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The Legal System: People and Institutions (Police (Police enforce laws.,…
The Legal System: People and Institutions
Politicians
Parliament is our main law-making institution.
It can make our laws and change existing ones.
These laws are binding on all courts and judges.
Parliament responds to pressures (lobbying, petitions, demonstrations, etc) to make new laws or change existing laws.
Politicians make laws.
Police
Police enforce laws.
Police do not make the laws.
They prevent and investigate crime, protect life and property.
They maintain peace and order.
Police assist in the persecution of suspected offenders.
There are rules that outline police powers and how they do their job.
Courts
Courts interpret laws.
Courts settle disputes according to strict rules of evidence and procedure.
Court officials are responsible for the administration of the court and the efficient running of a case.
Judges have the ability to create law through the decisions they make when hearing a case: an act of precedent.
Most courts are open courts; people may enter and listen to the case.
Prisons
Law-breakers are punished by court.
Prisons hold people convicted of a crime.
Prison staff manage the prison.
All offenders must be given the opportunity of rehabilitation.
Imprisonment — loss of freedom — is the harshest form of punishment that can be imposed.
Legal Advisers
Legal advisers specialise in the law.
Lawyers (solicitors and barristers) provide legal advice and assistance.
They represent their clients and conduct their cases at a court hearing. This is their advocacy role.
Their duty is to argue a case in the best interests of their client.