The Reasonable Arm of the Law?

The employment of the criminal law to regulate business and industrial activity is a relatively recent and controversial phenomenon. This book uses an empirical study of environmental health officers and their enforcement of the law to address the issues involved. The study concentrates upon the officials' approach to their work, the legal context of enforcement, the principles that guide their decision-making and the way in which they employ discretion. The author examines the organizational and political restraints upon officers and the impact of varying social environments upon their enforcement methods.