Crime in the Professions critically examines the nature and extent of crime and deviance in the professions and how it should be dealt with. The increasing professionalization of the work force and the changes in the way in which professionals carry out their work, such as through the use of computing and communications technology, have created new opportunities for professionals to break the law. Looking in detail at the nature and extent of crime committed by professionals such as doctors, accountants and nurses the book offers some innovative solutions on preventing and controlling professional crime. In addition to examining the nature and extent of crime in the professions, it also addresses some critical issues of regulation for the future, concerning new and emerging professional groups and issues relating to emerging technologies.

Contents: Background: Crime in the professions: an introduction, Russell G. Smith; Defining crime in the professions, Kenneth Hayne; The nature and characteristics of professionals in Australia, John Western, Toni Makkai, Julie McMillan and Katheryn Dwan. The Nature and Extent of Crime in the Professions: Crime and misconduct in the accounting profession, Andrew Williams; Crime and misconduct in the medical profession, Andrew Dix; Crime in the nursing profession: a nurse regulatory authority perspective, Leanne Raven. Dealing With Crime in the Professions: The role of codes of ethics in preventing professional crime, Margaret M. Coady; Fraud control in the Australian defence organization, Carla Day; Protecting consumers of financial services, Tim Phillipps; Health providers, complaints and unprofessional behaviour in a changing environment, Beth Wilson; The professionals and whistleblower protections, Sitesh Bhojani; Preventing corruption in government: a transparency international perspective, Peter Willis. New Professions and New Regulatory Approaches: Occupational regulation of complementary medicine practitioners, Anne-Louise Carlton; National standards and the new national probation service in England and Wales: regulation of professionals in the community?, Graham Brooks; The regulation of professionals in the digital age, Russell G. Smith; Raising the standard: an integrated approach to promoting professional values and avoiding professional criminality, Charles Stamford and Sophie Curzon Blencowe; Bibliography; Index.

About the Editor: Russell G. Smith (LL.B., B.A. (Hons.), Dip. Crim., LL.M. (University of Melbourne), Ph.D. (University of London)), has qualifications in law, psychology, and criminology from the University of Melbourne and a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Laws, King's College, University of London, UK. He is admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. Dr Smith practised as a solicitor in Melbourne for a number of years before becoming a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Melbourne in 1990. He then took up a position at the Australian Institute of Criminology in 1996 where he is now a Senior Research Analyst and Deputy Director of Research. He also heads the Institute's Sophisticated Crime and Regulation Program and has written widely on aspects of computer crime, fraud control, and professional regulation.

Reviews: ‘At the beginning of the 21st century, the claim of professionalism can either be a pitch for cultural authority or a trigger for public scepticism. Recent calls to criminalize a range of conduct by professionals are an indicator of the conflict that exists between the traditional status of professions and pressures for greater professional accountability. This valuable collection of essays examines the notions of crime and criminality in relation to a number of professional groups, provokes thought about the adequacy of the criminal law in regulating professional practice, and challenges us to consider different regulatory approaches to ensuring that professionals remain accountable to those they are supposed to serve. The contributors come from a variety of backgrounds, and offer the reader much food for thought on this important topic.’ Dr Andrew Goldsmith, Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, Flinders University, Australia

'…the value of this book is in its provision of an easy "snapshot" of research into professional crime and associated fields by experts in those fields. A particular benefit for interested readers is the useful and comprehensive bibliography.' University of Western Sydney Law Review