Introduction

This collection considers the implications for privacy of the utilisation of new technologies in the criminal process. In most modern liberal democratic states, privacy is considered a basic right. Many national constitutions, and almost all international human rights instruments, include some guarantee of privacy. Yet privacy interests appear to have had relatively little influence on criminal justice policy making. The threat that technology poses to these interests demands critical re-evaluation of current law, policy, and practice. This is provided by the contributions to this volume. They offer legal, criminological, philosophical, and comparative perspectives. The book will be of interest to legal and criminological scholars and postgraduate students. Its interdisciplinary methodology and focus on the intersection between law and technology make it also relevant for philosophers and those interested in science and technology studies.