, des points d’ancrage sont relevés de nature à permettre son épanouissement dans l’ordonnance du 2 février 1945. Une expérimentation dans un service éducatif de réparation pénale a été menée avec le souci de prendre en compte des problématiques intéressant le service lui-même (logiques actuarielles, prudentielles, financières, idéologies professionnelles, craintes diverses). L’analyse des pratiques souligne que les services de réparation pénale, inscrits dans une rationalité managériale du traitement du phénomène criminel juvénile, sont limités dans la mise en œuvre des démarches de justice restaurative. Il s’avère également que quelques prises en compte du mineur et des modalités de l’exécution de la mesure envisagée par les éducateurs facilitent (approche psycho-criminologique du passage à l’acte inscrit dans une dimension psycho-socio-éducative de la réparation) ou bien inhibent (approche criminologique de l’acte inscrit dans une dimension rétributive de la réparation) des programmes de justice restaurative. Pour autant, quand bien même la pratique facilite une telle expérimentation, lorsque les éducateurs disposent de mission de « réparation-directe » notamment, des obstacles d’ordre idéologique s’observent au niveau de l’accueil, du démarchage et de la participation de la victime. Il demeure cependant essentiel de souligner que, par la présentation des principes et des promesses de la Justice restaurative aux éducateurs rencontrés, les écueils identifiés tombent, principalement quant à la présence de la victime lors de la mise en œuvre de la réparation pénale directe. Une telle évolution des postures professionnelles augure d’une intégration harmonieuse prochaine des démarches de justice restaurative en droit pénal des mineurs
This research focuses on the juvenile criminal law and restorative justice in a comparative approach between France and Belgium. Beyond revealing the similarities and differences of these countries in these fields, the research also carters to the difficulties encountered by France and Belgium in the acceptance of restorative justice in juvenile criminal law and its development in the judicial institutions. By studying the reasons that led France to miss the “turning” of restorative justice and those enabled, in Belgium enabled, the implementation of restorative justice in the criminal law for minors, anchor points have been identified for its development in the order of 2 February 1945. Subsequently, an experiment in youth justice service on the reparation measures was led considering difficulties which concern the service itself (actuarial logic, supervisory, financial, professional ideologies and fears). Our analysis of practices in the youth justice services on the reparation measures, reveals that the experimentation of restorative justice is limited by a managerial rationality treatment of juvenile criminal phenomenon. Also, some of the minor approaches and their implementation in the measure facilitate (psycho-criminological approach to acting out part and a psycho-socio-educational dimension in reparation) or inhibit (criminological approach to act itself and a retributive dimension in reparation) restorative justice programs. However, even if the practice facilitates experimentation and that educators apply “direct reparation”, ideological barriers remain in dealing with victims. However, it remains essential to underline that, thanks to the presentation of the principles and promises of restorative justice educators met, the identified pitfalls fall, mainly with the presence of the victim during the implementation of “direct reparation”. Such a development professional postures omen a harmonious integration of next restorative justice approaches in juvenile criminal law

Après la commission de violations des droits de l’homme et du droit international humanitaire et dans le cadre parfois d’une transition ou d’une situation post conflictuelle difficile, les Commissions vérité ont été de plus en plus créées au sein des Etats. Parce qu’elles sont destinées à l’examen de violations de règles établies en droit international, se pose la question de leur rapport avec ce droit. Par leurs spécificités formelles et la flexibilité de leurs règles, leur utilisation du droit international et leur prise en compte des victimes, elles constituent un cadre particulièrement novateur dédié à l’examen des violations des droits de l’homme et du droit international humanitaire. Cependant, instances non judiciaires et eu égard aux évolutions du droit international, elles conduisent à s’interroger sur la responsabilité pour ces violations et des obligations internationales de l’Etat à cet égard, et à exiger la mise en œuvre de la responsabilité pénale pour la commission des violations les plus graves qu’elles ont constatées
In time of transition or in post conflict situations, many truth Commissions have been increasingly created within many States to deal with a past caracterised by many human rights and international humanitarian law violations. Because they are dedicated to investigate violations of established rules of international law, the question emerge on their relationships with international law. Their formal characteristics and their flexibility, their use of international law and the focus and attention they give to the victims of these violations, make them appear to be an innovative mean allowing specific review of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. However, because there are non-judicial bodies and taking into consideration the developments of international law, they raise questions about responsibility for these violations and international obligations of the State in this regard, and lead to the requirement of prosecution and the implementation of criminal liability for the serious violations they reported

The subject of this thesis is criminal justice policy. It focusses on diversion, that is, alternatives to the court system. I argue that the current criminal justice system, which is rooted in retributive principles, has shortfalls which are of such a degree that it makes sense to consider alternatives. A new movement in criminal justice policy, restorative justice, reflects a theory that may provide a framework for new programs. Restorative justice is based on principles that are fundamentally different from retributive ideology and the translation of these ideas results in dramatically different programs. In my thesis I delineate the differences between restorative and retributive principles. The retributive system leads to dissatisfaction among the stakeholders in the criminal process. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate whether implementation of restorative justice principles could lead to more satisfaction and a higher quality of justice. The restorative justice theory has a strong rhetoric, as will be made clear. The implementation of restorative programs, however, does not develop quickly. There are several reasons for the slowness, including the reluctance of criminal justice officials to give new initiatives a chance to develop and to co-operate in their development. I describe three restorative programs that divert criminal cases from the court system, they are: mediation, dading, and family group conferences. On the basis of these programs I make clear which are the strengths and the possible weaknesses of restorative justice. The comparison of different programs from different countries, provides a useful insight in the dynamics of restorative justice in practice. International research and comparison will lead to understanding in how to design a suitable and valuable process. My conclusion is that a truly restorative system is neither a realistic, nor a wished situation. For a variety of cases, though, restorative programs provide a better locus for resolving the problems involved in crime, than the court process does. I therefore advise that the development of restorative programs must go on.

Dissertação de Mestrado em Direito apresentada à Faculdade de Direito
Ao se compreender a evolução do sistema penal, é possível distinguir o papel desempenhado pela vítima numa análise geral da história e reconhecer sua atual importância no conflito. A revalorização da posição da vítima no discurso penal e a indiscutível crise da pena privativa de liberdade, diante do fracasso das finalidades preventivas e ressocializadoras, encobrem os discursos político-criminais contemporâneos e conduzem o desenvolvimento teórico da reparação, vista não somente através da indenização do dano sofrido, já que se encontra albergada pelo direito civil. Todavia, tem-se consciência das dificuldades encontradas para se complementar o modelo atual que se baseia nos direitos fundamentais do autor do crime e nas expectativas da sociedade, numa proposta que conserve as funções primordiais da pena, bem como aponte a possibilidade de atenuá-la ou excluí-la sempre que se possa lograr de atos reparatórios. O foco principal do trabalho é apurar as necessidades das vítimas, especialmente no interesse à reparação, o que implica saber que passos já foram dados e que resultados daí advieram ao percorrer os aspectos essenciais do Direito Penal e Processual Penal do ordenamento jurídico português, sem avançar em legislações secundárias, bem como, ao final, entender os limites da reação dada ao crime. A investigação responde ainda aos anseios que em torno da proteção do bem jurídico e das finalidades da pena como função do direito penal envolvidos na questão da fundamentação da reparação, admitindo que, em certos casos, a vítima faça parte na solução do conflito penal, sem que para isso se crie um novo paradigma de justiça.
By understanding the evolution of the criminal system, it is possible to distinguish the function developed by the victim in a general analysis of history and to recognize its current importance in the conflict. The revaluation of the victim's position in the penal discourse and the indisputable crisis of custodial sentence, faced with the failure of preventive and resocializing purposes, cover up contemporary political-criminal discourses and lead to the theoretical development of reparation, not only through compensation for the damage suffered, since it is accordance with civil law. However, difficulties are found to complement the current model which is based on the fundamental rights of the offender and the expectations of society, in a proposal that retains the primary functions of the sentence and indicates the possibility of mitigating or excluding it whenever reparatory acts can be achieved. The main objective of the work is to assess the needs of the victims, especially in the interests of reparation, which implies knowing what steps have already been taken and what results have been obtained through the reviewing the essential aspects of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure in the portuguese legal system, so that it does not progress in secondary legislations, as well as, in the end, understand the limits of the reaction given to crime. The investigation still responds to the expectations that cover the protection of the legal good and the purposes of the sentence as a function of criminal law involved in the issue of the basis of reparation, assuming that in certain cases the victim participates in the resolution of the criminal conflict, without creating a new paradigm of justice.

This report is the culmination of literature study and semi-structured interviews which assisted in developing a Model for Implementation of Restorative Justice in the South African Correctional System. The study explores the use of Restorative Justice as part of rehabilitation in a prison setting. Literature focuses mainly on Restorative Justice as part of diversion, in cases of first offenders and less serious offences. Restorative Justice with sentenced offenders has been gaining momentum, though. Diversity in terms of language, cultural and religious practice as well as social background, should be considered as it affects the decision to enter into a Restorative Justice process. Restorative Justice with sentenced offenders is challenging and in the main a largely unsupported field. The study draws on experience from other countries, while at the same time advocate for uniquely South African practice. The involvement of the most important role players, namely victim, offender and the community is emphasized. Attitude and insufficient training seem to be some of the challenges for the implementation of Restorative Justice. Successes are reported in the few sites where Restorative Justice is implemented in the Correctional System, but a change of mindset, of being open to possibilities other than lock-up and punish in the entire Criminal Justice System is needed. Restorative Justice in the Correctional System seems to have been approached as yet another new programme, and not as a paradigm shift for the entire Criminal Justice System. Dealing with conflict in a restorative way should be at the front end of the chain, with young children whose behaviour can be directed, as changing behaviour of adults proves to be difficult. Repentance and forgiveness in different cultures and spiritual backgrounds are some of the issues that are grappled with, although forgiveness is nowhere indicated as a requirement for a successful Restorative Justice process. Voluntary participation is required from victims and offenders with support from communities. It remains a deeply spiritual and individual journey for those who choose to turn away from anger, fear and hatred, and start the process of personal healing and restoration. Restorative Justice with sentenced offenders can assist in dealing with the aftermath of crime.
Penology
D. Litt. et Phil. (Penology)

D. Litt. et Phil. (African Politics)
This study is an exploration of transitional justice mechanisms available to post conflict communities. It is a context sensitive and sustained interrogation of the effectiveness of endogenous transitional justice mechanisms in post-colonial Zimbabwe. The study utilised Ruti Teitel’s (1997: 2009-2080) realist/idealist theory as its theoretical framework. Using the case of Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular, it analyses the application of imported idealist transitional justice mechanisms, mainly International Criminal Court (ICC) trials. It also debates the efficacy of realist transitional justice mechanisms, mainly the South African model of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).The study explores the application of what it terms broad realist transitional justice mechanisms used mostly in rural areas of Zimbabwe to achieve peace building and reconciliation. These modes of everyday healing and reconciliation include the traditional institutions of ngozi (avenging spirit), botso (self-shaming), chenura (cleansing ceremonies), nhimbe (community working groups) and nyaradzo (memorials). The key finding of this exploration is that local realist transitional justice mechanisms are more efficacious in fostering peace building and reconciliation than imported idealist mechanisms such as the ICC trials and imported realist mechanisms such as the TRC. More value can be realised when imported realist mechanisms and local realist transitional justice mechanisms complement each other. The study contributes to the literature on transitional justice in general and bottom-up, victim-centred reconciliation in particular. It offers a different approach to the study of transitional justice in post conflict Zimbabwe by recasting the debate away from the liberal peace paradigm which critiques state centric top-down approaches such as trials, clemencies, amnesties and institutional reform. The study considers the agency of ‘ordinary’ people in resolving the after effects of politically motivated harm. It also lays the foundation for further research into other traditional transitional justice mechanisms used for peace building and reconciliation elsewhere in Africa
Political Sciences

Les travaux communautaires sont de manière générale un travail exécuté sans rémunération par un contrevenant pour le compte de la société. Dans ce mémoire, nous cherchons d’une part à appréhender la perception qu’ont les acteurs de la réalisation des travaux communautaires au Québec et d’autre part à savoir si les acteurs judiciaires (avocats, procureurs et juges) et non judiciaires (intervenants des organismes de justice alternative, délégués à la jeunesse et organismes d’accueil) ainsi que les jeunes contrevenants donnent un sens réparateur aux travaux communautaires. Nous abordons ces questions à partir de deux schèmes : le schème fonctionnel pour comprendre la/les fonction(s) des travaux communautaires et le schème herméneutique afin de saisir la valeur symbolique, le sens qui est donné aux travaux communautaires. Les résultats de cette étude montrent des variations entre les points de vue en fonction des différents groupes et cela autour des trois grands thèmes principaux : la nature des travaux, les objectifs des travaux et les effets de ces derniers. Malgré certaines divergences de points de vue et quelques difficultés dans l’application des travaux, les acteurs sont pour la plupart satisfait de cette mesure.
Community work services are usually unpaid work performed by an offender in the interest of the society. In this paper, we seek both to understand the perceptions of actors carrying out the community work services in Quebec and secondly whether legal actors (lawyers, prosecutors and judges) and non-judicial (alternative justice agencies, youth workers and host organizations) and young offenders do give a restorative aspect to community work services. We address these questions using two schemes: the functional scheme to understand the function(s) of community work services and the hermeneutic scheme to capture the symbolic value, the meaning that is given to community work. The results of this study show variations between the points of view of the different groups and that, around three main themes: the nature of community work, community work objectives and effects of the latter. Despite some differences of views and some difficulties in the implementation of the community work services, the actors are mostly satisfied with this measure.

Text in Afrikaans
Hierdie proefskrif is 'n poging om vanuit 'n Penologiese perspektief 'n teoreties-prinsipiele uiteensetting te gee betreffende restitusie aan die slagoffer van misdaad. Die doel van hierdie studie was om deur navorsing tot insig en kennis te kom betref f ende die vraagstuk rondom slagof fervergoeding en meer spesifiek restitusie as slagoffervergoeding. Die proef skrif behels 'n beskrywing van slagoffervergoeding vanaf die vroegste tye wat as die historiese ontwikkeling van slagoffervergoeding gesien kan word tot en met die tydsvlak waarin die strafreg horn nou bevind. Restitusiestelsels van Brittanje, die Verenigde State van Amerika en vyf Europese lande is bespreek. Die Republiek van Suid Afrika beskik nie oor 'n kompensasie of restitusiestelsel om slagoffers te vergoed nie en daarom is slegs die status wat die slagof fer in die strafproses beklee, bespreek. Gedurende die bestudering van die onderskeie lande se restitusiestelsels kon selfs binne die Europese Unie, geen eenstemmige beleid gevind word ten opsigte van die omvang van restitusie aan die misdaadslagoffer nie. In al die lande wat bestudeer is was die doelstellings waarom restitusie ingestel is egter die.slfde naamlik dat die tradisionele strafmetodes waaronder gevangenisstraf en ondertoesigstelling gefaal het in hul pogings om die slagoffer van misdaad te akkommodeer. Navorser het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesien teen die swak posisie wat die slagoffer van misdaad in Suid-Afrika beklee, die instelling van 'n restitusiestelsel 'n dringende noodsaaklikheid geword het. Die stelsel moet funksioneer vanuit die ondertoesigstellingsdepartement met as ondertoesigstellingsbeamptes as inyorderaars van restitusie wat ook as bemiddelaars kan optree. Aanbevelings is ook gedoen vir die implimentering van 'n sentrale slagoffervergoedingsfonds.
This desertion is an attempt to present, from a Penological perspective, a theoretical fundamental exposition regarding restitution to the victim of crime. The purpose of this study was to, through research, gain insight and knowledge with regard to the question of victim compensation and more specific restitution as victim compensation. The dissertation comprises a description of victim compensation from the earliest of times, which can be seen as the historical development of victim compensation, until the time period that criminal law finds itself in today. Restitution systems of Britain, the United States of America and five European countries are discussed. The Republic of South Africa does not possess a Compensation or restitution system to compensate victims and therefore only the status of the victim in the criminal process is discussed. During the study of different countries's restitution systems there could, not even in the European Union, agreement be found with regard to the extent of restitution to the victim of crime. In all of the countries studied, the purposes why restitution were emplaced were the same, namely that the traditional punishment process, where under imprisonment and under supervision, failed in their attempts to accommodate the victim of crime. Research came to the conclusion that, taken against the bad position that the victim of crime in South Africa holds, the emplacement of a restitution system have become a necessity. The system should function from the under supervisory department with the supervisory officials as collectors of restitution and which could also act as mediators. Recommendations are done for the implementation of a central victim compensation fund.·
Sociology
D. Litt. et Phil. (Penologie)

(in English): The aim of the work was to describe the experience of the providers of assistance to victims of crime with the use of the law in their practice. The experience and the views of the providers were obtained in the form of a questionnaire survey. As a source of data for addressing service has been utilized to view all registered entities providing their services to the victims of the crimes on the web site of the Ministry of justice. The work was focused on the practical application of selected provisions of act no. 45/2013 Coll. and from its results revealed that providers in your practice are finding that the provisions relating to particularly vulnerable victims, are defined too narrowly. Also the communication between the provider and the police is not yet ideally set.

Definida como um “processo no qual a vítima e o ofensor, e, quando apropriado, quaisquer outros indivíduos ou membros da comunidade afetados por um crime, participam ativamente na resolução das questões oriundas do crime, geralmente com a ajuda de um facilitador”1, a justiça restaurativa surge nos anos 70 do século passado, como forma de combater as deficiências apresentadas pelo direito penal tradicional. Influenciada por movimentos vitimológicos e feministas, a justiça restaurativa pretende colocar a vítima no centro de interesses visados com a resolução de litígio, permitindo a resolução do caso penal que opõe vítima e agressor através do diálogo entre ambos, da contraposição de ideais e da chegada a um acordo que retrate a visão, os objetivos e as pretensões de ambos, permitindo o empowerment da vítima através da responsabilização do agente. A mediação penal surge como a prática restaurativa de maior fôlego e implementação, sendo regulada, em Portugal, pela lei n.º 21/2007, 12 junho. Este processo restaurativo visa a resolução do delito que opõe vítima e ofensor através do acordo celebrado entre ambos, com a intermediação de um terceiro imparcial: o mediador. Desta forma, a justiça restaurativa – e, concretamente, a mediação penal – permitem colocar vítima e agressor em contacto, permitindo que ambos dialoguem de igual para igual, questionando-se mutuamente e comuniquem com vista à chegada a um consenso quanto ao acordo final, funcionando verdadeiramente como um ponto de encontro entre agressor e vítima. Apesar de visarem a reparação e a restauração dos danos causados pelo crime, as práticas inseridas no universo restaurativo permitem prosseguir finalidades próprias do direito penal tradicional, possibilitando a integração do agente na sociedade e a proteção de bens jurídicos tutelados.
Defined as a "process in which the victim and the offender, and, where appropriate, any other individuals or community members affected by a crime, actively participate in resolving the issues arising from the crime, usually with the help of a facilitator"2, restorative justice emerged in the 1970s as a way to address the shortcomings presented by traditional criminal law. Influenced by victimological and feminist movements, restorative justice intends to place the victim in the center of the interests aimed at with the resolution of litigation, allowing the resolution of the criminal case that opposes victim and aggressor through dialogue between them, the confrontation of ideals and the reaching of an agreement that portrays the vision, the objectives and the claims of both, allowing the empowerment of the victim through the accountability of the agent. Penal mediation is considered the restorative practice with the greatest impact and implementation, being regulated in Portugal by law 21/2007, June 12th. This restorative process aims at the resolution of the offense that opposes victim and offender through an agreement between them, with the intermediation of an impartial third party: the mediator. In this way, restorative justice - and, specifically, penal mediation - allows placing victim and offender in contact, allowing both to dialogue as equals, questioning each other and communicating with a view to reaching a consensus on the final agreement, truly functioning as a meeting point between offender and victim. Despite aiming at the repair and restoration of the damage caused by the crime, the practices inserted in the restorative universe allow the pursuit of purposes proper to traditional criminal law, enabling the integration of the perpetrator in society and the protection of protected legal goods.

The crime of incest is rendered invisible in the 1990's under the all-embracing label of "child abuse", where the public eye is alerted to grave cases of physical abuse, by a media hungry for sensationalism. Likewise, incest is effaced amid the current outrage over the deviant outsider - typically perceived as the paedophile. It is the very nature of the sphere in which incest is committed, which makes the crime 'hermetic'. The view that the patriarchal family is somehow sacrosanct, and the debate over the public/private dichotomy relating to child protection, adjoin to further obscure this iniquity. In addition to this, the perpetrators of incest frequently deny, minimise or rationalise their crime, hence making the legal sphere the only legitimate area of redress for victims. However, the law attempts to deal with these private moral perplexities in the objective and constrained manner representative of the court system. This may not be reconcilable with just outcomes. Social policy's footing in this arena appears to be equivocal, due to the inherent confines of the legal system. But the legal system, and in particular the court arena, can be made more equitable, by being flexible and amenable to innovation, through the embodiment of other areas of expertise. Instead of being self-referential, the legal system should be more accommodating of other esteemed knowledges, in the name of justice.