Fiona Donson

This book offers an accessible and comprehensive introduction to criminology in Ireland. Logically structured and clearly written, this book explores theory and empirical research through real-life examples from an Irish context. Engaging and challenging, this book encourages critical thinking about, and understanding of, crime and crime control in Ireland, North and South. The book covers the canon of criminological theory, from classical and psychological approaches right through to the contemporary. It offers an overview of the Irish criminal justice system, including the police, prisons and alternatives to punishment. It covers key criminological themes such as victims and victimology, gender, the drug trade and its regulation, terrorism and political violence, and desistance and the life course. Key features include:Critical assessment of key criminological theories, which are later woven into discussions of key thematic areasCase studies of historical and contemporary Irish events, including the Magdalene Laundries, gangland feuds and the decriminalisation of drugsExtensive reading lists of key academic texts and relevant Irish literature, movies, music and artThis book is the only comprehensive criminology textbook specifically designed for the Irish undergraduate curriculum. It is essential reading for all criminology students in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and will also be of interest to postgraduates and academics looking for an overview of Irish Criminology.

This book offers an accessible and comprehensive introduction to criminology in Ireland. Logically structured and clearly written, this book explores theory and empirical research through real-life examples from an Irish context. Engaging and challenging, this book encourages critical thinking about, and understanding of, crime and crime control in Ireland, North and South. The book covers the canon of criminological theory, from classical and psychological approaches right through to the contemporary. It offers an overview of the Irish criminal justice system, including the police, prisons and alternatives to punishment. It covers key criminological themes such as victims and victimology, gender, the drug trade and its regulation, terrorism and political violence, and desistance and the life course. Key features include:Critical assessment of key criminological theories, which are later woven into discussions of key thematic areasCase studies of historical and contemporary Irish events, including the Magdalene Laundries, gangland feuds and the decriminalisation of drugsExtensive reading lists of key academic texts and relevant Irish literature, movies, music and artThis book is the only comprehensive criminology textbook specifically designed for the Irish undergraduate curriculum. It is essential reading for all criminology students in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and will also be of interest to postgraduates and academics looking for an overview of Irish Criminology.

Law and Public Administrative in Ireland provides a comprehensive account of an area of law which is conceptually difficult. In examining the key themes and concepts of Irish administrative law, along with the application to real cases, the book clarifies and enlivens this crucial area of law. It provides an up-to-date analysis of the core grounds of judicial review, incorporating landmark post-Celtic Tiger era decisions concerning procedural fairness. Underlining the ever evolving nature of administrative law, the book evaluates recent refinements to traditional concepts and distinctions, such as the borderline between an error of law and an error of fact, legitimate expectation, and the obligation to take relevant matters into account. The rising importance of the European legal instruments receives a direct examination, with the book charting the emerging use of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights, and how international perspectives have impacted traditional concepts and approaches to the subject. Law and Public Administrative in Ireland displays the breadth and diversity of Irish administrative law, supplying an analysis of many legislative reforms and legal innovations which followed Ireland's economic downturn. The book explores both the law and the factors informing it, looking at the policy choices which have shaped the Irish administrative State. It reflects upon the efforts to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny over the administrative state as well as critically reviewing the role of non-judicial bodies, including the Office of the Ombudsman and Public Inquiries. The landmark reform of the institutional structures of local government in the Local Government Reform Act 2014, including changes to the planning and development, are analyzed for the first time. The book provides an account of this complex area of law which is both accessible and contextual, making it an invaluable text for both students and academics. The scope of the material covered is highly relevant to those studying administrative law.

SLAPPS (strategic lawsuits against public participation), well known in the United States of America, are on the increase in the United Kingdom. SLAPPS are court actions taken by powerful or wealthy individuals or organizations against ordinary people who seek to express their views and to take part in the decision-making processes which affect their lives. Their effect is meant to "chill" through legal intimidation - to stop the critics and end the debates. A steady growth of SLAPPS has occurred where government and business see their interests being threatened by those who dare to rock the boat. The court case becomes a weapon in a larger political war, tying people up in court rooms, sapping their energy and money, carrying the fear of severe legal sanction. In this way the law is used not to protect a valid legal claim but rather to frighten and silence those who are bold enough to criticize, question and speak out. Looking at various high-profile cases the author considers both the theory and practice of attacks upon free speech in a modern democracy. In the new era of human rights in the United Kingdom the author poses important questions about what the use of such legal actions tells us about the health of our democracy at the turn of the millennium.