NCJ Number
83362
Date Published
1976
Length
17 pages
Annotation
International innovations are briefly reviewed for victim compensation, sentencing, plea bargaining, trial system modernization, legal aid services in developing countries, small claims litigation, multilingual proceedings, juvenile justice, and court administration.
Abstract
Basic elements of victim compensation are outlined for New Zealand, the pioneer; Britain; Northern Ireland; Western Australia; and Ontario, Canada. In the area of sentencing, the Hon. Harold Greene, World Chairman of the World Association of Judges, Trial Division, reports on a study designed to determine what factors most strongly influence judges in imposing sentence. Problems encountered in implementing plea bargaining agreements in actual court dispositions are cited from various countries, and the modernization of trial systems is described for the United Arab Emirates and the East Central State of Nigeria. The provision of legal aid services is described for Algeria and Colombia, while reforms in small claims litigation are recounted for Puerto Rico and Ontario, Canada. The provision of multilingual proceedings for non-English speaking defendants is described for the United States and Quebec, Canada. Changes in juvenile justice legislation are considered for the United States, Great Britain, and Scotland, and United States reforms in court management are briefly mentioned.