Judicial Anti-Corruption Initiatives: Latin Europe in a Global Setting

Abstract

Examines the role of the judiciary in exposing public officials' corrupt behavior in Italy, France, & Spain throughout the late 20th century. The 1992 scandal involving Italian party leader Bettino Craxi is reviewed to illustrate the extent to which corruption definitions have changed in contemporary society. It is contended that the association of legal discourse in the judiciary with moral discourse in the media produced the increased exposure of scandal in the Latin European nations throughout the 1990s. The role of certain Italian, French, & Spanish judiciaries in highlighting the prevalence of clientelism & other forms of corruption in their respective nations is discussed. Claims of judicial legitimacy have necessarily involved the political sphere in investigations of corruption. The place of national business sectors in the judicial-political-media schema for examining corruption scandals is addressed. 1 Figure. J. W. Parker