Rule of LawCombating Serious Crimes in Postconflict SocietiesHandbook on Combating Serious Crimes in Postconflict SocietiesIn a series of meetings and expert consultations over a two-year period, more than 40 experts with firsthand experience in combating serious crimes in postconflict environments have contributed to the development of a handbook compiled by the Rule of Law Serious Crimes project, called Combating Serious Crimes in Postconflict Societies: A Handbook for Policymakers and Practitioners. Experts included practitioners and scholars, legal specialists, police, military personnel, judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, intelligence experts, prison and security personnel, policy advisors, human rights advocates, and representatives of relevant international organizations. The book is edited by Colette Rausch. Published in 2006, the handbook is intended to be a reference tool for policymakers and practitioners designing strategies for tackling serious crimes in postconflict environments. It could be of use to both domestic and foreign actors who are assessing a postconflict society and determining what political, legal and economic reforms and strategies are needed to confront the challenge of organized crime, terrorism, corruption or other potentially destabilizing serious crimes. The aim of the handbook is to provide a practical tool to brief individuals on, and to synopsize, the key issues in appraising and approaching this significant challenge. It is not intended as a comprehensive treatise on measures to combat serious crimes or as an operational and tactical manual for law enforcement personnel investigating serious crimes. Nor is it a prescriptive “one-size-fits-all” strategy. Instead, the handbook contains an overview of possible strategies and tools that may be employed in a society seeking to combat serious crimes. Also included is an overview of these strategies, outline of resource requirements, discussion on the pros and cons of certain solutions, and references to additional materials and resources related to serious crimes. An important component of the handbook is the inclusion of practical examples from countries dealing with special crimes. Each postconflict society will require its own strategy to combat serious crimes. To understand these unique situations, however, and to aid in the development of such strategies, numerous real-life examples from previous and current postconflict societies and other countries that are dealing with serious crimes challenges have been integrated into the handbook. Examples derive from experiences in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Haiti, Cambodia, Kosovo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Iraq, and other countries. This allows for a comparative evaluation for the purpose of determining what may work for the specific situation at hand. Download the Book
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