The Australian Criminal Justice System Is Shaped Largely by Our Society. Discuss This Statement.
The criminal justice system is the system the Australian public look to for protection and justice against those that disregard the law but there are mixed opinions from the general public that the justice system is too lenient and that the public opinion isn’t taken into consideration when assessing crime and punishment. In this essay, I will argue that the Australian criminal justice system is in fact shaped largely by our society because if it doesn’t reflect social conscience, the justice system would fail. I will discuss this firstly by explaining how the criminal justice system works in Australia, how the justice system reflects community values and how it relates to today’s society, the budget and staffing levels of agencies of the criminal justice system, how the media influences perceptions of crime therefore affecting the actions of the criminal justice system and finally the public’s opinion of the criminal justice system in Australia.
Society is defined as ‘the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community’ and ‘the community of people living in a particular country or region and having shared customs, laws, and organizations’ (Oxford Dictionaries, 2012). A criminal justice system is defined as ‘the system of law enforcement that is directly involved in apprehending, prosecuting, defending, sentencing, and punishing those who are suspected or convicted of criminal offenses’ (Oxford Dictionaries, 2012). System can also be defined as ‘a collection of interdependent agencies’ (Daly p267, 2006). Australia inherited the criminal justice system from England when it was first colonised in NSW in 1788 (Australian History, 2012). Over the years, Judges have interpreted these laws and Australian parliaments have updated and added to them through passing legislation. The criminal justice system is subject to regulation and bureaucratic administration just like any other agency and the people who are employed within the justice system
Society is defined as ‘the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community’ and ‘the community of people living in a particular country or region and having shared customs, laws, and organizations’ (Oxford Dictionaries, 2012). A criminal justice system is defined as ‘the system of law enforcement that is directly involved in apprehending, prosecuting, defending, sentencing, and punishing those who are suspected or convicted of criminal offenses’ (Oxford Dictionaries, 2012). System can also be defined as ‘a collection of interdependent agencies’ (Daly p267, 2006). Australia inherited the criminal justice system from England when it was first colonised in NSW in 1788 (Australian History, 2012). Over the years, Judges have interpreted these laws and Australian parliaments have updated and added to them through passing legislation. The criminal justice system is subject to regulation and bureaucratic administration just like any other agency and the people who are employed within the justice system