International Operations and the Australian Federal Police: Devising a legal framework. As a major player in the maintenance of regional peace and security, Australia is increasingly using Australian Federation Police (AFP) in a range of international operations. The extent of deployments and the expectations both governments and communities place on these operations is unprecedented. This project, in collaboration with the AFP, will draw upon recent experiences to provide a clear legal framewo ....International Operations and the Australian Federal Police: Devising a legal framework. As a major player in the maintenance of regional peace and security, Australia is increasingly using Australian Federation Police (AFP) in a range of international operations. The extent of deployments and the expectations both governments and communities place on these operations is unprecedented. This project, in collaboration with the AFP, will draw upon recent experiences to provide a clear legal framework, advancing the capacity for AFP deployments to maintain their high commitment to the rule of law. The project is of international significance and will consolidate Australia's reputation as innovative and influential in the planning, management and conduct of police in international operations. Read moreRead less
Sentencing and public confidence: public perceptions and the role of the public in sentencing practice and policy. Public confidence is critical to the effective operation of the criminal justice system. This project will generate much needed current national data on public attitudes about sentencing. It examines avenues for the incorporation of public opinion into sentencing policy and processes, and provides accurate measures of the factors involved. The results will enable governments to res ....Sentencing and public confidence: public perceptions and the role of the public in sentencing practice and policy. Public confidence is critical to the effective operation of the criminal justice system. This project will generate much needed current national data on public attitudes about sentencing. It examines avenues for the incorporation of public opinion into sentencing policy and processes, and provides accurate measures of the factors involved. The results will enable governments to respond to periodic crises in public confidence in constructive and informed ways, rather than act in response to law and order rhetoric, linked with harsh sentencing regimes, and costly and potentially unnecessary increases in incarceration rates.Read moreRead less
Building rule of law capacity in a transitional state: lessons from the Australian criminal justice assistance programme in Cambodia 1997-2007. Australian overseas aid has recently stressed funding better governance and security as pre-requisites to poverty reduction and economic development. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a long term legal assistance programme designed to strengthen the rule of law in a fragile state such as Cambodia. Police reform in fragile states has often failed ....Building rule of law capacity in a transitional state: lessons from the Australian criminal justice assistance programme in Cambodia 1997-2007. Australian overseas aid has recently stressed funding better governance and security as pre-requisites to poverty reduction and economic development. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a long term legal assistance programme designed to strengthen the rule of law in a fragile state such as Cambodia. Police reform in fragile states has often failed and lessons learnt by the CCJAP over the past 10 years will contribute to our knowledge about the best practices and strategies needed to improve security and governance in fragile states. Capacity building efforts to improve international law enforcement cooperation, especially in regard to counter-terrorism and transnational crime, will benefit from this review.Read moreRead less
Restorative Justice and the Life Course: Victims and Offenders in Longitudinal Perspective. Reduction of crime and its effects is a major priority for Australia. Restorative justice represents one of the most promising policy innovations currently available for prevention of repeat offending and for benefiting victims of crime. Apart from the justice dimension, it has much wider community application from school bullying to peace building after civil war. Our study will provide knowledge about i ....Restorative Justice and the Life Course: Victims and Offenders in Longitudinal Perspective. Reduction of crime and its effects is a major priority for Australia. Restorative justice represents one of the most promising policy innovations currently available for prevention of repeat offending and for benefiting victims of crime. Apart from the justice dimension, it has much wider community application from school bullying to peace building after civil war. Our study will provide knowledge about its actual economic and social benefits (or adverse effects) - nationally and at the community level. This knowledge is vital to answer the questions: "Is it effective? Should it play a major role in our society?" as well as identifying areas in which current use can be improved to the benefit of victims of crime and the broader community.Read moreRead less
Community Capacity Building in Child Protection Through Responsive Regulation. Neglect and abuse of children is a critical issue in this country. The number of cases reported to state authorities is increasing. Recent estimates show that a child is abused every 2 minutes in Australia. This research develops an innovative approach that protects children while promoting greater support for families. By harnessing and building community capacity this approach has the potential to make more efficien ....Community Capacity Building in Child Protection Through Responsive Regulation. Neglect and abuse of children is a critical issue in this country. The number of cases reported to state authorities is increasing. Recent estimates show that a child is abused every 2 minutes in Australia. This research develops an innovative approach that protects children while promoting greater support for families. By harnessing and building community capacity this approach has the potential to make more efficient use of existing resources through earlier intervention and improved cooperation with families. This project aims to reduce the incidents and harm caused by child abuse and neglect in ways that strengthen communities, while enhancing the integrity of child protection agencies.Read moreRead less
Validation and Verification of Electronic Evidence: Developing a Testing Regime for Digital Forensic Software Reliability. Law Enforcement is analysing an exponentially-increasing quantity of Electronic Evidence - a 100,000 fold increase was experienced by the NSW police in the last decade. This is clear indication that computer related evidence is now an essential component of traditional crime investigation as well as computer crime. We intend to streamline the investigative process. This can ....Validation and Verification of Electronic Evidence: Developing a Testing Regime for Digital Forensic Software Reliability. Law Enforcement is analysing an exponentially-increasing quantity of Electronic Evidence - a 100,000 fold increase was experienced by the NSW police in the last decade. This is clear indication that computer related evidence is now an essential component of traditional crime investigation as well as computer crime. We intend to streamline the investigative process. This can only occur with the development of a validation framework from which we can build a testing regime to establish reliability of forensic tools and therefore the forensic investigative processes. Read moreRead less
Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation. The objective of this research is through a series of projects to bring the autor's restorative justice and responsive regulatin research programs of the last decade together, to intergrate them. this means to bear a restorative and responsive approach to transforming the entire legal system, not just criminal or regulatory law/administration. hwever, it does also mean reforming criminological theory with regulatory theory and applying restorative ....Restorative Justice and Responsive Regulation. The objective of this research is through a series of projects to bring the autor's restorative justice and responsive regulatin research programs of the last decade together, to intergrate them. this means to bear a restorative and responsive approach to transforming the entire legal system, not just criminal or regulatory law/administration. hwever, it does also mean reforming criminological theory with regulatory theory and applying restorative justice to business regulation, as well as tort, tax, contract and all areas of law.Read moreRead less
Extraction of Electronic Evidence from Telephone Conversations Carried by the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The national benefits of this project are that it meets the National Priority of Safeguarding Australia and the results of this project can serve as a major input into a current Australian Government and Defence initiatives in electronic evidence and intelligence collection. It will play a significant part in satisfying the Australian community that steps are being taken to develop ....Extraction of Electronic Evidence from Telephone Conversations Carried by the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The national benefits of this project are that it meets the National Priority of Safeguarding Australia and the results of this project can serve as a major input into a current Australian Government and Defence initiatives in electronic evidence and intelligence collection. It will play a significant part in satisfying the Australian community that steps are being taken to develop techniques for monitoring the criminal use of the Internet for communication and transfer of information. It will serve to develop niche Australian research expertise in this very specialized international field.Read moreRead less
The Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System. Policing plays a major role in combating crime in the community, reassuring and assisting persons affected by crime so that they can continue, or return, to enjoying their lives. Forensic science is increasingly relied upon by law enforcement to solve crime, and by the judicial system to prosecute offenders. However, the value and impact of forensic science has yet to be established. Through a comprehensive examination of fore ....The Effectiveness of Forensic Science in the Criminal Justice System. Policing plays a major role in combating crime in the community, reassuring and assisting persons affected by crime so that they can continue, or return, to enjoying their lives. Forensic science is increasingly relied upon by law enforcement to solve crime, and by the judicial system to prosecute offenders. However, the value and impact of forensic science has yet to be established. Through a comprehensive examination of forensic science usage in the criminal justice system in Victoria and ACT, this research will develop an evidence-based best-practice model for using forensic science efficiently and effectively. This will benefit the Australian community through the achievement of better and more cost effective criminal justice outcomes. Read moreRead less
The Implementation of Process Regulation in Occupational Health and Safety: A Comparative Study of Policy and Practice. The shift from prescriptive to process regulation of occupational health and safety (OHS) over the past 25 years represents the most significant transformation of OHS law since the nineteenth century. OHS regulators hoped process standards would provide a comprehensive and adaptable regulatory framework to address hazards at work. Yet the implementation and enforcement of proce ....The Implementation of Process Regulation in Occupational Health and Safety: A Comparative Study of Policy and Practice. The shift from prescriptive to process regulation of occupational health and safety (OHS) over the past 25 years represents the most significant transformation of OHS law since the nineteenth century. OHS regulators hoped process standards would provide a comprehensive and adaptable regulatory framework to address hazards at work. Yet the implementation and enforcement of process standards and systematic OHS management has been little researched. This project will analyse the development and implementation of process standards in six jurisdictions, assessing their evolution, effectiveness and ability to meet changing workplace circumstances. It will provide knowledge and tools for improving interventions.Read moreRead less