eHow launches Android app: Get the best of eHow on the go.
The witness protection program began in the United States in 1970. It is a program designed to protect the witnesses of crimes from bodily harm as a way of encouraging people to come forward to testify on what they know about the crime. Immediate family members of the witness are included in the program and given new identities as well. more »
If you've ever felt like dropping off the face of the earth, to get away from everything without harming yourself, there are methods you can employ. You can disappear without leaving a trace. more »
Witness protection is protection of a threatened witness, before, during and after a trial, usually by police. While a witness may only require protection until the conclusion of a trial, some witnesses are provided with new identity and may live out the rest of their lives under government protection.
Witness protection is usually required in trials against organized crime, where law enforcement sees a risk for witnesses to be intimidated by colleagues of defendants. It is also used at war crime trials.
Witness protection by country
Not all countries have formal witness protection programs, instead, local police may implement informal protection as the need arises in specific cases.
Canada
Canadas Witness Protection Program Act was Assented into Law June 20, 1996 by then Governor General Roméo LeBlanc.
It was modelled after the United States Federal Witness Protection Program, and serves the same purpose. It is administered by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
New Zealand
The New Zealand Police provide protection for witnesses against members of criminal gangs and serious criminals who feel threatened or intimidated. They run a Witness Protection Programme that monitors the welfare of witnesses and if necessary, helps create new identities. There is an agreement between the police and the Department of Corrections to ensure that protected witnesses receive appropriate protection from that department.
In 2007 the program became the subject of public controversy when the previous conviction for drunk driving by a now protected witness was withheld from police and this resulted in him being able to continue driving and kill another motorist in a road accident while intoxicated
Republic of China (Taiwan)
The Republic of China promulgated the Witness Protection Act on February 9, 2000, English translation from the Ministry of Justice in Taiwan Area.
Switzerland
Swiss law does not provide for a witnes read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witness+protection
Connect with people who share your interest by joining one of our Groups:
How to Get Fired Gracefully
How to Stop a Shopaholic
How to Feed Your Neighbor
Info on Caribbean Vacations
Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. en-US Portions of this page are modifications based on work created and shared by Google and used according to terms described in the Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.
