Paper Summary:

This paper assesses whether the legal system promotes or hinders the concept of social justice, using the specific criterion of juveniles. The paper argues that the legal system has largely negative consequences on the establishment and maintenance of social justice primarily due to the fact that the two conceptions differ in the way they conceptualise both the criminal and the crime. The paper also attempts to show that the possibilities of allowing social justice to flourish are evident, provided they are engrained into the very system they are attempting to pervade. The contention is made that factors such as restorative justice are pivotal in the possible transformation and that legislative action such as the European Social Charter represents the greatest opportunity to bring this end about. The paper also discusses how on both an individual and collective level, social workers have the opportunity to play a central role in the debate.

From the Paper:

"The legal systems' approach to juvenile crime in Britain has undergone a variety of changes during the last thirty years. During the 1970s it was felt that the criminal justice system had virtually no impact on limiting the possibilities of future criminal offending. As such, the criminal justice system attempted to a large extent to avoid placing juveniles in custodial based institutions (Maguire et al, 2007). However, during the 1980s and early 1990s such considerations came under sustained pressure. The social fabric of society began to alter substantially during this time and therefore, previous societal norms could no longer be relied upon. A new generation of young people were growing up, which for the first time included a small though vocal element of offenders who took little or no notice of the legal provisions in place. It was felt that a tougher stance from the law was required in order to halt this new wave of youth crime (Maguire et al, 2007). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Brammer, Alison. "Social Work Law" 2nd Edition, Harlow: Longman, 2007.
• Garland, David. "The Culture of Control: Crime and Social Order in Contemporary Society" Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.
• Jones, Robert. "Using the Law in Social Work" 2nd Edition, Exeter: Learning Matters, 2005.
• Jordon, Bill. "Social Work in an Unjust Society" Hemel Hemstead: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1990.
• Maguire, Mike, Reiner Robert and Rod Morgan. "The Oxford Handbook of Criminology" Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Visitors who viewed this Persuasive Essay also liked these:

• Term Paper # 107254 : "The Legal System and Social Justice"
• Essay # 67633 : "The Social Problem: Juvenile Delinquency"
• Research Paper # 72926 : "Medico-Legal System and Concealed Homicide"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: