Kirton's adaption-innovation theory suggests adaptors and innovators have different approaches to decision-making. The relationship between thinking styles in conjunction with decriminalization has not been investigated thoroughly, and this study addressed the relationship based on thinking styles and 6 demographics (race, age, gender, religion, education, and geographical location). The main research question examined whether innovators and adaptors have different attitudes about decriminalization. The hypotheses were tested with: (a) t tests to compare responses, (b) analysis of variance for comparing multiple groups and investigating moderator effects, and (c) correlation tests to determine whether Kirton's adaption-innovation inventory scores are associated with decriminalization attitudes. A correlational research design and 4 research questions were used to understand the relationships utilizing 123 participants. Results found that innovators are more open to the support of drug use and prostitution decriminalization while adaptors perceived danger and social threat of this step. Out of 6 variables analyzed, 3 (age, gender, and religion) significantly moderated the relationships between adaptor and innovator attitudes to decriminalization of prostitution, drug use, and drug possession. Race, education, and geographical location were found to be insignificant factors. The body of work is important, as there is a lack of empirical data on how thinking styles may affect people's perceptions of the legal status of certain activities. The findings of this study are relevant to the process of developing legal policies through legislative actions, as public opinions are considered for specific policy issues. More importantly, it highlights that people's perceptions regarding ambiguous social issues are complex and formed under the influence of numerous factors.

This thesis uses the four principles of biomedical ethics as put forth by Beauchamp and Childress to address the issue of the criminalization of sex work in contemporary national and international settings. Though a controversial subject, the existence of sex work has been a constant for centuries worldwide. However, the criminalization of sex work in contemporary society has been largely predicated on the conflation of sex work and a number of social ills, particularly human trafficking and sexual exploitation. This uncritical and inappropriate conflation of terms has enabled discourse, legislation, and even health care policy that is unethical, ineffective, and explicitly harmful to both sex workers and victims of human trafficking alike.Medical professionals have a unique set of moral obligations to which they must hold themselves in their practice of medicine, both with their individual patients as well as with the society in which they live. This thesis argues that the criminalization of sex work is fundamentally incompatible with contemporary health care ethics, reviewing each of the four fundamental pillars of biomedical ethics as it applies to policies that criminalize sex work. Each chapter will outline the many ways in which criminalization violates each of these fundamental principles, causing immense and largely preventable harm in the form of human rights violations and poor public health outcomes. At the same time, this thesis will introduce the alternative policy of decriminalization, discussing its features and implications for public health, and highlighting the ways in which the decriminalization of sex work results in improved health, safety, and human rights outcomes for both sex workers and victims of sex trafficking, exemplifying a viable, ethical, and evidenced-based alternative to criminalization. Given the gross bioethical and humans rights violations associated with the criminalization of sex work, this thesis concludes that there exists evidence of a substantial ethical imperative on the part of the medical community and its constituent professional societies to formally condemn policies that criminalize any and all aspects of sex work and issue formal recommendations for its urgent decriminalization, as both a public health issue and an issue of human and patients’ rights. / Urban Bioethics

The illicit drug overdose crisis is an ongoing epidemic that continues to take lives at unprecedented rates and British Columbia, Canada has been identified as the epicenter in Canada, where approximately five deaths per day are linked to unregulated substances most often including fentanyl (Service, 2022). In Victoria, British Columbia, community drug checking sites have been implemented as a public health response to the ongoing overdose crisis and the unregulated illicit drug market through a community-based research project called the Vancouver Island Drug Checking Project. In addition to providing anonymous, confidential, and non-judgmental drug checking services with rapid results, the project has conducted qualitative research aimed to better understand drug checking as a potential harm reduction response to the illicit drug overdose crisis and the unregulated illicit drug market (Wallace et al., 2021; Wallace et al., 2020). An analytical framework was utilized to understand the impact substance use stigma has on those accessing drug checking services, as well as those who avoid accessing these services as a direct result of substance use stigma. This study found that the risk of criminalization and the anticipation of being poorly treated appear to be the most significant barriers related to stigma, rather than actually experiencing stigma. Further, it appears the implementation of community drug checking creates tensions that need to be navigated as sites and services balance a hierarchy of substances and stigma; differing definitions of peers; public yet private locations; and, normalization within criminalization. The findings suggest the solution to substance use stigma and drug checking will not come from continuing as we are, but through making changes at all levels (individual, interpersonal, and structural) and thus for all people who access community drug checking. / Graduate

When police arrested nineteen women in Dedza, Malawi hospitality locations in 2016, it was under the guise of the living on the earnings of prostitution laws. The women appealed and won their case, with the ruling judge noting that Malawian women are free to patronize any hospitality facilities or bars without fear of being arrested. The case, The Republic v. Pempho Banda and 18 Others, sparked a national debate over the social and legal status of sex workers in the southern African country. It also brought to light that efforts to stimulate tourism had inadvertently boosted the country's sex work industry. To move away from a reliance on agriculture and bolster socio-economic growth and its foreign exchange earnings, the country is positioning itself to gain a greater market share of visitors. However, as in many tourist destinations, the promise of sex attracts tourists, and sex is increasingly becoming a central offering of Malawi's tourism industry. Yet, Malawian sex workers continue to occupy a social status in which they are marginalized or mistreated by the general public and criminal justice system. This provides apt conditions for continued and increased human rights abuse against sex workers. This research explores the events, legal environment, media coverage, and public opinion surrounding this case and its relation to the tourism industry. The data is from interviews with actors in the criminal justice system, documents and an analysis of online media about the Pempho Banda et al. case. My dissertation highlights the complexities and contradictions surrounding sex work in Malawi. In doing so, I hope to intervene in the national debate surrounding sex workers so as to facilitate public opinions and policies that are more sex worker friendly and protective of their human rights. / Doctor of Philosophy / When police arrested nineteen women in Dedza, Malawi hospitality locations in 2016, it was under the guise of living on the earnings of prostitution laws. The sex workers appealed and won their case, with the ruling judge noting that Malawian women are free to patronize any hospitality facilities or bars without fear of being arrested for sex work in what are traditionally considered male spaces. The case, The Republic v. Pempho Banda and 18 Others, sparked a national debate over the social and legal status of sex workers in the southern African country. It also brought to light that stimulating tourism inadvertently boosted the country’s sex work industry. To move away from a reliance on agriculture and bolster its foreign exchange earnings, the country is positioning itself to gain a greater market share of visitors. However, like in many tourist destinations, the promise of sex has attracted both foreign and domestic tourists, thereby progressively promoting sex as a central offering of Malawi’s tourism and hospitality industry. Yet, Malawian sex workers continue to occupy a social status in Malawi in which they are marginalized or mistreated by the general public and within the justice system. These conditions result in continued and increased human rights abuse against sex workers. The Pempho Banda et al. case is a seminal case that assists us in examining the legal and social status of sex workers in this context. This research explores the events, legal environment, media coverage, and public opinion surrounding this case and its relation to the tourism industry. This is done using interviews, documents, and an analysis of online media coverage about the case. I contend that discriminatory laws, policies, practices and sentiments targeting sex workers need to be redressed. My findings imply that a decriminalization approach will advance sex workers’ rights more than criminalization or legalization. Unequivocally, decriminalizing sex work is likely to be met with resistance from the public; however, there is sufficient evidence from public opinion, media coverage and statements from criminal justice system members connected to this case that suggest the existence of support for enacting protective policies for sex workers. Furthermore, since evidence shows a correlation between increased tourism and sex work, I argue that Malawi needs to prepare practical policies that factor in this reality.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2016-08-09T13:05:14Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Eduardo Romualdo do Nascimento.pdf: 1152848 bytes, checksum: 5ada753a1d03c6672b33e11f6e011963 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-09T13:05:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Eduardo Romualdo do Nascimento.pdf: 1152848 bytes, checksum: 5ada753a1d03c6672b33e11f6e011963 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-03-30 / At the same time technological progress brought uncountable benefits for human race, it also increased potential risk for the postmodern society and that is the reason why it is called risk society. Injuries to subject of the legal relation are exacerbated and tend to achieve a large number of people, sometimes unlimited. Law must not wait for injuries embodiment because it can be so severe that may result in subject-matter uselessness. In such context, apparent danger works as a way of inhibit dangerous conducts, reaping it before the production of clear danger. Amongst secured subject-matter are financial system, environment, public health and others, all of them of a collective character. Public health has been directly affected by use of intoxicants, which has been a common practice of human being for ages. Intoxicants have gained amplitude as an “escape” from stressful reality, a characteristic of contemporary life in risk society. The purpose of this thesis is establishing legal and illegal drugs apparent danger, in the context of carriage for personal use and trafficking. The work is indicating if there is, in fact, an assumption of danger on carriage which expresses a potential injury to public health, justifying criminalization. For this purpose, a bibliography research was carried out with national and foreign scholars, concentrating in four topics: a) constitutional principles, with emphasis on dignity of human person, b) subject-matter, c) drugs and d) danger, with emphasis on apparent danger. Following, there was a documental analysis, in particular, of three Ministers from Supreme Court´s votes until 2015, on trial of Extraordinary Appeal 635.659/SP, still ongoing, about unconstitutionality of Article 28 of Drug Prohibition Law. Those votes were analysed in the light of theoretical framework embraced at bibliography research. It brought to a conclusion that in Brazil, drugs legal practice is a matter of criminal policy and it is not in accordance with dogmatic aspects which should guide the subject. Main conclusion is that, concerning legal drugs, there is no apparent danger simply because it was only a criminal policy option, in other words, it means law opted not consider alcohol and tobacco dangerous for society. Illegal drugs are at the other edge and in addition to bring, itself, effective and clear danger, just like legal drugs, illegal drugs also carries apparent danger, because legislator made an option to confer a regulatory conception of danger. This drugs policy layout in Brazil generates inconsistency and distortions, especially concerning drug user and wholesale drug dealer. Furthermore, criminalization prevents to reach social objectives, since resources are allocated to combat traffic, detrimentally public health which is the subject protected by law / Ao mesmo tempo em que a evolução tecnológica trouxe inúmeros benefícios para a espécie humana, ampliou as possibilidades de risco na sociedade pós-moderna, por isso mesmo denominada sociedade de risco. Os danos aos objetos jurídicos são potencializados e tendem a atingir um número maior, por vezes ilimitado, de pessoas. Ao Direito, não cabe esperar pela materialização dos danos, pois, de tão graves, podem causar a imprestabilidade dos bens. Nesse contexto, os crimes de perigo abstrato funcionam como meio de inibir condutas perigosas, ceifando-as antes mesmo que se produza o perigo concreto. Entre os bens jurídicos protegidos, conta-se o sistema econômico financeiro, o meio ambiente, a saúde pública e outros, todos de caráter coletivo. Esse último tem sido diretamente atingido pelo consumo de substâncias entorpecentes, prática comum ao homem há milênios e que, na sociedade de risco, ganhou amplitude como elemento de “fuga” da realidade, muitas vezes estressante, que caracteriza a vida contemporânea. Nesse sentido, o objetivo deste trabalho é determinar o perigo abstrato das drogas, lícitas e ilícitas, no contexto do porte destinado ao consumo pessoal e à traficância, demonstrando se de fato há no porte uma presunção de perigo que represente um potencial de dano à saúde pública e justifique, assim, a criminalização. Para tanto, procedeu-se à pesquisa bibliográfica, que abarcou doutrinadores nacionais e estrangeiros, concentrando-se em quatro áreas: a) princípios constitucionais, com ênfase na dignidade da pessoa humana e nos princípios constitucionais penais; b) bem jurídico; c) drogas e d) crimes de perigo, com ênfase nos de perigo abstrato. Em seguida, procedeu-se à análise documental, em específico, dos votos proferidos até o ano de 2015 por três ministros do Supremo Tribunal Federal em julgamento do Recurso Extraordinário 635.659/SP, ainda em trâmite, sobre a inconstitucionalidade do art. 28 da Lei de Drogas. Esses votos foram analisados à luz do arbouço teórico abarcado na pesquisa bibliográfica. De tal análise, depreendeu-se que o trato jurídico das drogas no Brasil é uma questão eminentemente de política criminal, passando ao largo dos aspectos dogmáticos que deveriam nortear a matéria. A principal conclusão é que, no que diz respeito às drogas lícitas, não existe o perigo abstrato, única e exclusivamente por opção de política criminal, ou seja, a lei optou por não considerar álcool e tabaco como elementos perigosos à sociedade. No outro extremo, estão as drogas ilícitas, que, além de trazerem em si o perigo concreto e efetivo tal qual as drogas lícitas, ainda carregam o perigo abstrato, porque o legislador optou por conferir-lhes uma concepção normativa de perigo. Essa configuração da política de drogas no Brasil gera incoerências e distorções, sobretudo com relação aos usuários e traficantes de varejo. Além disso, a criminalização impede que os objetivos sociais da referida lei sejam alcançados, pois destinam-se recursos para o combate ao tráfico, em prejuízo da saúde pública, que é o bem por ela tutelado

The thesis is devoted to analyzing the market of drugs coming from Latin American countries, their production, distribution as well as final consumption. It focuses on the impact of the current state of drug prohibition and the possible effects of legalization of drugs in the country of production and consumption.

This research approaches the embezzlement crime, foreseen in the Brazilian criminal legislation, article 334, second part of the native Criminal Code, analyzing it under the Criminal Law optics, of the beddings tributaries and customs officers involved countries in the regional integration process and, finally, on the basis of the principles and objectives of the Common Market of the South (Mercosul). It is possible to affirm that today the practical one of the embezzlement is constant between the Latin American countries, unchaining a reality that worry the involved States, therefore points with respect to a social reality, a time that people also survive of the commerce of misguided products and because she implies reduction in the collection tax. To analyze this context, the proposal of this work is to study the embezzlement crime as being, or a challenge for the involved countries in the Latin American integration (firmed in the Asunción Treated), or one decriminalization act. The States members of the Mercosul had firmed commitments in the direction to eradicate this criminal act, understanding that such behavior harms the countries fiscal collection, however, what it is seen is the increase of the incidence of the misdemeanor. On the other hand, leaving of the premise of that the Mercosul is a project in progress and that its objectives (a time materialize) imply in customs union, it exempts commerce and harmonization tax or unification, the embezzlement crime appears in history as one decriminalization act. It was approached, also, the objective of the Criminal Law as legal properties guard, standing out that this must be seen as last ratio and not as the State illness remedy. Thus, one searched to analyze the mbezzlement crime in an interdisciplinary context, in agreement with the integration principles. / Esta pesquisa abordou o crime de descaminho, previsto na legislação penal brasileira, artigo 334, segunda parte do Código Penal pátrio, analisando-o sob a ótica do Direito Penal, dos fundamentos tributários e aduaneiros dos países envolvidos no processo de integração regional e, por fim, com base nos princípios e objetivos do Mercado Comum do Sul (Mercosul). É possível afirmar que hoje a prática do descaminho é constante entre os países Latino-Americanos, desencadeando uma realidade que preocupa os Estados envolvidos, pois aponta para uma realidade social, uma vez que pessoas sobrevivem do comércio de produtos descaminhados e também porque implica diminuição na arrecadação tributária. Para analisar esse contexto, a proposta do trabalho é estudar o crime de descaminho como sendo, ou um desafio para os países envolvidos na integração Latino-Americana (firmada no Tratado de Assunção), ou uma prática passível de descriminalização. Os Estados membros do Mercosul firmaram compromissos no sentido de erradicar essa prática delitiva, entendendo que tal conduta prejudica a arrecadação fiscal dos países, entretanto, o que se vê é o aumento da incidência da infração penal. Por outro lado, partindo da premissa de que o Mercosul é um projeto em andamento e que os seus objetivos (uma vez concretizados) implicam em união aduaneira, livre comércio e harmonização tributária ou unificação, o crime de descaminho surge na história como uma prática passível de descriminalização. Abordou-se, também, o objetivo do Direito Penal como tutelador de bens jurídicos, ressaltando que esse deve ser visto como a ultima ratio e não como o remédio para todas as mazelas do Estado. Assim, buscou-se analisar o crime de descaminho num contexto de interdisciplinaridade, proposta esta que se coaduna aos princípios da integração.

This master's thesis is concerned with an issue of the crime of Evasion of Alimony Payments under s. 196 of the Criminal Code. Next to this primary provision is this issue included in the next following provisions of the Criminal Code, namely under s. 196a of the Criminal Code, regulating still relatively new provision of punishment, and under s. 197 of Criminal Code, special provision relating to Effective Repetance. The main aim of this thesis is a comprehensive explanation of all aspects of this crime, increased attention has been paid to potential decriminalization or partial legal regulation of this crime into the future. Purpose of the crime of Evasion of Alimony Payments is interest of the society of proper fulfilment of the statutory duty to maintain subsistence between the family members. With the reference to appearing of this crime entirely in connection with evasion of the statutory duty to maintain subsistence toward the childern, emphasis was put on this part of issue during the writing this thesis. This master's thesis is divided into 12 chapters, introduction and conclusion. Special attention is given to the essential aspects and decription of this crime, hist short analysis of the criminological aspects and historical evalution of this crime in the first three chapters of the...

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Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Na meer as veertig jaar het Suid-Afrika 'n nuwe politieke bedeling wat veranderde wetgewing in die vooruitsig stel. 'n Oorweging van 'n dekriminaliseringsbeleid vir die gebruik van dagga, beskou teen die agtergrond van 'n toename in emstige misdaad soos moord, gewapende roof, taxigeweld en verkragting, weerspieel die realiteite van vandag se oorweldigende misdaadprobleem in Suid-Afrika. Een van die belangrikste take van die kriminoloog is om misdaad te omskryf sodat 'n beleid voorgeskryf kan word wat die strafregsplegingstelsel van hulp kan wees om uiteindelik misdaad te verminder of, meer realisties, meer doeltreffend te beheer. Die omskrywing daarvan is egter nie so eenvoudig nie vanwee die kompleksiteit van die mensdom. Inhierdie studie is 'n meningsopname gebruik van sowel jeugdiges, die toekomstige beleidmakers en algemene daggagebruikers, as kenners op die gebied van dwelmrehabilitasie en -beheer, ten einde die wenslikheid van 'n dekriminaliseringsbeleid te beoordeel. Empiriese data van beide groepe (die wetsgehoorsame en die wetsverbrekende) is vir die voorwaardelike steun vir die wetlike beheer van daggagebruik versamel, met die verskil dat eerste- en eksperimentele daggagebruikers wat geen antler misdaadrekord het of by enige misdaadbedrywighede betrokke is, nie 'n misdaadrekord moet kry nie. Die respondente het dus die behoud van strafmaatreels ondersteun, maar met 'n de facto-dekriminalisasie deur middel van nie-toepassing van die wet. Die respondente is van mening dat 'n verslapping van die huidige dwelmwetgewing tot 'n toename in misdaad aanleiding sal gee. Die respondente betwyfel egter die doeltreffendheid van die kriminele regstelsel. Hulle is selfs van mening dat die SAPD nie in staat is om die probleem te bekamp solank die middel in aanvraag is nie. Die studie beklemtoon verder die kompleksiteit en dikwels teenstrydige opvattings ten opsigte van dekriminalisasie ten einde te illustreer hoe moeilik dit is om 'n staatsbeleid daarop te skoei. / After more than forty years, South Africa has a new political dispensation with prospective new legislation. The consideration of a policy of decriminalization for the use of dagga, seen against the background of an increase in serious crimes such as murder, armed robbery, taxi violence and rape, reflects the realities of the current overwhelming crime problem in South Africa. One of the most important tasks of the criminologist is to describe crime in order to facilitate the system of administration of criminal justice in the diminishing of, or more realistically, better control of crime. The description thereof is, however, not simple due to the complexity of humanity. In this study an opinion survey of both youths as the future policy makers and most common users of dagga, and specialists in the field of drug rehabilitation and control was used, in order to determine the expedience of a policy of decriminalization. Empirical data was obtained from both groups (the law abiders and the law-breakers) for the conditional support of legislative control of dagga use, with the exception that first and experimental users with no criminal record or history of criminality should not be subjected to a criminal record. The respondents therefore supported the retention of punitive measures, but with a defacto-decriminalization by way of non­ enforcement of the law. The respondents were of the opinion that the relaxation of the present drug legislation would lead to an increase in crime. The respondents doubt the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, however, they are of the opinion that the SAPS would never be able to combat the problem as long as a demand for the drug continues to exist. The study further emphasizes the complexity and often diverse conceptions of decriminalization in order to illustrate how difficult it is to base a state policy on these conceptions. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Kriminologie)