preview

The Doctrine Of Precedent And How It Operates Within A Criminal Court Hierarchy

Better Essays

1. Explain the doctrine of precedent and how it operates within a criminal court hierarchy. (3 marks)
The doctrine of precedent is the principle in which judges’ follow when deciding the results of cases. This principle ensures that the law is applied consistently across matters, sometimes applying past reasoning from similar cases. Some courts are bound to follow the doctrine of precedents if a similar case was tried in a higher court. Generally, the High Court of Australia has precedence over all courts (Federal, Supreme, District, Local etc.) and is not bound to follow the decisions made in these lower courts.

2. Briefly describe the following court hearings and explain their main purpose:
a) A jury trial
Jury trials are held in District or Supreme Courts. These trials are used to ensure that people that are not influenced by the government and power can have their say in the verdict of a defendant. The jury is a selection of people that are chosen to attend a case and listen to evidence to make determinations on questions of fact. The judge then takes the jury’s decision into account when deciding the defendant’s verdict.

b) A committal hearing
Committal hearings are only held for some indictable offences (such as manslaughter or aggravated burglary). P. Salmelainen (1992) suggests that committal hearings are used to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant the accused being sent to stand trial. These hearings are often held in local courts until the

Get Access