SOCI 2450 Chapter 1: Chapter 1.doc
13 Mar 2012
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Document Summary
In the study of criminology, three major forms of the law must be distinguished: civil, criminal, and administrative: civil law deals with arrangements between individuals, such as contracts and claims to property. It exists primarily for the purpose of enforcing private rights: criminal law regulates actions that have the potential to harm interests of the state, serious criminal offences are referred to as indictable offences. Theoretical perspectives in criminology: there are three generally accepted perspectives within criminology, the consensus perspective, the pluralistic perspective and the social conflict perspective. The consensus perspective holds that commonly shared notions of right and wrong characterize the majority of society"s members: the notion that laws reflect the collective will of the people. Law is seen as the result of a consensus, achieved through legislative action, and represents a kind of social conscience: the assumption that the law serves all people equally.
