Goals

The general objective of the present project is to produce scientific knowledge about a style of behavior that violates legal and regulatory norms. The general framework of reference is the complex systems perspective. The study seeks to clarify the complexity of delinquent behavior based not on that crime that causes great social alarm and media spectacle, but on the human action typical of everyday life shared by a large majority of individuals in a given population.

In this context, dangerous driving stands out, defined both in the abstract and in its concrete consequences, as it is committed by delinquents and non-delinquents.

It is a specific objective to take this last behavior as an “analyzer” of the transgressive capacity, inscribed in the continuum between normativity and transgression.

Methodology

The method is composite: it uses methods from quantitative criminology and criminological hermeneutics or qualitative methods. Different techniques of data collection and analysis will be used, namely documentary analysis, questionnaires and interviews.

In a first phase:

• Establishment of the predictors of personality and driving experience on driving anger and transgressive driving behavior;
• Establishment, according to the variables in analysis, of the driver’s profile more prone to commit more violations.

In a second phase:

• Explain the relationship between transgressive driving, deterrence, and procedural justice.

First phase:

• 2 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals (one in submission process: Cardoso, C., Castro, J., Machado, M., & Agra, C. The contribution of personality, driving anger, and passion to driving violations; another in preparation).

Second phase:

• 1 scientific article in a peer-reviewed journal;
• 1 conference entitled “Normativities and transgressive behavior in driving” (provisional title);
• 1 minutes book based on the aforementioned conference;
• 1 master's thesis on the scope of the project’s theme.

Project Contribution to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This project is aligned with the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. By identifying factors that contribute to transgressive driving behaviors and the driver profile prone to committing violations while driving, this project has the potential to contribute to informing programs and policies aiming to: (i) reduce the number of traffic accidents and, consequently, prevent injuries and save lives, promoting the health and well-being of citizens; (ii) increase road safety in urban areas, making cities safer and more sustainable; (iii) promote the quality of acting of road control and inspection institutions (e.g., police). Thus, the project contributes to achieving the following “Sustainable Development Objectives”:

3 - Health and Well-Being;
11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities;
15 - Terrestrial Life;
16 - Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions.

Remarks

Start date: 2023
Estimated completion date: July 2027

Cândido Mendes Martins da Agra
Fátima da Cruz Rodrigues
Daniela Loureiro Oliveira

I - General

1. Clarify the epistemological status of the "Ciencias Criminais";
2. Define the conditions for a "unitas multiplext of the relations between these disciplines;
3. Produce historical evidence about the epistemic conditions of emergence of these disciplines;
4. Project the scientific development of the criminal science as an operative area of the link between the ideographic sciences and the nomothetic sciences (social sciences and natural sciences).

II - Specifics

5. To highlight the contribution of Portuguese criminology to the study of crime and delinquency, namely regarding the "falsifiability" of the theory of atavism and degeneracy of the Italian Positivist School. (late 19th century, first decades of the 20th century);
6. To explore the historical contribution of Portuguese criminology to central areas, nowadays, in the scope of criminological research at the educational level (e.g., crime prevention)
7. To analyze the relations between Portuguese criminal law (adults and young people) with the medico-psychological and pedagogical sciences
8. Explore the changes (e.g., rationalities, principles, establishments) observed in Portuguese formal institutions of social control over time as well as the role that scientific research has played in these changes.

Methodology

The methodology bifurcates in two directions: the historical and the epistemological. The first uses the methodologies inaugurated by M. Foucault: archaeological analysis, genealogy, and hermeneutics. The three methodologies converge in the concept of the experience of crime and justice in different historical periods. The second is inscribed in the two great epistemological traditions: the Anglo-Saxon (e.g. Kuhn, Popper) and the Francophone (e.g. Bachelard, Canguilhem, Hypolite).

In addition to this broader methodological framework, this study will primarily adopt documentary analysis methods for data collection. To this end, an analysis grid will be developed, so that the collection of information and subsequent analysis are rigorous and systematic procedures.

Partners

• University of Porto
• University of Lausanne
• European Society of Criminology
• AICLP - Portuguese Language International Criminology Association
• Directorate General of Books, Archives and Libraries (Torre do Tombo)
• General Direction of Reinsertion and Prison Services

Expected Results

• Oral presentations, interviews, open classes and other relevant and current means of disseminating content
• Publication of a book on the history of criminal science in Europe
• Publication of book chapters in leading international publishers
• Other publications
• Completion of Master's dissertations and PhD theses within the scope of the project

Disclosures

Agra, Cândido (2021). Open lecture on "Epistemology and History of Criminology" as part of the Master's programme in Criminology at the Faculty of Law of the University of Porto.

Agra, Cândido (2021). Online conference on the impact of criminological research on criminal law and criminal policies, University of San Marcus - Lima, Peru.

Agra, Cândido (2022). Interview on the "History of Criminology in Portugal" by Marcelo Aebi (Université de Lausanne) and P.Livens (University of Gent) in Podcast "Criminology" - European Society of Criminology – within the scope of the Research Project (5.2) “Epistemology and History of Criminal Science: between law and the natural and life science”.

Agra, Cândido (2022) “Direito, Ciência e Ciência do Direito. Caderno de notas para uma inter-epistemologia". Cadernos de Investigação - CIJE- (FCT). Faculdade de Direito da Universidade do Porto. ISSN: 2975-836.

Project Contribution to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The project promotes the development of an interdisciplinary approach that allows critical reflection on contemporary challenges related to crime and justice and their relationship with the promotion of inclusive and just societies and institutions, in line with SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions.

By analyzing the changes in formal institutions of social control over time and the evolution of scientific knowledge about them, the project, albeit indirectly, contributes to the development of safe and sustainable cities and communities. Understanding these changes can also contribute to the promotion of fair, inclusive and effective public policies in the urban and community context, as outlined by SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Remarks

Schedule

Start date: 2021
Completion date: 2027
Duration: 6 years

Line 1 - Criminal Law
Line 2 - Criminal Policy and Punitiveness

Goals

This project aims to produce scientific knowledge that allows a better understanding of the challenges introduced in the field of Criminal Law
field of Criminal Law due to globalization and the emergence of supranational entities that share the state ius puniendi, considering, namely, the following topics:

1. Foundations, legitimacy and feasibility of the supranational power to punish, in a historical-political moment of upheaval that reveals a strong tendency, in some states, to affirm a sovereignty averse to limits.
2. The facets of ius puniendi: sharing and national reservations
3. Significant substantive and procedural changes in national law
4. The interaction between the different legal systems: theoretical issues and the balance sheet
5. Judicial cooperation: legitimate objectives, trust and protection of the fundamental rights of the persons subject to such cooperation
6. Solutions and proposals for the future of Criminal Law (national, European, international)

Scientific Domain
General field
Specific field

General Area: Criminal Law
Specific Area: International Criminal and European Law

Methodology

Composite and necessarily interdisciplinary methodology that integrates:

1. Analysis of norms from various legal systems (national and supranational)
2. Analysis of official criminal policy documents
3. Analysis of jurisprudence (from various national and supranational legal systems)
4. Analysis of doctrine

Partners

• CILRAP (Center for International Law Research and Policy)
• ECLAN (European Criminal Law Academic Network)

Expected Results

It is expected to acquire a deeper knowledge of the complex challenges posed to national legal systems by the development of a criminal law of supranational origin. Ideally, it is hoped to contribute to its coherent development, by proposing concrete solutions to the problems identified, without neglecting the basic assumptions of the emerging paradigm of an international criminal policy (under construction) - the ultimate protection of the values that make up a minimum axiological framework, consensually understood as lacking international or European protection, linked to respect for constitutionally enshrined principles, rights and individual freedoms.

Disclosures

Currently, two initial articles are being executed, one in English and the other in Portuguese; two more articles are expected before the end of the year Organization of two international conferences dedicated, respectively, to International Criminal Law and European Criminal Law, where we expect the participation of national and foreign researchers, and, eventually, authorities with responsibilities in the field of promotion and development of International Criminal Law and European Criminal Law.

• Raquel Cardoso, "Legitimidade e necessidade no Direito Penal (Europeu). Um diálogo, dois discursos", in Revista Portuguesa de Ciência Criminal, Ano 33, Nº 2, maio – agosto 2023
• Raquel Cardoso, participação no seminário "10th ECLAN PhD Seminar: Criminal Law Influence on the National Criminal Justice Systems", que teve lugar nos dias 6 e 7 de Outubro de 2022 na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Vilnius, Lituânia. O artigo, intitulado "The Functions of European Criminal Law and the criminalisation discourse: between the harm principle and the protection of legal goods", encontra-se neste momento pendente de publicação na Revista "Teisė", da Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Vilnius.
• Raquel Cardoso, participação no congresso "1 Congreso Internacional de Jóvenes Investigadores: Cooperación Judicial Internacional y Tecnologías Disruptivas", que teve lugar nos dias 15 e 16 de Dezembro de 2022, na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Burgos, Espanha. O artigo, intitulado "Judicial cooperation in criminal matters and the protection of the individual’s rights: between the ECtHR and the CJEU", será publicado na obra colectiva correspondente ao congresso.
• Raquel Cardoso, participação e organização da conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. Uma curta versão do artigo, intitulado "Migrant smuggling: an overview of its material legitimacy", será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Raquel Cardoso, participação no congresso "Young FIDE Seminar", parte do "XXVV FIDE Congress", que teve lugar de 31 de Maio a 2 de Junho de 2023 em Sófia, Bulgária, organizado pela FIDE (Federation Intérnationale pour le Droit Européen), pela Faculdade de Direito da Universidade St. Kliment Ohridski de Sófia em cooperação com o Centre Européen Universitaire (Universidade de Lorraine, Nancy, France). O artigo, intitulado "The European Constitutional Identity as mirror and reflection of national constitutional identities – concessions, limits and trust within the EU", será publicado numa revista internacional, ainda não se tendo a certeza qual será (se búlgara ou francesa).
• Leonor Esteves e Raquel Cardoso, "Comentário aos art. 229º-240º do Código de Processo Penal", in Paulo Pinto de Albuquerque (Org.), Comentário do Código de Processo Penal à luz da Constituição da República e da Convenção Europeia dos Direitos Humanos, 5ª Edição, Lisboa, Universidade Católica Editora, 2023
• Pedro Caeiro e Raquel Cardoso, "Country Research Brief [on the application of the FD EAW by Portuguese courts]: Portugal", in STREAM - Strengthening Trust in the European Criminal Justice Area through Mutual Recognition and the Streamlined Application of the European Arrest Warrant (JUST AG 1010007485), Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), < https://stream-eaw.eu/country-reports/ > .
• Fernando Torrão, participação e organização da conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. A intervenção, intitulada “CULPA DA EMPRESA? - Do modelo português de responsabilidade coletiva à luz do Direito Penal (económico) da União Europeia”, será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Sofia Santos, participação na conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. A intervenção, intitulada “Uma Agenda da UE em matéria de Luta contra o Terrorismo: questões jurídicas”, será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Valsamis Mitsilegas, participação na conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. A intervenção, intitulada “The Normative Foundations of European Criminal Law”, será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Pedro Caeiro, participação na conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. A intervenção, intitulada “As sanções aplicáveis às pessoas jurídicas na proposta de Directiva da Comissão Europeia relativa à violação de medidas restritivas e o princípio da proporcionalidade”, será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Mar Jimeno Bulnes, participação na conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. A intervenção, intitulada “La Fiscalía Europea: un breve recorrido por la 'institución'”, será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Marta Morales Romero, participação na conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. A intervenção, intitulada “Dual criminality and beyond: the Puigdemont case and the neverending story”, será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Miguel João Costa, participação na conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. A intervenção, intitulada “«Great Expectations»: Extradition to Third Countries from Petruhhin to Generalstaatsanwaltschaft München”, será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Inês Horta Pinto, participação na conferência "International Conference on European Criminal Law: From the legal foundations to its impact on national legal orders", que teve lugar na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade Lusíada - Porto, no dia 28 de Abril de 2023. A intervenção, intitulada “O impacto das condições de privação da liberdade no funcionamento dos mecanismos de reconhecimento mútuo no âmbito do Espaço europeu de Liberdade, Segurança e Justiça”, será publicada nas actas da conferência, que estão ainda a ser executadas pelos organizadores.
• Raquel Cardoso, "The Functions of European Criminal Law and the Criminalization Discourse: between the Harm Principle and the Protection of Legal Goods", in Teisè, Vol. 129 (2023), p. 143-150.
• Raquel Cardoso, participation in "ECLAN Graduate Conference 2023: The Future of European Criminal Law" – 30 november and 1 december 2023, School of Law and Social Justice, University of Liverpool, Reino Unido. The presentation, titled "The Functions of European Criminal Law and the legitimacy of criminalisation", was part of the panel dedicated to "Theoretical and Transversal Perspectives"
• Raquel Cardoso, "Judicial cooperation in criminal matters and the protection of the individual’s rights: between the ECtHR and the CJEU", in Paulo Suárez Xavier; Ana Vicario Pérez (Dir.), Cooperación judicial internacional a la luz de las nuevas tecnologías. Riesgos, utilidades y protección de derechos fundamentales, Coruña, Colex, 2023
• Raquel Cardoso, "The European Constitutional Identity as mirror and reflection of national constitutional identities – concessions, limits and trust within the EU", in Revue des Affaires Européennes 2023/4 (Mai 2024)
• Raquel Cardoso, participação na UACES Graduate Forum Research Conference, que teve lugar em Amsterdão, na Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, nos dias 27 e 28 de junho de 2024, com uma apresentação subordinada ao tema "Expanding the Area of Security, Freedom and Justice: what should change?"
• Raquel Cardoso, participação na conferência "FACILEX: Facilitating Mutual Recognition Through Algorithms and AI", que teve lugar em Bolonha, no dia 29 de novembro de 2024, integrando o painel relativo ao Regulamento 1805/2018
• Raquel Cardoso, “Navigating troubled waters: evaluating the function and material legitimacy of European criminal law”, in XLIII Polish Yearbook of International Law, 2023
• Miguel João Costa / Raquel Cardoso / António Vaz de Castro / Pedro Caeiro, “Portuguese Report”, in FACILEX – Facilitating Mutual Recognition: Analytics and Mutual Recognition Information Legal Explainable Tool to Strengthen Cooperation in the Criminal Matter – (JUST AG 101089634) < https://site.unibo.it/facilex/en/the-project/results >
• Raquel Cardoso, participação como especialista nacional no "Workshop on Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA on the European Arrest Warrant", que teve lugar em Bruxelas e online, no dia 11 de dezembro de 2024

Project Contribution to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This project pursues the materialization of three of the five principles set out in the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: People, Peace and Partnerships, through the support and effective protection of internationally recognized human rights. The research pursued in the project thus aims to contribute to the promotion of just and inclusive societies by reaffirming the intangible dignity of the human person.

Taking into account the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the UN, if the project can be framed within Goals 8, 10, 11 to 13 and 15, namely, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Reducing Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Sustainable Production and Consumption, Climate Action, it should be emphasized that the research is clearly situated in the achievement of Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions, in order to create the conditions to achieve these goals. The emerging international criminal jurisdiction and European legal instruments in criminal matters necessarily integrate these conditions. As for Objective 17, Partnerships for the Implementation of the Objectives, in compliance with the internationalization requirement immanent to the ongoing research, partnerships were established, which is why the project has a strong transnational component.

Remarks

Start date - 2023
Completion date - n/a
Duration - n/a

Goals

Restorative justice practices in the fields of juvenile criminal justice have experienced in recent decades a consistent and significant expansion at the international level. Juvenile delinquency has undoubtedly been the traditional domain of institutionalization of these practices, which have become in several European countries, one of the main modalities of response of juvenile justice systems. Portugal has lagged behind international developments in this field. The application of penal mediation, introduced in 2007 (law 21/2007 of June 12) is today practically non-existent and despite the Tutelary Educational law foresees the recourse to "mediation", either during the inquiry phase or during the jurisdictional phase, its objectives do not correspond to what, in international terms, is conceived as a restorative practice.

Thus, this action-research project, to be developed in two phases, has the following general objectives:

PHASE 1
General objectives:

1. Conhecer as atitudes públicas face aos princípios, finalidades e práticas emblematicas de justiça restaurativa em materia criminal, e a sua relação com três dimensões-chave das atitudes face à punição, designadamente as finalidades das sanções penais (retribuição, dissuasao e reabilitação ), a severidade e o tipo de sanção penal.
2. Examinar a relação entre as atitudes acima referidas e outras dimensões que a literatura tem indicado como preditores, designadamente variáveis sociodemográficas, tipo e gravidade da ofensa, capital social, risco percebido de vitimização, e perceção da confiança, legitimidade e eficácia do sistema de justiça criminal.

PHASE 2
General objectives:

1. Analysis of restorative justice programs within the framework of Juvenile Justice in Europe, namely about the nature and functioning of the adopted practices, the legal framework in which they are inserted and eventually the analysis of literature about their scientific evaluation.
2. Identify and characterize restorative justice practices in juvenile contexts in Portugal.
3. To know the attitudes towards restorative justice and its introduction in the tutelary educative scope of judicial operators and representatives and professionals of relevant institutions/organizations in the scope of the reaction to juvenile delinquency.

General Area: Criminology

Methodology

PHASE I:

• Application of a questionnaire to the population about attitudes towards restorative justice and its practical modalities (victim-offender mediation and conferences).

PHASE II

• Documentary analysis;
• Application of a questionnaire to judicial operators and professionals from the educational tutelage system.
• Interviews and focus group with magistrates from the Family and Juvenile Courts, DGRSP technicians, APAV, mediators associations and lawyers.

-

• Organisation of an International Conference at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Lusíada-Porto, CEJEA;
• Organisation of an International Seminar dedicated to restorative justice practices in the field of criminal justice and juvenile justice, with the participation of researchers, professionals and institutional representatives in the field, both national and foreign;
• Oral presentations at international conferences;
• Scientific publications.

Disclosures

Realisation of scientific events:

International Seminar "Restorative Justice: Law, Contexts and Practices", held at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Lusíada-Porto, CEJEA, on 10 November 2023, with the following topics and participants

Panel 1 RESTORATIVE JUSTICE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Leonor Esteves

Criminal mediation in Portugal: the reasons for its (in)success?
Prof Cátia Cebola, Polytechnic of Leiria; Leiria Centre of the Portucalense Legal Institute

Les médiations en matière pénales en Belgique : Effectivité, logiques d'action et effets stratégiques
Prof.ª Doutora Anne Lemonne, Institut National de Criminalistique et de Criminologie; Université Libre de Bruxelles

What role can restorative justice play in meeting the needs of victims of crime?
Prof Rosa Saavedra, APAV; Faculty of Law, University of Porto

Panel 2 YOUTH CRIME AND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES
Moderator: Master Josefina Castro

Restorative justice and mediation in juvenile justice in Quebec
Prof Dr Mylène Jaccoud, University of Montréal, Canada

Mediation in Spain: judicial resistance to an unknown practice
Prof Maria José Bernuz Beneitez, Faculty of Law, University of Zaragoza, Spain

Panel 3 THE INSTITUTIONALISATION OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE: CONDITIONS AND CHALLENGES
Moderation: Prof. Dr Margarida Santos and Prof. Dr Carla Cardoso

Restorative Justice, past, present and future in Portugal
Prof Dr Sónia Reis, Faculty of Law, University of Lisbon

Criminal Mediation: a promise yet to be fulfilled or a future to be built?
Dr Marta San-Bento, Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution (Directorate-General for Justice Policy)

Conditions for the institutionalisation of Restorative Justice in criminal matters: An empirical study
Professor Margarida Santos and Professor Josefina Castro, Faculty of Law, Lusíada University Porto

International Conference "Legal Socialisation and Juvenile Delinquency", held at the Faculty of Law of Universidade Lusíada-Porto, CEJEA, on 5 December 2023, with the following topics and participants:
Moderation: Prof Dr Samuel Moreira

Young people in the juvenile justice system - an opportunity for legal socialisation?
Esther Fernández Molina - University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

The Legal Socialisation Study in São Paulo: challenges and contributions to investigating the relationship between young people
Debora Piccirillo - University of São Paulo, Brazil

Oral communications at international conferences:

• Castro, J. & Santos, M. (2023). Conditions for the institutionalisation of Restorative Justice in criminal matters: An empirical study. International Seminar on Restorative Justice: Law, contexts and practice. Lusíada University - Porto, November.
• Castro, J. & Santos, M. (2023). Mediation in Portugal: Searching for traces of an experience. 23rd Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, Eurocrim2023, Florence, 6-9 September.
• Santos, M. & Castro, J. (2023). Criminal Mediation in Portugal: From a past of failure to a possibility for the future?". Conference Cycle, International Association of Criminology in Portuguese Language and Institute of Advanced Studies, Ribeirão Preto, USP, 6 June.
• Castro, J. & Santos, M. (2023) Perspectives croisées sur l’effectivité des médiations pénales: le cas de Portugal. World Mediation Forum - XI Conference. Online - 24 -27 de out. 2023

Publications:

• Santos, M., Saavedra, R., Santos, G. & Castro, J. (2023). The effectiveness of restorative justice programmes on victims and offenders: a review of the scientific literature. Mediation Law in Portugal: 10 years in review. Almedina. ISBN: 978-989-40-1389-1. https://iconline.ipleiria.pt/handle/10400.8/8794

Participation in international projects:

Within the scope of the project "Restorative Justice and Juvenile Delinquency: Action Research Project", researchers Josefina Castro and Margarida Santos participated in the international project "Étude internationale et interdisciplinaire de l'effectivité des médiations pénales: place et évolution dans les systèmes pénaux" (2021-2023), coordinated by Mylène Jaccoud (University of Montréal, Canada) and Dan Kaminski (Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium).

Contribution of the Project to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This project is aligned with the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development". Indeed, JR has a high potential to contribute to Goal 16 - Peace, Justice and Effective Institutions, by facilitating access to justice and promoting effective, accountable and inclusive institutions. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations has long recognized the benefits of restorative processes and practices in regulating conflict in criminal matters, responding to the needs, rights and interests of victims, offenders and communities, and building more compassionate and just justice systems. Its potential as an important element in preventing crime and violence is also recognized.

Keywords

Restorative Justice; Juvenile Justice; Mediation; Punishment

Remarks

Start date - 1 May 2023
Completion date - 15 December 2027
Duration - 4 year

The war conflicts unleashed in the 21st century in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, various African countries and, lately, in Ukraine, the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, which have highlighted the immeasurable suffering of the civilian population, but also, in other geographical areas, the violent persecution of ethnic and religious minorities - for example, the Rohinghya and Uyghur populations - have put the meaning and effectiveness of the International Criminal Law under scrutiny.
This project aims, through a constructive scientific dialogue between national and foreign researchers in the areas of Criminal Law, International Law and Criminal Policy, to identify and densify the problematic horizon of International Criminal Law and, at the same time, the core issues of the establishment, at the turn of the century, of a permanent international criminal jurisdiction, the International Criminal Court, ICC, namely around the following issues:

1. Ethical and legal foundations of international criminal law;
2. Legitimacy and conditions for the effectiveness of the supranational ius puniendi, in a historical, cultural and political context in turmoil that reveals a strong tendency in some states to assert a sovereignty that is averse to limits and international legal supervision;
3. Obligations arising for Member States under the Rome Statute establishing the ICC, in particular the adoption of domestic laws enabling the criminal liability of perpetrators of international crimes (crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression) and ensuring judicial cooperation with the ICC;
4. Difficulties in investigating the crimes, given their nature, crimes committed on a massive scale, in particular in collecting, preserving and producing material evidence, and especially their particularly sensitive nature, in the case of crimes of sexual violence, in obtaining statements from the victims;
5. Compliance with the fundamental principles of fair and just criminal procedure, specifically by studying the status of the accused and the role of the victim in the process.

Schedule

Start date - October, 2024
Completion date  - 
Duration - 

This project has as its central objective, through an exploratory approach and the use of qualitative methodologies, to identify victimization patterns and characterize institutional responses in the context of refugee protection. Additionally, it aims to map the potentialities, challenges, and risks associated with the use of Big Data in this area.
Through Scoping Reviews, the project will intersect the fields of Victimology, Big Data, and refugee victimization, developing in two distinct phases. It also seeks to propose pragmatic solutions that promote the responsible and ethical use of massive data in refugee protection, with respect for privacy and other human rights and civil liberties.

Phase 1: Identification of victimization patterns and characterization of institutional responses in the refugee protection context
The main goal of this phase is to map victimization processes among refugees, recognized as a particularly vulnerable group, and to characterize existing institutional responses. This will be achieved through qualitative research methods, data collection, and analysis of scientific literature on the topic (scoping review).
This phase aims to:

1. Identify victimization patterns affecting refugees, with emphasis on the dynamics of violence, abuse, exploitation, and discrimination, focusing on women and children.
2. Identify the vulnerabilities faced by refugees during the migration process, particularly in contexts of gender-based violence and human trafficking.
3. Characterize the support approaches and interventions already implemented by governments and international organizations.
4. Propose new intervention approaches.

Phase 2: Potentialities, challenges, and risks in using Big Data for refugee protection
The main objective of the second phase is to investigate the potentialities, challenges, and risks associated with the use of Big Data to monitor and protect refugee populations.
This phase focuses on:

1. Characterizing how international agencies and humanitarian organizations use massive data to identify and monitor risk situations among refugees.
2. Identifying inherent risks to privacy and data security, especially regarding the handling of sensitive information about vulnerable populations.
3. Mapping the potentialities described in the scientific literature regarding the use of Big Data for refugee protection.
4. Identifying potential negative impacts associated with Big Data, such as human rights violations.
5. Developing guidelines for the use of Big Data in humanitarian contexts, addressing issues such as informed consent, data protection, and transparency.
6. Propose pragmatic solutions that promote the responsible and ethical use of massive data in refugee protection, with respect for privacy and other human rights and civil liberties. 

PHASE 1
Development of a Scoping Review to analyze the existing literature on refugee victimization and the use of Big Data in addressing these phenomena. The review will be conducted in two stages:

1. Identification and selection of relevant studies in electronic databases: Using terms such as “Victimology,” “refugees,” “Big Data,” “vulnerability,” and “support.” After defining a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria for articles that meet the analysis objectives, existing studies on the topic will be collected.
2. Following the collection of studies, an initial exploratory reading will be conducted, and studies will be selected based on their relevance to the topics under investigation.
3. The selected studies will undergo detailed reading and analysis to map topics related to the theme.
4. Content analysis of the studies: to identify trends in refugee victimization and to map how Big Data has been used to understand these vulnerabilities.

PHASE 2
Through the development of Scoping Reviews, this phase includes a literature review on the use of Big Data in refugee crisis management. The review will be structured around two main questions:

1. In what situations has Big Data been used in refugee crisis management?
2. What ethical and practical challenges are described in the literature concerning the use of Big Data for refugee protection?
3. What strategies have been proposed to mitigate risks such as privacy violations, data misuse, and the security of sensitive data?
4. The qualitative analysis will focus on studies addressing the legal and practical issues of using Big Data in humanitarian crises, including case studies of Big Data applications to predict migratory flows or locate at-risk populations, such as during political crises or natural disasters.
    

Schedule

Start date - 01/01/2025
Completion date - 01/06/2026
Duration -