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The administration of justice in the three higher criminal courts of Vancouver

University of British Columbia

The object of this study is to explain the organization of law courts and allied matters relating to the administration of justice in the three higher criminal courts of Vancouver: 1. The County Court Judge's Criminal Court. 2. The Supreme Court. 3. The Court of Appeal. Most of the material for this study was obtained through interviews with the judges and staff of these courts. In the past the administration of justice has hardly been considered a subject by legal writers as evidenced by the paucity of literature in the Canadian field. Some writers have included the system of courts but necessarily could not give it much space; others presumed that the reader was acquainted with the subject. The study outlines the jurisdiction of these three courts, including the functions of the judges and staff attached to them. The study also outlines the process of trials originating in the Magistrate's Court and culminating in the three higher courts. Finally, some general conclusions and recommendations are made regarding some of the inadequacies now existing in these three courts. The writer's sincere impression, having had a legal background, is that the social worker needs a knowledge of the present administration of justice, how it really works, and what criticisms and suggestions have been made to improve it. Law treated as sacrosanct, isolated from the society it serves, must succumb to a more modern approach. To some extent, this means that lawyers, social workers and other people concerned with the administration of justice must look critically at its present structure. Only through knowledge and mutual endeavor by those involved with the administration of justice can the rights of individuals appearing before the courts be protected. It is hoped that this study will arouse some interest and that others will carry out extensive research in this area in the near future.

Text

2011-09-08

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/37192

Social Work

University of British Columbia

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