Harmonisation in Forensic Expertise: An Inquiry into the Desirability of and Opportunities for International Standards - Hardcover

Nijboer; Sprangers

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 9051704984 ISBN 13: 9789051704983

Publisher: Thela Thesis Publishers, 2000

Synopsis

Criminal law and its practices are national matters. Nevertheless, there are a number of factors that cause an internationalization of criminal law. First, within the framework of the European Union and even more the Council of Europe, many initiatives ha

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From the Back Cover

Criminal law and its practices are national matters. Nevertheless, there are a number of factors that cause an internationalization of criminal law. First, within the framework of the European Union and even more the Council of Europe, many initiatives have been taken towards international co-operation and even harmonisation of national laws. In addition, the case law of the European Court of Human Rights spurs legislators, courts and other legal actors in the various member states of the Council of Europe towards greater convergence.

Criminal acts are becoming less and less restrained by national frontiers. As a consequence, legal interaction between countries has become much more important. The number of cases in which there is international co-operation on matters regarding the gathering, transfer, presentation and assessment of evidence has increased enormously over the past decades. As a further consequence, professionals in the various national criminal justice systems are subject to more international interaction. The attention currently being paid to the internationalization of criminal law by academics in the field, and the resulting books and articles, reflect these developments.

Apart from the internationalization of the law, a second development should be mentioned. Western countries are recognizing the increasing importance of investigation by experts from different forensic disciplines (such as forensic accountancy, forensic biology, and forensic computer sciences). More and more themes are becoming the subject of forensic expertise and, again, this is evident in the increase in literature.

Up to now, however, little attention has been paid to the intersection between the internationalization of the law and the enhanced role of expert evidence both factually and theoretically.

This volume contains contributions from more than thirty renowned authors discussing the differences and similarities between the various national jurisdictions in European countries in forensic expertise in criminal cases, the possibility for harmonisation of the (national) laws and the practices of forensic experts and legal professionals, the tools available to legislators, politicians and legal professionals to create more unity in legal systems and practices, and the frameworks and tools which could be developed in this context by international organizations such as the European Union, the Council of Europe and non-governmental organizations such as the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes.

Edition details

• Publisher: Thela Thesis Publishers
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9051704984
• ISBN 13: 9789051704983
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 648
• Editor: Nijboer J.F., Sprangers W.J.J.M.