Publications

Crime in the professions

Russell G Smith

Published in:
Security Oz, no. 24 July/August 2003.

Abstract

A recently published book, 'Crime in the professions', arising from a conference conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology, examines the nature and extent of crime and deviance in the professions and how to deal with it, whether through the use of the criminal law, professional self regulation or state run commissions of inquiry. The book specifically focuses on how the three professions of accountancy, nursing and medicine deal with crime within their ranks, and also considers new and emerging professional groups and issues relating to emerging technologies. Arguably the best way in which to identify and control all forms of professional deviance is to have simple and appropriate systems in place; however in the twenty-first century it will no longer be acceptable for crime in the professions to be dealt with by individual bodies within specific jurisdictional regions alone. As professional crime is now a problem which breaches all jurisdictional boundaries, its solution will require that some, if not all, of those boundaries be removed.