This course explores the international legal framework and best practice guidelines to prevent and suppress transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, and international law enforcement and judicial cooperation in this field. The course outlines and examines the criminalization of these activities and, with a focus on European countries, analyses national, regional, and international efforts to investigate such crime and prosecute offenders.
The course is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of contemporary patterns and characteristics of transnational organized crime and relevant international conventions in this field. The seminars, individual and team-based exercises, and assessment in this course invite students to gain insight into the levels and characteristics of various types of organized crime and critically reflect on international, regional, and domestic laws and policies designed to combat these phenomena. The course enhances students’ abilities to research policy documents and legal material, critically analyze legislation, case studies and scholarly writing, present research findings to academic audiences, and elaborate practical recommendations for law reform and policy change relevant to the subject area.
Topics covered in this course include:
- Concepts and characteristics of organized crime;
- Criminalizing organized crime
- Drug trafficking
- Trafficking in persons
- Smuggling of migrants
- Law enforcement and judicial cooperation.
Assessment: This course involves two assessment components. Both components must be attempted. Class participation and exercises during each module throughout the course (30% of final grade), exam (70% of final grade).
This course is made possible through the generous support of Marina Mahler.
