Courts

• Judiciary system


  People involved who will decide if you are innocent or guilty of crime such as Barristers, Judges etc
• Penal system


  If you are found guilty these are the individuals that will help you during your sentence and after e.g. teachers, probation officers, psychiatrist, prison officer etc
• Magistrates courts


  Deal with less severe crimes. Have the power to to send people to prison for up to 6 months and impose fines e.g motoring offences
• Crown courts


  Controlled by a judge assisted by a jury made up of 12 members of the public e.g. murder. The jury is picked from the electoral register.
• Functionalist view on a typical judge


  • Believe being a judge is an important job with high status and pay, education has ensured the most talented and most able people are doing the job - form of meritocracy
• Marxists view on a typical judge

  • Believe that judges are members of the ruling class, this means they interpret laws in a way that benefits the ruling class
• Functionalists view on the judiciary system/courts

  • Believe that courts are positive and their role is to protect social order
  • Believe courts use sanctions to discourage crimes and courts remind people of the boundaries of behaviour
  • Believe the media supports the judiciary by communicating court reports
  • Rehabilitation system, keeps people safe
• Marxists view on the judiciary system/courts

  • Believe courts are bad because they favour the rich and powerful and they believe the courts are unfair
  • Believe that the parliament make the laws and the judges enforce the and help shape law
  • Laws are enforced to protect the needs of the rich at the expense of the poor
  • Chamblis - rich make laws to protect the rich
  • Disproportionate amount of working class in prison due to blue collar crimes being recognised more
• 65% of judges went to private school
• 75% of judges went to oxford and cambridge
• 90% of judges are men
• 8% of judges are from EM backgrounds
• 76% of judges are over 50 years old