Exam 1: The Foundations of Criminal Justice

Compare and contrast civil law with criminal law, using examples to illustrate your points.

There are two categories of law: public law and private law.

The two critical ingredients of a crime are actus reus and mens rea.

The Canadian legal system is one of civil law.

There are only two categories of criminal offences in Canada: summary conviction offences and indictable offences.

What type of law is criminal law?

One of the principles of Canadian law is that individuals have the right against self-incrimination. What does this right mean? Provide two examples of Charter provisions that help in protecting this right.

One of the functions of criminal law is to reduce the risk of vigilante justice.

Which of the following crimes is an example of the challenging nature of applying criminal law in a diverse society like Canada?

Canadian correctional institutions are over-populated by individuals from marginalized backgrounds. Which of the following models best explains this situation?

Griffiths describes the criminal law as being "dynamic." Explain what this means, providing specific examples to support your argument.

The Criminal Code has three categories of criminal offences. Identify and describe each offence type. Which of these three results in the most serious punishments?

Ellen witnessed her brother physically abusing his son, but failed to report the abuse. Which type of law do her actions violate?

Identify the two critical ingredients of a crime. Discuss when a crime occurs (there are four points to be made here).

Griffiths discusses some of the difficulties in applying criminal law in a diverse society. He specifically points to the Shafia Honour Killings case (see box 1.5). What do you think about the proposal to enact a separate section in the Criminal Code to deter this practice? Outline both sides of this argument, using examples to support your opinion.

Lily murdered her cousin when they were both 9 years old. She admits that she meant to do it. What is absent in this case?

The standard of proof to convict a person of wrongdoing is the same in criminal law cases and civil law cases.

Laws are to be clear, evenly applied, and stable. Which of the following best describes this requirement?

The government of Canada is subject to the laws of the country. Which term explicitly sets out this principle?

The conflict model is a view that individuals commit crimes because they disagree with the values of dominant society.