SOC209H5 Study Guide - Fall 2018, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Criminal Justice, Canada, Criminal Law
SOC209H5
MIDTERM EXAM
STUDY GUIDE
Fall 2018
September 7th 2018
SOC209 Lecture 1
Introduction to Crime and Law
● Class 12-2pm
● Tutorial 2-3pm (recommended)
● Course content made up of 4 sections;
○ 25% - media assignment
○ 25% - midterm
○ 25% - annotated bibliography
○ 25% - final test
Basic topics that we will cover in this course and things we will look into more detail over
● Society crime operate, why society needs crime
● Equity in the government
● Loopholes, equity fosters
● Society, crime - give and take
● Criminology as a study of politics
● Criminal justice
● Policy and decision making
● Criminology and political gain
● Theories why people commit crimes
● Media influence on crimes
● Inequality on justice system
● Education and reform
● Immunity in terms of politics
● Death sentence
● Wrongful coercion and convictions
● Inequality of youth court
● Class differences and criminal law
● Integration back into society after jail - the problems that can occur with that and what
challenges people face because of that
● What can we do
● Gender and crime
○ Male and female crime rates
○ Conviction rates
○ Unique differences in the genders
○ LGBTQ in crime rates and convictions
○ Men and Women as felons
Reading 1 - Chapter 1; The Foundations of Criminal Justice
● Key principles of the Rule of Law
○ Government and officials are accountable under law - including individuals,
agents and private entities
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
September 7th 2018
○ Laws are just and applied evenly - laws protect fundamental rights
○ Laws are administered and enforced in a fair and efficient manner
○ Competent and ethical individuals deliver justice
● Essence of rule of law is that no person is above the law - everyone had to abide by the
law - everyone is protected under the law and it is enforced equally
● First permanent court created in Westminster, England - fines were imposed on people
according to degree of offense
● Law was made that no one would be imprisoned without proof and legal judgement of
peers and law of land
● Magna Carta and other documents provide basis of legal system back in the day and
have become the foundation upon which the English Law and Canadian legal system
have been built
● Charter of Rights and Freedoms gives protection for all individuals and fairness - criminal
justice system works in a way to not violate these rights - courts in Canada have refined
and better defined the charter in terms of the courtroom
● HOWEVER the criminal justice system does always work in a way to protect ALL
Canadians rights and freedoms
Criminal Law
● One type of public law - others are constitutional, administrative and taxation law
● Deals with things considered harmful to society that are prohibited by statute and
punished/prosecuted by the government
● Defined such horrible acts which are against law and set out penalties - also sets rules
for police, judges, and other individuals in the process in terms of making arrests,
gathering evidence, and presenting it in court
Private Law
● Regulates relationships between individuals other than state and is used to resolve
disputes calmly
Principles of Canadian Law
● Many multiple principles that make up the Canadian Law
○ Ex. children under 12 and people with some severe mental health disorders are
deemed unable to form mens rea and therefore are not to be held criminally
responsible for actions
● Charter has; fundamental freedoms, legal rights, equality rights, enforcement
● Functions of criminal law in Canadian society;
○ Acts as a mechanism of social control
○ Maintains order
○ Defines the parameters of acceptable behaviour
○ Reduced risk of personal retaliation (vigilantism, or people taking the law into
their own hands)
○ Assists in general and specific difference
○ Criminalizes behaviour
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Course content made up of 4 sections; Basic topics that we will cover in this course and things we will look into more detail over. Society crime operate, why society needs crime. Integration back into society after jail - the problems that can occur with that and what challenges people face because of that. Reading 1 - chapter 1; the foundations of criminal justice. Key principles of the rule of law. Government and officials are accountable under law - including individuals, agents and private entities. Laws are just and applied evenly - laws protect fundamental rights. Laws are administered and enforced in a fair and efficient manner. Essence of rule of law is that no person is above the law - everyone had to abide by the law - everyone is protected under the law and it is enforced equally. First permanent court created in westminster, england - fines were imposed on people according to degree of offense.
