Evaluation of personnel Flashcards
Advantages of having Magistrates:
- C___ (concerns finances)
- L___ p___ (no time wasted on familiarisation)
- Lack of l___ e___
- V___
- D___
Advantages of having Magistrates:
- Cheap
- Local people
- Lack of legal expertise
- Voluntary
- Diverse
True or false: Magistrates are inexpensive
True
It is a good thing that magistrates’ are local people because
- No time is wasted on f____
- People prefer being sentenced by their p___
Familiarisation
Peers
A case which highlights the social awareness of Magistrates ___ vs ____
Paul vs DPP
In Paul vs DPP, a k___ c___ was convicted because the Magistrates knew k___ c___ was a problem in the area.
Kerb crawler
Kerb crawling
Do Magistrates’ judge by common sense or the law?
Common sense
Volunteers often do a good job because they actually w___ to be there
Want
Only reasonably a___ people can afford to be Magistrates as it is v___
Affluent
Voluntary
Magistrates were described by the former Lord Cheif Justice as “ A democrative ___ beyond price”
Jewel
Lord Bingham was an L___ C___ J___
Lord Cheif Justice
Magistrates were described by the former Lord Bingham as “ A ____ jewel beyond ___”
Democrative
Price
Unfortunately, Magistrates are not bound by judicial p___
precedent
The fact that Magistrates’ are not bound by judicial precedent creates d____ results for similar offences
Different
In 2001, if you were guilty of burglary in Teeside there was a __% of chance of you going to prison but if you did the same thing in B___, there was a 41% chance of you going to prison.
20
Birmingham
In ___, if you were guilty of burglary in Teeside there was a 20 % of chance of you going to prison but if you did the same thing in Birmingham, there was a 41% chance of you going to prison.
2001
In ___, if you were guilty of burglary in ___ there was a 20 % of chance of you going to prison but if you did the same thing in Birmingham, there was a ___% chance of you going to prison.
2001
Teeside
41
Magistrates may become case h___ and b__
Hardened
Biased
Magistrates may be too r___ on the legal advisor
Reliant
Bingham “My principal in such cases has always been to believe the evidence of the p___ o___”
Police officer
Recent Home Office Statistics
A guilty plea costs £___ in the Magistrates but £___ in the crown court.
£550
£2600
In 2001, if you were guilty of ___ there was a 41% of a custodial sentence in Birmingham
Burgalry
What the advantages of a jury?
- P___ C___ in system
- Juries decide based off of f___ and m____.
- T___ justice system
- Secrecy of ___ ___.
Public confidence
Facts and morals
Transparent
Jury room
Evidence for public confidence in system?
Hint: Trial by peers
Lord Devlin called it
“The lamp that shows freedom lives.”
What’s significant about R v Ponting?
A civil servant breached the
OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT by leaking info to an MP.
The jury acquitted him as it was morally sound.
What law was breached in R v Ponting?
The official secrets act.
What’s good about the secrecy of the jury room?
The jury is protected from external influences when deciding the verdict.
What are the disadvantages of juries?
- Juries making the “right” decision
- Racial ___
- S___ of the jury room
- M ___influence
- Lack of ___ expertise
Racial BIAS
SECRECY of the jury room
MEDIA influence
Lack of LEGAL influence
R v Randle & Pottle is significant because?
The defendants wrote a book about their crime;
The jury acquitted them.
What is the issue with the secrecy of the jury room?
Nobody knows whether the jury made their decision for the correct reasons.
R v Young is the ___ ____ case.
Ouija board
A juror displayed racial overtones in R v ___
Gregory
In the ___ commission report, is revealed that __% of juries struggled to understand cases.
Runciman
10%
In 19__, the ___ committee recommended that juries should not be part of fraud trials.
1986
Roskill committee
Are juries part of fraud trials today?
Yes
R v Taylor is significant because?
The press gave a false impression of video sequence
Due to press coverage, ___ ___ was convicted of murder before the trial had begun.
Ian Huntley.
