National Security vs Criminal law. Perspectives, Doubts and Concerns on the Criminalisation of Organised Crime in England and Wales

This paper will interpret and critically analyse the new offence for organised crime in England and Wales (Section 45 of the Serious Crime Act 2015) from a criminological perspective in light of evidence found in research in the country. It will argue that changes in the law relate to changes in political narratives rather than to variations in the criminal panorama of organised crime. It will discuss these changes within three perspectives, which address various levels of concern: a narrative perspective, which reflects on the overlapping of meanings in the use of the words ‘organised crime’; an evolution perspective, which reflects on the origins of the new participation offences with reference to both national and international pressures; a management perspective, which reflects on some of the immediate effects of the new offences of organised crime on the criminal justice system. This paper will conclude that political narratives have indeed influenced criminal policy, while there is no significant change in the phenomenon of organised crime to justify such narratives

Streamlined reporting of forensic evidence in England and Wales:Is it the way forward?

Streamlined Forensic Reporting (SFR) is a case management procedure recently introduced in the criminal justice system in England and Wales. It involves a proportionate use and staged producing of the forensic evidence at court, by means of abbreviated forensic reports, depending on whether the defence will agree or take issue with the forensic evidence that the prosecution intends to rely upon. SFR aims to achieve an early identification of the real issues in the case and to reduce costs and delays associated with the use of forensic evidence in criminal proceedings. This paper analyses the most significant aspects of the SFR procedure. It argues that, while SFR offers several advantages, the inappropriate use of SFR and case fragmentation in terms of investigation and preparation of forensic work within the background of cost-cutting pressures, could threaten the delivery of justice and the role of forensic evidence in criminal proceeding

Assessing the factors associated with sexual harassment among young female migrant workers in Nepal.

This article explores the extent of, and factors associated with, sexual harassment of young female migrant workers in the carpet and garment factories in Kathmandu Valley. Information is drawn from a survey of 550 female workers aged 14 to 19 and 12 in-depth case histories. Bivariate and multivariate techniques were applied to identify the factors associated with harassment. The survey found that 1 in 10 young women had experienced sexual harassment or coercion. Those who were exposed to pornographic movies were more likely than those with no exposure to any kind of movies to report sexual harassment. Perpetrators included coworkers, boyfriends, employers, and relatives. Case histories revealed that the inability of young women to communicate effectively with their peers and sex partners, lack of self-esteem, job insecurity, and other socioeconomic problems made them vulnerable to these abuses. The results suggest the need for advocacy and a range of factory-based interventions