effectiveness

• courts are effective - issue custodial sentences

  One reason why criminal courts are effective is because they can issue custodial sentences. This means that the three different types of courts have different sentencing powers. This means courts are effective because it can keep the public safe by locking away dangerous offenders from society for a long period of time. For example, the High Court in Glasgow sentenced John Leathem (murderer of Paige Doherty) to 27 years in prison.
• courts are effective - can issue non custodial sentences

  One reason why criminal courts are effective is because they can issue non custodial sentences. Courts can issue non custodial sentences such as rehabilitation to tackle the root causes of crime amongst perpetrators. This means courts are effective as they could prevent reoffending if uptake is high and could help the perpetrator to build a new and positive life. For example, if a perpetrator commits crime as a result of drug or alcohol addiction they may be sent for counselling to tackle the root cause of it
• courts are effective - crime is at an all time low

  One reason why criminal courts are effective is because crime is at an all time low. This means that the courts have a role to play along with the police, government and prisons service in addressing crime. This suggests the courts are effective as people may be deterred by the prospect of a sentence imposed by one of the three courts. For example, Scottish homicides are at the lowest level in forty years