Law Key Words ELS📓(Criminal Court System)-NOVEMBER EXAM TOPIC FOCUS

Question 1

Criminal Law

Answer 1

A crime is a wrong against the State either by commission or omission that is classified by the State as criminal and one to which a punishment has been attached.

Question 2

Codification of the Criminal law

Answer 2

Our criminal law is found in numerous statutes and in common law. It can be difficult for lawyers to find the law and keep up-to-date let alone lay people.

Question 3

Magistrates Court

Answer 3

Deals with least serious Criminal offences

Question 4

Crown Court

Answer 4

Deals with most serious Criminal offences

Question 5

Summary offences

Answer 5

For example: most motoring offences. minor criminal
damage. common assault (not causing significant injury)

Question 6

Triable either way

Answer 6

A criminal offence which can be tried in either the magistrates’ court or the Crown Court

Question 7

Indictable offences

Answer 7

An offence of a more serious type, and is usually tried in the Crown Court.

Question 8

Case stated appeals

Answer 8

an appeal to a superior court on the basis of a set of facts specified by the inferior court for the superior court to make a decision on the application of the law to those facts.

Question 9

Leave to appeal

Answer 9

Permission granted to appeal against the decision of a court.

Question 10

Referring a point of Law

Answer 10

Attorney General has the power to seek the opinion of the Court of Appeal on a point of law which has arisen in the case, section 36 (1) Criminal Justice Act 1972 (CJA 1972).

Question 11

Retribution

Answer 11

punishment inflicted on someone
as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act.

Question 12

Rehabilitation

Answer 12

changing an offender’s behavior to prevent future crime for example by requiring an offender to have treatment for drug addiction or alcohol abuse.

Question 13

Reparation

Answer 13

or example, by the payment of compensation or through restorative justice. Restorative justice gives victims the chance to tell offenders about the impact of their crime and get an apology.

Question 14

Protection of the public

Answer 14

from the offender and from the risk of more crimes being committed by them. This could be by putting them in prison, restricting their activities or supervision by probation.

Question 15

Deterrence

Answer 15

by preventing the offender from committing more crime and putting others off from committing similar offences.

Question 16

Mandatory life sentence

Answer 16

Judges must give a life sentence to all offenders found guilty of murder. The judge sets a minimum term an offender must serve

Question 17

Fixed term sentence

Answer 17

A determinate prison sentence is where the court sets a fixed length for the prison sentence.

Question 18

Suspended prison sentence

Answer 18

This means that the offender does not go to prison immediately but is given the chance to stay out of trouble and comply with up to 13 requirements set by the court.

Question 19

Community Orders

Answer 19

A Community Order should generally be imposed in cases too serious to be dealt with by either a fine or a discharge but not serious enough to for a custodial sentence.

Question 20

Prohibited activity requirement

Answer 20

The offender is required to refrain from a specified activity or activities for a specified period.

Question 21

Curfew requirement

Answer 21

People must stay indoors, usually at their home, for the curfew period. They will wear a tag to monitor them.

Question 22

Fine

Answer 22

is a penalty of money that a court of law or decides has to be paid as punishment for
a crime or other offence.

Question 23

Conditional Discharge

Answer 23

This means that, if the offender commits another crime, they can be sentenced for the first offence and the new one.