SOC 3730 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Small Claims Court
16 Jan 2017
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Document Summary
The social importance of the courts is often assumed and is seen to be obvious. For those that have not been in direct contact with the court, for them the influence of the courts is more indirect, selective, simplified and possibly sensationalized through the media. The most newsworthy judicial activities involve the resolution of criminal cases. Generally, the crime rate rises as one moves from east to west, with the major exception of quebec having unusual high rates of armed robbery. Our crime rates are similar to those of france compared to the usa. The number of criminal cases that reach the courts is smaller although not as much smaller than we may expect. (example on page 14) Thus, it is a mistake to assume that this lower number represents police inefficiency or that most of those who commit crime tend to go unpunished.
