CRIM 2652 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Canadian Human Rights Commission, Municipal Police, Precedent
6 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
Themes of criminal justice: due process and crime control, the myth of the system , discretion, accountability. Concern to limit, guide and structure official discretion and powers: the end does not justify the means. Emphasis on individual and procedural rights of the accused: better to acquit then parties than to convict one innocent person . Arrest for major crimes including armed robbery. Spent 30 years in jail for a murder he didn"t commit. Emphasis on controlling crime, protection of the public and rights of victims. Criminal justice authorities should have as much discretion and power needed: the end justifies the means . Strong presumption of guilt and confidence that the innocent are screened out at the policing and prosecution stages. We attribute to the criminal justice system with a level of organization that doesn"t necessary exist. Conflicts in relation to a single stage/component. Competing interest: offenders, victims, communities, administration of justice system.
