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Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Adversarial System

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The adversarial and inquisitorial trial systems are the two most widely used in the world, both operating in similar but different ways. The adversarial system is a system based on the notion of two adversaries battling in an arena before an impartial third party, with the emphasis on winning. There are five main elements of the adversarial system; the role of the judge, the role of the parties, the role of legal representation, burden and standard of proof and the rules of evidence of procedure. The inquisitorial system is a method of legal practice in which the judge endeavours to discover facts while simultaneously representing the interests of the state in a trial. In this system, the judge is primarily responsible for resolving the case by searching for evidence and questioning the witnesses as opposed to the adversarial system in which the judge is a passive recipient. In this essay I will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of both trial systems, look into a case study of each and then conclude with which system I think is best.

There are many strengths to the adversarial trial system. Each party is empowered to discover the truth, acting out of self-interest to present the best case and win and are also in control of their own case, which gives individuals access to the legal system. The basic democratic right to defend oneself is upheld and the law of the land binds prosecution and defence equally. Each side gets equal access to exactly the same evidence and

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