NCJ Number
119622
Date Published
1989
Length
11 pages
Annotation
A comparative overview is offered of the status of the victim in the various legal systems which reflect the continental and common law traditions, with particular attention to the laws of Turkey.
Abstract
Almost every legal system has involved itself with revising the position of the victim within that legal system and acknowledging the victim's rights. In most legal systems, the victim has the right to intervene within an existing lawsuit and trigger or continue penal prosecution by filing a private suit. In many penal systems, new methods have been developed during the past ten years for compensating victims. Reimbursements according to comparative law generally covers crimes related to violence and grants compensation only for material damage due to victimization. In some systems, the conflicts between victims and victimizers are solved by the parties themselves or through the intervention of judicial authorities. The methods already accepted by comparative law fail to take place in the Turkish legal system. Civil and penal actions in Turkey are very time consuming and can be quite a financial burden for the plaintiff. Also, those who lack sufficient knowledge about legal procedures find it impossible to follow court actions. Bibliography