Chapter 2 ( to what extent is the justice system fair and equitable for youth ) Flashcards
What does the YCJA do?
- has different legislation for younger people
- deals with 12-17 year olds who get in trouble with the law
- protects the privacy of young people
- YCJA-kids, CCOC, adults
- allows some young offenders to face consequences such as community service
- prohibits adult sentencing for youths 12-14 years of age
- allows most young offenders to avoid a criminal record
What is the criminal code of Canada?
- deals with adults who get in trouble with the law
- makes going to court the usual consequence for breaking the law
- defines adult sentencing , which can include long periods of imprisonment for some crimes
- allows the publication of offender’s names
- creates criminal record for most offenders
before the YCJA every young person who broke the law was charged and went to court. This often meant..
- young offenders did not face consequences for a long time, because the courts are busy with many cases and offenders
- the consequences did not always connect back to the people and communities the offence affected
Factors that determine the consequences of young offenders include:
- seriousness of the the offence
- the history of a young person
- the attitude of a young person
- the circumstances of a young person
What to look for when reading a political cartoon:
-symbols
-what the situation is
what the message is
What is a jury?
-a person 14 years old or older can be tried by a judge and jury
-twelve people must agree on the verdict
if summoned to courthouse you must be there on time
-18 or older is eligible for jury duty
-serving on juries is considered a duty of Canadian citizens
-employers have to give you time off for jury duty, but they do not have to pay you
-people are excused from jury duty only if they can demonstrate that it would cause them undue hardship
-jury’s must know defence, prosecution, and sequester
-jury’s swear too only use evidence and law to reach a verdict
What are the two advocacy groups?
-Canada has two citizen-led organizations involved in the justice system: the John Howard society and the Elisabeth Fry society
-these organizations work independently of government
-provide public education about laws and the justice system
they work with youths and adults who have broken the law to help them return to their communities
-they stand up for the rights of youths and adults accused of crimes
-they call for measures to improve the fairness of the justice system for people accused of crimes and those harmed by crime.
-the Elisabeth Fry Society focuses on justice issues for women and girls. the John Howard society works with men, women, boys and girls in trouble with the law
What role does elders have in the justice system?
- under YCJA youth face consequences from justice committees
- some committees reflect sentencing circles from aboriginal traditions
- the committee acts on the idea that breaking the law is harmful to a community and that the community must be involved in solutions
- as respected members in their committees elders play a large and important role in this approach to justice
What does equitable mean?
- governed by rules that apply to everyone taking into account indivdual needs and circumstances
What is justice and justice system
Justice: applying laws
Justice system: the instututions and procedures for appliying laws in a society
What is community service, criminal record and a sentence?
Community service: help in the community performed as part of a sentence
Criminal record: a permanent record of breaking the law, which is public information
Sentence: a consequence for a crime
What is the difference between rehabilitate and reintegrate?
- rehabilitate: to install positive behaviors and attitudes
- reintegrate: to make part of again
What is colonialism?
- the process of establishing colonies, in which a region is claimed and governed by a country from another part of the world
