NCJ Number
212003
Date Published
2005
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article outlines research findings on the characteristics of economic crime in the Czech Republic and the legal regulations governing prosecution of economic crime.
Abstract
Economic crime in the Czech Republic has grown enormously during the past few years. The current research on the phenomenon of economic crime in the Czech Republic and on the legal sanctions against such crimes was undertaken between 2000 and 2003 and involved an examination of police and judicial statistics, questionnaire and interview data from legal staff and selected experts, and relevant legal standards related to the control and sanction of economic crimes. The findings indicate that economic crime in the Czech Republic has had a significant social and economic impact on the internal stability of the state. The most important legal provisions governing economic crime were found in the 1989 post-November changes in the law that eliminated the distinctions between individual types of ownership. The tolerance toward economic crime exhibited by citizens belies the harm it causes to society; this tolerance is also evident in the high rate of recidivism among economic crime offenders who often take advantage of loopholes in the law to carry out their illegal activities. In closing, the authors note the complexities involved in prosecuting economic crimes and wonder whether changes on the criminal liability of legal entities will simplify the prosecution process.