The Criminal Justice System

• Criminal Justice System

  All of the agencies, organisations, and personnel that are involved in the prevention of, and response to crime; persons charged with criminal offences; and persons convicted of crimes.
• What is the purpose of the criminal justice system?

  The purpose of the criminal justice is to prevent and respond to criminal behaviour while ensuring that rights of victims and offenders are respected, that justice is achieved, and that communities are safe and secure.
• In which act is the division of responsibilities spelled out?

  The act that spells out the division of responsibilities is The Constitution Act of 1867. It sets out the division of responsibilities between the federal and provincial/territorial government.

  • The federal government decides which behaviours constitute criminal offences – it is responsible for the criminal code.
  • The provincial/territorial government are responsible for law enforcement and for administering the justice system.
• What are the two reasons that the criminal justice system is not exactly a "system?"

  The criminal justice system is not exactly a "system" in the sense that:

  1. The different mandates of criminal justice agencies.
  2. A lack of interoperability – databases cannot communicate with one another efficiently.