The Citizen and the State: Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties in Conflict

Angus Nurse
Middlesex University, UK


Product Details
Format:
Hardback
ISBN:
9781789730401
Published:
Publisher:
Emerald Publishing Limited
Dimensions:
216 pages - 152 x 229mm
List price £67.99 List price €82.99 List price $104.99
Categories:
The Citizen and the State conducts an essential criminological analysis of contemporary justice systems, combining critical criminology and human rights perspectives. The book contextualizes criminal justice and criminal justice processes as tools of the state that impact negatively on citizens’ lives. Particularly in a post 9/11 world where ‘national security’ and terrorism concerns are used as justification for the erosion of citizens’ rights, justice systems are inherently in conflict with principles of liberty and justice enshrined in human rights instruments.While acknowledging the reality of changes in law-and-order discourse, this book argues that contemporary justice systems risk lacking in legitimacy in circumstances where the necessity for interference in rights is largely asserted rather than demonstrated. Using a range of real-world case studies, the book conducts a critical analysis of contemporary criminal justice and examines the challenges in achieving a balance between effective criminal justice and upholding civil liberties.This book is essential reading for academics, post-graduate researchers, and social policy professionals.

Chapter 1: The Citizen and the State 
Chapter 2: The Rule of Law and Contemporary Criminal Justice 
Chapter 3: The Art of Activism 
Chapter 4: Justice for Some, Lawyers for All? Victim’s Rights and Redress  
Chapter 5: Alternative Dispute Resolution and Redress  
Chapter 6: Justice Under Stress: Scrutiny, Tribunals and Public Inquiries 
Chapter 7: Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil, Criminal Justice and Freedom of Expression  
Chapter 8: Freedom of Assembly and Protesting Against the State  
Chapter 9: Exploring Creativity and Sexuality: Freedom of Expression Expanded 
Chapter 10: Re-assessing The Citizen and the State: Perspectives on DemocracyReferences
Angus Nurse is Associate Professor of Environmental Justice at Middlesex University School of Law where he teaches and researches Criminology and Law. Angus has research interests in criminality, critical criminal justice, animal and human rights law, anti-social behaviour and green criminology. 

Angus is also a member of the Wild Animal Welfare Committee (WAWC) and has worked in the environmental NGO field and as an Investigator for the Local Government Ombudsman. His books include Policing Wildlife (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), Animal Harm: Perspectives on Why People Harm and Kill Animals (Ashgate, 2013) and Miscarriages of Justice: Causes, Consequences and Remedies (Policy Press, 2018) co-authored with Sam Poyser and Rebecca Milne.
This is a timely, thought-provoking book which challenges us to re-evaluate our interpretations of justice, human rights, proportionality and the criminal justice system. Underpinned by critical thinking and rigorous scholarship throughout, this book is essential reading for anyone seeking a more nuanced understanding of the precarious balance between ‘effective’ justice policies and our civil liberties. - Neil Chakraborti, School of Criminology, University of Leicester, UK

Angus Nurse provides an incredibly lucid and unswervingly critical analysis of the criminal justice system. Picking apart the underlying conflicts, inconsistencies and contradictions between the citizen and the state that emerge through the normal working practices of criminal justice processes, this book represents an important step toward understanding the complex intersection of human rights, justice and inequality. Through a range of assiduously selected examples, Nurse illustrates the power imbalances that characterise the legal landscape of contemporary society, in contexts as varied as the suppression of dissent, creative and sexual expression, and public enquiries. In a world where access to justice for the most vulnerable in society is becoming increasingly tenuous, The Citizen and the State: Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties in Conflict isessential reading for those interested in redefining who justice is for. - Oliver Smith, School of Law, Criminology and Government, University of Plymouth, UK

Dr Angus Nurse has written extensively on a number of social issues such as human rights, environmental crime and greencriminology. Prior to becoming an academic he had a professional background as an Ombudsman and for an NGO as a wildlife investigator.  He has brought this wide knowledge and experience together in a critical manuscript that deconstructs the questions of what and who the criminal justice system is for? The work is accessible and is usefully underpinned with case examples. The conflict between civil liberties and criminal justice will deservedly appeal to a wide audience, beyondcriminology and legal scholars. - Anthony Goodman, Department of Criminology and Sociology, Middlesex University, UK

Dr Angus Nurse has written a concise, accessible and engaging introduction to the big ideas driving the debates around the criminal justice system. It is an exploration as to what we want and should expect from our justice system and the balance between upholding the rights of its citizens and delivering effective justice on the part of the state. - Jon Robins, Editor of 'The Justice Gap' and 'Proof', UK

A hallmark of Angus Nurse’s scholarship has been discussing complex issues (such as animal harm and wildlife crime) in clear and accessible ways. In (The Citizen and the State) Nurse tackles questions regarding the purpose and operation of criminal justice and the extent to which the balance between criminal justice and civil liberties is problematic. Nurse’s elegant prose and thoughtful cases and examples – examined through the lenses of critical criminology and human rights – shed new light on the inherent conflict between the citizen and the state in a post-9/11 world. A timely and important book! - Avi Brisman, School of Justice Studies, Eastern Kentucky University, USA

Angus Nurse is an outstanding socio-legal scholar and this book crystallises his academic innovation and acumen with an inspiring and cutting-edge exegesis of the interrelated contradictions and complexities between state power, citizenfreedoms and the administration of justice. The book is beautifully written and it insightfully and lucidly unpacks key democratic concepts and relationships in an accessible and engaging way that makes a unique contribution to criminological discourses. - Reece Walters, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Deakin University, Australia

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