Newsletter for April

Download Nordisk Kriminologi in.pdf  (for printing)

Denna månad har vi med ett meddelande från Köpenhamns universitet,
vänliga hälsningar, 
Ásta Stefánsdóttir

Nyt forskningscenter oprettet - Centre for International Law and Justice, CILJ
Ved Det Juridiske Fakultet i København er der oprettet et nyt forskningscenter, Centre for International Law and Justice, CILJ. Centret ledes af lektor, ph.d. Anders Henriksen og en styregruppe bestående af adjunkt, ph.d.-Amnon Lev, adjunkt, ph.d., Iryna Marchuk og professor Jørn Vestergaard. Ansøgningen om oprettelsen af CILJ er blevet bedømt af et udvalg bestående af professor Iain Cameron, Uppsala, professor Martin Scheinin, Firenze, og professor Raimo Lahti, Helsingfors.

Uddrag af centrets formålsbeskrivelse/excerpt of the centre's mission statement:

Centre for studies in International Law and Justice (CILJ)
The ambition of the research centre CILJ is to be a forum where researchers from various disciplines – international criminal law, humanitarian law, human rights, political science, military studies and philosophy – can meet and discuss contemporary developments in the dynamic field of international law with the practitioners and policymakers that help to shape the rules and practices of the international community today. The centre proposes to focus its research activities within the following three fields of inquiry.

a) International justice
The centre shall deal with the latest developments and intricacies in the increasingly important field of international criminal justice which has been sustained by the work of international criminal courts and tribunals over the past two decades. Over the past three years, several of prospective members of the centre have been actively engaged in the research group “European and International Criminal Law” (EICRIM) of the Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen. EICRIM will be integrated into CILJ.

Among the subjects that the centre shall consider are:
·        contemporary developments within the field of international, Transitional and European justice and adjudication of international and transnational crimes in national jurisdictions;
·        impact of European and international justice upon contemporary political processes and vice versa;
·        problematic legal issues of substantive and procedural character arising in the work of international criminal courts as well as national jurisdictions;
·        the convergence of and cooperation between major world legal systems in shaping the body of international criminal law.

b) Humanitarianism, Human Rights and Security: in search of a new paradigm
The centre shall address the latest developments in international law, as they relate to the endeavour to promote humanitarian objectives. International legal theory of the last ten years has been almost exclusively concerned with the questions of the use of force and the curtailment of individual rights in the war against terror. The centre shall open up this focus to include co-operation between states and between states and supranational/international organizations in the efforts to promote humanitarian objectives.

Among the questions that the centre shall consider are:
·        How do human rights law and international politics shape the rules governing the use of force in international law?
·        What is the meaning of ideals of democracy, citizenship and sovereignty in the context of international humanitarian law?
·        What are the limits of the responsibility to protect civilians of the international community?
·        How is human rights law being transformed by the globalization of law?   

c) Transformations of international order
The centre shall map and analyse various aspects of this development as it relates to three issues: 1) the regionalization of the international legal system through the rise to emergence of new power, the group of countries commonly referred to as the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China). The centre will analyse the impact of this regionalization on the content of the law and on the way, in which state and non-state agents act on the international legal arena. 2) The increasing interest in a number of universal domains (outer space, the high seas, air space and cyberspace), the so-called global commons, which implicates both economic and sustainability concerns. The centre will map the interaction of norms and strategic interests governing the emerging international regulation of these common domains and seek to determine the direction of this centripetal movement that off-sets the regionalization of international legal order. 3) The facilitative and/or constraining effect which the rising prominence of the emerging powers has on the efforts to find collective solutions to the management of the global commons. The centre shall analyse how the shifting balance of geopolitical power is reflected in the design and implementation of developmental agendas with a special focus on the role of China in changing the nature of development aid.

Among the subjects that the centre shall consider are:
·        the regionalization of the international legal system;
·        global commons;
·        the nexus of development aid and the shifting of geopolitical power
·        the strategic use of international law (lawfare).

Förslag till kriminalisering av förberedelse till vissa av de allvarligaste brotten har blivit klart
Justitieministeriets arbetsgrupp föreslår att det till strafflagen fogas bestämmelser om straffbarhet för förberedelse till vissa av de grövsta brotten. Enligt förslaget ska förberedelse till brotten mot liv, grov misshandel, tagande av gisslan och grovt rån kriminaliseras. Även avtal om begående av dessa brott ska enligt förslaget vara straffbara som förberedelse.
Läs mer.

Straffbarheten av penningtvättsbrott utvidgas vid ingången av maj
Straffbarheten av penningtvättsbrott utvidgas så att en person i de grövsta fallen kan dömas för penningtvätt även när personen tvättar tillgångar som han eller hon har fått genom sitt eget brott. Hittills har den som varit delaktig i förbrottet, t.ex. i ett narkotikabrott, inte dömts för penningtvätt, eftersom det har ansetts att penningtvätten redan har beaktats i straffskalan för för brottet.

Förverkande av vinning av brott ska effektiveras inom EU:s hela område
Statsrådet har översänt till riksdagen det förslag till ett nytt direktiv om frysning och förverkande av vinning av brott som Europeiska kommissionen lade fram i mars.

Syftet är att skapa bättre möjligheter för myndigheterna i medlemsstaterna att spåra tillgångar som fåtts genom gränsöverskridande och allvarlig brottslighet samt att döma dessa förverkade till staten. Förverkande av brottsnyttan är ett centralt medel inom EU för att bekämpa organiserad brottslighet.

EU-länderna ska effektivisera förfarandet för överenskommelse om forumet i brottmål
Åtgärder som syftar till att förhindra parallella straffrättsliga förfaranden ska effektiviseras mellan EU-medlemsstaterna. Medlemsstaterna ska ha skyldighet att samråda med varandra om det lämpligaste forumet i brottmål, om det finns skäl att anta att det samtidigt pågår parallella straffrättsliga förfaranden avseende samma sakförhållanden och samma person i två eller flera medlemsstater. Sådana situationer kan uppstå till exempel vid omfattande, gränsöverskridande brottmål som gäller ekonomiska brott eller narkotikabrott.

Enligt grundprincipen inom den internationella straffrätten får den som är misstänkt för brott inte åtalas mer än en gång för samma brott. Strävan är att genom reformen främja iakttagandet av denna princip.

Arbetsgrupp bereder genomförandet av EU:s direktiv som gäller besöksförbud
Justitieministeriet har tillsatt en arbetsgrupp för att bereda genomförandet av direktivet som gäller den så kallade europeiska skyddsordern. Det nya direktivet som antogs i fjol möjliggör ömsesidigt erkännande av nationella besöksförbud mellan EU-länderna.

Arbetsgruppens förslag ska vara klart före utgången av januari 2013. Medlemsstaterna ska nationellt genomföra direktivet före den 11 januari 2015.

Mer om projektet.

Arbetsgrupp föreslår att förföljelse kriminaliseras och att bestämmelserna om yttrandefrihetsbrott lindras
Justitieministeriets arbetsgrupp föreslår att bestämmelserna om yttrandefrihetsbrott ändras så de kan tillämpas i linje med Europeiska människorättsdomstolens rättspraxis. Arbetsgruppen föreslår ytterligare att skyddet för personer som blivit föremål för förföljelse och personer som blivit störda via kommunikationsmedier förbättras.

Straffen för spridande av information som kränker privatlivet och ärekränkning ska lindras
Läs mer.

Arbetsgrupp bereder utvidgande av kontroll av brottslig bakgrund till frivilligverksamhet
Justitieministeriet har tillsatt en arbetsgrupp för att bereda utvidgandet av förfarandet för kontroll av brottslig bakgrund till att omfatta även sådan frivilligverksamhet som innefattar kontakter med barn. Arbetsgruppen ska utreda om ett utdrag om brottslig bakgrund skulle kunna krävas även av personer som söker sig till frivilligarbete till exempel vid idrottsföreningar och organisationer.

Arbetsgruppen ska vara klar med förslaget före utgången av januari 2013. Mer om projektet.

Vittnen som hörs per telefon eller genom videokonferens föreslås få rätt till ersättning
Det föreslås att också ett vittne som hörts vid en rättegång per telefon eller genom videokonferens ska ha rätt till ersättning av statens medel för kostnader för resa och uppehälle samt för ekonomisk förlust. Enligt den gällande lagen betalas ersättning till ett vittne som infinner sig i domstolen.

Seminar organised by How to Rule the Economy –project of the Finnish Academy and OYY:
Recovering Regulation from Neo-Liberalism: reinvigorating social protection against corporate crime and harm

Internationally renowned researchers discuss recent developments and future possibilities of economic regulation at the University of Turku, Law Faculty on Tuesday 15th May. Seminar is free of charge. Registration until 11th of May.

Programme and further information

Poliisin tietoon tullut korruptiorikollisuus Suomessa 2007–2010.
Seurantamenetelmän kehittäminen ja rikosepäilyjen ominaispiirteet
Anna Leppänen & Vesa Muttilainen
Poliisiammattikorkeakoulun raportteja 100.
(En rapport om korruption i Finland 2007-2010)
Abstract på engelska

The Robustness of Self-Control as a Predictor of Recidivism
Janne Kivivuori & Henrik Linderborg & Sasu Tyni & Mikko Aaltonen
NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF LEGAL POLICY, Research Brief 25/2012
Gå till rapporten.

Avhandlingar:

Taparikollisuuden kulttuuriset ja rakenteelliset ulottuvuudet: Huumeiden käyttäjien ja poliisin tulkinnat taparikollisuudesta.
Kekki, Tuula
University of Helsinki, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Studies
Doctoral dissertation (article-based)

The target group of this study consists of those regular drug users whose various types of recurring offences point to habitual crime. I approach motives behind and attitudes linked to crime as reflections of the lifestyle, values and self-identification of the offenders. Another focus is in police discretion as well as in how the police perceive the role of drug enforcement. The research material was gathered through interviews with police officers and drug users, through a survey made at Tampere Police Department, as well as using three different records of investigation and preliminary investigation files.

Talousrikos Venäjällä : Oikeusvertaileva tutkimus yritystoiminnan talousrikosten rangaistavuuden alasta historiallisessa ja yhteiskunnallisessa kontekstissa Venäjällä ja Suomessa
Koistinen, Jarmo
University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law
Doctoral dissertation (monograph)

The main aim of the study is to explore the similarities and differences of criminal liability for economic offences which arises from the constituent elements of a crime as set by Russian and Finnish criminal law. As regards the classification of Russian and Finnish criminal law into different legal families, a systematic comparative analysis was designed to take into account the differing social and historical contexts of the legal systems to be compared.

Human Rights and Violence: the Hope and the Fear of the Liberal World
Petman, Jarna
University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law, Public International Law
The Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights and Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in the Foundations of European Law and Polity Research

Doctoral dissertation (monograph)
This thesis will offer a critical, albeit sympathetic, exploration of the conditions for and possibilities of practising and enforcing human rights with violence, if need be in a conceptual and professional world steeped in ambivalence. Because there can be no general solution to conflicts in which equal and yet different claims compete against each other, the thesis will argue, those who are in positions of power to decide are fundamentally at a loss and therefore fundamentally responsible. The crucial question is not whether we can remain certain that we are right, but whether we can remain responsible for the justice of our causes. This is where the hope and the fear of the liberal world reside.

Anmälning om forsknings- och utvecklingsanslag i brottspåföljdsbranschen (i Finland)
Det strategiska målet för brottspåföljdssektorn är att reducera antalet fångar och återfallsbrottslingar och att övergå från slutna fängelser till öppna påföljder. Tyngdpunkten i verksamheten ska förskjutas från anstaltspåföljder till samhällspåföljder och från slutna fängelser till öppna anstalter. Övervakad frihet på prov ska i högre grad tillämpas. Kontaktarbetet ska spela en större roll i anstaltsverksamheten.

Under 2012 finansieras särskilt forsknings- och utvecklingsprojekt kring:

• effekten av straffverkställighet
• frågor relaterade till den numerära utvecklingen och fängelseaktiviteterna hos specifika fånggrupper (häktade, utländska fångar, kvinnliga fångar, långtidsfångar m.m.), och
• återanpassning av de dömda i samhället.

Ansökningar om finansiering ska lämnas in senast den 1 juni 2012.

Kriminologiske og kriminalpolitiske nyheder fra Grønland af kontaktsekretær Avijaja Albrechtsen

Alkohol
Alkoholforbruget er fortsat nedadgående. I 2011 faldt forbruget med 5,7% i forhold til 2010.
Læs mere på Sermitsiaqs hjemmeside.

Arbejdsledighed
I februar 2012 blev der registreret 3258 ledige i hele Grønland. Bekæmpelsen af arbejdsløshed bliver et af de store emner i Inatsisartuts forårssamling. Fokus bliver lagt på de manglende praktikpladser i især byggebranchen, der skaber mangel på lokale uddannede håndværkere, mens der tilkaldes mange udefrakommende.
Læs mere i artiklen på KNRs hjemmeside.

Det Grønlandske Hus
Den 24. april 2012 afholdte Det Grønlandske Hus i Ålborg, Danmark temadag med temaet: Socialt udsatte grønlandske børn, unge og familier. Der var plads til 60 fremmødte og fuldt hus.
Læs mere på Sermitsiaqs hjemmeside.

Inatsisartut
Den årlige forårssamling i Inatsisartut startede den 13. april 2012. Man regner ikke med at debatterne ender ud med nye love, men at der kommer gang i en redegørelsesdebat for de kommende reformer. 
Læs mere på Inatsisartuts hjemmeside.

Kriminalforsorgen
Den unge mand der er sigtet for i januar 2012 at dræbe en mormor, en datter og et barnebarn i bygden Nutaarmiut er sendt til mentalobservation i Danmark.
Læs mere på Sermitsiaqs hjemmeside.

Retten i Grønland
De omtalte kartelsager om byggefirmaer, der aftalte hvilket firma der skulle komme med bedste bud i licitationer fik den 4. april 2012 afsagt dom i den første kartelsag i Grønland nogensinde. De tre byggefirmaer fik hver bøder under 1 million og en ½ million kr. Læs mere om dommen på KNRs hjemmeside.

To af de værnepligtige der  i sommeren 2011 var i tjeneste på det danske kongeskib Dannebrog, var sigtet for voldtægt mod en kvinde i Nuuk. De to mænd blev kendt skyldige i den endelige dom, der blev afsagt den 24. april 2012. De blev idømt anstaltsanbringelse i 1½ år og skulle betale 70.000 kr. i tort.
Læs mere på Sermitsiaqs hjemmeside.

Sundhedsvæsenet
Patientklagenævnes modtagelse af klager er stigende. Det er ikke kun sprogbarrierer der bliver klaget over, men også at patienterne ikke føler sig hørt.
Læs artiklen på KNRs hjemmeside.

Udenrigsministeriet
Den danske udenrigsminister bekræfter overfor KNR at der er en dialog i gang med den canadiske udenrigsminister om retten til Hans Ø. Øen er ubeboelig og lille men kan have stor betydning for retten til råstoffer i området.
Læs artiklen på KNRs hjemmeside.

Vold
Afdelingschefen i Kommuneqarfik Sermersooqs Børne- og Familieafdeling melder ud at de stigende anmeldelser om vold børn og unge imellem ikke kommer bag på ham. Disse børn og unge er ofte omsorgssvigtede og kommer ud med deres frustrationer ved at slå jævnaldrende, og episoderne bliver voldsommere.
Læs mere i artiklen på KNRs hjemmeside. 

The former Prime Minister acquitted and convicted
The high Court (Landsdómur) acquitted the former Prime Minister in three out of four items on 23 april. Nine judges out of 15 convicted him without punishment for not having fulfilled his obligations according to the 17th article of the Constitution of the Republic of Iceland. The majority opinion is that the former Minister did not hold cabinet meetings on important matters in the lead-up to the economic collapse. The verdict states that even though it has been practiced for years that chairpersons of political parties informally consult with each other on affairs concerning the coalition, such consultancy cannot relieve the prime minister from the obligation stated in the 17th article of the constitution.

Landsdómur concluded that it constituted major recklessness not to have discussed the aforementioned matters at cabinet meetings. The majority opinion states that when the former Minister became aware of the risk to which the Icelandic banks were exposed, which could jeopardize financial stability in the country and thus the position of the state treasury, the former Minister should have realized that it had to be immediately investigated whether this information was true. Information on impending danger which the former Minister knew about, or was bound to know about, should have been reason for him as prime minister to discuss it at a cabinet meeting, if not immediately then as soon as possible.

The former Minister told the media that he was not satisfied with the verdict and pointed out that the verdict is ridiculous and absolutely laughable. He also stated that the trial had been political rather than pure legal.

Survey: Attitude toward the police 
The Icelandic Metropolitan Police recently published a survey about attitude toward the police and experience of crimes. The survey was conducted in the summer 2011. The response rate was 50.5 percent. This is the first time that data is collected in two ways (phone and Internet), and should be noted when reading the results, since previous studies have only been conducted over the phone. The main results are following:

Almost 85 percent of the respondents believed that the police in their neighbourhood deliver generally good works to prevent crimes which is six percentage points lower compared to the previous survey.

About 63 percent believed they have a good access to the police in their neighbourhood. In a previous survey the number was around 70 percent.

The participants were asked what type of crime they believed were the main problem in their neighbourhood. Almost 44 percent named a burglary, which is significantly lower than in the previous survey. Nearly 20 percent named a traffic offence, 14 percent named property damages and other named drugs as the greatest problem in their neighbourhood.

The vast majority of the participants, or over 88 percent, believed they are very or fairly safe when walking alone at night in their neighbourhood. Slightly fewer felt safer in the year 2011 compared to the previous survey.

About 60 percent of the respondents said they were insecure or very insecure when they are walking alone in the city centre after it gets dark.  The proportion is slightly lower compared in 2010.

More than 48 percent of the respondents believed they had not been in such circumstances that they would likely have become a victim of crime in 2010 which is a lower rate than in the previous year. Of the 52 percent of those who said they had been in such situations, 51 percent mentioned that they fear mostly to become a victim of burglary which is a reduction from the previous survey.

Approx. 19 percent of the respondents who had experienced offense in 2010 named property damage. About 12 percent mentioned a robbery / theft, and nearly four percent mentioned violence offense.

More than 59 percent of those who had been a victim of burglary or theft, reported it to the police, while almost 36 percent of those who had been a victim of property damage. 36 percent of those who had been a victim of violence offense reported it to the police in which is the lowest proportion since the police started to measure it by using a survey.

Overall, almost a third of the respondents contacted the police for any reason in 2010.

Government agreement and budgets on project to protect against sexual abuse
Three ministers signed three years agreement concerning child sexual abuse. This agreement is according to the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. Iceland has been the member of the agreement since 2008.

At the suggestion of the Government, Althingi (the Icelandic Parliament) accepted 25 million budgets on projects to prevent sexual abuse this year and it is expected to spend 16 million a year over the next two years to increase awareness of the subject following an approval from the Parliament. After that, the success of the project will be evaluated and continued determined.

New bills
The Minister of Interior submitted an amendment on the Police Act No. 90/1996 to Althingi in last month. The aim is to reduce the numbers of Police administrative areas in Iceland. The Minister also submitted a new bill to Althingi to reduce the numbers of district magistrates from 13 down to 8.

Kriminologiske og kriminalpolitiske nyheter fra Norge av kontaktsekretær Per Jørgen Ystehede

Norsk politi hentet jødene
Mange norske politifolk slapp ustraffet unna sin deltakelse i utryddelsen av de norske jødene. - Nå må tida være moden for å få luftet ut i politiet, sier Per Ole Johansen.
Se: http://www.dagbladet.no/2012/04/05/nyheter/nazismen/nazi_and_germany/nazi-leder/20999813/

Forbud mot spill gir samfunnsgevinst
Forbudet mot spilleautomater i 2007 har redusert omfanget av pengespill blant norske ungdommer konkluderer Marianne Bang Hansen i sin doktoravhandling.
Se: http://www.sirus.no/Forbud+mot+spill+gir+samfunnsgevinst.d25-SMRrQXh.ips

Indirekte megling og straffedømte meglere?
Et halvt år er gått siden daværende justisminister Storberget fikk overrakt rapporten "Økt bruk av konfliktråd" som inneholdt forslag for at konfliktrådet skal bli mer brukt. Ved juletider ble forslagene sendt ut på høring - med frist nå i april. Sekretariatet for konfliktrådene (Sfk) er positiv til de fleste forslagene i rapporten, og gir honnør til rapporten både fordi den er nytenkende og vil åpne for utvikling av konfliktrådsfeltet. Men naturlig nok så er det ikke alle forslag som "kjøpes" slik det står.
Se: http://www.konfliktraadet.no/no/Blogg/My-Blog/?userId=53&entryId=3697

Siste stopp på veien ut
Det blir stadig flere utenlandske statsborgere som straffedømmes og soner i norske fengsler. I Oslo fengsel har de en egen avdeling. På Ullersmo skal det etableres en til.
Se: http://www.aktuell.no/NFF-magasinet/article6032355.ece

Prosjekt "Ut av tåka" - hasjavvenning
I slutten av mars startet Oslo-prosjektet "Ut av tåka", som er et kurs i hasjavvenning. Kurset er et samarbeid mellom Uteseksjonen, Velferdsetaten, sju bydeler samt Barne- og familieetaten.

Partnerdrap er et maskulint fenomen
Det er først og fremst menns behov for kontroll som fører til partnerdrap, viser ny studie.
Se: http://www.jus.uio.no/ikrs/forskning/aktuelle-saker/2012/partnervold.html

The 2nd Oslo International Symposium on Capital Punishment
More and more countries have abolished the death penalty. Still, a minority retains an active death penalty practice. What characterizes these retentionist countries internally, regionally and transnationally that may explain why they maintain the death penalty as a form of punishment and strategy of governance?
Key note speakers: David Garland, Daniel Botsman and Tariq Ramadan (tbc)
Se: http://www.jus.uio.no/ikrs/english/about/events/oslo-symposium-capital-punishment.html