Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In 2002 the South African Law Commission published a report in which amendments to the existing rules of criminal procedure and evidence were proposed. A number of these recommendations have since been included in a Bill that was tabled before Parliament in 2003. The proposed amendments largely reflect values which underlie the "Victims' Rights" movement. The aim of this thesis is to consider the possible influence of these amendments on the constitutionally guaranteed fair trial rights of the accused. The study focuses on those amendments that play a role in the prosecution of alleged sexual offences against children, and shows that although the recognition of victims' rights is important, it should not be done at the expense of a fair trial. Dangers inherent to the proposed amendments are therefore highlighted. The rights of the accused are used to test the desirability or not of the proposed amendments. Foreign authority is used to support the argument made in the thesis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In 2002 het die Suid-Afrikaanse Regskommissie 'n verslag gepubliseer waann veranderings aan die huidige strafprosesreg- en bewysregreëls voorgestel word. 'n Aantal van hierdie voorgestelde wysigings is intussen opgeneem in 'n Wetsontwerp wat in Augustus 2003 voor die Parlement gedien het. Die voorgestelde wysigings reflekteer tot 'n groot mate waardes wat die "Victims' rights" beweging onderlê. Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die moontlike invloed van hierdie wysigings op die grondwetlik verskanste billike verhoor regte van die beskuldigde te ondersoek. Die ondersoek fokus op daardie veranderinge wat 'n rol speel in die vervolging van beweerde geslagsmisdade teen kinders. Daar word aangetoon dat alhoewel die erkenning van regte vir slagoffers belangrik is, dit nie ten koste van 'n regverdige verhoor gedoen kan word nie. Gevare verbonde aan die voorgestelde wysigings word dus uitgewys. Die regte van die beskuldigde word deurgaans gebruik om die wenslikheid al dan nie van die voorgestelde wysigings aan te toon. Buitelandse gesag word aangewend om die betoog te ondersteun.

Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is concerned with children and youths in conflict with the law, who are additionally at risk of becoming or being in need of care. The study eventuated from concern for neglected children and youths from poor, disadvantaged and violent communities in the Western Cape Province, who inevitably lapsed into crime. Child and youth care, including juvenile justice, in South Africa is presently in a process of transformation, managed by the inter-ministerial committee on young people at risk. As an outcome of the transformation of the juvenile justice system, assessment centres were established at juvenile courts. Probation officers were appointed in terms of the Probation Services Act (Act 116 of 1991) to assess arrested children and youths before their first court appearance in view of a suitable awaiting trial placement and possible diversion of the criminal case. The researcher investigated how arrested children and youths, being in need of care, are managed within the criminal justice system. The research study showed that in spite of the implementation of policies and legislation to protect children and youths from detention in prison, the number of children and youths in prisons awaiting trial have steadily increased. A continuous shortage of vacancies in awaiting trial places of safety exists. It has further been established that professionals such as magistrates, prosecutors and probation officers recognize the needs of arrested children and youths who are additionally at risk of being or becoming in need of care. Factors such as the existing lack of vacancies in awaiting trial places of safety however result in children and youths not being protected in terms of care in all instances. The research study also indicated that arrested children and youths who are current subjects of the Child Care Act (Act 74 of 1983) as amended are often not effectively managed within the criminal justice system. A lack of sufficient knowledge of the said Child Care Act by especially prosecutors appears to be a contributing factor. A comprehensive criminal justice system for children and youths in South Africa is being envisaged, as contained in the draft Bill (Bill B), which will enable individualized but holistic services in respect of children and youths in conflict with the law. The role and tasks of probation officers carrying out assessments have as such become a key element in the management of arrested children and youths, as contained in the draft Bill (Bill B). Probation officers therefore playa significant role in advising the court regarding the appropriate management of arrested children and youths who are at risk of becoming or being in need of care. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het betrekking op kinders en jeudiges in botsing met die gereg, wat bykomend in gevaar is om sorgbehoewend te raak of sorgbehoewend is. Die studie het voortgevloei uit besorgdheid oor verwaarloosde kinders en jeugdiges van arm, agtergeblewe en geweldadige gemeenskappe in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie, wie noodwendig in misdaad verval het. Kinder- en jeugsorg, insluitend jeugreg in Suid-Afrika is tans in 'n proses van transformasie, wat deur die inter-ministeriële komitee vir jong persone in gevaar, bestuur word. As 'n uitkoms van die transformasie van die jeugregsisteem, is asseseringsentrums by jeughowe tot stand gebring. Proefbeamptes is in terme van die Wet op Proefdienste (Wet 116 van 1991) aangestel om gearresteerde kinders en jeugdiges te asseseer voor hulle eerste hofverskyning in die lig van 'n geskikte aanhouding terwyl verhoofafwagtend en moontlike afwending van die kriminele saak. Die navorser het ondersoek ingestel na die wyse waarop gearresteerde kinders en jeugdiges wat sorgbehoewend is, binne die kriminele jeugregstelsel hanteer word. Die navorsingstudie het getoon dat ten spyte van die implementering van beleid en wetgewing om kinders en jeugdiges van aanhouding in gevangenisse te beskerm, die hoeveelheid kinders en jeugdiges verhoorafwagtend in gevangenisse voortdurend toegeneem het. 'n Deurlopende tekort aan vakatures in plekke van veiligheid kom voor. Dit is verder vasgestel dat die behoeftes van gearresteerde kinders en jeugdiges wat bykomend in gevaar is om sorgbehoewend te raak of sorgbehoewend is, deur professionele persone soos landdroste, aanklaers en proefbeamptes erken word. Faktore soos die bestaande tekort aan vakatures in plekke van veiligheid veroorsaak egter dat kinders en jeugdiges nie ten alle tye beskerm word nie. Die navorsingstudie het ook aangedui dat gearresteerde kinders en jeugdiges wat steeds onderhewig is aan die Wet op Kindersorg (Wet 74 van 1983) soos gewysig dikwels nie doeltreffend binne die kriminele jeugregsisteem hanteer word nie. Gebrek aan voldoende kennis van die genoemde Wet op Kindersog deur veral aanklaers, blyk 'n bydraende faktor te wees. 'n Omvattende kriminele jeugregsisteem vir kinders en jeugdiges in Suid-Afrika word beoog, soos vervat in die konsep Wetsontwerp (Wetsontwerp B), wat die geleentheid vir individuele maar holistiese dienste ten opsigte van kinders en jeugdiges in botsing met die gereg sal bied. Die rol en take van proefbeamptes wat assesserings uitvoer het as sulks 'n sleutel element geword in die hantering van gearresteerde kinders en jeugdiges, soos vervat in die konsep Wetsontwerp (Wetsontwerp B). Proefbeamptes speel gevolglik 'n belangwekkende rol ten einde die hof te adviseer oor die gepaste hantering van gearresteerde kinders en jeudiges wat in gevaar is om sorgbehoewend te raak of sorgbehoewend is.

No abstract available. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of Natal, Durban,2001.

Disparity in sentencing felons based on racial considerations has long has been considered a problem for civil libertarians and scholars alike. Examining data gathered in Kentucky, this thesis addresses this issue through the application of recently developed methodological techniques. Utilizing an index of sentencing equality, this study shows that while differences do exist in black and white offender offense characteristics, these differences do not account for the variations in sentences rendered in cases of white as opposed to black felons. This exploratory research reviews and critiques previous research and provides evidence which should prove useful in resolving the problem of racial-based sentencing disparity.

Une notion fondamentale en droit pénal pour la première fois mise en perspective dans le cadre d’un travail de recherche approfondi. L’évaluation de ce thème est méritée tant cette compétence est sujette à conséquence. En l’évaluant in extenso, des incidences latentes y acquièrent droit de cité tant dans le champ du droit public et du droit privé, que dans la sphère procédurale ou en droit pénal de fond. Le point nodal de ce thème constitue l’appréciation des causes à effet dans l’étude de l’évolution de la compétence matérielle de jugement en matière pénale.À l’heure de la confrontation entre plusieurs nécessités de la justice répressive immanentes à une telle étude s’agrègent des tendances entre égalité et individualisation, juste temps et célérité, ou encore légalité et équité ; à l’instar de ces défis évolue la compétence étudiée.L’étude menée l’a été sous de nouveaux auspices tout au long du travail de rédaction. L’actualité sur ce thème reste brûlante. Force est de constater que la compétence des juridictions peut faire l’objet de prospectives.Si des nécessités de la justice a priori antagonistes postulent à fournir des contradictions, des voies médianes peuvent être envisagées de manière à trouver équilibre. / A core notion in criminal law for the first time put into perspective within the framework of a detailed research work. The assessment of that theme is deserved as this competence is subject to consequences. By evaluating it in extenso, latent incidences find a legitimate place as much in the field of public and private law than in the procedural sphere or in the criminal law. The key point of that theme sets up the assessment of causes and effects in the study of the jurisdiction's evolution in criminal matter.At the time of the confrontation between several necessities of the repressive justice which are immanent to such a study, tendencies between equality and individualization, fair time and swiftness, or legality and equity are joining them ; following the example of those challenges, the jurisdiction is evolving.This study was led under new auspices throughout the writing of that work.The topicality on that theme remains ardent.It should be noted that the jurisdiction of courts of law can be the object of prospectives. If justice's necessities, which seem a priori antagonists, reveal contradictions, middle ways can be taken into account in a way to strike a balance.

The thesis Protection of Crime Victims and the Media: Publishing of Mistreated Children Information before and after Passing the Law of Criminal Procedure Amendment in 2009 deals with the problem of secondary victimization caused by the media. More specifically, it focuses on the mistreated children and publishing that kind of information about them which enable their identification. It is concerned with the nationwide daily press and compares the situation before and after passing the Law of Criminal Procedure Amendment in 2009. This amendment introduced measures towards better privacy protection of crime victims with a special respect to underage victims and victims of some exceptionally serious crimes. The thesis compares the occurrence of information which enable identification of mistreated children in 2008 and 2011 in the three most popular nationwide dailies - Mlada fronta Dnes, Pravo and Blesk. It is interested in the following information: names and surnames of the victims and their family members, residence location, photos of the victims, their family members and their residence location. Apart from that it also examines where journalists get those information and photos from. The main aim is to find out what was the impact of the amendment, it means whether there are less information...

The aim of this study is to contribute to the existing knowledge about court interpreting in the Czech Republic, focusing on court interpreting as a communication process. The study brings an overview of findings on court interpreting in both the international and Czech context, particularly regarding the definition of court interpreting, its professionalization, institutionalisation, academisation and the fields of research. It subsequently details the specific issues regarding court interpreting in the Czech Republic, i.e. the entities connected with court interpreting, formal conditions of working as a court interpreter, the relevant legislation and ethical codex in the field of court interpreting, the court interpreter's job in practice and a focus on interpreting during criminal trials. Furthermore, the study looks into communicative situations, forms of interpreting, the process of the trial in criminal procedures and the participants in communicative events. The core part of the study includes three case studies conducted on the basis of authentic recordings and the transcription of relevant parts of the interpreted trials in criminal procedures. Each case study consists of a communicative situation analysis, contrastive structural analysis and pragmatic and interaction analysis. These...

La constitution du 22 janvier 2001 dispose expressément que la République du Sénégal garantit la liberté de la presse et le droit à l’information plurielle. Néanmoins, le journaliste sénégalais est resté justiciable des codes pénal et de procédure pénale, adoptés dans l’élan répressif des années 1960. Ce droit pénal commun qui intègre paradoxalement la loi française spéciale du 29 juillet 1881 sur la liberté de la presse, héritée de la colonisation, apparaît comme dépassé par l’évolution de la démocratie sénégalaise et l’aspiration du peuple à l’épanouissement et au progrès social. L’activité journalistique est une activité potentiellement délinquantielle. Il peut arriver que le journaliste abuse de la liberté d’expression en foulant au pied la loi et les règles de la déontologie de sa profession. La justice du droit pénal a vocation à lui être applicable. Mais, ce constat ne doit point occulter la nécessité dans laquelle se trouve le législateur de rendre sauve la liberté de la presse dans l’exercice de sa compétence exclusive de fixation et de détermination des abus intolérables de ladite liberté. Pour ce faire, l’adoption d’une législation spéciale, détachée de l’emprise tutélaire des codes pénal et de procédure pénale, s’impose. C’est une condition nécessaire, mais non suffisante. La prévisibilité de la loi applicable à la responsabilité pénale du professionnel de l’information, l’indépendance du juge qui l’applique, la non-ingérence du pouvoir politique dans la liberté d’informer du journaliste sont autant de conditions nécessaires à la répression des abus de la liberté de la presse. / Senegalese Constitution dated 22th January 2001 clearly provides that the country guarantees the freedom of the press and the right to multi-sourced information. And yet the Senegalese journalist remains subject to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure adopted in the repressive surge of the 1960’s.The local Criminal law which paradoxically includes French special 29th July 1881 Act on the freedom of the press seems outdated and overtaken by the evolution of the Senegalese democracy and the people’s yearning for development and social progress. The journalistic activity potentially brings forth offences. The journalist may take too much advantage of the freedom of the press violating thereby the law and his own deontology. Criminal law justice must therefore be applicable to them. However this must not conceal the law-maker‘s necessity to safeguard the freedom of the press. To that end it is necessary to set up a special legislation free from the Criminal Code and from the Code of Criminal Procedure. This is a necessity though insufficient. The predictability of the law applicable to the criminal liability of the journalist, the independence of the applying judges and the non-interference of the political power in the journalist’s freedom of speech are prerequisites to the repression of the abuses of the freedom of the press. Our present thesis aims on the one hand to diagnose the criminal liability regime of the Senegalese journalist and also to prove the inadequacy of the criminal law with its legal liability. We will then suggest a particular criminal liability system more respectful of the freedom of the press.

This diploma thesis addresses issues of the institute of settlement in. The institute of settlement is one of the diversions in criminal proceedings. Diversions (divergences) in criminal proceedings are construed as special types of criminal proceedings, alternative to standard hearing of a case in main trial, within which the criminal case can be settled. The institute of settlement was incorporated into the Czech Criminal Procedure Code by the amendment n. 152/1995 Sb., that became effective on 1st September 1995. The essence of the institute of settlement is a conclusion of an agreement between the accused person and the damaged person. Such agreement is then approved and the criminal prosecution against the accused person is therefore terminated. It is thus achieved the settlement and elimination of the confrontation which was caused as a result of the committed crime between the accused person and the damaged person concerned. Title: Settlement in criminal proceedings Key words: Settlement; settlement of the confrontation between the accused person and the damaged person; approval of the settlement; diversion in criminal proceedings; Code of criminal procedure; restorative justice

The aim of the present dissertation is to provide the fullest possible legal analysis of the complaint against a violation of law, including its historical and international context, and to endeavour to reflect critically on its current application in practice. In the author's approach, the review of criminal cases on the basis of the files prior to a possible application of this legal remedy is an indispensable object of study. Among other things, the work thoroughly analyzes the applicable grounds for the complaint against a violation of law, its purpose and role in the whole system of extraordinary remedies, and it describes the course as well as the specifics of the Supreme Court proceedings. Standard and optional methods of interpretation are complemented by an empirical examination of the sample of 80 complaints submitted to the Supreme Court, which is aimed at identifying and classifying the alleged flaws and the extent to which there might be an overlap with extraordinary appeal (dovolání). The chosen topic appears to be very timely with regard to the ongoing preparatory legislative work on the new Criminal Procedure Code. The descriptive passages are accompanied by the author's opinions on selected decisions of the Supreme Court and the deficiencies of the current legislation. Taken...