Shortlisting the influential members of criminal organizations and identifying their important communication channels

Low-level criminals, who do the legwork in a criminal organization are the most likely to be arrested, whereas the high-level ones tend to avoid attention. But crippling the work of a criminal organizations is not possible unless investigators can identify the most influential, high-level members and monitor their communication channels. Investigators often approach this task by requesting the mobile phone service records of the arrested low-level criminals to identify contacts, and then they build a network model of the organization where each node denotes a criminal and the edges represent communications. Network analysis can be used to infer the most influential criminals and most important communication channels within the network but screening all the nodes and links in a network is laborious and time consuming. Here we propose a new forensic analysis system called IICCC (Identifying Influential Criminals and their Communication Channels) that can effectively and efficiently infer the high-level criminals and short-list the important communication channels in a criminal organization, based on the mobile phone communications of its members. IICCC can also be used to build a network from crime incident reports. We evaluated IICCC experimentally and compared it with five other systems, confirming its superior prediction performance

Human and social capital strategies for Mafia network disruption

Social Network Analysis (SNA) is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on discovering the patterns of individuals interactions. In particular, practitioners have used SNA to describe and analyze criminal networks to highlight subgroups, key actors, strengths and weaknesses in order to generate disruption interventions and crime prevention systems. In this paper, the effectiveness of a total of seven disruption strategies for two real Mafia networks is investigated adopting SNA tools. Three interventions targeting actors with a high level of social capital and three interventions targeting those with a high human capital are put to the test and compared between each other and with random node removal. Human and social capital approaches were also applied on the Barab\'asi-Albert models which are the one which better represent criminal networks. Simulations showed that actor removal based on social capital proved to be the most effective strategy, by leading to the total disruption of the criminal network in the least number of steps. The removal of a specific figure of a Mafia family such as the Caporegime seemed also promising in the network disruption

The Whole Is Greater than the Sum of the Parts: A Multilayer Approach on Criminal Networks

Traditional social network analysis can be generalized to model some networked systems by multilayer structures where the individual nodes develop relationships in multiple layers. A multilayer network is called multiplex if each layer shares at least one node with some other layer. In this paper, we built a unique criminal multiplex network from the pre-trial detention order by the Preliminary Investigation Judge of the Court of Messina (Sicily) issued at the end of the Montagna anti-mafia operation in 2007. Montagna focused on two families who infiltrated several economic activities through a cartel of entrepreneurs close to the Sicilian Mafia. Our network possesses three layers which share 20 nodes. The first captures meetings between suspected criminals, the second records phone calls and the third detects crimes committed by pairs of individuals. We used measures from multilayer network analysis to characterize the actors in the network based on their local edges and their relevance to each specific layer. Then, we used measures of layer similarity to study the relationships between different layers. By studying the actor connectivity and the layer correlation, we demonstrated that a complete picture of the structure and the activities of a criminal organization can be obtained only considering the three layers as a whole multilayer network and not as single-layer networks. Specifically, we showed the usefulness of the multilayer approach by bringing out the importance of actors that does not emerge by studying the three layers separately

Judicial independence in illiberal regimes

This dissertation advances our understanding of (partly) independent judges in illiberal regimes. I address the question of how the autocratic executive in an illiberal regime balances costs and benefits of an independent judiciary. I argue that greater judicial independence is compatible with autocrats’ aspiration to control society by limiting judicial independence in key areas and by adapting methods of repression. In three empirical chapters I examine the relationship between these two branches of government. Using new fine-grained measurements and original datasets, primarily from the Philippines, I analyze variation in independence between court types, determinants of the judicial selection process, and the effects of independent judges on state repression. My results point to weaknesses in the judicial merit-selection process and identify the use of extrajudicial killings as strategy to avoid accountability resulting from independent judges

A Comparative Analysis of Judicial Councils in the Reform of Judicial Appointments between Kenya and England

In this paper, I focus on the selection of judicial officers using judicial commissions. These judicial commissions are also referred to as “judicial councils” or “merit commissions,” so for the purposes of this study, these three terms are synonymous. This paper focuses on Kenya and England because they have taken similar paths to judicial reform. For example, they both added an extra tier to the hierarchical structure and therefore both have a Supreme Court. They both have robust judicial commissions that have changed the selection of judicial officers. However, the judicial commission in Kenya, known as the Judicial Service Commission (hereinafter “JSC”) selects both magistrates and judges who must have had legal training and passed the Kenyan Bar exam. The judicial commission in England, referred to as the Judicial Appointments Commission (hereinafter “JAC”), only selects judges. Though Kenya is a former British colony and part of the Commonwealth, it did not transplant the JAC from England in its reforms. In fact, Kenya’s JSC predates the JAC in England but was re-constituted and strengthened in 2010. Nevertheless, the JSC has a slight resemblance to the JAC. These two countries also demonstrate the success of judicial councils in both a developed and stable democracy as well as in a developing and fragile democracy. The purpose of this study is to compare the contributions to judicial reforms that both judicial commissions have made in their respective countries. The JSC in Kenya has been functioning for two years, having officially started its duties in February 2011. Drawing on lessons from the JAC, the JSC’s performance in its first two years, and lessons from judicial councils globally, I make recommendations that, if implemented, will strengthen the JSC. Cite as: 19 Annl. Survey Int\u27l. Comp. L. 45 (2013)

The limits of consensus? Report on the Somaliland Presidential Election, 13th November 2017

This report presents the findings of the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) to Somaliland's third presidential election, held on November 13th 2017

Developing a Model for Explaining Network Attributes and Relationships of Organised Crime Activities by Utilizing Network Science

The main objective of this research is to provide an innovative exploratory model for investigating substantive organised crime activities. The study articulates 30 critical independent variables related to organised crime, network science and a comprehensive exploratory approach which converts measurements of the variables into meaningful crime related inferences and conclusions. A case study was conducted to review initial feasibility of the selected variables, exploratory approach and model, and the results suggesting good effectiveness and useability

Human resource mangemnet: recruitment, selection and retention of public healthcare specialist in selected hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal.

Doctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanThis study focuses on the recruitment, selection and retention within the context of human resource management (HRM) in the South African Public Service focusing on the Ngwelezane Regional Hospital, the Lower Umfolozi War Memorial Regional Hospital/Queen Nandi Regional Hospital and the Stanger Regional Hospital. The development of HRM post-1994 in South Africa was highlighted by explaining the statutory and regulatory context that support the implementation of human resource (HR) practice. The introduction of the White Paper on HRM in the Public Service (WPHRMPS) (1997) outlined the need for a change in HRM. The need for change contained the transformation agenda which compelled a transition from Personnel Management (PM) to HRM. The main aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence the recruitment, selection and retention of public healthcare specialists in the selected hospitals. To realise the aim of this study, a conceptual and theoretical framework that influences this HR activity was adopted. A mixed methods research (qualitative and quantitative) was used to addressing the study’s research questions, expanding and strengthening the study’s conclusions and recommendations, consequently contributing to the body of knowledge. Applying a simple random sampling method enabled the study to secure a sample size of 119 (79.3%) for quantitative research. From this figure, five (5) participants were selected through purposive sampling to complete the qualitative instruments. Quantitative data was analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics (2015) and one-way analysis of the variance (ANOVA) method was used. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis process to identify the connection between the variables associated with the research aims. Data analysis involved the coding process (themes and concepts). The findings of the study reveal that these hospitals used traditional bureaucratic processes and procedures when conducting recruitment, selection and retention, thereby overlooking an array of legislation governing this HR practice as well as international best practice models. Based on the findings of this study, the development of a model and checklist to assist the hospitals to attract, recruit, select and retain public healthcare specialists, was deemed essential. The study concludes with recommendations for further research into recruitment, selection and retention of public healthcare specialists

The Role of National Human Rights Institutions in the Prevention of Mass Atrocities - The Case of the Defensoría del Pueblo in Colombia

This thesis is an interdisciplinary study on the role of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) in the implementation of the primary responsibility of States to prevent mass atrocities (MA) under pillar one of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P). It focuses on current international law (IL) to delimit the scope of the prevention obligations of States and assesses the relevant preventive measures to States’ primary obligations under R2P. It then analyzes the role that NHRIs can play in their practical implementation. This thesis assesses the means and tools of the Colombian NHRI, the Defensoría del Pueblo (DP), in the prevention of MAs. In light of these findings, this dissertation outlines the prospects and challenges facing NHRIs in relation to the prevention of MAs. De lege lata that current IL only requires States to prevent genocide and war crimes. The author argues de lege ferenda that to the extent that crimes against humanity rise to the level of jus cogens and thus carry erga omnes obligations, States could have a positive obligation to act to prevent their commission. As to the preventive tools, structural and direct preventive measures are relevant to the implementation of State’s primary responsibility to prevent MAs. Even if NHRIs do not directly implement the obligations of States, they play an important practical role in monitoring the government’s implementation of IL, including its MA prevention obligations. NHRIs can support the operalization of preventive measures through their functions to promote a legal framework, to contribute to the implementation of the legal framework and through their control mechanisms. In the case of Colombia, the DP uses its mandate to promote and protect human rights to prevent the structural preconditions of MAs. The DP also prevents MAs more directly by flagging imminent risks and making recommendations to the authorities capable of taking the required action