Judges Seminar (2): The UK Legal System – Court Organisation, Dispute Resolution and Sentencing (Diploma-Postgraduate)

Course Contents, Concepts and Issues:

Course Organisation

Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

Court of Appeals

Privy Council

The High Court

Queen’s Bench Division

The Chancery Division

The Family Division

Crown Court

Country Court and Magistrate Court

People in the Legal System

The Judges

The Role of Judges

Judicial Hierarchy

Appointments to Judiciary

Wigs and Gowns

Training

Pay

Promotion

Termination of Appointment

Independence of the Judiciary

Reform of the Judiciary

The Legal Profession

Solicitors

Barristers

Background of Solicitors and Barristers

Performance of the Legal Profession

The Future of the Professions

Fusion of the Professions

Other Legal Personnel

The Need for Legal Professionals

The Jury

History

The Function of Jury

When Are Juries Used?

Qualifications for Jury Service

Summoning the Jury

Jury Vetting

Challenges

Discharging the Jury

The Secrecy of the Jury

The Verdict

Strengths of the Jury System

Criticisms of the Jury System

Reform of the Jury

Magistrates

The Magistrates’ Courts

Magistrates

Administration of Justice

The Ministry of Justice and the Home Office

The Lord Chancellor

The Law Officers’ Department

Dispute Resolution

Legal Services Charges

Unmet Needs for Legal Services

State-Funded Legal Services

The Access to Justice Act

Proposals for Further Reform

Necessity of Lawyers

The Police

Miscarriages Of Justice

Human Rights Act 1998

The Organisation of the Police

Police Powers

Reform

The Criminal Trial Processes

The Adversarial Process

Criminal Procedure Rules

The Crown Prosecution Service

Appearance in Court

Classification of Offences

Mode of Trial

Sending For Trial

Plea and Case Management Hearings

Disclosure

Plea Bargaining

The Trial

Modes of Criminal Justice Systems

Reforms

Sentencing

The Criminal Justice Act 2003

Purposes of Sentencing

Sentencing Practice

Types of Sentence

Young Offenders

Criminal Liability

Young People and the Police

Remand and Bail

Reprimands and Warnings

Trial Sentencing

The Civil Justice System

Evolution

The Civil Courts

The Civil Justice before April 1999

The Civil Justice after April 1999

Reforms

Tribunals

History

Reforming the Tribunals

Tribunals at Present

Advantages

Disadvantages

Appeals and Judicial Review

Appeals

Appeals in Civil Law Cases

Appeals in Criminal Law Cases

Reform of the Appeal System

Judicial Review

Alternative Methods of Dispute Resolution (ADR)

Problems with Court Hearings

Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms

Examples of ADR

Advantages of ADR

Problems with ADR