Restorative Justice, Criminal Justice and Human Rights: IARS - Other Research

There can be no doubt that youth crime has been the focus of policy, legislation and implementation of all

governments since the 1980s. What makes this category of antisocial behaviour so special, and what are the distinctive features of juvenile offenders? What are the major factors the lead them to crime? Arguably, we are living in a neo-retributive culture where law and order principles are prominent. Is incapacitation and imprisoning responding to youth crime? What does research on repeat offending tell us? Can we identify the reasons that lead juveniles to re-offending after they had been released? In one sentence: does incarceration have an impact on young offender�s future behaviour? This paper aims to address these questions, critically analysing the impact of imprisonment on young offenders. It examines what the response to this impact has been, arguing in favour of the new paradigm on which the government has founded its new approach to juvenile crime.

In the fast changing, globalised world we are living, at least one thing is certain. The way we deal with things in our own countries interests others that might, or might not share the same characteristics. The same goes for our legal systems. Although, the first reaction to comparative law and its possible contribution might appear to be clearly positive, further and careful reflection raises serious questions, which in fact have led many writers to claim that introducing legal transplants is not a wise option no matter the reasons or circumstances. The truth is that legal transplants are inevitable. Since the Roman Empire, they have been the main factor in legal change in the Western world. Britain is no exception. This paper attempts to address the question whether the incorporation of foreign legal transplants into the domestic legal order can be successful.

Utilitarianism as a possible moral framework for a complete theory of justice

The paper discusses the claim that utilitarianism is insufficiently capable of providing a moral framework to be the basis of a theory of justice

Victims and Witness under the Rome Statute: Implications for Due Process Rights

The paper critically approaches the position of victims and witnesses under the Rome Statute. It identifies and analyses the legal provisions that deal with matters such as the responsibilities of the Prosecutor, the Pre-Trial and Trial Chamber to victims, the role of victims in initiating an investigation or prosecution, reparations and compensation.

The Victim and the Criminal process: an analysis of recent trends in regional and international tribunals

The project looks into the role of victims in the criminal process, analysing recent trends in regional and international tribunals.

Guantanamo Bay prisoners: Prisoners of war, subjects of criminal law or victims of politics?