criminal justice system

the set of institutions developed as the STATE response to CRIME and criminals. In England and Wales, the main elements of the criminal justice system are the POLICE, the magistracy and crown courts, the Crown Prosecution Service and the prison system, although some aspects of social work and the Probation Service are intrinsic to the system. These institutions are organized and administered separately, though they are all answerable, at some level, to the Home Office. Aspects of the criminal justice systems of Scotland and Northern Ireland are significantly different from the English model: ‘Diplock’ courts in Northern Ireland, for example, try many ‘terrorist’ and some other offenders without using the jury system, while in Scotland the unique office of the procurator fiscal is central to the prosecution of criminal trials. There has been very little sociological work on the criminal justice system as a whole. Most studies concentrate on some particular aspect of the system or some specific issue relating to policing, the work of the courts, sentencing, etc. An exception to this is Fitzgerald and Muncie's (1987) overview.

Collins Dictionary of Sociology, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2000

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References in periodicals archive

The criminal justice system reflects the whole process of securing justice against criminals.

A CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE; The proportion of people who are confident that... FIGURES REVEAL AN ALARMING NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE NOT CONFIDENT THE SYSTEM IS EFFECTIVE

The convener of the Police Reforms Committee and former inspector general of Sindh Police, Afzal Ali Shigri, stated that performance of police was directly linked to the delivery of justice and performance of judiciary and criminal justice system.

Supreme Court never exceeded its limits, says chief justice

Criminal Justice System" will promote the understanding of the historical legacy of brutality, manipulation, oppression, marginalization, prejudice, discrimination, power and control, and white America's continued fear about racial and ethnic minorities.

Hispanics in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

"Mostly there are pressures of settling the matter within the family.The death penalty diverts attention from other problems in the criminal justice system such as poor investigation, crime prevention," he added.

POCSO Act: Death penalty will be futile, says Justice Shah

'The glaring defects in the criminal justice system are especially acute for Pakistanis, who face substantial difficulties finding legal assistance, navigating Saudi court procedures, and getting consular services from Pakistani Embassy officials,' stated the report.

Saudi Arabia criminal justice system violating rights of Pakistanis: HRW report

Nominations must be submitted by 5 p.m., January 9, and must include the candidate's name and contact information, a resume or biographical sketch, and a description of his or her contributions to the criminal justice system.

Selig I. Goldin Award nominations sought

While speaking at a press conference at the PBC office in the Supreme Court, he said that the Criminal Justice System has almost collapsed and the government, instead of fixing it, was making amendments to the constitution to set up special and military courts to try suspects

PBC calls for overhauling Criminal Justice System

"Veterans may be entering the criminal justice system for different reasons than the general public," Canada asserts.

Support could keep vets out of jail

The plan to raise the upper age limit of jurors from 70 to 75 is part of a drive to make the criminal justice system more reflective of modern society, the Ministry of Justice said.

Jury service age limit extended; UKBULLETINS

An effective criminal justice system - one that is fair to all: defendant, prosecution, and the public - requires a fully functioning jail.

A functioning jail is crucial component of justice

The criminal justice system is playing an increasingly dominant role in the treatment of persons with severe mental illness (SMI).

Letter from the editors