Legal Studies in International, European and Comparative Criminal Law – serie

This book presents a comprehensive analysis of personal participation in criminal proceedings and in absentia trials. Going beyond the accused-centred perspective of default proceedings, it not only examines the consequences of absence in various types of criminal proceedings, but also the fair trial safeguards allowing personal contributions during trials, as well as in pre-trial inquiries, higher instances and transborder procedures. By pursuing an interdisciplinary approach and employing comparative-law methodologies, the book presents a cross-section of twelve European criminal justice systems with regard to the requirements set forth by constitutional, international and EU law.

This book reviews and critically analyzes the current legal framework with regard to a more just culture for the aviation sector. This new culture is intended to protect front-line operators, in particular controllers and pilots, from legal action (except in the case of willful misconduct or gross negligence) by creating suitable laws, regulations and standards. In this regard, it is essential to have an environment in which all incidents are reported, moving away from fears of criminalization. The approach taken until now has been to seek out human errors and identify the individuals responsible. This punitive approach does not solve the problem because frequently the system itself is (also) at fault. Introducing the framework of a just culture could ensure balanced accountability for both individuals and complex organizations responsible for improving safety. Both aviation safety and justice administration would benefit from this carefully established equilibrium.

This book reviews and critically analyzes the current legal framework with regard to a more just culture for the aviation sector. This new culture is intended to protect front-line operators, in particular controllers and pilots, from legal action (except in the case of willful misconduct or gross negligence) by creating suitable laws, regulations and standards. In this regard, it is essential to have an environment in which all incidents are reported, moving away from fears of criminalization. The approach taken until now has been to seek out human errors and identify the individuals responsible. This punitive approach does not solve the problem because frequently the system itself is (also) at fault. Introducing the framework of a just culture could ensure balanced accountability for both individuals and complex organizations responsible for improving safety. Both aviation safety and justice administration would benefit from this carefully established equilibrium.

This book discusses issues relating to the application of AI and computational modelling in criminal proceedings from a European perspective. Part one provides a definition of the topics. Rather than focusing on policing or prevention of crime – largely tackled by recent literature – it explores ways in which AI can affect the investigation and adjudication of crime. There are two main areas of application: the first is evidence gathering, which is addressed in Part two. This section examines how traditional evidentiary law is affected by both new ways of investigation – based on automated processes (often using machine learning) – and new kinds of evidence, automatically generated by AI instruments. Drawing on the comprehensive case law of the European Court of Human Rights, it also presents reflections on the reliability and, ultimately, the admissibility of such evidence. Part three investigates the second application area: judicial decision-making, providing an unbiased review of the meaning, benefits, and possible long-term effects of ‘predictive justice’ in the criminal field. It highlights the prediction of both violent behaviour, or recidivism, and future court decisions, based on precedents. Touching on the foundations of common law and civil law traditions, the book offers insights into the usefulness of ‘prediction’ in criminal proceedings.

This book discusses issues relating to the application of AI and computational modelling in criminal proceedings from a European perspective. Part one provides a definition of the topics. Rather than focusing on policing or prevention of crime – largely tackled by recent literature – it explores ways in which AI can affect the investigation and adjudication of crime. There are two main areas of application: the first is evidence gathering, which is addressed in Part two. This section examines how traditional evidentiary law is affected by both new ways of investigation – based on automated processes (often using machine learning) – and new kinds of evidence, automatically generated by AI instruments. Drawing on the comprehensive case law of the European Court of Human Rights, it also presents reflections on the reliability and, ultimately, the admissibility of such evidence. Part three investigates the second application area: judicial decision-making, providing an unbiased review of the meaning, benefits, and possible long-term effects of ‘predictive justice’ in the criminal field. It highlights the prediction of both violent behaviour, or recidivism, and future court decisions, based on precedents. Touching on the foundations of common law and civil law traditions, the book offers insights into the usefulness of ‘prediction’ in criminal proceedings.

​This book proposes and outlines a comprehensive framework for judicial protection in transnational criminal proceedings that ensures the right to judicial review without hampering the effective functioning of international cooperation in criminal matters. It examines a broad range of potential approaches in the context of selected national criminal justice systems, and offers a comparative analysis of EU Member States and non-Member States alike. The book particularly focuses on the differences between cooperation within the EU on the one hand and cooperation with third states on the other, and on the consequences of this distinction for the scope of judicial review.

​This book proposes and outlines a comprehensive framework for judicial protection in transnational criminal proceedings that ensures the right to judicial review without hampering the effective functioning of international cooperation in criminal matters. It examines a broad range of potential approaches in the context of selected national criminal justice systems, and offers a comparative analysis of EU Member States and non-Member States alike. The book particularly focuses on the differences between cooperation within the EU on the one hand and cooperation with third states on the other, and on the consequences of this distinction for the scope of judicial review.

The book shares the results of project research granted by the Castilla-La Mancha government, which has been composed by philosophers of law and criminal law researchers, whose main conclusions are represented by the manifestations and trends of the current crisis of the constitutional State. The works identify these trends and manifestations in order to develop alternatives and remedies to solve the current negation process that classical liberties are involved, from the point of view of philosophy, policy, and dogmatic.

The book shares the results of project research granted by the Castilla-La Mancha government, which has been composed by philosophers of law and criminal law researchers, whose main conclusions are represented by the manifestations and trends of the current crisis of the constitutional State. The works identify these trends and manifestations in order to develop alternatives and remedies to solve the current negation process that classical liberties are involved, from the point of view of philosophy, policy, and dogmatic.

The aim of this book is to delve into the impact of the Information and Communications Technologies in the criminal prevention and investigation, by addressing the state of the art of different measures and its implementation in different legal systems vis à vis the protection of human rights. Yet this research not only pursues a diagnostic goal but furthermore aims at providing a reconstruction of this problematic area in light of modern, human rights-oriented notion of criminal justice. This broadens the scope of this investigation, which encompasses both unprecedented safeguards to traditional, or anyway widely recognized individual rights and the emergence of new rights, such as the right to informational self-determination, and the right to information technology privacy.The book addresses the problems and potentials in the areas of criminal prevention and criminal investigation, taking into account that due to electronic surveillance and the progress in the use of big data for identifying risks, the borders between preventive and investigative e-measures is not clear-cut.

The aim of this book is to delve into the impact of the Information and Communications Technologies in the criminal prevention and investigation, by addressing the state of the art of different measures and its implementation in different legal systems vis à vis the protection of human rights. Yet this research not only pursues a diagnostic goal but furthermore aims at providing a reconstruction of this problematic area in light of modern, human rights-oriented notion of criminal justice. This broadens the scope of this investigation, which encompasses both unprecedented safeguards to traditional, or anyway widely recognized individual rights and the emergence of new rights, such as the right to informational self-determination, and the right to information technology privacy.The book addresses the problems and potentials in the areas of criminal prevention and criminal investigation, taking into account that due to electronic surveillance and the progress in the use of big data for identifying risks, the borders between preventive and investigative e-measures is not clear-cut.

The aim of the book is to resolve the question of whether multiple sanctioning systems are contrary to the ne bis in idem under the regulation provided by Protocol 7 to the ECHR and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The first part is a comparative study regarding the lawfulness of multiple sanctioning systems under the ne bis in idem, studying the evolution and the current state of the case law of the United States Supreme Court, the Canadian Supreme Court, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The second part of the book critically analyses three problems with the case law of the ECtHR and the CJEU. Part three deals with reconceptualizing the prohibition of multiple punishment and the prohibition of multiple prosecutions. Finally, the fourth part addresses other possible protections against multiple sanctioning systems. Two other safeguards that limit multiple sanctioning systems are the prohibition of disproportionate sanctions and the right to be tried within a reasonable time.

The aim of the book is to resolve the question of whether multiple sanctioning systems are contrary to the ne bis in idem under the regulation provided by Protocol 7 to the ECHR and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. The first part is a comparative study regarding the lawfulness of multiple sanctioning systems under the ne bis in idem, studying the evolution and the current state of the case law of the United States Supreme Court, the Canadian Supreme Court, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The second part of the book critically analyses three problems with the case law of the ECtHR and the CJEU. Part three deals with reconceptualizing the prohibition of multiple punishment and the prohibition of multiple prosecutions. Finally, the fourth part addresses other possible protections against multiple sanctioning systems. Two other safeguards that limit multiple sanctioning systems are the prohibition of disproportionate sanctions and the right to be tried within a reasonable time.

The book deals with illicit trafficking in the Mediterranean, seen as a borderline issue between mobility and security under a strongly interdisciplinary approach. The opening part is dedicated to issues that transversally concern illegal trafficking: criminological, criminal law, criminal procedure, but also international law issues. This part presents a kind of general theory of illegal trafficking, showing its recurring aspects and identifying the legal and criminal-political issues that would be best addressed by a unified approach to the matter. The other parts are devoted to presenting, instead, a special part overview of illegal trafficking. The second and the third section are devoted, in particular, to illegal traffics having human beings as their objects. More specifically, the second part examines smuggling of migrants, which has a central - criminological and criminal-political - relevance among the illegal traffics taking place in the Mediterranean. The third part dealswith the neighbouring theme of human trafficking, especially in its connection with the problem of labour exploitation. Finally, the fourth part focuses on some trafficking in goods, offering a selected and representative overview of some of the most significant forms that such trafficking can take: tobacco trafficking, drug trafficking and trafficking in cultural goods.

The book deals with illicit trafficking in the Mediterranean, seen as a borderline issue between mobility and security under a strongly interdisciplinary approach. The opening part is dedicated to issues that transversally concern illegal trafficking: criminological, criminal law, criminal procedure, but also international law issues. This part presents a kind of general theory of illegal trafficking, showing its recurring aspects and identifying the legal and criminal-political issues that would be best addressed by a unified approach to the matter. The other parts are devoted to presenting, instead, a special part overview of illegal trafficking. The second and the third section are devoted, in particular, to illegal traffics having human beings as their objects. More specifically, the second part examines smuggling of migrants, which has a central - criminological and criminal-political - relevance among the illegal traffics taking place in the Mediterranean. The third part dealswith the neighbouring theme of human trafficking, especially in its connection with the problem of labour exploitation. Finally, the fourth part focuses on some trafficking in goods, offering a selected and representative overview of some of the most significant forms that such trafficking can take: tobacco trafficking, drug trafficking and trafficking in cultural goods.

This book deals with the role and the protection of third parties in criminal proceedings. Starting from a comparative-law definition of formal parties in criminal proceedings based on seven domestic jurisdictions, this research focuses on the increasing impact of criminal investigations and criminal trials on different categories of third parties, i.e. those individuals who, without being suspected or accused of a criminal offence, are involved in criminal investigations and trials. The complex features of this topic require a further analysis from another comparative perspective that looks at the protection of victims and third parties at the levels of international and supranational law. Particular attention is firstly be devoted to the acknowledgment of a set of procedural safeguards to victims and individuals other than formal participants in criminal proceedings by means of the enormous contribution made by international human rights courts, with a specific focus on the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Regarding victims in particular, their multifaceted status are also examined from the viewpoint of international criminal justice as well. The European scenario, moreover, allows for further deepening of the role and the procedural guarantees granted to third parties and victims from the viewpoint of EU law in relation to the area of freedom, security and justice, in which additional human rights challenges emerge in the field of transnational criminal justice. Comparison shall at all levels be carried out in the light of the enormous transformations due to the digital transition, which has brought about unbelievable changes in every area of mankind's life, including criminal justice. Ever newer tools, indeed, govern procedural activities, and although unprecedented investigative measures allow for increasingly accurate fact-finding, new risks also arise, including those vis-à-vis third parties whose procedural rights risk to be inevitably infringed.