NCJ Number
20430
Date Published
1976
Length
25 pages
Annotation
ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS SOCIALLY INJURIOUS ACTS COMMITTED BY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS, BOTH NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, WHO ARE 'IMMUNIZED' FROM PROSECUTION AND PUNISHMENT DUE TO THEIR POLITICAL AND/OR ECONOMIC POWER.
Abstract
CITING BELGIAN LAW AS AN EXAMPLE, THE AUTHOR NOTES THAT NATIONAL LEGISLATION IS NOT GEARED TOWARD DEALING WITH ABUSES OF POWER, CORRUPTION, AND FRAUDULENT PRACTICES COMMITTED BY MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS, POLITICIANS, OR GOVERNMENTS. ALSO POINTED OUT IS THE FACT THAT CRIMINAL POLICIES TEND TO BE AIMED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AT MORE 'REGULAR' TYPES OF CRIMES, SUCH AS LARCENY, BANK ROBBERY, AND RAPE, RATHER THAN AT THE DETECTION AND PROSECUTION OF INDUSTRIAL EXPLOITATION OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, PRICE FIXING, POLITICAL CORRUPTION, AND DOUBLE TAXATION. THIS SITUATION IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT CERTAIN WIDELY RECOGNIZED INSTITUTIONS, SUCH AS DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY, PROMOTE TOLERANCE OF THESE 'IMMUNIZED' OFFENSES AS WELL AS A GENERAL RELUCTANCE ON THE PART OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH THEM. THE NEED FOR INCREASED RESEARCH ON MEASURES FOR PREVENTING AND DETERRING THESE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL OFFENSES AND FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION ON THEIR EXTENT AND NATURE IS DISCUSSED. --IN FRENCH...ELW