These are summary notes on the whole of AC3.2, they include the definitions of: Just & unjust verdicts, miscarriages of justice, safe & unsafe verdicts & unjust & just verdicts & relevant case studies. I took these notes into my Criminology Unit 3 controlled assessment (December 2022) and achieved ...
AC 3.2: Draw conclusions from information
Definition: When do just and unjust verdicts occur?
Just – A fair decision, they are lawful and do justice to the facts of the case.
Unjust – An unfair decision, it can happen when a verdict is not morally right.
Case studies: just/unjust verdicts
Billy Dunlop – Murdered his girlfriend (Julie Hogg) in 1989, however he was found not guilty
during 2 trials, which was an unjust verdict, as it was a miscarriage of justice and an unfair
decision. A just verdict was eventually reached after Dunlop bragged to a prison officer after the
trial that he was the murderer, but due to the double jeopardy law, it meant he couldn’t be tried
again. Ann Ming (Julie Hogg’s mother) campaigned to change the double jeopardy law, leading to
changing the 2003 Criminal Justice Act and in 2006 Dunlop was convicted of her murder and
sentenced to life in prison, which is a just verdict, as its morally correct.
Link to brief: Is the verdict in the brief just or unjust?
Definition: When do miscarriages of justice occur?
A miscarriage of justice occurs when a trial has an unfair outcome, it is usually when a person's
innocence is proven due to new evidence, and they can appeal their case.
Case studies: Examples of miscarriages of justice
The Birmingham Six – 6 men were convicted of 2 IRA related bomb attacks and spent 16 years in
prison. In 1991 they were released after being found innocent of the crime and the victims of a
miscarriage of justice. Investigations found that the police beat and tortured the men into
confessing, as they were considered ‘easy’ targets due to their Irish accents. During the original
trial evidence proving the men's alibi’s was not taken into account, which further shows a
miscarriage of justice.
Link to the brief: Any examples of miscarriages of justice?
Definition: When do safe and unsafe verdicts occur?
Safe verdict – Based on reliable evidence.
Unsafe verdict – Jury doesn’t consider if the evidence was properly/improperly obtained.
Case studies: safe/unsafe verdicts
Stefan Kizko – Was convicted of sexually assaulting and killing an 11-year-old girl. However, the
conviction was unsafe, as the police targeted Kizko due to his mental difficulties, despite there
being no evidence of guilt (abuse of police power) Kizko due to his disorder couldn’t produce
sperm, which would have cleared him of the crime. If the police had considered this originally then
Kizko wouldn’t have spent 16 years in prison.
Link to brief: Is the verdict in the brief safe or unsafe?
Definition: When do unjust/just sentences occur?
Just Sentencing – Making sure the sentence is fair and fits the crime
Unjust Sentencing – Is lenient sentencing (sentence is short compared to the offence) or harsh
sentencing (sentence is severe compared to the offence).
Example of an unjust sentence (lenient) / Did it become a just sentence?
Ian Patterson – He was a trusted doctor, however used his trust to inform healthy patients that they
had breast cancer and needed to have their breasts removed. Patterson continued this over a 14-year
period, deforming multiple women's bodies. He was originally sentenced to 15 years, but that was
criticized for it being unjust and too lenient, so it was increased to 20 years.
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