AC 1.2 Describe the organisation of the criminal justice system Flashcards
How is the criminal justice system divided
-law creation and administration
-law enforcement
-the courts
-punishment of convicted offenders
Law creation and administration
passing of criminal laws by parliament and running of justice system by government departments
law enforcement
The police
The courts
Including prosecution and defence-decide the outcome of criminal cases
Who is involved in the creation of laws
-parliament
-judges
What are police responsible for
Enforcing the law, investigating crime, collecting evidence, making arrests, detaining and questioning suspects
How many regional police forces are there
43
The CPS
An independent prosecution service in England and Wales dealing with about half a million cases a year
What are the CPS responsible for
-advice the police in their investigation
-assess the evidence the police submit
-decisions are based on the full code test
-prepares and presents the prosecution case
HM courts and tribunal service
Responsible for the administration of courts and tribunals in England and wales
HM prison service
supervises offenders in custody
The national probation service
Supervises offenders who are serving their sentence in the community
Magistrates courts
deals with less serious offences
Crown courts
Deals with serious offences which are either triable by judge or jury
Who do the police have relationships with
-the courts
-the CPS
-HM prison and probation services
-voluntary organisations
How do the police work with the courts
giving evidence as prosecution witnesses, providing protection for vulnerable witnesses, holding defendants in police cells and transporting them to and from courts
How do the police work with the CPS
providing evidence for the prosecution of offenders, charging offenders inline with the CPS instructions
How do the police work with the HM prison and probation services
police will arrest prisoners who have been recalled to prison for breaching terms of license. As a result of Sarah’s law the police also cooperate with the prison and probation service in managing the list of child sex offenders living in their area
How do the police work with voluntary organisations
referring victims and witnesses of crime to victim support, women’s refuges, the witness service ect
How do the CPS work with the police
advising on possible lines of enquiry and evidence collection to build a case, instructing them on charging suspects
How do the CPS work with the courts
preparing and presenting the prosecution case against offenders, preparing appeals against unduly lenient sentences
How do government departments work with the courts and prison and probation services
through HM courts and tribunal service and HM prison and probation service. The ministry of justice is the department responsible
How do government departments work with the police
Where the home office is the department responsible
What do government departments provide
Funding from general taxation
How do the HM courts and tribunal services work with courts and judges
supervising the efficient running of the courts system funding the individual courts
How do the HM courts and tribunal services work with the HM prison service
holding prisoners attending court, pending their transfer/ return to prison, arranging video recordings and live links for prisoners giving evidence from prison
How does the national probation service work with the HM prison service and parole board
Supervising prisoners who are released on licence
How do the national probation service work with the courts
Preparing pre-sentencing reports on offenders, supervising offenders who have been given a community sentence by the court, supervising drug testing under the court’s orders
How do HM prison service work with the courts
carrying out custodial sentences that the court has imposed on offenders, supervising defendants who have been remanded in custody by the courts, facilitating visits from defence lawyers to their clients in prison
How do HM prison service work with the police
facilitating interviews with prisoners involved in ongoing police investigations
How do HM prison service work with the national probation service
Liaising when a prisoner is to be released from prison on license
