Legal Remedies for Grand Corruption

Around the world, grand corruption flourishes. Perpetrated by the powerful and well-connected, high-level corruption is often abetted by networks of banks and shell companies, supported by armies of lawyers and accountants. Civil society groups seeking to combat these complex, transnational crimes would seem hopelessly overmatched.

Yet the narratives compiled here tell a different story, illustrating how civil society has successfully contributed to pursuing accountability for grand corruption, and exploring how activists can build on the foundations of these earlier efforts. This survey of current practices and potential tools shows how civil society can prompt investigations, assist prosecutors in building cases, mobilize public opinion, and in some jurisdictions even initiate and litigate cases directly.

Legal Remedies for Grand Corruption catalogues lessons learned from attempts—both successful and not—to bring to justice those responsible for corruption. In assessing the state of the field, it looks at crimes such as money laundering, pillage, and land grabs; considers tools including private prosecutions and the use of regional courts; and examines jurisdictions as disparate as France, South Africa, and Cambodia. Legal Remedies for Grand Corruption demonstrates that civil society—building on its own distinctive strengths—can drive accountability for the corruption of dictators and kleptocrats.