Crimes against the Environment---Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice Perspectives

The dissertation Crimes against the environment – criminology and criminal justice perspectives represents a study of environmental crime and a work about green criminology in general and in the environment of the Republic of Slovenia. The comparative criminological and criminal justice aspects of the environmental crime are the link from the beginning to the end of the present dissertation.;Research results show that environmental crime occurs under the influence of the social conditions and circumstances (i.e., environment as a resource for survival) and economical factors (i.e., environment as a resource for profit). The origin for the committing environmental crime lies in the nature itself, because the environment represents the resources for the survival and the opportunity for profit. It is possible to conclude that the primary and main cause or reason for the committing crime against the environment is human nature related to past anthropocentric attitude towards the environment. The primary motives for environmental crime are profit and human development. Very rare are the cases where offenders have a different reason for committing environmental crime, such as cruelty to animals.;Today, we can talk about a new branch of criminology in Slovenia. In the 21st century, green criminology can be described as a social study that uses multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach. It is based on the critical criminological conviction to defend environment as one of the basic human rights. The research agenda of green criminology is based on the assignment to study the known forms of deviant behavior against the natural environment. Green criminology observes the dynamics between the human and the natural environment, especially human behavior and acts. It is interested in the human as a perpetrator of environmental crime, humans as victims of environmental crime, and possible prevention methods. Green criminology is much more than just a debate of environmental issues. Due to the multidisciplinary subject of the study it also has characteristics of critical criminology, “modern” criminology, public criminology and news-making criminology. Nevertheless it is important that green criminology within the framework of its work and with the findings and proposals affects the creation of politics on environmental issues. Criminology of the 21st century should have an intellectual base and a legal space to be able to include all elements of the environment as an inseparable and connected field of expertise. The ecocentric or socio-ecological centered perspective, which emphasizes the equality of the human with the rest of the nature, should be followed in all criminological and criminal justice studies.;Dealing with environmental crime from criminological and criminal justice perspective demands new ways of thinking about humans and society. We have to overcome the conservative definition of a victim and adopt the broader concept of the term victim allowing all seven elements of the natural environment beside human to gain a status of environmental victim. More consistent implementation of formed responses and supplementation with the crime prevention methods, especially situational crime prevention, represents more promising response of society to environmental crime. The general conclusion is that environmental protection must become a national priority and the society must develop a complete intolerance to all forms of environmental crime. This is the way that Slovene (and every other) society has to struggle to reach the goal of sustainable development in a clean and protected environment.;Key words: environmental crime, ecological crime, comparative criminology, criminal justice, green criminology, victimology, crime-prevention, environmental threats and environmental protection.