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Punishing environmental crimes: An empirical study from lower courts to the court of appeal
Author(s) -
Billiet Carole M.,
Blondiau Thomas,
Rousseau Sandra
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
regulation and governance
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.417
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1748-5991
pISSN - 1748-5983
DOI - 10.1111/rego.12044
Subject(s) - appeal , punishment (psychology) , balance (ability) , law , political science , criminal law , criminology , psychology , social psychology , neuroscience
We analyze judicial policy lines concerning the punishment of environmental crime using a unique E uropean dataset of individual criminal cases, including case‐specific information on offenses and offenders. We investigate policy choices made by lower criminal courts, as well as their follow‐up by the relevant court of appeal. The sanctioning policy of the courts has proven to be varied as well as consistent. Judges carefully balance effective and suspended penalties, most often using them cumulatively, but in specific cases opting to use them as substitutes. Overall, both judges in lower and appeal courts balance environmental law and classic criminal law and aim at protecting individuals and their possessions as well as the environment.