Book review: Transnational Crime and Criminal Justice
| Author | Geoff Coliandris |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X16670044 |
| Date | 01 December 2016 |
| Published date | 01 December 2016 |
| Subject Matter | Book review |
Book review
Book review
Transnational Crime and Criminal Justice
Marinella Marmo and Nerida Chazal with the contribution of Andrew Goldsmith
SAGE Publications Ltd., London: 2016
Paperback ISBN 978-1-4129-1925-8
£23.99: 230 pp.
Reviewed by: Geoff Coliandris, geoff.coliandris@southwales.ac.uk.
DOI: 10.1177/0032258X16670044
Transnational crime brings challenges at both conceptual and practical levels. Concep-
tual because it defies attempts at a simple definition and practical because by its nature
its activities and effects cross borders and jurisdictions. While transnational crime rep-
resents a global threat, its effects are also felt locally. Such effects are felt at the personal,
community and societal lev els and bring with them a desta bilising potential withi n
broader changes brought about by the uncertainties of globalisation. Exacerbating this
complexity, in recent decades the meaning of transnational crime has widened to encom-
pass a growing number of activities that include the illicit trafficking of people (and their
organs) and goods, organised crime, cybercrime and even environmental crime. Trans-
national crime also articulates with a wider range of pressing social, political and poli-
cing concerns such as human rights, security, order and terrorism.
Transnational Crime and Criminal Justice by Marmo and Chazal (with chapter contri-
butions from Goldsmith) seeks to explore and engage with such issues. Marinella Marmo is
Associate Professor in Criminal Justice at Australia’s Flinders University Law School.
Nerida Chazal is Lecturer in Criminology at the same institution. Both have authored pre-
vious works in related fields. Andrew Goldsmith, who authors chapters 6 and 7, is Strategic
Professor of Criminology at Flinders University. Transnational Crime and Criminal Justice
is divided into two parts. Part I (chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4) looks at approaches to transnational
crime and justice. Definitional issues are considered in this Part as well as competing views
about globalisation and its unsettling consequences for societies. Different social theories are
explored that assist in conceptualising the changing nature of the global conditions and social
spaces in which transnational and organised crime occurs. In this first part, the authors cover a
wide range of central concepts and theories, including neoliberal and risk paradigms as well
as the notion of policy transfer. A central message here is that, despite the nature and scale of
the threats posed by transnational crime, the international ‘system’ of justice remains quite
piecemeal and therefore inadequate in responding effectively.
Part 2 (chapters 7 to10) looks at different forms of transnational crime.These chapters
cover an impressive amount of ground in a highly readable way. The opening chapters
The Police Journal:
Theory, Practice and Principles
2016, Vol. 89(4) 346–347
ªThe Author(s) 2016
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