Post by: Deanna Longjohn
This semester I have the honor of researching a couple
of questions for International Justice Mission, Eastern Europe. International
Justice Mission (IJM) is an international non-profit that fights violence
against the poor. Their goal is to end injustice against the poor by fixing
nations’ justice systems. Over the summer I had the honor of interning with IJM
and it was an amazing experience. I am excited to be able to keep assisting the
organization through this research project.
I am currently researching the provisions for civil
compensation for victims of human trafficking that is set by the National
Referral Mechanism. The National Referral Mechanism is a UK based framework
that identifies victims of human trafficking and connects them with resources such
as the Salvation Army and Legal Aid. Once victims are identified on substantial
grounds as victims of human trafficking they are given a 45-day recovery and
reflection period. Throughout this time-period they are able to work on legal
issues surrounding their abuse. They are also able to process their abuse and
begin the recovery process. The civil compensation for victims are done through
torts and contract law.
This project has been of great interest to me since I
am currently taking a Trafficking in Persons class through Regent Law’s MA
program. In the class I have been learning about the United State’s criminal
and civil provisions for trafficking victims. The United States provisions for
human trafficking were put into place in 2000 by the legislature’s Victims of
Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (2000). The following re-authorization
in 2003 added in civil remedies specifically for human trafficking.
The availability of civil remedies allowed survivors
of human trafficking to directly confront their traffickers instead of having
to rely on criminal proceedings by the state. The availability of civil
remedies allows the survivor to feel empowered by having control of the case.
Criminal remedies are beneficial, but they are taken out of the survivor’s
control. The civil suit allows the survivor to be empowered and seek remedies
that they want.
I am so thankful to the Center for Global Justice for
the ability to research interesting topics for a worthy cause. My experience at
the Center has been such a blessing and I am so thankful and honored to be able
to serve in this research capacity.
This post was written by a
Center for Global Justice Student Staff Member. The views expressed in this
post do not necessarily reflect those of Regent University, Regent Law School,
or the Center for Global Justice.
No comments:
Post a Comment