Australian Criminal Justice System

The Australian criminal justice system is a structure used by the Australian government to handle “social issues” encountered by individuals (2010, para 1). It attempts to bring truth and justice to the members of society. There are a plethora of organisations that coexist to keep this system operational. The police, for instance, are an integral part of this system. They are in place to serve and protect the community, and to enforce the law (2010, para 1). However, the police can be an obstacle when it comes to achieving justice and fulfilling the purpose of the criminal justice system. This essay will explore how police officers can be biased and subjective in their pursuit for the truth, and how the overall police organisation can be unfair

The community created by police officers does change the way the police attack certain crimes or situations. This can lead to cover-ups and hidden corruption cases within the police force, which will mean that justice is not prevailing, but instead being hindered. This relates to my argument because it explores how officers abuse the power they have to benefit themselves, which is unfair to the community. Also, the hidden culture the police have does show that there is bias and subjectivity involved with the daily activities of the police – their loyalties lie with the police not the community they are meant to be protecting. Corruption is an example of police culture affecting individual’s fight for justice in the criminal justice system. Police officers will often use their insider knowledge to unfairly obtain evidence or get convictions from individuals. They will stand alongside their fellow officers when they do so as well. The community that the police officers are a part of also make it easier for other officers to engage in corrupt behaviour once they are aware of a fellow officer who is doing the same. This mentality of all for one and one for all does impact the community and is a barrier to achieving

This connects back to the point of ‘over-policing’ in the police force and how it impacts the crusade for justice. The police act in ways that can exuberate individual’s behaviour and create a more violence situation. They can also spin minor situations to create a larger problem that could have easily not existed. This is unfair to community members, as actions against the police will be deemed the fault of the public, even if the police initiated the issue. Also, the police can get away with doing illegal things, such as assaulting people, since they can claim it was necessary. An example of this is the assault of graffiti artists (find example). The crime in question is a minor misdemeanour charge that could have easily ended with a warning. However, the police become violent and escalated the situation to a point where the young boys were arrested for assaulting an officer. When it comes to power abuse, usually the officers with the least amount of power manipulate their kevel of authority in the community the most. This adds to the mistrust and lack of faith in the police by members of the community. This also leads to the lack of ability for community members to get justice through the court system due to the position of police officers in the criminal justice