The strengths of the Canadian Justice System
Fair for all canadians
In the Canadian justice system, one of the main principals it follows is that 'a person is assumed innocent until proven guilty', and justice is depicted as being blind. To me, this means that those who uphold Canadian law, and are part of the justice system, will see that the accused will get a fair trial, and he or she will be determined 'guilty' or 'not guilty' based on evidence and facts, and bias will not affect the trial. We will give the accused the benefit of the doubt no matter what we think of them at the start of the trial. The principal of 'a person is assumed innocent until proven guilty' is one of the efforts of the Canadian justice system to ensure it is and remains fair for all Canadians. This may not be completely upheld, but it is for the most part, and it is important that we have it in place in the first place. The justice system is fair to all Canadians to the extent of promising them a fair trial if they are accused, and trying to give fair compensation to those who are harmed, both physically and psychologically. It attempts to give a fair charge to those who are guilty and protect those that are innocent. Also, the public participates in the justice system. They are allowed to witness trials, and they judge larger trials as part of a jury, which is made up of twelve adult Canadian citizens, randomly selected. The jury will consider the evidence, and determine the accused 'guilty' or 'not guilty'. In this way, the justice system ensures the participation of citizens and a fair trial for the accused (at least, that's the idea). The method is not perfect, as the jury will not be completely infallible. However, it is fairly successful. In these ways, the justice system is fair for all Canadians.
Fair for Canadian Youth (The YCJA)
The YCJA is the Youth Criminal Justice Act. It alters Canadian criminal law for youth (citizens aged 12 to 17), making it less severe, and so (theoretically) better suited for youth. The YCJA allows youth to have less severe consequences for their crimes, to have their privacy protected, and to avoid a criminal record. Instead of going to jail, or being fined, youth may face consequences like counselling or community service. The media won't be able to release their names to the public, unless they receive adult sentences. Youth aged 12 to 14 cannot receive adult sentences, though youth aged 14 to 17 can, depending on the severity of the crime. The aim of the YCJA is to rehabilitate youth who have committed a crime, and then reintegrate them into society; prevent youth crime from occurring by addressing the underlying situation behind the crime; make sure that the criminal receives meaningful punishment for their crime; and address the fact that youth are not as responsible for their actions as adults, as they are still growing up. The aim of the YCJA is to (a) teach positive behaviour to youth who have committed a crime and then reintegrate them into the world; (b) stop youth crime by understanding why the person committed the crime, and addressing the situation; (c) ensure the criminal receives meaningful punishment for their crime(s); and (d) address the fact that youth are not as responsible for their actions as adults, as they are still growing up, and charge them accordingly. (d) is the reason for all the changes the YCJA makes for youth to the justice system; youth are still young - they're youth - so they aren't as responsible and they don't understand the consequences of their actions as well as adults, so we should take that into account. Youth have a better chance of learning from their mistakes, so the YCJA is intended to help them understand their mistakes, and transition them (back) into good, normal lives. Because of this, victims of youth crime are sure to get some compensation, as law enforcers attempt to show youth criminals the consequences of their acts on other people. In these ways, the YCJA is fair for youth criminals.
The contribution of Canadians to a fair justice system
To ensure that the Canadian justice system remains fair, Canadian citizens have numerous roles. Citizens should educate themselves about the system, observe the justice system in progress, and provide feedback to the government and criminal law officials. They should respond to the call to jury duty, be cooperative, and participate to the best of their ability if they are selected to be a juror. As a juror, they should do their best to avoid prejudice and judge the accused fairly. If law enforcers or prosecution or defence lawyers ask for their assistance, they should be truthful and cooperative. These are some of the many abilities that Canadian citizens have in ensuring that the Canadian justice system is fair.
Conclusion
The strengths of the Canadian justice system involve its principal of 'a person is assumed innocent until proven guilty', its fairly successful attempts to provide a fair trial, and its involvement of the public. The strengths of Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) include its purpose to try and adjust the law to make it more appropriate for youth. To ensure a fair justice system, Canadians must participate and cooperate with law enforcers and lawyers, educate themselves on the justice system, and be good jurors and witnesses. These are the strengths of the Canadian justice system, and the things we as ordinary citizens can do to maintain these strengths.