There are three basic components of the criminal justice system. These consist of law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Law enforcement, such as police, has the job of enforcing the laws and controlling crime. The courts include people such as judges and lawyers, who interpret the laws and to prevent crime. Also people that are in corrections are there to maintain justice.
Criminal law consists of bodies of regulations and rules that will specify and define the punishments for the wrong committed against society or the state. Criminal laws are enforced on state, federal, and local levels. Criminal laws are in place to maintain some type of standard of conduct more acceptable in society, and to safeguard society from criminals. The purpose of criminal laws is to set a no tolerance standard for criminal behavior, also meaning no crime committed will go unpunished thus an attempt to keep the community crime free and safe. When
Law enforcement is the branch of the criminal justice system which is responsible for protecting the public by preventing and solving crimes. (www.lawyers in sight.org) In conclusion, the criminal justice system is a system designed to deter crime and to protect law abiding citizens from those individuals that participate in criminal activities that could cause them to go to jail or possible
The criminal investigation process is a complex aspect of the legal system that aims to gather evidence lawfully, justly and in the accordance with the rights of the victims, accused and society.The criminal investigation process encapsulates the powers of police to detain suspects, gather evidence, interrogate and to search and seize property, through the appropriate use of warrants and other legal means. The criminal investigation process also entails the rights of suspects, such as to bail and remand and the right to counsel during interrogation. Police investigate most alleged crimes, but it is left to their discretion as to whether or not the alleged criminal activity warrants investigation. This may come down to the resources that the police have at
Discretion plays in important role in balancing the rights of the community with the rights of the victim and offender. Discretion is judgement which is exercised in criminal investigation by people in authority, such as police, the director of public prosecutions (DPP) and in the trial process by magistrates and judges. In Australia the role of discretion within the criminal investigation system and trial process has many advantages and disadvantages in the way authority deals with achieving justice for individuals. Police powers play a crucial role in the criminal investigation process as they have discretionary legal powers of arrest. The NSW police force is given special legal powers under the law which enable them to carry out their duties effectively, majority of these powers are contained in the law enforcement (powers and responsibilities) act 2002 in order to investigate crimes, make arrests, and gather evidence against the accused.
This essay will discuss the sources and purposes of criminal law, as well as identify and explain jurisdiction to create and enforce criminal law, discuss the adversarial system and standards of proof in criminal cases, discuss and differentiate the concepts of criminal liability and accomplice liability, and finally, define inchoate offenses and compare them to elements of additional criminal offenses. PURPOSES OF CRIMINAL LAW What is criminal law? The definition, as given by (Schmalleger, F., Hall, D.E. & Dolatowski, J.J., 2010), is a “body of rules and regulations that defines and specifies punishments for offenses of public nature or for wrongs committed against the state or society.” There are several reasons these laws are in place; the primary reason being to “make society safe for its members and to punish and rehabilitate those who commit offenses.” (Schmalleger, F., Hall, D.E. & Dolatowski, J.J., 2010).
Applied ethics focus the broad moral principle in basic ethics upon specific applications. The nature of ethics all police officer has a code or rules to abide by. The majority of police officers are honest and ethical law enforcement. All police officers have created and go by the code of ethics. To list a few of the code of free the honest and trustworthy of an police officer are; a police officer basic duty is to serve mankind, safe guard lives and property; protect the innocent against deception; the weak against oppression and intimidation; be peaceful against violence or disorder; and respect the Constitutional rights of all men to liberty, equality, and justice.
The duty of a police officer is to enforce the law, investigate the crime that has been committed, apprehend the offender, reduce and prevent crime from occurring, maintain public order, ensure community safety, provide emergency and related community services and protect fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals.” (Schmalleger, F., 2012, chapter 1 page 10). A police officer will tend to be the first to respond to a call about a crime being committed. After the officer has assessed the situation of the crime and has determined if there is probable cause, they will then apprehend the defendant and take them into be processed. From their the defendant will wait in jail until the their arraignment, which usually happens within 48 hours. A District Attorney is a public official who acts as prosecutor for the state or the federal government in court in a particular district (Hill 2005).
This is what dictates the kind of person they are and the trust that we can place on them. Courage- each police officer should have the ability to face fear, danger and adversity both physical and moral. Thinking clearly during times of high stress, admitting when one is wrong, and standing up for what is right. They should adhere to a higher standard of personal conduct. Selfless Service- Put the welfare of the community they serve, the police department, and subordinate before their own.
In other words, there are three main patrol functions, which are: Routine patrol, immediate response to calls, and follow-up investigations. WHAT IS REACTIVE PATROL? Reactive police is a practice or policy used by the police to engage with a community when citizens call upon them. When reactive policing is in effect, an officer goes to the scene of a crime only when a citizen calls in a problem; however, an outside force makes the officer perform and react services for the community ("What Is Reactive Patrol? ", 2014).