WJEC Criminology Unit 3 (New 2024/ 2025 Update) Questions and Verified Answers| 100% Correct| A Grade

WJEC Criminology Unit 3 (New 2024/ 2025 Update) Questions and Verified Answers| 100% Correct| A Grade QUESTION When can a case be decided by judges, without a jury? Answer: Since the Criminal Justice Act 2003, a case can be heard without a jury if it is believed that the case will be complex, or long, or that jury tampering may occur. QUESTION Who can be called for jury duty? Answer: Between 18-75.Have no criminal convictions. Resident in the UK for 5 or more years. QUESTION Jury equity Answer: Where a jury brings a verdict that it believes is morally right, rather than one that complies with the law or previous cases. QUESTION R v Owen Answer: The defendant's son has been killed by a careless driver. Owen's son was knocked off his bicycle by a 30 ton truck, driven by an uninsured and unqualified driver who was blind in one eye. Owen felt that the sentence was insufficient and took matters into his own hands. He shot the driver with a sawn-off shotgun. The jury acquitted Owen of attempted murder and some members of the jury later congratulated him. QUESTION What are the strengths of the jury system? Answer: The jury system is popular with the public. There is a democratic right to be tried by one's peers. There are 12 people on a jury, so no one person is responsible. QUESTION What weaknesses are there in the jury system? Answer: Juries do not need to give reasons for the verdicts. Juries may be influenced by media reporting of the trial. Jurors may bring their own prejudices to the case. There is no IQ test to be a juror and some jurors may not be able to follow complex cases. Juries may be open to "jury nobbling" or tampering. QUESTION What are the strengths of cases being decided by magistrates? Answer: Magis- trates are only paid expenses and so are much cheaper than judges. Magistrates are lay people, which allows ordinary people to take part in the admin- istration of justice. Magistrates usually sit in threes. QUESTION What are the weaknesses in cases being decided by magistrates? Answer: There is inconsistency in sentenci