Privacy and Criminal Justice

This book offers a comparison of the differences between the 'public' and 'private' spheres, and questions the need for law enforcement to intrude upon both.  Beginning with the origins of the concept of privacy, before addressing more current thinking, the authors examine the notion of privacy and policing, using both direct (e.g. 'stop and search' methods) and technological interventions (e.g. telephone interceptions and Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras), privacy in the space of the court, looking at what restrictions are placed on press reporting, as well as considering whether the open court ensures fair trials. Particular forms of offending and privacy are also considered: anonymity for sexual offence defendants, for example, or weighing the terrorist's right to privacy against the safety and security of the general public. A timely discussion into the right to privacy in prison and during community sentences is also included, and Marshall and Thomas offer convin