Mawby, Rob --- "An international comparison of police systems in a legal context" [2018] ELECD 1314; in den Boer, Monica (ed), "Comparative Policing from a Legal Perspective" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2018) 63

Book Title: Comparative Policing from a Legal Perspective

Editor(s): den Boer, Monica

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN: 9781785369100

Section: Chapter 3

Section Title: An international comparison of police systems in a legal context

Author(s): Mawby, Rob

Number of pages: 22

Abstract/Description:

Seeking to integrate the separate traditions of legal scholars and policing academics the author of this chapter builds on former work by comparing the separate legal and policing systems in the context of their political and societal evolution. Five legal systems identified by legal researchers are linked with seven policing systems distinguished by policing researchers. Referring to the notions of organizational mimesis and policy transfer between national jurisdictions, a distinction is drawn between indigenous legal traditions; religious-based legal traditions, most notably the Islamic tradition; the common law legal tradition; the civil law legal tradition; and a communist legal tradition. This typology is mapped onto different policing systems - including pre-industrial policing and Anglo-American policing - that are systematically analysed from the perspective of legitimacy, structure and function. While recognizing that comparative policing research is now well-established, the author advocates a nuanced approach to convergence and standardization between policing systems across the globe.