NCJ Number
95337
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1984) Pages: 95-107
Date Published
1984
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This essay defines corporate crime, discusses various forms of corporate criminality in Australia, and then delineates critical research areas.
Abstract
Corporate crime is defined as crimes committed by businesses and their employees or their agents to further the legitimate purpose of the organization. Types of corporate crime in Australia fall into 12 major areas: companies and securities law, taxation, occupational safety and health, environmental protection, consumer protection, restrictive trade practices, discriminatory practices, financial crimes against other businesses, food and drug regulations, bribery and corrupt practices, economic offenses against employees, and illegal trading. Useful areas for research are case studies of questionable corporate practices, analyses of legislative processes which define and regulate corporate crimes, and compilations of national uniform statistics on corporate illegalities. Other topics requiring investigation include the police's role in detecting corporate crime, prosecutorial discretion toward corporate offenders, and the characteristics of victims of corporate crime. The organizational and environmental causes of corporate crime should be explored in greater depth, as should the effectiveness of current sanctions. The following research issues deserve early attention: the costs, detection, and prosecution of corporate crimes; punishing corporate offenders; and interjurisdictional comparisons of effectiveness in corporate crime control. Over 80 references are included.