Preface

Summary

“The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one nation [….] It cannot be a peace of large nations – or of small nations. It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world.” Franklin Roosevelt, quoted by Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States in his Address to U.N. General Assembly, September 23, 2009

In furtherance of world peace, many educational institutions are now broadening their curricula to improve understanding of the global realities of the present-day world. Crime undeniably poses a serious threat to the social order and tranquility and it is certain that the rule of law, coupled with an efficient criminal justice system, is fundamental to social and economic progress. This is true of every sovereign state. The disciplines of Criminology and Criminal Justice have a vital role to play in improving the understanding of crimes that threaten the peace and security of nations and in finding the best way to deal with these crimes.

The rapid increase in globalization at the end of the twentieth century led criminologists to study “transnational crimes,” or criminal acts that span national borders and that violate the laws of more than one country. This resulted in the creation of a new field of study, “comparative criminology and criminal justice,” though it is also known by many other names, including international criminology and criminal justice, global criminology and criminal justice, supranational criminology, and crosscultural criminology. Meanwhile, growing international awareness of the millions of victims of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in the late twentieth century compelled the international community to pay attention to these “gravest crimes” that threaten the peace, security, and well-being of the world.