The United Nations 'quasi-prosecutorial' investigative mechanisms: assessing a new institutional model in the international criminal justice landscape

This work aims to provide a theoretical examination of three recently created bodies of the United Nations mandated to investigate the alleged international crimes committed in Syria (IIIM), Iraq (UNITAD) and Myanmar (IIMM). Established as a compromise solution in the paralysis of international criminal jurisdictions, these essentially overlapping entities have been depicted as a ‘new generation’ of UN investigative mechanisms. While non-judicial in nature, they depart indeed from traditional commissions of inquiry in several respects due to their increased criminal or ‘quasi-prosecutorial’ character. After clarifying their legal basis and different mandating authorities, a comparative institutional analysis is thus carried out in order to ascertain whether these ‘mechanisms’ can be said to effectively represent a new institutional model. Through an in-depth assessment of their mandates, the thesis is also intended to outline both the strengths and the criticalities of these organs. Given their aim to facilitate criminal proceedings by sharing information and case files, it is suggested that more attention shall be paid to the position of the person under investigation. To this end, some proposals are made in order to enhance the mechanisms’ frameworks, especially from the angle of procedural safeguards. As a third aspect, the cooperation with judicial authorities is explored, in order to shed light on the actors involved, the relevant legal instruments and the possible obstacles, in particular from a human rights perspective. Ultimately, drawing from the detected issues, the thesis seeks to identify some lessons learned which could be taken into account in case of creation of new ad hoc investigative mechanisms or of a permanent institution of this kind.

Fighting corruption with pyramids: A Law and Economics approach to combating corruption in post-socialist countries

Corruption is, in the last two decades, considered as one of the biggest problems within the international community, which harms not only a particular state or society but the whole world. The discussion on corruption in law and economics approach is mainly run under the veil of Public choice theory and principal-agent model. Based on this approach the strong international initiatives taken by the UN, the OECD and the Council of Europe, provided various measures and tools in order to support and guide countries in their combat against corruption. These anti-corruption policies created a repression -prevention-transparency model for corruption combat. Applying this model, countries around the world adopted anti-corruption strategies as part of their legal rules. Nevertheless, the recent researches on the effects of this move show non impressive results. Critics argue that “one size does not fit all” because the institutional setting of countries around the world varies. Among the countries which experience problems of corruption, even though they follow the dominant anti-corruption trends, are transitional, post-socialist countries. To this group belong the countries which are emerging from centrally planned to an open market economy. The socialist past left traces on institutional setting, mentality of the individuals and their interrelation, particularly in the domain of public administration. If the idiosyncrasy of these countries is taken into account the suggestion in this thesis is that in public administration in post-socialist countries, instead of dominant anti-corruption scheme repression-prevention-transparency, corruption combat should be improved through the implementation of a new one, structure-conduct-performance. The implementation of this model is based on three regulatory pyramids: anti-corruption, disciplinary anti-corruption and criminal anti-corruption pyramid. This approach asks public administration itself to engage in corruption combat, leaving criminal justice system as the ultimate weapon, used only for the very harmful misdeeds.

La tutela penale ambientale e la nozione di rifiuto fra istanze soprannazionali ed approdi nostrani

Cause celebri, giustizia penale e informazione. La giustizia penale nello specchio dell'informazione giornalistica

La tesi approfondisce gli aspetti problematici del rapporto tra processo penale e informazione giornalistica. Si è così ritenuto opportuno suddividere la ricerca in due sezioni, una casistica, l’altra prettamente teorica. Nella sezione teorica si è posta l’attenzione sulle questioni più dibattute: tutela della verginità cognitiva del giudice, dei segreti processuali, della libertà di cronaca, della riservatezza di quanti siano anche solo occasionalmente accostati ad un’indagine penale, dell’autodeterminazione delle persone che partecipano al processo e del sereno svolgimento di quest’ultimo. Il fine ultimo è stato quello di porre sotto esame gli attuali equilibri delineati dal codice. Laddove si è potuta osservare una inadeguatezza legislativa si è tentato di avanzare una proposta di riforma. Sul punto, da un lato si sono potute osservare alcune incongruenze oggi riscontrabili nell’art. 114 c.p.p. Il tutto nella ritrovata consapevolezza che il dilemmatico rapporto tra processo e mass media può rischiare finanche di impattare sulle dinamiche probatorie, col serio rischio di inquinamento di alcune prove dichiarative. Il futuribile testimone esposto all’influenza dell’opinione pubblica può restarne scosso o turbato, al punto da potere soffrire di un’alterazione mnemonica del suo ricordo. Non per ultimo, di ausilio si è mostrata la prospettiva comparata, dalla quale si sono potuti trarre validi spunti per una ideale soluzione dei problemi passati in rassegna. Su questo versante, si è osservato il sistema spagnolo, interessati a cogliere gli equilibri costituzionali sui quali si erge il rapporto tra libertà di cronaca e processo penale e le regole codicistiche in tema di propalazione di atti giudiziari all’opinione pubblica iberica. All’esito, si sono potute trarre le conclusioni ripercorse nel testo.

Emotions in legal decisions: the construction of objective narratives in Italian criminal trials

Drawing on ethnographic data collected in Italian courts and prosecution offices, this dissertation offers new perspectives on legal decision-making by highlighting the importance of emotions for constructing and evaluating legal narratives. Focusing on criminal cases, it describes and dissects how judges and prosecutors use emotions in reflection and action tied to lay narratives and legal constraints. The analysis shows that legal professionals engage in different types of emotional dynamics when dealing with stories; first, they develop gut feelings, which are either endorsed or kept at distance by means of emotional reflexivity, to comply with legal ideals of objectivity and impartiality. Second, empathy emerges as a crucial tool to direct the interaction with lay people and to interpret legal prerequisites, such as credibility, and intent. Finally, the dissertation shows that lay stories lead legal professionals to become passionate and committed towards the correct application of the law, the restoration of the moral order, and the achievement of justice. In light of the empirical findings, this thesis strives to develop a theoretical understanding of legal decision-making as narrative work that includes emotional dynamics consistent with rational, objective action.