Crime and punishment topic 3 Flashcards
What was the Saxon and medieval system of enforcing law and order
Tithings, if the ‘hue and cry’ was raised everyone who heard had to catch the criminal, there was also two chief constables and the parish constable
What were tithings
Groups consisting of ten adult men. If one committed a crime, the others had to take him to court
What were manor courts
Courts that took over the work of local courts to judge petty crimes eg thefts, land disputes, fights and debts. Each one had its own local laws
What were borough courts
Existed in towns to do the same job that manor courts did in the countryside. Run by freemen who had lived in the town over a year
What were church courts
Courts for churchmen, never sentenced people to death, dealt with mortal offences eg drunkenness and adultery
What were royal courts
Courts that dealt with the most serious criminal cases. In 1293 it was arranged that judges from these courts would travel to other parts of the country to try cases of serious crime in their areas
Who was responsible for keeping the peace
JPs, parish constables, town watchmen
What was the hue and cry
To catch a criminal, the parish constable could raise the hue and cry to summon all able bodied men in the area to join the search for the criminal
What was the downside of the hue and cry
The constable couldn’t continue with the search beyond his own parish
What was another way the parish Constable used to find criminals
Call together a posse comitatus - summon every male over 15 to catch criminals/help put down a riot
What were the downsides of the 16th century system of law and enforcement
The post of JP was time consuming
Due to urbanisation the posts of parish constable and watchman were becoming less effective
What was the population of England and Wales in 1700
5 million - it had doubled in 200 years
What were thief takers in the early eighteenth century
People who captured criminals and claimed reward money
Give an example of a thief taker
Jonathan Wild
What did Johnathan Wild do
He had gangs throughout London and dealt in stolen goods. He blackmailed criminals and then got money from the courts when he eventually turned them in. He was eventually tried and hanged
Give an example of a private police force
The Bow Street Runners - small force created by two brothers that did slightly lower crime levels but only covered a small area of London
Why was there opposition to an established police force
People thought that it would be an invasion of privacy and the end of freedom of speech
They thought a better way to stop crime would be more severe punishment, hence the Bloody Code
Which factors helped overcome the opposition to an established police force
Fear of revolution, increased crime and fear of crime, growth of towns, increasing government involvement
How many policemen did England and Wales have by 1900
Nearly 50000
What hasn’t changed about the police officers since the metropolitan police was set up in 1829
Their main duties - dealing with minor and major crimes and maintaining public order
What are the powers that the police have always had
They can arrest anyone they suspect of committing a crime
With a warrant/evidence they can search properties
They can hold a suspect for up to 24 hrs
They can issue on-the-spot fines
What has changed about the police force
Its organisation, training, technology and specialisation
How has organisation in the police force changed over the years
Forces have been consolidated into larger units - it has gone from 243 forces in 1900 to 43 now
Who heads each police force
A chief Constable
