1.2 Describe the organisation of the criminal justice system in England and Wales

Question 1

Describe Law creation

Answer 1

Parliament passes bills, judges create precedents, and interpret statutes, and two administration systems, the Ministry of Justice and home office, oversee the justice system

Question 2

Describe the police

Answer 2

They enforce criminal law by investigating crimes, collecting evidence, arrest, detain and question suspects and send the files to the CPS. Sometimes they serve cautions for small cases

Question 3

Describe the Crown Prosecution service

Answer 3

An independent prosecution service that deals with roughly half a million cases a year
Advises police in their investigations, assesses police evidence and decides whether to prosecute and what the charge will be, based on the full code test
Prepares and presents prosecution cases in court

Question 4

Describe the HM Courts and Tribunals service

Answer 4

Responsible for the administration of the courts and tribunals

Question 5

Describe the courts

Answer 5

Once a suspect is charged, they plead guilty or not guilty and have their pre trial issues such as bail and legal aid decided at the magistrates court
Not guilty pleas either go to the magistrates (95%) or if serious, go to the crown court, with a jury
The CPS and defence lawyers present arguments for and against the defendant
In crown court the jury decides their verdict, and the judge or magistrates decide the punishment
Appeals are allowed

Question 6

Describe the HM Prison and Probation service

Answer 6

Carries out the sentences given by courts, either custodial in HM Prison service or supervision over offenders through the National Probation service

Question 7

Describe the police’s relationships with other justice agencies
/4

Answer 7

1 The courts: Give evidence as witnesses, provide protection for vulnerable witnesses and hold defendants in police cells and transport them to and from court
2 The CPS: Provide evidence for the prosecution and charge offenders with CPS instructions
3 HM Prison and probation services: Arrest those who breach the terms of their licence, and as a result of Sarah’s law, manage the list of local child sex offenders
4 Voluntary organisations: Refer victims of crime to Victim support, Witness service ..

Question 8

Describe the CPS’s relationships with other justice agencies
/2

Answer 8

1 The Police: Advises them on lines of enquiry and evidence collection in regards to building a case
2 The courts: Prepares and presents the prosecution case, and prepares appeals against lenient sentences they deem unwarranted

Question 9

Describe the government departments’ relationships with other justice agencies
/3

Answer 9

1 The courts, prison service and probation service - The Ministry of justice is responsible for them
2 The Police - The Home office sets national policing priorities
3 - Government government fund these parts of the justice system via taxation

Question 10

Describe the HM Courts and Tribunals services’ relationship with other justice agencies
/2

Answer 10

1 The courts - Supervises the efficiency
2 HM Prison service - Responsible for prisoners attending court, accommodating and arranging video links for prisoners to give evidence from prison

Question 11

Describe the The National Probation services’ relationship with other justice agencies
/2

Answer 11

1 HM Prison service and the parole board - Supervising prisoners released on licence
2 The courts - Prepares sentencing reports, supervises those in community services, and supervises drug tests

Question 12

Describe the The HM Prison services’ relationship with other justice agencies
/3

Answer 12

1 The courts - carry out custodial sentences, supervises those refused bail’ facilitating visits from defence lawyers to their clients in prison
2 The Police - Facilitating interviews with prisoners involved in ongoing police investigations
3 - The National Probation Service - Liaising when a prisoner is to be released from prison in licence

Question 13

Describe 2 exterior agencies of justice

Answer 13

1 Voluntary Organisations - E.g. Victim support charity that liaises with the police, courts and CPS to support victims through investigations and trials, or NACRO
2 Campaigns - E.g. Prison reform trust or INQUEST, who have relationships with the courts, prisons, police, the Home office and ministry of justice