NCJ Number
152133
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 27 Issue: 2 Dated: (September 1994) Pages: 160-171
Date Published
1994
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This article argues that interdisciplinary difficulties between police and lawyers in Australia's National Crime Authority (NCA) have not been as debilitating as recently portrayed by Dr. Chris Corns.
Abstract
Dr. Corns presents three arguments in his article. The first is that the working relationship between law enforcement personnel within an organization is a significant, though hidden, factor in the capacity of agencies, such as the NCA, to perform their basic functions. His second argument is that where interdisciplinary difficulties between lawyers and police have arisen within the NCA, the source of the problem is not so much personal attitudes by individuals but rather a structural or inherent tension between competing ideologies. Third, Dr. Corns perceives that a number of legislative problems have arisen from the legal position of police officers serving the NCA. This article counters that any difficulties between police and lawyers in the NCA has been due mostly to personal differences rather than the competing ideologies of the two groups. Further, the results achieved by the NCA and similar organizations that have lawyer-led teams do not support claims of "structural" or "inherent" tension between competing ideologies. Also, despite assertions to the contrary, most police find working at the NCA to be a professionally rewarding experience. 7 references