NCJ Number
162948
Editor(s)
O N I Ebbe
Date Published
1996
Length
234 pages
Annotation
These 12 articles describe the criminal justice systems of various countries and compare and contrast effective systems with those proven less than adequate.
Abstract
The volume begins with an analysis of the nature of comparative and international criminal justice, with emphasis on the reasons for studying comparative criminal justice systems given the reality of differences in customs, traditions, standards, values, and criminal law across cultures. The second section focuses on the criminal justice systems of the United States, Denmark, and the United Kingdom; the third section, the systems of Nigeria and Sierra Leone in Africa; and the final section, the Asian countries of China and Japan. These begin with chapters dealing with complete criminal justice systems, followed by chapters dealing with an agency of the system being discussed. The discussions focus on the similarities between European laws and law in the United States, the influence of English law on African countries, and the common cultural beliefs and standards in African and Asian countries. The use of village councils and lay judges in the African and Asian criminal justice systems, their holding of entire communities or villages responsible for the crimes committed within a community or by village members, and the dual systems of formal and informal criminal justice are highlighted. Tables, chapter notes, chapter discussion questions, glossary, index, and approximately 400 references