Here to Last: Local and Global Changes to Law Enforcement Cooperation after the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Crime and Covid-19 WG: Impact of COVID-19 on Crime and Criminal Justice Across Europe

Abstract

While COVID-19 was detrimental for the global economy and had negative effects on businesses of all levels, its impact on law enforcement cooperation was not similarly severe. The pandemic undoubtedly led to delays in criminal justice. Many trials had to be postponed which created a backlog of cases that some systems are still working through. However, while affected by these developments, law enforcement cooperation was not a major contributor to them. Information needed across borders to conduct trials, in particular in the areas of serious and organised crime, was still exchanged and defendants were often even extradited. This paper assesses what helped – legally and practically – to keep cooperation going throughout the pandemic in several regions of the world: Australasia, North- and South America and the European Union. It particularly focuses on what strategies were used globally to maintain cooperation during the pandemic and which were specific to each region. Finally, it is assessed which strategies might be useful beyond the pandemic globally.

Author

• Saskia Hufnagel, University of Sydney