scholarly journals Prosecutorial independence, discretion and strategy in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas

Author(s):  
David Baxter Bakibinga

The concepts of prosecutorial independence, discretion and strategy are considered the cornerstones of an effective and efficient criminal justice system under common law. To this end the state of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas amended its national constitution and established an independent office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The ODPP must have appropriate policy-legal and organizational frameworks to enable it enhance its independence from the office of the Attorney General (AG). This paper explores how the constitutional framework promotes the independence of the ODPP Bahamas and any claw backs. A comparison is made with other independent ODPPs such as Uganda. The last part of the paper examines strategies adopted by ODPP Bahamas that are meant to enhance prosecutorial independence and discretion.

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 252-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Edmond ◽  
Mehera San Roque

This paper considers the use of the products of surveillance, primarily images, as evidence within the criminal trial. These products, whether static images, video or voice recordings, are increasingly being mediated for the fact-finder via ‘experts’, proffering an opinion about the meaning of some surveillance image, artefact or trace. Common law courts, including those in Australia, the UK, Canada, and the US, have been surprisingly accommodating towards such evidence—allowing incriminating opinions to be presented by witnesses with questionable or unsubstantiated, ‘expertise’. Institutional and judicial responses tend to be inattentive to the reliability of such evidence, and display a misplaced faith in the capacity of traditional trial safeguards to expose and manage the weaknesses inherent in this type of evidence. In looking at the ways in which courts use CCTV images, voice recordings and other traces generated by surveillant assemblages, this paper offers a legal site for consideration that has not featured as prominently in recent surveillance literature. It suggests that the preoccupations generated by the ubiquitous nature of everyday surveillance do not always map cleanly onto the use of surveillance artefacts (e.g. images and other traces) in the criminal justice system. At the same time this paper explores how ideas and concepts familiar to the analysis of surveillance techniques, cultures, imaginaries and practices might inform our understanding of the criminal trial and its related processes. Fundamentally concerned with the value of such evidence, this paper argues that, given the premium placed upon accuracy and fairness within the criminal trial, the state should be able to guarantee the basic trustworthiness of the opinions before interpretations derived from surveillance assemblages are admitted to assist with proof of identity and guilt.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismail Ghonu

ABSTRACTInternally there is a factor in the every person to commit a crime, so that in need of institutions that can regulate the life of the community so that the life of the community so that the rights of every human being can be protected. On this based John Locke put forward the theory known of social contract theory. According to his theory the state is built on the basis of social contract between the government as the holder of power with the people as the holder of sovereignty. Governments are given the power to organize order and create an atmosphere in which the people can enjoy there natural rights safety. On the other hard the people will obey the government if the rights are guaranteed. The task of provecting human rights in society at the level of public interest in the obligation and  responsibility of the state. The duty by the state is then submitted to the law enforcement apparatus as a componen in the criminal justice system consisting of the police, prosekutors, courts and correctional institution popularized as the “criminal justice system”. As a componen of the criminal justice system, prosekutors are required to always independence from the interference of any party including the executive. However it apparently that the attorney general will find it difficult to be free from executive intervention because is structurally. The attorney general is executive power. The attorney general however as the leader of the prosecutor institution must structurally submit to has attributor the President. The independence of the prosecutor needed in order to enforce the law in on honest, fair, independent, responsible, professional and transparant manner that up holds the principles of fair trial and equality before the law. This is should be done because the attorney general is a determinant factor in criminal law enforcement as a bar for prosecution of criminal cases to court. In law enforcement practice so far can be publically know that the prosecutors office in carrying out its duties and responsible still not free from the authors. Now is the time for the idea of a constructive to build an independent and independent prosecutors image in a real sense by rising the general theme of “the independence of the prosecutor office in the criminal justice system in Indonesia”. ABSTRAKSecara internal terdapat adanya faktor kecenderungan setiap orang untuk melakukan kejahatan, sehingga dibutuhkan institusi yang dapat mengatur kehidupan masyarakat agar hak-hak setiap manusia dapat terlindungi. Atas dasar inilah John Locke mengemukakan teori yang dikenal sebagai social contract theory (teori kontrak sosial). Menurut teori ini, Negara dibangun atas dasar kontrak sosial antara pemerintah sebagai pemegang kekuasaan dengan rakyat sebagai pemegang kedaulatan. Pemerintah diberikan kekuasaan untuk menyelenggarakan ketertiban dan menciptakan suasanadimana rakyat dapat menikmati hak-hak alamnya (natural right) dengan aman. Di lain pihak rakyat akan mematuhi pemerintah apabila hak-hak tersebut terjamin. Tugas untuk melindungi hak-hak manusia dalam masyarakat pada tataran kepentingan publik adalah menjadi kewajiban dan tanggung jawab negara. Tugas tersebut oleh negara selanjutnya diserahkan kepada aparat penegak hukum sebagai suatu komponen dalam sistem peradilan pidana yang terdiri dari instansi kepolisian, kejaksaan, pengadilan dan lembaga pemasyarakatan yang secara populis dikenal dengan sebutan criminal justice system. Sebagai komponen dari sistem peradilan pidana, kejaksaan dituntut untuk selalu menjaga independensinya dari campur tangan pihak manapun termasuk eksekutif. Namun nampaknya kejaksaan akan sulit untuk terbebas dari campur tangan eksekutif karena secara struktural, kejaksaan berada di bawah kekuasaan eksekutif. Bagaimanapun juga, Jaksa Agung sebagai pemimpin lembaga kejaksaan secara struktural harus tunduk kepada atasannya, yaitu Presiden sebagai pemegang tertinggi kekuasaan eksekutif. Independensi kejaksaan dibutuhkan agar dalam penegakan hukum dilakukan secarajujur, adil, mandiri, bertanggungjawab, profesional dan transparan yang menjunjung tinggi prinsip-prinsip fair trial dan equality before the law. Hal ini harus dilakukan karena kejaksaan merupakan faktor determinan dalam penegakan hukum pidana sebagai palang pintu bagi penuntutan perkara pidana ke pengadilan. Dalam praktek penegakan hukum selama ini secara kasat mata dapat diketahui publik bahwa kejaksaan dalam mengemban tugas dan tanggungjawabnya masih belum bebas dari intervensi kekuasaan eksekutif, karena esensinya kejaksaan adalah perpanjangan tangan dari Presiden selaku kepala kekuasaan eksekutif negara. Menurut penulis, saatini sudah saatnya untuk digagas pemikiran yang konstruktif untuk membangun citra kejaksaan yang mandiri dan independen dalam arti nyata dengan mengangkat tema sentral “independensi kejaksaan dalam sistem peradilan pidana di Indonesia”.


FIAT JUSTISIA ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maroni Maroni

Monitoring and observation of court decisions made by judges is a new institution in the criminal procedural law in Indonesia. Through monitoring and observation of expected gaps (gap) between what the judge decided and reality implementation of the criminal in prison can be bridged. Judges will be brought closer to the prosecutors and corrections officials so that judges can follow the development of the state of the convict. Keywords: Judge, Supervisor and Observer, the Criminal Justice System


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 15
Author(s):  
Suharyo Suharyo

PERANAN KEJAKSAAN REPUBLIK INDONESIADALAM PEMBERANTASAN KORUPSI DI NEGARA DEMOKRASI(Role of The Attorney General of Indonesia in Eradicating Corruption in State Democracy) The Attorney General of Indonesia plays a strategic position in corruption eradication. Since IndonesiaIndependent Day on 17 August 1945 until now, the attorney general keeps eradicate the corruption. As one of the elements of criminal justice system of the democracy state refers to the Act No.16/2004 on the Attorney General of Republic of Indonesia, and also a concern with the Act No.8/1981 on the Criminal Code (KUHAP). Corruption eradication is ruled and stipulated on the Act No.31/1999 on Corruption Eradication Jo the Act No.20/2001, and supported the Act No.8/2010 on the Criminal Act of Money Laundering . Questions of this research were what obstacles of corruption eradication in attorneys and how to make it effective? It was a normative-juridical method. It was  an impression that the Attorney General has no dare to enforce the law for the elite politician, local officials (governors,majors) because of their strong relationship with. This phenomenon triggered scholars to do long march and protest to the Attorney General to be consistent and responsive in corruption eradication. Good governance and bureaucracy reform had no big impact, the meaning of “Tri Atmaka” and “Tri Karma Adhyaksa” had truly not been absorbed and practiced, yet. Keywords: The Attorney General of Indonesia in eradicating corruption ABSTRAK Kejaksaan Republik Indonesia memegang posisi sangat strategis dalam pemberantasan korupsi. SejakProklamasi Kemerdekaan 17 Agustus 1945 sampai sekarang, Kejaksaan Republik Indonesia terus menerus melakukan pemberantasan korupsi. Sebagai salah satu unsur dari  sistem peradilan pidana (Criminal Justice System) di dalam negara demokrasi Kejaksaan RI mengacu pada Undang-Undang Nomor 16 Tahun 2004 Tentang Kejaksaan RI, dan juga memperhatikan Undang-Undang Nomor 8 Tahun 1981 tentang Hukum Acara Pidana (KUHAP). Khusus untuk pemberantasan korupsi, diatur melalui Undang-Undang Nomor 31 Tahun 1999 tentang Pemberantasan Tidak Pidana Korupsi no Undang-Undang Nomor 20 Tahun 2001, dan ditunjang Undang-Undang Nomor 8 Tahun 2010 Tentang Tindak Pidana Pencucian Uang. Adapun rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini adalah apakah kendala yang melekat jajaran Kejaksaan dalam pemberantasan korupsi, serta Bagaimana mengefektifkan Kejaksaan RI dalam pemberantasan korupsi. Metode yang dipakai adalah yuridis normatif.Terdapat kesan, Kejaksaan RI sangat tumpul pada pelaku dari elit politik, dan pejabat daerah (Gubernur, Bupati/Walikota) yang mempunyai koneksi politik yang kuat.Sehingga tidaklah mengherankan, apabila di berbagai daerah, muncul aksi-aksi unjuk rasa dari kalangan mahasiswa yang menuntut Kejaksaan RI agar konsisten dan responsif dalam pemberantasan korupsi. Good Governance dan reformasi birokrasi, hanya berpengaruh positif, secara minimal. Makna Tri Atmaka, serta Tri Karma Adhyaksa, kurang diresapi dan kurang  diamalkan secara mendalam. Kata Kunci: Kejaksaan RI dalam pemberantasan korupsi


Author(s):  
Heather Hamill

This chapter argues that, from the early days of the political conflict in the 1970s the conditions were such that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) adopted some of the functions of the state, namely the provision of policing and punishment of ordinary crime. The hostility of the statutory criminal justice system, particularly the police, toward the working-class Catholic community dramatically increased the costs of using state services. The high levels of disaffection and aggression among working-class Catholics toward the police meant that the state could no longer fulfill its function and police the community in any “normal” way. A demand for policing therefore existed. Simultaneously, this demand was met and fostered by the IRA, which had the motivation, the manpower, and the monopoly on the use of violence necessary to carry out this role.


Author(s):  
Armando Saponaro

This chapter outlines the “conflict” and “peace-keeping” victim-oriented justice paradigms. The latter empowers the victims of crime, putting them at the center of an encounter and using interindividual mediation or collective circles to address conflict resolution. Two models are critically discussed in the conflict victim-oriented justice paradigm. The European continental “visible victim” model structures the role of the victim as a full-fledged processual party together with the public prosecutor and offender. In this model, the victim has the same rights and powers of the defendant. The “invisible victim” common law model views the victim as a trial witness, participating, for example, through a victim impact statement (in the United States) or victim personal statement (in the United Kingdom) at the sentencing stage. The visible victim conflict paradigm model enhances a victim's role and involvement in the criminal justice system, offering a solution to existing controversial and critical common law system issues.


2019 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-536
Author(s):  
Nabil Ouassini ◽  
Anwar Ouassini

Abstract In the protests that occurred throughout the Arab world, the criminal justice system has been the focal contention between citizens and the state. However, the notoriety of Arab regimes has compelled academics to devote their endeavours to political/religious violence, economic development/stagnation and the durability of undemocratic systems that has inhibited the production of criminological scholarship. The study of criminology in the Arab world is critical and necessitates special attention. The following article propounds the establishment of an Arab criminology sub-field that highlights strategies in research in the region, evaluates the current approaches, addresses the challenges and examines its implications on southern, international and comparative criminology.


Incarceration ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 263266632093644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian O’Donnell ◽  
Eoin O’Sullivan

This article argues in favour of ‘coercive confinement’ as a useful addition to the criminological lexicon. It suggests that to properly understand a country’s level of punitiveness requires consideration of a range of institutions that fall outside the remit of the formal criminal justice system. It also requires a generous longitudinal focus. Using Ireland as a case study, such an approach reveals that since the foundation of the state, the prison has gradually become ascendant. This might be read to imply a punitive turn. But when a broader view is taken to include involuntary detention in psychiatric hospitals, confinement in Magdalen homes and mother and baby homes, and detention in industrial and reformatory schools, the trajectory is strongly downward. This might be read to imply a national programme of decarceration. (In recent years, asylum seekers have been held in congregate settings that are experienced as prison-like and they must be factored into the analysis.) While some of these institutions may have been used with peculiar enthusiasm in Ireland, none are Irish inventions. It would be profitable to extend the idea of ‘coercive confinement’ to other nations with a view to adding some necessary nuance to our understanding of the reach and grip of the carceral state.


1980 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-411
Author(s):  
Jeffrey L. Geller

The court's use of the state hospital has been characterized by misuse of criminal commitment statutes to gain admission for defendants. The author examines this process by focusing on the interaction between hospital and court during a 1-month period. The outcome indicates that despite the best intentions of both the legal and the psychiatric professions, criminal commitments yield neither a treatment program nor an aftercare plan. Specific suggestions concerning professional education, forensic services, chronic community care, and community education are made with a focus toward the diminution of inappropriate referrals to the state hospital by the criminal justice system.


It is a weakness of our jurisprudence that the victims of the crimes, and the distress of the dependants of the prisoner, do not attract the attention of the law .The District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) or the State Legal Service Authority (SLSA) needs to decide the quantum of compensation to be given under the scheme. Section 357A was a necessary enactment, and is useful, because the victim need not prove his case to get compensation under this section, which should hasten the process, but unfortunately the scheme is not being implemented completely. This paper analyses the plight of the victims of crimes under the Indian Criminal Justice System, and the importance of section 357A for protection of their rights. It further argues that that the scheme is not being implemented properly, and there is a lack of uniformity in the statute of each state. The verification procedure of these states is justified only if it does not hinder the compensation of a genuine victim. It explains the importance of immediate compensation, and the role of judiciary in the journey from the enactment to implementation of any scheme and statute. This paper concludes by suggesting changes that could be brought into the Indian Criminal judicial system for the betterment of the victim’s right and society atlarge.


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