Criminal Procedure Systems in the European Community

Until recently, there was relatively little interest in comparative criminal procedure, which may be explained by the fact that criminal procedure, more than any other legal discipline, resists harmonisation. However, the problems Member States face these days are largely identical: a general increase in crime, an insufficiency of financial means for the different enforcement levels, increasing complexity of legislation and the fact that the general public seems to be gradually losing confidence in the criminal justice system. There is a growing need for an understanding of foreign criminal justice systems within the European community. This book seeks to contribute to a greater knowledge by offering a general introduction to the criminal procedure systems of the Member States of the EC. It will be of great interest to students, practitioners - who tend to be increasingly confronted with cases involving foreign criminal justice systems, and lawyers.