Incorporation of Criminological Theories in the Cameroonian Criminal Justice System

Abstract

Purpose: The study examined the incorporation of criminological theories notably the Classical school, Neo- Classical School, Positive school as well as the Anomie School of thought in the Cameroon Criminal justice system.

Methodology: Criminological theories focus in explaining the causes of crime identify the risk factors for committing crime and explaining how and why certain laws are created and implemented. The methodology adopted for purposes of this article is qualitative which is concerned with qualitative phenomenon and the chosen methods are doctrinal and empirical which involves a content analysis of existing literature, case law and observations.

Findings: The study discovered that the perception of criminological theories as articulated in the Cameroon Criminal Procedure Code, Cameroon Penal Code and other pieces of legislations have not been fully understood and implemented and this constitutes a major problem. This article concludes that the major protagonists who animated debate during the seventeen and eighteen centuries wanted a total overhaul of the criminal justice system in order to improve the welfare of the society and so were inspired with humanitarianism that gave them the urge to question the arbitrariness, cruelty, goriness and inefficiency of the criminal justice system and prison across the globe.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommended that understanding why a person commits a crime and why individuals behave in certain ways, would help policy makers to develop a better and efficient ways of fully incorporating these criminological theories in the Cameroon Criminal justice system that will shape the ways to control crime and rehabilitate the criminal.