CRIMINAL COURTS

Criminal Justice System



Criminal Justice System

Introduction

In some parts of the world, it is often said that advice is handed out only because it is free. Many simply ignore all form of advice where as others might even take offense and feel criticized. However, the wise absorb every bit of information, utilize the necessary and learn from other's mistakes. With that being said, it has become a norm for the police to carry out a majority of the investigations, barely leaving any disputable form of information for advocates to use to their advantage. Because of this, advocate oratory skills seem to be diminishing in today's criminal court proceedings as seen in the English and Welsh criminal justice systems. Traditionally, advocates verbally battled each other, often resulting in confrontation and complaints. The expertise, prestige and assassination of false claims using forensics and the ability to spot a lie were all truly what made prosecution in to an art. Unfortunately, this specific art, mastery, seems to be lost in the modern world; dominated by technology and improved police investigative procedures.

The world as greatly changed, primarily due to technology and the availability of information. People are more informed and highly capable of understanding the complexities, the ethics and politics that might have a part to play in trials. Thus, advocates must change how they prepare for proceedings as compared to earlier, more primitive times. This paper suggests how advocates should adapt for performance in criminal courts of today and advocates, along with judges, should advise the jury when a form of non verbal advocacy is being used.

Preparation and Performance in Today's Criminal Courts

Communication and Cooperation

Advocates must increase their coordination with their clients in order to better understand their point of views. This is the first step to being an efficient advocate and doing justice to your profession and your client; make sure you clearly understand your client's perspective on every matter related to the proceedings. This can be extremely crucial and advantageous. As a representative of their clients, advocates must have the capacity, power, space them to express themselves adequately, to communicate what they have learned from their client. They must be persuasive, informative, know when to assert and when to hold back. All this is only possible if one masters all modes of communications. It is one thing to deliver a speech; it is entirely another to make sure you is being understood. Advocates must be understood. They can only convey their message if they, pre trial, communicated effectively with their clients. Thus, the very first step to conquering the criminal justice system of today is to master communication and learn to cooperate.

Assess Your Advocacy

Much has been written about advocacy and how to gain some influence. It may sound simple, but gaining influence, on a judge, on your peers and on jury, is extremely complex. It comes from experience, numerous mistakes and a knack for bouncing back from failure. One should never be disheartened by failures, rather take it as an ...