Crime-fighting approaches within the criminal justice system include criminalization, surveillance, investigations, court cases, fines, penalties, and restitution. The composition of these parameters and their impacts differ substantially across countries, not only due to state legitimacy ­ or how some governments misuse such authorities to stay in power. In many countries there is broad support for extensive police authorization and life-long prison sentences, while in others, there is consensus for moderate penalties and protection of personal information laws. In some countries a new law is recognized and respected right away (the smoking ban in Norway); in others citizens demonstratively refute the law (the smoking ban in Russia). Even if we have a large literature on crime, including numerous studies of crime-fighting initiatives under different framework conditions, it is difficult to draw generalizations about what works under which conditions, particularly since society¹ complexities complicate the search for causality.

This workshop addresses results and arguments that will bring us further in understanding criteria for crime-preventive impacts through the criminal justice system.The workshop brings together researchers with different views on development, crime and decision-making, mostly economists but also lawyers and political scientists. The day will include 10-12 presentations with space for debate.

Programme in pdf:   Changing conditions for fighting economic crime[1]

PROGRAMME

09:00    Welcome by Asbjørn Strandbakken

09:05    Tina Søreide: An Efficient Criminal Justice System?

09:15    Framework Conditions for Crime Control   (chair: Elin Skaar)
Jørn Jacobsen: The Tradition of Nordic Criminal Law: Justice as Efficiency, or Efficiency by Justice?
Arne Strand: Competing Priorities in Afghanistan­ Criminal Justice versus War on Terror
Rasmus Wandall: Trust and Functionality in the Criminal Justice System

Debate

11:00    Moving in Different Pace: Why it Adds to the Crime Burden (chair: Ivar Kolstad)
Charles Kenny: Flying Starlings in International Development: The International Spillover Effects of Criminalization
Kjetil Bjorvatn:  Competition for Resources: Importance of Governance, Implications for Corruption
Linda Gröning: Harmonization from a Legal Perspective

Debate

12:30    Lunch (Faculty of Law)

13:30    The Difficulty of Criminalizing Right (chair: Rasmus Wandall)        
Peter Whelan: The Criminalization of Cartel Activity: A Sensible Choice?
Eva Gavrilova: Medical Marijuana Laws, Drug Sales and Crimes in the US
Siri Gloppen: Criminalization: Changing Incentives or norms?

Debate

15:00    Coffee

15:15    Linda Gröning:  Lessons for the Criminal Justice System and Research

15:30    Tina Søreide: Concluding remarks

 

 

Project