3.4 Flashcards
evaluate the effectiveness of the police in achieving social control
evaluate the effectiveness of the CPS in achieving social control
evaluate the effectiveness of the judiciary in achieving social control
Strengths
- uses a system of precedent to ensure consistency and fairness - past decisions of judges creating laws for future judges to follow within court hierarchy.
means not based on current judges opinion, reduces bias, effective in giving reliable sentences.
limitations:
- class bias: 74% from private schools, then oxbridge. Case of Lavinia Woodward (24yo, 2007) who was convicted of stabbing bf. Judge gave her a suspended sentence due to her being an Oxford medical student and not wanting to turn her prospects.
- 68% male, but 51% female under 40. 7% ethnic minority backgrounds.
- unduly lenient sentences. e.g. case of Ian Paterson - breast surgeon, falsely diagnosing cancer and exaggerating risks to perform harmful and unnecessary surgeries. 15yrs - unduly lenient by court of appeal, increased to 20yrs.
Unduly lenient sentencing scheme used in a lot of cases - judges initial sentence = unreliable.
but
2018-99/140 applications had the sentence increased, compared to the thousands of cases sentenced in a year.
evaluate the effectiveness of prisons in achieving social control
evaluate the effectiveness of probation in achieving social control
evaluate the effectiveness of charities and pressure groups in achieving social control
