The Secret History of Japanese Cinema: The Yakuza movies

This article explores the interplay among economic imperatives within the entertainment business, the mafia's role in the creation of its own media image, and the production of gangster films. Taking Japan as a case study, the paper shows that, when given the chance to influence the content of gangster movies, crime bosses have portrayed themselves as benevolent patriarchs and a positive force in society, rather the anti-heroes of classic American gangster movies. In Japan, such a choice had, however, the unintended consequence of a decline in audience interest and eventually led to the demise of studio yakuza movies. Ultimately, the paper shows that the mafia control over art can lead to the death of art—something that is bad for the mafia as well.     

The ‘good’, the ‘bad’ and the ‘Charlie’: the business of cocaine smuggling in Greece

This article examines the social organisation of cocaine smuggling in Greece. Emphasis is placed on the involvement of professionals from the shipping industry and actors from the ‘upper society echelons’ who play a pivotal role in the transportation and importation of cocaine to Western Europe and Greece. After considering empirical evidence from a variety of sources, our findings indicate that the cocaine market in Greece is ‘organised’ by a system of collaborative relationships between state, business and civil society actors. It is suggested that to better understand the nature of this illegal market, further research is required to take a closer look into the economic, socio-cultural and political incentives of these actors.     

Criminal constitutions

Why do criminals use constitutions? This article argues that constitutions perform three functions in criminal organisations. First, criminal constitutions promote consensus by creating common knowledge among criminals about what the organisation expects of them and what they can expect of the organisation's other members. Second, criminal constitutions regulate behaviours that are privately beneficially to individual criminals but costly to their organisation as a whole. Third, criminal constitutions generate information about member misconduct and coordinate the enforcement of rules that prohibit such behaviour. By performing these functions, constitutions facilitate criminal cooperation and enhance criminals' profit. To examine our hypothesis we examine the constitutions of two criminal organisations: eighteenth-century Caribbean pirates and the contemporary Californian prison gang, La Nuestra Familia.     

How organised is organised cybercrime?

To some writers and commentators, fully fledged organised cybercrime is currently emerging. Law enforcement spokesmen and Internet security firms have even made comparisons between the structure of cybercriminal enterprises and organisations like La Cosa Nostra. But, in reality, conventional criminal labels applied to cybercrime are themselves often poorly understood by those who employ them. The purpose of this research note is to apply scholarly rigor to the question of whether profit-driven cybercrime can fit underneath formal definitions of organised crime and mafias. It proceeds in three sections: the first section outlines academic definitions of organised crime, mafias and cybercrime; the second section assesses whether online cybercriminal trading forums, perhaps the most visible and documented examples of cybercriminal organisation, might constitute mafias as some contend; the third section briefly discusses some other less documented examples of ‘organised’ cybercrime and assesses the broader possibility of online groups being classified as organised crime groups.     

海洋刑法学的提出与国际海上犯罪的立法规制

随着人类社会对海洋资源的开发与利用,涉海领域的犯罪将愈演愈烈,直接危及作为海洋大国的中国的经济健康发展,加之我国刑事立法与刑事法学的严重滞后,迫切需要加强海洋刑法学的研究;海洋刑法学的研究对象是国际海上犯罪,其重点在于"国际"、"海上"犯罪,较之一般犯罪在法律适用、行为方式、行为时空等方面存在明显区隔;对于国际条约中所涉及的国际海上犯罪在国内的适用应采取转化的操作模式,可考虑在刑法典中独立设置章节对其进行规定。     

我国刑法中牵连关系的形态及其实质分析

牵连犯作为一种罪数形态,在刑法理论中具有重要地位。刑法理论中对牵连犯的判断是以牵连关系为标准,牵连关系在理论上不仅存在两种基本形式,而且也存在多种观点分歧。事实上,牵连关系与犯罪构成要件之间联系密切。当数行为之间的牵连关系属于同一犯罪构成要件之间的牵连时,应认定为一罪,应按从一从重的处断原则处罚;反之,如果数行为属于数个不同犯罪构成要件之间的牵连,则构成数罪,应实行并罚。     

“醉酒型”危险驾驶罪的量刑标准——以司法理性与审判效率的契合为视角

鉴于＂醉酒型＂危险驾驶罪在《刑法修正案（八）》施行一年之际暴露出的诸多困境,司法实践应从出罪途径和量刑标准两个方面来破解定罪界限与量刑失衡现状：通过反证抽象危险的不存在及适用总则第13条来构建合理的出罪路径,以期坚守司法理性和刑法的谦抑性;通过量刑规范化来统一量刑标准和程序参与,确定从量刑起点直至宣告刑中各个环节的标准和影响幅度。从而＂以看得见的形式＂实现量刑的规范和公正,最大限度地实现司法的公正、效率和社会认可。     

保险诈骗罪第4款解释路径的法律分析

片面共犯由于违背共同故意要件因而不属于共同犯罪,其不能对保险诈骗罪第4款的法律性质作出合理的解释。保险诈骗罪第4款既不属于法律拟制和注意规定,也不属于想象竞合和法规竞合,其是法律文本主义的当然解释,亦是大竞合理论下,适用从一重处断原则的当然结果。     

金融犯罪案件的特点及防范对策

近年来,金融类犯罪案件高发,新型金融犯罪案件层出不穷,严重危害金融管理秩序以及金融交易安全。文章通过对金融犯罪案件的主要特点、案发原因的分析,提出遏制和防范金融犯罪、维护金融安全的对策。     

《监狱学导论》思路、结构和特色

大学教科书《监狱学导论》全书划分为六编,强调独特性或者独创性的内容。在写作本书的过程中,特别重视对于监狱学基本知识的论述。在论述很多内容时,不仅描述“是什么”,还着意论述“为什么”,而“为什么”的内容往往体现出较为突出的理论色彩。监狱的三大有形构成要素是监狱设施、监狱工作者和被监禁的罪犯。在这三大有形构成要素中,最关键、最重要的有形构成要素是监狱工作者。在理论构建上,提出了“犯因性差异理论”。