Official Inquiry, Truth and Criminal Justice (From Crime, Truth and Justice: Official Inquiry, Discourse, Knowledge, P 11-25, 2004, George Gilligan and John Pratt, eds., -- See NCJ-204857)

• NCJ Number: 204858
• Author(s): George Gilligan
• Date Published: 2004
• Length: 15 pages
• Sale Source: Willan Publishing
• Publication Format: Book (Hardbound)
• Publication Type: Collected Work
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter provides an introduction to an edited text that explores the linkages between official inquiry, representations of truth, and the governance of the criminal justice system.

Abstract

Almost 25 years have passed since scholars first took up the study of official discourse, yet few studies within the field of criminal justice have examined how official inquiry within the justice system shapes what is regarded as truth, which in turn shapes how justice is approached within societies. Considering the magnitude of issues dealt with in the criminal justice system, which has the ability to deprive people of their individual liberties and freedom, and even their lives in some countries, it is crucial that critical analysis be made of how official inquiry and official representations of truth shape the structure and functioning of criminal justice systems. The author introduces the text and discusses his own research regarding Royal Commissions of Inquiry (RCI) as a type of official inquiry. Intrinsic flexibility is built into RCI’s in order to facilitate cooperation between various agencies and levels of government, which will lend them continuing popularity. However, the author questions the effectiveness of RCI’s as a mode of official inquiry. Research indicate that RCI’s are deeply ambiguous, however, they have enormous capacity to gather information for public forums. As such, it seems that the official inquiry provided by an RCI may indeed provide a platform to attack official versions of the truth. Subversive inquiries, such as RCI’s, are rare. Most official inquiries serve to legitimate the role of governments or state agencies and provide evidence of the official truth. In fact, when the reputation of a societal structure or process is threatened, state agents often activate official inquiry processes in order to legitimate the official version of truth and restore social harmony. All the chapters in this text seek to answer, in their own ways, how truth is discovered, socially constructed, and disseminated within the context of official discourse. Notes, references