The Need for Harmonised and Specialised Global Legislation to Address the Growing Spectre of Cybercrime

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2522-6800/8112

Keywords:

Cybercrime, criminal justice, comparative analysis, legislative framework

Abstract

Modern advances in technology have made the world a global village, and the impact of this on almost all spheres of life and society is phenomenal. The rapid growth of information and virtual technology in most spheres of life and society as well as the interconnection of computers through super highways and international computer networks have made cybercrime more diverse, more dangerous, more global and more challenging to fight. The ubiquity of the internet and the connectivity of virtually every computer to the global community hold ramifications that have yet to be determined. Cybercrime does not require physical proximity between the victim and the perpetrator for the commission of the offence. Cybercrime is unbounded, in that the victim and the perpetrator can be in different cities, states, or even countries. Deterring and punishing cybercriminals require an international legal framework to investigate and prosecute cybercrime.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Aldesco A, ‘Notes and Comments—The Demise of Anonymity: A Constitutional Challenge to the Convention on Cybercrime’ (2012)

Alkabaai A, Mohay G, McCullagh A and Chantler N, ‘Dealing with the Problem of Cybercrime’ (2010) International Conference on Digital Forensics and Cybercrime <https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19513-6_1> DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19513-6_1

Archick K, ‘Cybercrime: The Council of Europe Convention’ (2006) <http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/58265.pdf>

Axelrod E, Violence goes to the Internet: Avoiding the Snare of the Net (Charles C Thomas Publishers Springfield 2009).

Bande LC, ‘The Making of Cybercrime Legislation in Malawi: A Comparative Analysis of Malawi’s Proposed Cybercrime Law Against International Standards and Best Practices’ (2018) 12(1) International Journal of Cyber Criminology <https://lirias.kuleuven.be/bitstream/123456789/404618/1/The+Making+of+Cybercrime+Legislation+in+Malawi+Pdf.pdf/>

Becker R, ‘How Many Countries in Africa? How Hard Can the Question be?’ (2012) <http://africacheck.org/reports/how-many-countries-in-africa-how-hard-can-the-question-be/>

Brenner S and Goodman M, ‘The Emerging Consensus on Criminal Conduct in Cyberspace’ (2002) 3(1) International Journal of Law and Technology <http://www.isrcl.org/Papers/Brenner.pdf/>

Brian H, ‘A Global Convention on Cybercrime?’ (2010) 1(3) Columbia University Law Journal <http://www.stlr.org/2010/03/a-global-convention-on-cybercrime/>

Brian Harley, ‘Crosswires: International Co-operation on Cyber Security’ The Columbia Science and Technology Law Review blog (23 March 2010) <http://stlr.org/2010/03/>

Broadhurst R, ‘Developments in the Global Law Enforcement of Cyber-crime’ (2006) International Journal of Police Strategies and Management <https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510610684674> DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510610684674

Casey E, Digital Evidence and Computer Crime: Forensic Science, Computers and the Internet (Elsevier Waltham 2011).

Collier D, ‘Criminal Law and the Internet’ in Buys R and Cronje F (eds), Cyberlaw @ SA II: The law of the Internet in South Africa (2nd edn, Van Schaik 2004).

Greg M, ‘Global Cybercrime Treaty Rejected at UN’ (SC Magazine 2013) <http://www.scmagazine.com/global-cybercrime-treaty-rejected-at-un/article/168630/>

Goldstein N, ‘Norton Study: Consumer Cybercrime Estimated at $110 Billion Annually’ (5 September 2012) <http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20120905_02/>

Keir G,‘Russia’s Public Stance on Cyberspace Issues’ in Czosseck C, Ottis R and Ziolkowski K (eds), Papers Delivered at 4th International Conference on Cyber Space Conflict, 5–8 June 2012, Tallinn, Estonia.

Kenneth W, Oxford Studies in Normative Ethics (Oxford University Press 2016).

Kharouni L, ‘Africa: A New Safe Harbour for Cybercriminals?’ (2012) <http://www.trendmicro.com/cloud-content/us/pdfs/security-intelligence/white-papers/wp-africa.pdf>

Kshetri N, ‘Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in Sub-Saharan African Economies’ in Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in the Global South (Palgrave Macmillan Hampshire 2013) <https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137021946> DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137021946

Lemos R, ‘International Cybercrime Treaty Finalized’ (2002) <http://news.cnet.com/2100-1001-268894.html.>

Lewis D, The Interpretation and Uniformity of the UNCITRAL Model Law (Kluwer Law International 2016) <http://www.uncitral.org/pdf/english/texts/electcom/computerrecords-e.pdf.>

Marler S, ‘The Convention on Cybercrime: Should the United States Ratify?’ (2002) New England Law Review.

Maidment M, ‘Taxonomies in the Public Sector’ (2012) <http://www.nglis.org.uk/tips/tipsben.htm/>

Marcum C, Higgins G and Tewksbury R, ‘Doing Time for Cyber Crime: An Examination of the Correlates of Sentence Length in the United States’ (2011) 2(1) International Journal of Cyber Criminology.

Mwaita P and Owor M, ‘Workshop Report on Effective Cybercrime Legislation in Eastern Africa’ (2013) <http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/economiccrime/Source/Cybercrime/Octopus2013/2571_EastAfrica_WS_Report.pdf/>

O’Driscoll A, ‘100+ Terrifying Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Statistics and Trends’ (Comparitech 2018) <https://www.comparitech.com/vpn/cybersecurity-cyber-crime-statistics-facts-trends/#gref>

Rademeyer J,‘Conviction Rates An Unreliable Benchmark of NPA success’ (12 April 2013) <http://africacheck.org/reports/conviction-rates-an-unreliable-benchmark-of-npa-success/>

Robert M, Search and Seizure of Digital Evidence (LFB 2005).

Schjolberg S and Ghernaouti-Helie S, A Global Treaty on Cybersecurity and Cybercrime (Black Swan 2011) <http://www.cybercrimelaw.net/documents/A_Global_Treaty_on_Cybersecurity_and_Cybercrime,_Second_edition_2011.pdf>

Schjolberg S and Hubbard A, ‘Harmonizing National Legal Approaches on Cybercrime’ <http://www.itu.int/osg/spu/cybersecurity/docs/Background_Paper_Harmonizing_National_and_Legal_Approaches_on_Cybercrime.pdf>

Sikuka K, ‘Southern Africa: Region Cracks Down on Cyber Crime’ (2012) <http://allafrica.com/stories/201204120866.html/>

Southern African Development Community, ‘History and Treaty SADC’ (1992) <http://www.sadc.int/about-sadc/overview/history-and-treaty/>

United Nations, Resolution 56/121 of 19 December 2001 On Combating the Criminal Misuse of Information Technologies <http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/cyb/cybersecurity/docs/UN_resolution_56_121.pdf/>

Van der Merwe D, Information and Communications Technology Law (Juta 2016).

Westby J, International Guide to Cyber Security (American Bar Association 2005).

Published

2022-01-28

How to Cite

Nduka, Rapuluchukwu Ernest, and Vinesh Basdeo. 2021. “The Need for Harmonised and Specialised Global Legislation to Address the Growing Spectre of Cybercrime”. Southern African Public Law 36 (2):22 pages. https://doi.org/10.25159/2522-6800/8112.

Issue

Section

Article
Received 2020-07-21
Accepted 2021-06-11
Published 2022-01-28