Institute of Criminology Public Seminars: 'The Centrality of Harm to Crime, Criminal Policy and the Governance of Security, and the Potential Contribution of Harm Assessment'

Speaker: Letizia Paoli, Professor in Criminology, University of Leuven, Faculty of Law

In this talk, I will demonstrate the centrality of harm to crime, criminal policy and the governance of security, through an exploration of harm and crime in legal history, legal theory, criminology and related fields and consideration of the role of harm in criminal policy and the governance of security.

I will also argue that such centrality is often only implicit in the contemporary discourses on crime, criminal policy, security and risk and that harm mostly remains underdeveloped as a concept.

I will then briefly present the Harm Assessment Framework, a tool I have developed with Dr. Victoria Greenfield (George Mason University) to define and operationalize harm and systematically assess the harms of criminalized activities as well as the harms of activities that are candidate for criminalization or control.

Lastly, I will consider the potential contribution that the harm assessment can make to both criminal policy and the governance of security.

This seminar starts at 5.30pm, and will be held in Seminar Room B3, Institute of Criminology, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge, CB3 9DA. A drinks reception in the basement foyer will follow this seminar for attendees.

The IoC Public Seminar Series is open to all interested in attending, with no ticket required. If you wish to be added to the seminar mailing list, please contact: reception@crim.cam.ac.uk