Theme C

• Tribunals are most likely used to resolve when a person feels they have been unfairly dismissed from employment
• what is a tribunal?


  panel of 3 hearing a case-1 with legal training, other 2 with an experience
• what does a tribunal court Deal with?

  Employment disputes, pensions ,lands, disputes effecting daily life
• mediation is another form of tribunal aiming to help reach agreement within parties
• mediation offers an impartial third party to help reach agreement
• why may people go to mediation than courts?

  its cheaper, quicker than court- cases can be mediated over the phone sometimes solved within an hour
• what is restorative justice aims ?

  aims to repair the harm done by an offendors actions and restore a balance
• what is restorative justice?

  offenders listen to their victims about the impact of their crime and apologising in a letter or in persons
• A special constable is a volunteer who assists the police but works fewer hours than ordinary constables
• What is one reason courts impose different punishments for the same crime?

  Mitigating factors like mental health
• What is another reason courts may impose different punishments?

  Aggravating factors like repeated offenses
• What are mitigating and aggravating factors in sentencing?

  • Mitigating factors:
  • Characteristics that may lessen punishment (e.g., mental health issues)
  • Aggravating factors:
  • Circumstances that may increase punishment (e.g., repeated offenses)
• explain one way used by governments to reduce crime in the UK:

  More CCTV in areas preventing Crimes due to the ideology of being caught
• explain how common law operates in the Uk legal system:

  law is common or universal to ensure country achieves a detailed system of law reports
• two factors that may cause crime rates to increase:

  1. Poverty-leading people to steal to survive
  2. Financial position (increasing debt)
  3. Changes in law or increase reporting of a crime
• What is a magistrate?

  an unpaid judge who only deals in a magistrates court and decides the verdict+sentence
• what are two features of a magistrate?

  • they decide the sentence and verdict
  • they deal with criminal and civil cases/smaller
• magistrates court is used 95% of the time with a small number of civil cases
• magistrates have the power to give :

  • prison sentence up to 6 months
  • fines
  • discharge ( let go but have a criminal record)
• what is a judge?

  decides the sentence, maintains order in court
• what are two features of a judge?

  • work in all courts
  • works with a jury
• what are the two factors?

  mitigating, agrivating
• what are two features of a crown court?

  • can give a maximum sentence of life in prison
  • deal with more serious cases
• judges and barristers wear wigs in a crown court
• examples of dealing with civil cases(alternate dispute resoluton):

  • mediation
  • tribunal
  • small claims court
• what is ombudsman?

  official hired by gov agencies to investigate individuals complaints , come up with resolution suggestions
• what is mediation?

  go between between people in disputes to resolve the problem
• what are tribunals?

  resolve work place disputes
• what are a small claims court?

  court for small claims up to £10,000
• tribunal-cases heard by an panel of 3 members, leader has legal training with the other 2 experts in field, claimants and respondents give evidence
• tribunals can set fines or award compensations after evidence is provided and decision is made
• there are different types of tribunals ( employment, land , pensios)
• mediation- doesn’t take sides, both sides have to agree with solution, attempt to come to an agreement which is legally binding
• mediation resolves cases such as housing, consumer issues and neighbours
• what are two features of mediation?

  1. its cheaper than court
  2. its a more flexible alternate to fit into peoples hours
• what is an example of civil law?

  deals with non-criminal disputes where a law hasn’t being broken for example divorce
• suggest 3 benefits of using jurors and magistrates in the legal process:

  1. a sense of democracy by involving citizens
  2. cheaper because magistrates don’t get paid
  3. allows different views to be heard (bias)
• two examples of how UK laws have changed with values of society:

  1. gay marriage became legal 2013
  2. equality act in 2010 protecting people from discrimination
• 3 features of a youth court:

  1. more informal
  2. no jury
  3. sentences include specialised youth sentences
• one way England laws differ from Scotland- scottish criminal responsibility age is 12, in England its 10