Criminal Law and Procedure

Criminal Cases Review Commission

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is the government body which investigates suspected miscarriages of justice in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its website provides information on the purpose and organisation of the body as well as its ongoing work. The site includes case studies concerning successful CCRC investigations, statistics about case reviews, academic research papers, details of current research projects and  information about how to apply for a case review.

Death Penalty Information Center

Website of the Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC), a non-profit organisation providing analysis and information on issues concerning capital punishment. The Center was founded in 1990 and prepares in-depth reports, fact sheets, resources, statistics and press releases on the death penalty. Subjects covered include, clemency, innocence, juveniles, mental illness, race and women. A state-by-state database provides information on whether individual states have the death penalty, the number of people on death row and the number of executions since 1976.

Crown Prosecution Service

Website of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) the "Government Department responsible for prosecuting criminal cases investigated by the police in England and Wales." The site contains background information about the CPS including its history and role. There are pages aimed at victims of crime, contact details of local offices and press releases. The site also gives legal guidance for prosecutors and caseworkers covering the various types of offences, witnesses, case preparation, appeals, trial issues and sentencing.

Juvenile death penalty today: death sentences and executions for juvenile crimes January 1, 1973- February 28, 2005

Electronic version of a report on the juvenile death penalty in the United States written by Victor L. Streib who is Professor of Law at the Claude W. Pettit College of Law at the Ohio Northern University. The report is made freely available in full-text (PDF) on the Ohio Northern University Website. The report provides statistics, background, legal context and historical information. It looks at death sentences imposed throughout the 1973- 2003 period focusing on juvenile executions in the states of Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia.

Eurojust

Eurojust was established in 2002 by the European Union. It seeks to faciliate cooperation between the EU member states in investigating and prosecuting serious cross-border crime. Its website provides information on the role, structure and activities of Eurojust. Official documents are available, including the Decision establishing Eurojust and its rules of procedure. The site also provides press releases and Eurojust's annual reports from 2001 onwards.

Open Society Justice Initiative

The Open Society Justice Initiative is a programme of the Open Society Institute, a private foundation established by the philanthropist George Soros in 1993. It is concerned with the promotion of law reform, the protection human rights and the development of international law. The site gives details of current and past activities, covering areas such as national criminal justice reform, international justice, freedom of information and expression, equality and citizenship, anti-corruption and development of legal capacity.

Justice and Home Affairs Council

The Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) brings together justice and interior ministers from the EU member states to make collective decisions on justice and home affairs policy; it is one of the configurations of the Council of the European Union. This page of the Council of the European Union's website introduces the JHA and provides links to information about important current policy areas. Dates of forthcoming meetings are also listed.

Sentencing Council

The Sentencing Council website provides information on the work of the  Sentencing Council for England and Wales. This body "promotes greater consistency in sentencing, whilst maintaining the independence of the judiciary". There is information on sentencing guidelines, the Sentencing Code and how sentencing works. There is also guidance on going to court and the sentences handed down for common offences. 

 

Shipman Inquiry

The Shipman Inquiry was an independent public inquiry that began work in February 2001 under the chairmanship of Dame Janet Smith DBE. The Inquiry looked into the deaths of former patients of Harold Shipman and examined the systems and procedures in place. The website provides background information and documentation from the case, as well as details of the Inquiry team, ministerial statements and terms of reference. The site has transcripts of procedural meetings, witness statements, all the Inquiry reports and other documents.

Swedish Ministry of Justice

Official website of the Swedish Ministry of Justice, the government department responsible for legislation concerning the constitution, general administrative law, civil law, procedural law, criminal law, migration and asylum policy. The site has profiles of ministers, news items and publications on the Swedish judicial system.

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