1. Establishment of Croatian Academic Anti- Corruption Gateway (ACROWAY)

Development of ACROWAY using similar already existing tools and patterns (e.g. UNODC TRACK – Tools and Resources for Anti- Corruption Knowledge, a gateway to an electronic database of legislation and jurisprudence relevant to UNCAC from over 175 States systematized in accordance with the requirements of the Convention). The database will contain relevant updated legislation, jurisprudence (case law), news, case studies etc. with accent on asset recovery, illicit enrichment, bribery offences, conflict of interest legislation and practice, right to access information etc. As an online resource tool, ACROWAY will be used for training of relevant professionals about corruption-related issues (judges, prosecutors, public officials etc.).

Increase and dissemination of knowledge through ACROWAY will facilitate designing policy priorities concerning prevention of corruption by those in charge of implementation of Article 6 of UNCAC.

Dražen Dragičević
Hrvoje Lisičar
Nina Gumzej
Tihomir Katulić
Marko Jurić
Davor Derenčinović
Anna Getoš Sunčana Roksandić Vidlička
Marta Dragičević Prtenjača
Željka Burić
Vanda Božić

From 13th to 16th month of the project (update of the Gateway – continuously)

2. Legal History Studies on Electoral and Judicial Corruption - Model for 21st century?

On the basis of the analysis of the available and relevant legal and non-legal sources the reasons (political, social- economic and other), manifestations of the phenomenon of corruption (judicial, electoral e.t.c.) will be analyzed as well as legal, especially criminal-legal solutions observed in their developmental line from the period of the Roman Republic until the death of the emperor Iustinian.

Studies in legal history will serve the purpose of better understanding of the root causes, forms and consequences of contemporary judicial and electoral corruption.

Ivana Jaramaz Reskušić
Vanda Božić

From 13th to 16th month of the project

From 21th to 24th month of the project

3. Research Study on Responsibility of Legal Persons for Corruption and Economic Criminal Offences with Special Emphasize on Political Parties

In order to understand the consequences that criminal proceedings against political parties may have, it is necessary to analyze different models of liability and sanctions for political parties that engage in criminal activities. As criminal law is considered to be the ultima ratio, the application of constitutional, administrative and civil law models of liability and sanctions shall be evaluated in the context of maintaining the rule of law and principle of proportionality.

Conceptual clarification of the best model of corporate criminal liability adjusted to the profile of the legal entity, its size, social importance, field of activities etc. Increase of the public responsibility of political parties through stigma attached to criminal proceedings.

Davor Derenčinović
Vanja-Ivan Savić
Aleksandar Maršavelski
Vanda Božić

From 13th to 16th month of the project

From 21th to 24th month of the project

4. Analysis of Impact of Economic Crimes on Global and National Economy and Searching for Remedies for Crimes that have been Committed in Period of Transition

Developing best practices for how the private sector should respond to demands for enhanced internal controls and determining how to report violations to governmental bodies. In addition, issues of corporate criminal liability are coming to the forefront as nations seek to use potential punishments as a means to get business organizations to commit the resources necessary to combat economic crimes. This is a field that has not been subject to extensive research, and in particular there is very little study the crosses disciplinary lines. It is an area that involves no only criminal law and procedure but also criminology, organizational behavior, sociology, economics, and political science. In this regard, economic crimes will be analyzed from multidisciplinary perspective.

Better understanding of how economic crimes occur and the role of corporations in these offenses would have a significant impact on global and national economies. Experiences drawn from the particularities of Croatian legal system and jurisprudence could be used as a template for (re)building new transitional societies and its market economies.

Peter Henning
Sunčana Roksandić Vidlička
Davor Derenčinović
Marko Jurić
Vanda Božić

From 13th to 16th month of the project

From 21th to 24th month of the project

5. Dismantling Transnational Organized Crime Networks through Increase of Safety and Security in Transport Management

The research will address the issue on how and to what extent that vast body of new regulations have been enforced in the Croatian transport industry in sea, air and road transport sector, and what impact it has on the performance of the industry as a whole (increase in delivery time, costs, overall transport process complexity, deterioration of human rights of transport crew etc.). The analysis will be carried out in order to identify weak points in the safety and security management in transport in Croatia, and to critically asses and suggest practical ways to improve the implementation of safety and security measures, in order to improve the competitiveness of the Croatian transport industry in general, as well as its capacity to eradicate transnational organized crime channels.

The implementation of the safety and security management measures in the transport industry will have a potential direct influence on the preservation of the marine environment as well as working conditions of the crew, particularly in sea and road transport. The transport industry and law can only be seen as a whole, therefore the involvement of an experienced researcher in the traffic engineering field is crucial for this research, enabling the transfer of knowledge between law and organization of transport processes in the industry, and adding a much needed multidisciplinary edge to the proposed research segment.

Nikoleta Radionov
Jasenko Marin
Iva Savić
Mišo Mudrić
Nikolina Brnjac
Vanda Božić

From 37th to 40th month of the project

From 45th to 48th month of the project

6. Political Science Perspective on Criminal Enterprises and Dysfunctional (Failed) States

Thorough analysis of the structure of multinational criminal enterprises and the way they engage in criminal activities. Special consideration will be given to their modus operandi, e.g. bribing of public officials and civil servants in dysfunctional (failed) states. Since legally framed “solutions” are unable to identify, apprehend, and terminate these destructive actors operating with impunity in today’s disjointed environment, this segment of the research will focus on a non-legal vision of the challenges governments and international organizations face in controlling the illegal and extra-legal enterprises that frustrate and threaten our societies.

Only by drawing on the full range of mechanisms that exist and the creation of a number of new ones it is likely that transnational organized criminal activities (including corruption and economic crime) can be brought to a tolerable level.

Richard Farkas
Vanda Božić

From 37th to 40th month of the project

From 45th to 48th month of the project