An introduction to the English (and Welsh) criminal justice ‘system'

This course will explore the roles of key players in the criminal justice process: victims, suspects, police, prosecutors, defence lawyers (barristers and solicitors), magistrates, juries, judges, and prison and probation staff in order to encourage students to come up with their own answers to questions about the effectiveness, fairness and efficiency of the ’system’.

Course details

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Start Date
12 Jul 2026
Duration
5 Sessions over one week
End Date
18 Jul 2026
Application Deadline
28 Jun 2026
Location
International Summer Programme
Code
W15Am21

Tutors

Professor Nicola Padfield

Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice, University of Cambridge

Aims

This course aims to:

  • encourage you to understand how the English/Welsh criminal justice system ‘works’ (and doesn’t ‘work’)
  • encourage you to think critically about the effectiveness of criminal justice processes
  • encourage you to continue to explore their criminal justice concerns after the course concludes

Course content

This introduction to criminal justice systems focuses on that in England and Wales in 2026, but with a few international comparisons thrown in. We look at both criminal justice institutions and criminal justice processes, which should lead you to be more confident in your evaluations of the effectiveness of criminal justice systems around the world.

What to expect on this course

The course is divided into 5 sessions.

Course sessions

  1. Introduction to criminal justice. A statistical analysis of ‘flows’ through the English/Welsh system. The role of policing in modern society: out of court disposals.

     

  2. Pre-trial processes: police powers; the role of the prosecutor; the right to silence; legal advice and representation.

     

  3. Trial processes: the role of magistrates, judges and juries.

     

  4. Prisons and probation: how and why do we punish people?

     

  5. Evaluating processes: from the perspective of victims and suspects.

Learning outcomes

As a result of the course, you will gain a greater understanding of the subject and you should be able to:

  • understand how the English/Welsh criminal justice system ‘works’ (and doesn’t ‘work’)
  • think critically about the effectiveness of criminal justice processes
  • continue to explore criminal justice concerns

Required reading

There is no required reading for this course. See Course materials for supplementary reading once registered.