Canadian Criminal Court System Analysis

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The Canadian Criminal Justice system is comprised of several components, one of which is the court system. The main role of the court is to carry out justice in resolving disputes. In doing so they must determine guilt or innocence, impose the appropriate sentence, and protect the rights of the accused (Morris, 2015). It is complex and contains several levels and types of courts, each with their own responsibilities and jurisdiction. This paper will explore Canada’s court system, how it is organized and how it functions. The criminal court system is divided into different levels; the lowest level is provincial and territorial court. Every province, with the exception of Nunavut has a provincial/territorial court. These courts vary; some are specialized courts that deal with particular types of crimes, and others deal with a broad range of crimes civil, and criminal. The respective provinces and territories are responsible for appointing judges, funding, and they have full jurisdiction over them (Griffiths, 148). Some examples of specialized courts are Drug Treatment Courts and Youth Courts. Drug Treatment courts deal with non-violent offenders for crimes committed due to their addictions. They provide…show more content…
The superior court is the highest level of courts within a province or a territory. Their judges are appointed and paid by the federal government, and hear approximately ten percent of the criminal cases in that region (Griffiths, 155). These courts are responsible for hearing the more serious criminal and civil cases such as divorce and civil cases involving large sums of money. They also have specialized divisions within their court system, such as the family division (Department of Justice, 2015). The next step up is Courts of Appeal, located in every province and hears appeals that raise questions involving individuals, governments or governmental agencies

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