what is the role of the police,public prosecuter,defence lawyer and the judge

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ROLE OF POLICE:

  • to prevent crime
  • to pursue and bring to justice those who break the law
  • to keep the Queen‟s Peace
  • to protect, help and reassure the community
  • and to be seen to do all this with integrity, common sense and sound judgement.

ROLE OF JUDGE:

Judges play many roles. They interpret the law, assess the evidence presented, and control how hearings and trials unfold in their courtrooms. Most important of all, judges are impartialdecision-makers in the pursuit ofjustice. We have what is known as an adversarial system of justice -legal casesare contests between opposing sides, which ensures that evidence and legal arguments will be fully and forcefully presented. The judge, however, remains above the fray, providing an independent and impartial assessment of the facts and how the law applies to those facts.

Manycriminal cases- and almost all civil ones - are heard by a judge sitting without a jury. The judge is the "trier of fact," deciding whether the evidence is credible and which witnesses aretelling the truth. Then the judge applies the law to these facts to determine whether a civil claim has been established on a balance of probabilities or whether there is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, in criminal cases, that the suspect is guilty. Anyone who faces five years or more in prison if convicted of a crime has the right, under the Charter, to request a jury trial, and many defendants facing serious offences such as murder opt to have a jury hear their case. The jurors become the triers of fact and assess the evidence while the judge takes on the role of legal advisor, explaining the law to the jurors. The jurors then retire to deliberate on a verdict. In criminal cases the jury's verdict, either "Guilty" or "Not Guilty" must be unanimous.

If the defendant is convicted of a crime, the judge passes sentence, imposing a penalty that can range from a fine to a prison term depending on the severity of the offence. Incivil casesthe judge decides whether a claim is valid and assesses damages, grants an injunction or orders some other form of redress to the plaintiff, unless a jury has been empanelled to make these decisions.

ROLE OF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR

Prosecutors are Agents of the Attorney General and represent the interests of the general public in the criminal justice system.

As a society, we share an interest in protecting ourselves from criminals and the damage they cause. Our law enforcement system investigates crime and prosecutes offenders. However, the justice system must also protect our valued rights and freedoms and convict only the guilty. The prosecutors job is to recognize these different and competing interests and conduct the prosecution's business in a way that best serves them all.

Prosecutors also have a duty to act in a way that strikes a fair balance between the competing interests of convicting the guilty, protecting citizens rights and freedoms and protecting the public from criminals. As a result, prosecutors do not work simply to get convictions. They are not the representatives of any special interest group. They do not act as the lawyers for victims of crime. Prosecutors represent the interests of all of us in ensuring that prosecutions are conducted in a diligent, competent and fair way that respects the rights of all citizens.

ROLE OF DEFENSE LAWYER

The role of a defence lawyer is to advocate for the client, and which includes arguing for the clients innocence or presenting mitigating factors to push for the lessening of a punishment. The defence lawyer provides legal representation for an individual who is arrested and charged for violation of a law. The lawyer defends a client in a lawsuit.
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