3.1 unit 4 Flashcards
what is social control?
where organisations or bodies of people put into place rules or regulations for people to follow to ensure that society runs smoothly by preventing criminal and deviant behaviour.
what is the role of the police?
to enforce the law created by Parliament. As a roadsides they aim to prevent chaos, investigate crimes, maintain law and can often be found patrolling the streets, at public events such as football matches, at music concerts and at roadsides checking that public highway rules are being followed.
The powers delegated to them from Parliament enable them to enforce the law in the UK.
aims and objectives of the police?
Keep the peace and maintain order
Protect life and property
Prevent, detect and investigate crime
Bring offenders to justice
what is the polices philosophy/values?
Basic mission of the police is to prevent crime and disorder
ability to perform their duties depends on the public’s cooperation and approval
use of physical force is a last resort
police are the public and the public are the police: The police are just citizens in uniform, paid to do full time what all citizens must do- Uphold the law.
Policing by consent
how are the police funded?
In 2024/25 the budget was £18.4 million which comes from three sources.
Two thirds comes from central government Most of the rest comes from local council tax
A small amount comes from charging for services, such as policing football matches.
Police have experienced funding cuts in recent years and ultimately, a fall in the number of police officers, but this has done a U- Turn in the last three years and they are now on a recruitment drive,
how many police forces are there?
National and Local reach: 39 regional police forces in England and 4 in Wales, one for Scotland and one for Northern Ireland.
what are some specialist police organisations?
Specialist police organisations with UK wide reach- Border Force, British Transport Police.
Departments with specialist duties such as CID (Criminal investigation dept), fraud, drugs squad, covert ops, surveillance teams etc. can be found in most police forces.
Some other policing specialist operate nationally as part of the National Crime Agency- Counter terrorism, CEOP (Child Exploitation and online protection).
is the UK police force armed?
With the exception of certain specialist units, the police force in Britain is largely unarmed (Force is a last resort-Peel).
What are special constables and PCSOs? What powers do they have?
Special Constables are unpaid, part time volunteers who undergo police training and have the same powers
PCSO- More limited powers, often deal with antisocial behaviour, they can issue fixed penalty notices for littering, confiscate alcohol from underage drinkers but they do not have the power of arrest- They can ask police officer to arrest a person though.
Who is the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire? What is their role?
Police and Crime Commissioners (Gary Godden))- Elected by the people of the area they cover. Give the local population a voice in policing. Aim to cut crime, ensure efficient and effective policing, set local forces priorities and hold chief constable to account for a forces’ performance.
What powers do the police have that compel society to conform to the rules?
Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 the police have delegated powers that allow them to stop and search, question, interview, seize, arrest and detain. They can do this if they have ‘reasonable grounds’ to do so.
This power allows the police to control those who commit crime by taking them off the street and putting them in front of a judge to be tried in His Majesty’s Courts.
The Terrorism Act 2000 means the police have more authority when it comes to individuals suspected to be a terrorist or involved in terrorist activity. eg the police can hold a suspect without charge for up to 14 days if suspected of terrorism
role of the cps?
apply full code and threshold test to decide whether to prosecute
act as a prosecution in court
help the police with evidence leads
aims and objectives of the cps?
Advise the police on lines of inquiry and the evidence needed to build a case
Assess the evidence submitted by the police and keep cases under review
Decide whether to prosecute and is so, the charges to be brought
Prepare and present the prosecution case
Assist, support and inform victims and witness.
philosophy of the cps?
Independence and fairness-Prosecuting without bias and seeking to deliver justice
Honesty and openness
Treating Everyone with respect
Behaving professionally and striving for excellence
Equality and inclusion-To inspire greater confidence from victims and witnesses.
how is the cps funded?
Most of the CPS income comes form the government. (Approx £728 million in 2024/25)
Some income from the recovery of court costs when defendants are ordered to pay these.
Recovers assets confiscated from criminals.
working practices of the cps?
Except for some very minor cases, the CPS deals with a full range of offenders and takes responsibility for all serious cases.
It has national and local reach- It is a national body with 14 regional teams, each led by a Chief Crown Prosecutor. There is a ‘virtual’ team accessible 27/7.
The Code for Crown Prosecutor is at the heart of the CPS’ working practices and this includes how to make decisions to prosecute. They based on the Full Code Test-
The Evidential test
The public interest test
who is the head of the cps?
The head of the CPS is the Director of Public Prosecutions.
how does the cps achieve social control?
having the power on deciding who to prosecute and who should be put before the courts.
The CPS are guided by the full-code test (evidential and the public interest test) and the threshold test.
Therefore, they can choose to make examples of out people if they wish in order to show society that disobedience of the law will not be tolerated.
This echoes the idea of the sword depicted on the statue of Lady Justice, that crime will not be tolerated.
what is the role of the judiciary?
to apply and interpret the law made by Parliament to cases that come before them in a court of law.
preside over a trial and ensure that justice is properly carried out within the courtroom.
hear the arguments put forward by both parties, they hear verdicts and issue sentences.
can help to guide the jury on points of law that they do not understand and answer any questions submitted by a jury member.
what are the aim/objectives of the judicary?
Interpret and apply the law to cases in court.
Crown Court- Manage the trial, ensure fairness, explain legal issues, summing up the evidence, passing sentence if guilty.
Appeals Court- Make judgements on rulings from lower courts. Can involve the creation of precedent.
what is the philosophy of the judicary?
Judicial Independence
Impartiality
Integrity- Honest with strong moral principles
Propriety- Upholding society’s standards and morals
Ensuring equal treatment
Competence- Knowledge and ability to do the job
how is the judicary funded?
Funding from the Ministry of Justice- Approx £13.5 billion from the Govt.
The government pay the salaries of judges, although this is done with the advice of an independent body- The Senior Salaries Review Body.
up to Lord Chief Justice: £275,534.
what does security of tenure?
they cannot be removed from office except by a petition to the Queen which has to be passed by both Houses of Parliament
what is important about the judiciary’s salary?
Their salary is guaranteed: There is a clear hierarchy, and they can be divided into superior judge, who sit in Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and High Court, and inferior judges, who sit in Crown Court.