Introduction
Administration of justice is the function of the government to administer justice. It entails establishing both civil and criminal liability and taking corrective actions. To accomplish this government is assisted by the court system and the police.
Police
Summary
Police is a group of both men and women whose job is to protect people and they also ensure that the government policies are closely followed and they also enforce law and order. Police service being a wide organization it is expected to complete several tasks in its department. There are different units that work together to reduce all sorts of crime. Specialist crime directorate as a unit works hand in hand with groups of people in the country so that they can identify solutions that will solve the different crimes existing in the country. Specialists’ units deal with security, politician’s protection, criminal investigations, and intelligence among others. The administration of the policy deals with recruiting the police force, training the force, and another related issue that could be found in the personnel department.
The organizational structure of the police
Commissioner → Deputy Commissioner → Assistant Commissioner → Deputy Assistant Commissioner → Commander → Chief Superintendent → → Chief Inspector → Inspector → Sergeant → Constable.
The police face many challenges especially when dealing with crime since sometimes they end up being shot and wounded or killed. Sometimes they really put their lives in danger especially when they are trying to fight terrorism. The police department is sometimes faced with pressing issues where they have to find solutions to major and minor crimes happening in society. Ethically they involve the society in finding the solutions and this has a positive effect on society. Its also good morals for the police are always determined to help the society by giving them protection from lawbreakers and fighting hard to maintain peace and order in the country and among citizens.
Courts
Summary
A court is a place where legal cases are heard and then judged and it comprises judges, magistrates, and officers who all engage in administering justice. There are different types of courts.
- Constitutional court- This court is considered the highest when it comes to constitutional matters and it is found in Johannesburg. It is the only court that has the power to settle disputes among organs of state at the either national or provincial level. The final decision on whether the act of parliament or the president’s conduct adheres with the constitution depends on the constitutional court. It consists of nine Constitutional Court judges, the Chief Justice of South Africa, and the deputy chief justice.
- Supreme Court of Appeal- In respect to all matters this is the highest court and it constitutes of the president, his deputy, and several judges of appeal who are appointed by an Act of parliament. Its jurisdiction is to hear and decide an appeal against any upheld decision made by the high court.
- High courts- It is divided into ten divisions and each division consists of a judge president and depending on his choice he may appoint one or more deputy judges president and as several judges as wishes. The jurisdiction of the local division is around its own area over all persons found in the area.
Organizational structure
Constitutional court → Supreme Court of appeal → Labor court → High Court → Land claims courts → Magistrate’s Courts → Regional courts → Small Claims Courts.
Some courts have limited jurisdiction and this makes it hard for the court to pass any judgment and they refer some of their cases to higher courts like the High court and the Court of Appeal. The challenge faced is when neither the plaintiff nor the defendant is present during the ruling and the court’s decision is final with any further appeals. It’s an ethical consideration that the offenders are punished by doing community service which has a benefit to the community. The courts try teaching society good morals by punishing wrongdoers through fines, probation, and also through imprisonment and this makes many people avoid getting on the wrong side of the law. This has helped the citizens feel secure in their own country and it has brought peace and safety among them.
Corrections
Summary
A correction is one of the components of the criminal justice system. It explains how people who are convicted of an offense are treated by society at large. Offenders may be taken to a jail cell, given probation, or maybe penalized through fines or restitution. There are two correctional theories used in the United States and these are the Direct Supervision Model and Remote Supervision Model. The correctional services department mainly is to ensure just is done and that the community is safe from offenders and the offenders are punished by taking them to custody. The correctional services department ensures that the society has protection by putting the criminals in custody
Organizational structure
Michigan department of corrections → Correctional facilities → Outstate regions → Field operations → Metropolitan regions → Operations support, planning & Community Development, Office of Legal Affairs, Bureau of Human Resources, Prisoner Affairs Section, Legislative Liaison, Office of Public Information and Communication.
One of the pressing issues is the increasing number of crimes in society. These crimes affect society at large since some of these crimes result in death and loss of properties. There are several challenges faced in the correctional department. One of the challenges is that prisoners escape from their cells which makes it hard for the department to trace the prisoners who are termed as dangerous to society. The prison may be faced with the problem of the high population which may end to be hard in controlling the crowd. Sometimes there is a lack of enough funds and this makes it impossible for new prisons to be built. The ethical part of it is that the correctional department provides security to prisoners by providing female prisoners different rooms from the male prisoners. The correctional department has also introduced a privilege system that promotes good morals and it ensures that the prisoners are responsible.
Physical hygiene is another ethical consideration in the sense that the offenders are able to maintain good health and their nutritional needs are taken care of. A new plan of action is developed for the different programs involving rehabilitation so as to help the offenders and this is an ethical consideration since it is morally right to give counseling to the wrongdoers who are already in custody. The main objective was to give the offenders education and to improve their skills in both spiritual and personal levels and they wanted to ensure that when they left the custody they would join the society as better people.
References
Mary Johnson, (1968) –Statutory authority.
Jonathan Franzen, (2001)-The corrections.
D Burger, (2006) –Government Communication and Information System.
Watts & Pitt Undergo, (February 4th 2005) – Corrections.
Valby, Karen, (2002) Correction Dept.Entertainment Weekly
Edward R. Maguire (2003) Organizational structure in American police agencies: context, complexity, and control.