Criminal justice policies in Commonwealth Africa: trends and prospects
Year: 2000
Type: article
Abstract: This article provides an overview of criminal justice policies adopted in Commonwealth Africa during the last 40 years. It shows that, far from attempting to devise policies appropriate to the needs of a developing contemporary African state, governments have pursued the same policies as their colonial predecessors, based on retribution and general deterrence. The criminal law has been used to secure social and economic objectives and concern about crime levels has led to an erosion of a defendant's rights and the introduction of increasingly harsh punishments. Prospects for the future are gloomy, particularly in states where definitions of criminality are contested.
Source: Journal of African Law
Author: Simon Coldham
Language: English
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2030867422