Text 2 criminal procedure

One way of protecting the suspected criminal is by dividing the stages in criminal procedure between different bodies. One can separate the functions of investigating, prosecuting, trying, deciding guilt, sentencing and carrying out the sentence. Six or seven different bodies can each be given one of these jobs.

For example, the police can be in charge of investigating the crime; a prosecution service of prosecuting; the judges of presiding over the trial; a jury of deciding whether to convict; an appeal court of setting whether the trial was fair; a prison service of carrying out the sentence if the suspect is convicted and sentenced to prison. The judge who presides over the trial usually sentences the suspect if he is convicted, but even that is not inevitable. Sentencing can be entrusted to a special board. Or a judge can be put in charge of the investigation and a different judge chosen to try the case if the first judge finds there is enough evidence to justify a trial. All these procedural devices remind us of the separation of powers. The idea is that no one authority (police, prosecution, judge, jury, prison service) should have too much power. State powers should be sliced up, and the slices should be able to keep a check on one another. The police will not be able to prosecute unless they can persuade the prosecution service that there is a strong case. The judge will if necessary rule at the trial that the prosecution has not produced enough evidence. If the jury think the judge has shown bias during the trial they will probably acquit the suspect even though they might otherwise have convicted him. If the suspect is convicted but thinks the procedure has been unfair he can be able to persuade the government to advise the head of state to pardon him or to reduce the sentence.

Exercises:

A. Answer the following questions.

1. How are the stages in criminal procedure divided between different bodies ?

2. Who is in charge of investigating the crime?

3. Who is in charge of prosecuting?

4. What is the role of judges?

5. What is the role of the jury?

6. What is the role of an appeal court?

7. Is it inevitable that the judge sentences the suspect if he is convicted?

8. What do these procedural devices remind us of?

9. In what case will the police be able to prosecute?

10. When can the jury acquit the suspect?

B.Translate into English.

1. Покарання повинно накладатися судом.

2. Права засуджених обмежені.

3. Існує ряд додаткових покарань, котрі можуть накладатися на засуджених.

4. Вищий ступінь покарання дозволено тільки у виняткових випадках.

5. Список злочинів, що караються смертним вироком, визначається законом.

6. Майже кожний закон визнає самозахист.

7. Звинувачуваний може уникнути покарання якщо він доведе у суді, що використовував силу з метою самозахисту.

8. "Часткова втрата відповідальності за свої дії але не через неосудливість в момент скоєння вбивства" - таким був висновок судді.