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The detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes against the environment has its specificity compared to other forms of crime, because of the nature of these crimes, the manner of execution (modus operandi) and the characteristics of their perpetrators. Although there is no objective need for modification of the rules of criminal procedure with regard to these offenses, there is an obvious need for a specialized body of the procedure (prosecutors, judges and authorized officers of the internal affairs). This is due the fact that only specific additional, specialized knowledge about the environmental issues, which is usually multidisciplinary, can provide high-quality, professional and competent research and detection of crimes against the environment. In this paper, the authors deal with the problems of specialization of judicial and other authorities in connection with criminal proceedings for offenses against the environment, of reasonableness and necessity, given the current situation in domestic practice, as well as some comparative solutions and experiences.

Although computer makes human activities faster and easier, innovating and creating new forms of work and other kinds of activities, it also influenced the criminal activity. The development of information technology directly affects the development of computer forensics without which, it can not even imagine the discovering and proving the computer offences and apprehending the perpetrator. Information technology and computer forensic allows us to detect and prove the crimes committed by computer and capture the perpetrators. Computer forensics is a type of forensics which can be defined as a process of collecting, preserving, analyzing and presenting digital evidence in court proceedings. Bearing in mind, that combat against crime, in which computers appear as an asset or object of the offense, requires knowledge of digital evidence as well as specific rules and procedures, the author in this article specifically addresses the issues of digital evidence, forensic (computer) investigation, specific rules and procedures for detecting, fixing and collecting digital evidence and use of this type of evidence in criminal proceedings. The author also delas with international standards regarding digital evidence and cyber-space investigation.

Taking into consideration the importance and role of children in modern society, as well as their position, this article has as its focus juveniles in criminal procedure. The existence of a separate juvenile justice system independent of the criminal law applicable to the adult offenders and general criminal procedure, as well as the periodic changes of the dominant approach in theory and practice reflects the ascendancy of different theoretical perspectives in the juvenile justice. In this paper, the authors scrutinize the models of responding to juvenile crime - justice and welfare model - as two models of the greatest importance in the present reaction of the society to the crimes conducted by the youngest delinquents at the beginning of the new century and millennium. Furthermore, the paper deals with a matter of international legal standards which, to a large extent, give shape to the legal framework for juvenile offenders and provide their rights and position in the criminal procedure. The authors refer to the internationally accepted documents on several levels. From the (almost) universally accepted multilateral conventions on human rights, through the field of recommendations, rules and guidelines which are obeyed and enforced in practice of the juvenile justice although they are of non-binding nature, via the regional European legislative to the national provisions in a particular number of countries. On all the levels mentioned above the rights of the juveniles are regulated having in mind their possible role in the criminal procedure as a perpetrator of a criminal act, as a victim or as a witness. This paper also analyzes the criminal procedure with respect to juvenile perpetrators of the criminal acts in the Republic of Serbia and compliance of the provisions currently in vigor with the international legal standards contained in the international conventions and other internationally accepted and recognized instruments.

The fight against modern forms of crime such as organized crime, terrorism and other very serious crimes caused not only modification of procedural principles and procedural rules, but also the necessity of re-examination of evidence in terms of introducing new evidence in criminal proceedings. Given that the prevention, detection and proving in cases of mentioned offenses represent the systemic issue and that the efficiency is caused by cohesion of preventive and repressive mechanisms in each strategy of preventing and combating serious crimes, the more often raised question, aroused from the practice, is the issue of the use of information gathered by the police or security services as evidence in criminal proceedings. In addition, there is the issue of use of illegal evidence, the ways in which these evidence are defined in some jurisdictions and which are the legal consequences of their use in judicial decision, whether it is based only on them, or on some other evidence beside them. The author addresses the issues of necessity and justification for use of information of security services as evidence in criminal proceedings, their definition and difference with respect to data, experiences and practices in other countries and of course their use as evidence in criminal proceedings of Serbia. Also, the paper addresses the Criminal Intelligence Analytics, exchange of information between the competent authorities at national and international level.

Environmental protection is undoubtedly one of the priorities of today, both nationally and internationally. Environment is understood as the totality of natural and man-made values. Environment is primarily protected through administrative and civil law. However, intensive development of industry, engineering and technology has caused the need for environmental protection through criminal law, because the individual elements of endangering the environment can no longer be protected in any other way efficiently. In this article, the author deals with the environmental protection through criminal law at EU level, legislation governing the criminal-legal protection of the environment, as well as some basic issues related to this topis.

Objective: Hispanics have lower rates of hypertension control compared with black and white patients. Nebivolol is a vasodilatory β1-selective blocker, with neutral metabolic effects. This phase IV trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of nebivolol in Hispanics with stage I-II hypertension.Methods: Self-identified Hispanics with stage I-II hypertension were randomized to receive a double-blind treatment: placebo (n = 136) or nebivolol (n = 141, starting dose 5 mg/day) for 8 weeks. Nebivolol dosage could be uptitrated at 2-week intervals to 10, 20, or 40 mg/day, as needed to achieve diastolic blood pressure (DBP) control (JNC7 criteria). Efficacy outcome measures were the mean changes from baseline to the end of week 8 in trough-seated DBP (primary) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) (secondary). Safety and tolerability were also assessed.Results: Baseline SBP/DBP (mmHg) was similar in both treatment groups (nebivolol: 156/100; placebo: 157/101). A total of 135 (96%) and 121 (89%) nebivolol- and placebo-treated participants completed the double-blind phase, respectively. Compared with the placebo, nebivolol treatment was associated with significant mean reductions in both trough-seated DBP and SBP (DBP: -11.1 mmHg vs. -7.3 mmHg, p < 0.0001; SBP: -14.1 mmHg vs. -9.3 mmHg; p = 0.001). Treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE) rates were 17% (nebivolol) and 22% (placebo); the most frequent TEAEs were headache (4% vs. 6%, respectively), upper respiratory tract infection (2% vs. 2%), and dizziness (1% vs. 3%).Conclusions: In Hispanics with stage I-II hypertension, 8-week nebivolol monotherapy resulted in significant reductions in blood pressure. The safety and tolerability profile of nebivolol was similar to that of placebo. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The most important step forward in combating crime in the last few decades is Confiscation of Proceeds from Crime. This is very specific criminal measure which aim is to not let criminals to retain benefits from criminal activity. That is why this measure is imposed ex officio by authorities in favor in social community. The proceeds of crime can not be confiscated in advence or temporary in regular criminal procedure, but only at the of criminal procedure based on condemnatory verdict. In the criminal procedure regarding organized crime, confiscation of proceeds from crime can be imposed temporary and in advance, in each phase of procedure even before first degree verdict. The main purpose of this measure is to secure the object of confiscation from from free disposition of third parties until the firs degree verdict. The new Code of confiscation of proceeds from crime in Serbian legislation enable the possibility to confiscate not only the origin proceeds from convicted criminal act, but also the proceeds from benefits from origin proceeds. In order to confiscate the proceeds from crime, financial investigation must be realised. The aim of financial investigation is to discover and identify the proceeds from crime by special methods and accounting techniques. In this article the author deals with Net Worth method an Expenditure method in which the USA has the most field work experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU member states have long sought to improve police and judicial cooperation among themselves as part of the Union drive toward further political integration and its desire to create a European area of freedom, security and justice. Since the attacks on the United States, Eu leaders have demonstrated a renewed political commitment to boosting police and judicial cooperation both among member states and with U.S. law enforcement counterparts. The March 11, 2004, terrorist bombing in Madrid , Spain, have further energized EU efforts to combat terrorism. The bulk of EU initiatives in the police and judicial fields set forth in September 2001 and march 2004 focus on establishing greater cross-border compatibility among EU members states criminal law and improving cooperation among national police, intelligence and judicial authorities. Key measures, which are the subject of this article, include: establishing a common EU definition of terrorist and common penalties, defining a common EU list of terrorist organizations, creating an EU-wide arrest warrant, strengthening EU police and judicial institutions, increasing cooperation among police and intelligence services, establishing an EU counterterrorism czar and intelligence capacity. Major efforts in suppressing terrorist funding have focused on: expanding the EU money-laundering directive, establishing an EU-wide asset-freezing order, facilitating asset confiscation. In this article the author also deals with strengthening external EU border controls, enhancing U.S. - EU cooperation with special accent on internal EU obstacles and obstacles to closer U.S. - EU cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prepaid cards are one of the newer developments in the world of consumer electronic payments. Beginning as an electronic replacement for paper gift certificates (so-called gift cards), now recent innovations to prepaid cards have incorporated the same pre-funding characteristic but are integrated into Master Cards, Visa and other payment card networks. These network-branded prepaid cards programs are now gaining traction as attractive alternatives for traditional paper-based solutions such as cross-border remittances, government assistance programs and many other emerging applicatins. Over the past few years a lot of government agencies in many countries identifies a number of vulnarabilities particular to prepaid cards and emphasized the threat to the financial systems the use of prepaid cards by money launderers, stating that prepaid cards provide an ideal money laundering instrument to anonymously move monies associated with all types of illicit activity. In this article the author deals with prepaid cards and how they could be abused, outlines how both the government and the payment sectors have responded to mitigate risks. Also, in this article the author describes how money laundering take place, explores prepaid cards' vulnerability to criminal use and differentiates these criminal acts from more traditional payment card fraud. In this article the author also describes how some government's and payment industry's responses to the challenge have helped mitigate risks while still supporting payment innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]