NCJ Number
134584
Date Published
1992
Length
87 pages
Annotation
This chapter presents an overview of the English criminal justice system which encompasses both England and Wales.
Abstract
The major components of the criminal justice system -- the police, judiciary, law, corrections, and juvenile justice -- are surveyed along with the political system. The history of each component is presented; the organization and administration are described; the roles of practitioners are explained; and some of the critical issues that face each component of the system are assessed. England's principal contribution to legal culture is the creation of the common law and the development of parliamentary democracy. England is a unitary country rather than a federated State, with all power residing in Parliament. The home secretary has extensive powers over the justice system which includes authority over criminal law reform, the police, and the prison service. Although the judiciary is independent from the political process, the Lord Chancellor, as a representative of the national government, makes judicial appointments. The judiciary does not rule on the constitutionality of legislation passed in Parliament. Other notable characteristics of the British criminal justice system are the legal status of the constable, the selection of judges from a small group of lawyers, the distinction between solicitors and barristers in the legal profession, and the extensive use of lay people in the daily operations of the criminal justice system. One figure depicts the organization of the English courts.