Exploring the Role of Decisions by Judicial, Quasi-Judicial and Specialised Non-Judicial Bodies in Advancing Anti-Trafficking Efforts

Over the last two decades, the international community has increasingly turned its attention towards the phenomenon of human trafficking. While the majority of States have adopted legislation criminalising trafficking, and many also passed legislation aimed at protecting trafficked persons, compliance with international and domestic standards is often questioned. This chapter explores processes before, and decisions by, judicial, quasi-judicial and specialised non-judicial bodies as determinants of anti-trafficking efforts – understood as factors shaping governments’ anti-trafficking efforts and influencing compliance with and implementation of international standards. Deploying a comparative approach and building on the results of a large-scale project exploring the determinants of anti-trafficking efforts globally, this chapter evaluates four case studies (Argentina, Brazil, Cyprus and the United Kingdom). It outlines how judicial, quasi-judicial and specialised non-judicial bodies’ role is perceived by anti-trafficking stakeholders, and how these mechanisms interact with other determinants in influencing anti-trafficking efforts at the domestic level.