Collaborative Model of Criminal Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Collaborative Model of Criminal Justice - Essay Example Interest in the field hastened in the 20th century with the universal establishment of police force, crime management and control. According to Hirsch and Gottfredson (1990), the study of crime has evolved from being a corollary or application of social science into being a distinct field with the recognition of the impact of crime and victimization to society as well as in consideration of its operation as a social institution in ensuring peace, order and stability. However, the premise that crime as a social construct and individual criminality is not at question, has not been absolute or indistinguishable amongst criminological theories. As Estrada (2004) points out, perspectives have changed significantly over time, as indicated by changes in policies. The need to understand the similarities and contradictions is not so much to establish distinctions between sets of theories but rather to develop insights on the modes or perceptions regarding crime, society and individuals over t ime. Before the 20th century the prevailing theories on crime considered individualistic perspective on the development of crime. The motivation to commit criminal acts was considered to be due to the perceived rewards or gains of the acts. In such a setting, the offender actively and deliberately chooses to commit the crime to fulfill a personal desire, derive reward or to pursue an interest. One of the challenges of such a perspective is that there is limited consideration for the development of criminal behaviors or the factors that contribute to their prevalence or the means preempting crime beyond control measures. Shedler and Westen (2004) believe that there the current perspective on crime, particularly regarding its sociological development still need retooling to accommodate personalities that do not comply with models. One aspect that they refer to is that though there is recognition of conscious and unconscious mind of an individual as well as collective consciousness with the development of psychoanalytic perspectives, there is till a significant reliance on models or archetypes. This in turn may limit cultural or social sensitivity which is a critic cal component of crime as a social construct. Similarly, there are some studies indicating that though general personality theories utilizing psychoanalysis may be sufficient for assessment purposes, they may not provide the same level of insights for the development of interventions or therapy (Jackson, 2004). The sociological study of crime developed in the 1940's. Influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis and psychoanalysis, the proposition was that individuals are influenced by their social experience and thus, their desires and motivations can be linked to social developments and issues (Plotnik, 2005). In sociological approaches in the criminology, the perception is that crime is not just individually motivated, going beyond personal choice, motivations, desires or rewards (Brown, 2003). It also diminishes the significance of biological characteristics as precursors of crime. As strange as it may seem based on contemporary knowledge, a number of studies prior to the development of organized police in Europe were conducted to compile physical characteristics of offenders, one of the earliest efforts in profiling (Plotnik, 2005; Oberwittler & Hfer, 2005). Furthermore,

'The Lisbon Treaty has replaced the old European Union with the new Essay

'The Lisbon Treaty has replaced the old European Union with the new European Union.' (Sch_tze, 2012). Criticall - Essay Example Thus it critically evaluates the statement based on an overview of how it came into being, followed by a review of its four structures to demonstrate to the extent and ways it represents a new way forward. It also reviews how the treaty seeks to increase the effectiveness of the new EU compared to the old EU through more qualified majority voting, institutional changes and co-decision procedure. In addition, it offers an analysis of how the democratic values and the roles of the national parliaments are strengthened compared to the old European Union1. Further analysis includes improvement of citizen’s rights and political changes that signify a change from the old system. Section A: The Lisbon Treaty has replaced the â€Å"old† European Union with the â€Å"new† European Union’ Background of the Treaty of Lisbon The Lisbon Treaty seeks to rectify the structure and the function of the old European Union, which justifies the statement that it has replaced t he â€Å"old† European Union with the â€Å"new† European Union2. Also known as the Lisbon Treaty (LT), it comprises an international agreement that seeks to amend or revise the Maastricht Treaty and the Treaty of Rome, the two treaties that make up the European Union’s (EU’s) constitution3. ... Upon the expansion of EU to comprise 27 member states, it was necessary that amendments be made on the way Europe’s institutions function and how they make decisions. It was further agreed that the treaty shift focus on modernizing European Union, which also justifies the statement that it replaced the old order5. The Lisbon Treaty’s objectives are categorized into four primary areas6, namely to create more transparent and democratic Europe, to promote citizen rights, to build a more efficient Europe and to reposition Europe as a key figure on the global scene7. Shift in decision-making process The Lisbon Treaty transformed the decision-making process of the EU8, thus implying a change from the old system enabling it to work more effectively. First, it seeks to render the EU a stronger yet more coherent say with the creation of a new position of the President of the European Council who chairs the activities of the heads of governments of the member states9. This way, h e works towards facilitating consensus as well ensuring the continuity of the policy. The LT has therefore increased the significance of the Presidency as a decisive organ in the policy-making process10. The president can today mediate between the actors during negotiations while at the same juncture pushing the process towards a favorable direction. He also guides the strategy direction of policy-making. In addition, the LT has created changes to the European Union’s internal decision-making apparatus. The changes are intended to rationalize the process and make it less vulnerable gridlocks by a single member-state. The treaty further attempts to address issues on the democratic transparency and