LAW 00507 Study Guide - Final Guide: Byron White, Young Offenders Act, Regulatory Offence

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31 Jul 2018

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CriminalProcedureExamNotes



ProcedureandCriminalLaw

Whyisprocedureimportant?

● Procedureprovidesaframeworkthatfacilitatessubstantivelaw

● Itisintegraltoensuringfairness:TomTylerarguesthat“whenthirdpartydecisionsare

fairlymadepeoplearemorewillingtoacceptthemvoluntarily.”p119inSocialJustice:

OutcomeandProcedure

● IdealsystempostulatedbyTomTyler:

○ VoiceRighttobeheard

○ Neutrality

○ Impartiality

○ Objectivity

○ Legitimacy

● Procedureservesaprotectivefunctioni.e.toprotectusfromtheimproperexerciseof

power:"Thehistoryoflibertyhaslargelybeenthehistoryoftheobservanceofprocedural

standards"JusticeFelixFrankfurter,McNabbvUS1943

CivilvCriminal

● Statetakesonactionnotindividual:Acivilmodelputsthevictimincharge,acriminal

modelputsthecommunity(thestate)incharge(MarshallandDuff,Criminalisationand

sharingwrongs)

● Stateactsonbehalfofwidercommunity

● Statecanimposepunishment,duetoinequalityofpower,theremustbelimitonstate

powerse.g.limitsonpolicepower

CriminalisationWhatisacrime?

● Theideathatawrongdonetoanindividualisawrongtothecommunity(Marshalland

Duff,Criminalisationandsharingwrongs)

● Thequestionofwhatisawrongagainst“us”istoask“whichvaluesare(whichshould

be)socentraltoacommunity’sidentityandselfunderstanding,toitsconceptionofits

members’good,thatactionsthatattackorfloutthosevaluesarenotmerelyindividual

mattersthattheindividualvictimshouldpursueforherselfbutattacksonthecommunity.”

p19

HarmPrinciple

● Boundaryoflibertyisharm.Peopleshouldbeallowedtoactatlibertybutnottotheextent

thatitharmspeople.Thisphilosophicalpositionisaproductof19thcenturyliberalism

reflectingaviewthatthesocialworldisfoundeduponindividualselfinterestandrights.

● Thisisthemostenduringprincipleonthecriminaljusticesystem

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● Buthowtodeterminewhatisharmtoothers?Thisconceptis“notoriouslyunstableand

difficulttoapply”(SimonandMcSherry,Thephilosophicalfoundationsofthecriminal

law).Centralquestionsmayinclude:(1)mustharmbedirectorcanitbeindirect?(2)

Whattypeofharmshouldbeincludede.g.physical,psychological,economic,

environmental?(3)Towhatextentifatalldoestheprincipleaccommodateconduct

involvingpotentialharm?

● Theboundariesareamorphis.

CommunityWelfare

● Thisprinciplearisesfromdissatisfactionwithasocialindividualism(liberalismandthe

harmprinciple)orpaternalism(legalmoralism)

● Basicprincipleisthatwhatisorshouldbeconsideredacrimedependsuponan

evaluationofwhatis“best”forthesocietyasawhole

● Itisoftenviewedasaimposingabalanceorcheckontheprincipleofautonomye.g.the

mandatorywearingofseatbeltsorbanningofdruguseislegitimatedonthegroundsthat

resultinginjuriesmayimposeburdensonthecommunitythroughtheprovisionof

healthcareandsocialservices

● Legaldebateisoftentrappedintheeither/orscenarioofeitherliberalismorcommunity

welfare

Morality

● Moralitycanbereligiousorsecular

● Moralscanchangeovertime.However,therecanbeasharedsenseofmoralitythat

bindspeopletogetherLordDevlin’sargument.Incontext,Devlinwasarguingagainst

theliberalisationoftraditionaloffencessuchashomosexualityandprostitution

● CriticisedonthebasisthatalotofthemoralargumentsareJudeoChristianbasedwhich

marginalisesotherreligiousgroups.Itmaynotbepossibletofindcommonmorality

betweenthesegroups.

PublicInterest

● Whileappearingtobeneutralandobjective,thepublicinterestishighlymalleablepolitical

concept

● Judicialfallbackonpublicinterestcanleadtouncertainty

● Studiesonattitudestowardterrorismhasshownthatblameworthinessdifferedbetween

identicalterroristactsdependingonthetypeofmotivepossessedbythesuspect.Ifthe

suspectwasmotivatedbyreligion,itwasidentifiedasbeingmoreblameworthywhich

raisestheriskofattitudinalbiasamongbothjuriesandjudges.

● Publicinterestisneitherneutralnorautonomous,itishighlydependantonhistorical,

politicalandsocialcontexts

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Criminalisationofdrugsascasestudy

(Source:BronittandMcSherryPrinciplesofCriminalLaw)

● Between19851997,principlephilosophyhasbeen“harmminimisation”thisisthe

balancingbetweentheharmofdruguseagainstharmcausedbyprohibition.

● TheModelCriminalCodeOfficersCommittee(MCCOC)distinguishedtheuseofdrugs

as“healthandregulatory”offencesandthedealingofdrugsas“traffickingoffences”

● Thisdistinctionhascomeundercriticismbecauseusersoftendealtosustainhabit

● Differentdrugsposedifferentdangersyettheyarecriminalisedinthesameway

● Prohibitioncausesillicitmarket,corruption

● Criminologicalresearchhasshownthatprohibitionofdrugshasbeenineffectiveand

evencounterproductive.Overcriminalisationhascaused:

○ Pricesdrivenupwhichinturnpressuresuserstodealtosustainhabit

○ Highpriceencouragescriminalgroupstodealforprofit

○ Marginalisationinducesuserstoengagewithotherundesirablebehaviours,

especiallyyouth(drugcrimenexus)

○ Covertdruguseposeshealthrisks

○ Othermedicalrisksassociatedwithunadulterateddruguse(overdose,morbidity

andmortality)

○ Significantstrainonlawenforcementandthecriminaljusticesystem

● Harmminimisationhasleadtotheintroductionofneedleandsyringeexchangeprograms

andsafeinjectingroomsNationalCentreinHIVEpidemiologyandClinicalResearch

hasshownthatbetween20002009,anestimated32,050HIVinfectionsand96,667Hep

Cvirusinfectionshavebeenavoidedprovidinganetfinancialcostsavingof$1.03billion

dollars

● Outlawingdrugssocialwelfareargument

● AllowingindividualdrugtakingbutoutlawingtraffickingLiberalistargument

Note:approachincriminallawinthatlawreflectspublicinterestbutthelawcanalsoshape

publicopinion.InAustralia,opiateswereinitiallybannedtotargetuseinmigrantChinese

communities.ItsuseanddistributiontoAboriginalAustralianswasprohibited,andonlylater

extendedtotherestofthecommunity.Inthe1970s,moralpaniceruptedoverthecorruptive

qualitiesofdrugsandespeciallyonyoungpeople.

● O’MalleyandMugfordhavearguedinTheDemandforIntoxicatingCommodities

Implicationsforthe“WaronDrugs”thatprohibitionandlegalisationaretwoendsoftheU

curve.Neitherisideal.Somewhereinthemiddleiswhereregulationofintoxicating

commoditiesshouldsit.Likethecurrenttreatmentoftobacco,itshouldnotbedriven

undergroundbutitshouldberegulated,advertisingremoved,driveuppricesbutnot

enoughtoencourageblackmarket,advocacy.

● Withregardstodruguse,thereshouldbeamoveto(1)normalisetheusernottheuse

and(2)buildupontheresourcesof“civilsociety”i.e.bymakingsaferdrugsmore

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LAW 00507 Study Guide - Final Guide: Byron White, Young Offenders Act, Regulatory Offence

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