Socio Economic Offences: Nature and Dimensions

The concept of socio economic offences given by the 47th Law Commission Report in India is very important and needed to be discussed as in this report the salient features of these social and economic offences are discussed in a detailed manner. It could therefore, be submitted that socio-economic offences does not only extend the scope of the subject matter of white-collar crime, as conceived by Sutherland and as appreciated by others, but is also of wider import. The growth in socioeconomic crime is traced to the materialism and business competitiveness fostered by industrialization, coupled with a decline in the influence of religious ethics that demand material accomplishments while emphasizing honest and fair dealings with others. These factors influenced India after World War II, and India's criminal jurisprudence had limited opportunity to shape itself to counter the growing tide of socioeconomic crime. Currently, there are elements of a new criminal jurisprudence evidenced in legislation intended to regulate and control socioeconomic crime. This includes treating socioeconomic crimes as having strict liability, with curtailment or abandonment of the necessity to prove intent. Further, vicarious criminal liability, which involves the liability of a principal for the   acts of its agents, is being increasingly recognized. Sentencing for socioeconomic crimes is also becoming more severe, including mandatory minimum imprisonment, large fines, and the confiscation of goods and property. In addition to providing stronger deterrent elements for socioeconomic crime through more effective law enforcement, prosecution, and sentencing, the stigma attached to socioeconomic crime should be increased by raising the social consciousness against such crime through increased publicity about the trials and convictions of those accused of such crimes. Types of socioeconomic crimes committed in India are described in the different modules in this course.

COURSE LAYOUT

 

.

 

COURSE LAYOUT

Module Title

 

1. Socio economic Offences Introduction

 

2. Tax Evasion

 

3. Illicit trafficking in contraband goods (smuggling)

 

4. Evasion of Excise Duty

5. Cultural object’s theft 6. Money laundering 7. Foreign contribution manipulations 8. Land grabbing//Real estate frauds 9. Trade in human body parts 10. Illicit drug trafficking 11. Fraudulent bankruptcy

12. Organised Crime : Prevention and Controls

 

13. Bank frauds 14. Insurance Frauds 15. Racketeering in employment 16. Illegal foreign trade 17. Racketeering in false travel documents 18. Credit cards fraud 19. Terrorist Financing 20. Illicit trafficking in arms 21. Theft of intellectual property 22. Computer crime/software piracy 23. Stock market manipulations

24. Corporate Crimes

 

25. Environmental Crimes: Nature and meaning and forms

 

26. Crime Against Wild life: Flaura and Fauna

 

27. Crime against Forest Conservation

 

28. Industrial Waste and Pollution

 

29. River Pollution

 

30. Social and Legal Measures for Controlling Environmental Crime

 

31. Human Trafficking

32. Internet Frauds

 

33. Cyber Crime

 

34. Cyber Pornography- Sexual Exploitation/ child Pornography

 

35. Prevention, Detection and Prosecution of Cyber Criminals

 

36. Terrorism: Meaning & Definition

 

37. Narco- Terrorism and Amino-terrorism

 

38. Organised Crime: Nature and Meaning and forms

 

39. Organised Crime: Problem of Identifications, Investigation and procedure