WJEC Level 3 Applied Certificate and Diploma Criminology
These are my answers that I used to achieve a near perfect 98/100 on my Year 13 Criminology controlled assessment. I changed it as needed during the exam but this is the backbone of my work
Summary Unit 3 - AC2.1 Notes - WJEC Applied Diploma in Criminology
Summary Unit 3 - AC1.4 Notes - WJEC Applied Diploma in Criminology
All for this textbook (5)
Written for
A/AS Level
WJEC
Criminology
Crime Scene to Courtroom
All documents for this subject (371)
Seller
Follow
jessicastraker76
Content preview
AC 2.1 Explain the requirements of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for prosecuting suspects
The main public prosecutor in England and Wales is the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In 1985, it was
set up under the ‘Prosecution of Offences Act 1985’. They decide if there is sufficient evidence for a case
to go to court to ensure it doesn’t waste time, money and resources. The CPS establish the appropriate
charges in more serious and complex cases. Also, they prepare cases for court and provide information,
assistance and reassurance to victims and prosecution witnesses. There are certain guidelines the CPS
must follow such as the ‘Full Code Test’ (FCT), which is split up into two separate parts. These are the
‘Evidential Test’ and the ‘Public Interest Test’.
The ‘Evidential Test’ (ET) happens before prosecuting and looks at if there is sufficient evidence to
potentially convict a suspect. There is three possible questions that might be asked to determine this:
1. Is the evidence allowed in court?
The evidence cannot be used to convict a suspect if it cannot be used in court. Therefore, if it is valid and
is allowed to be used in court, the CPS believe it could help to secure a guilty verdict then the evidence
will be used in court.
1. Is the evidence reliable?
If the evidence is reliable, then it can be trusted. This could be due to the evidence coming from a
reliable source, such as a trustworthy witness or investigative officials. It cannot be used in court if it is
not reliable and trustworthy as the evidence will be deemed unreliable.
1. Is the evidence credible?
If the evidence is deemed credible, it can be believed. However, this does not mean that it is always
trusted. The CPS could check if evidence is credible. They could do this by for example, comparing pieces
of evidence to see if there are any mistakes. The evidence can be seen as credible if it is analysed and
there are no inconsistencies. The ‘Evidence Test’ can be applied to the case of Damilola Taylor who was
murdered by a 12- and 13-year-old. They stabbed him in a block of flats. The CPS should have discovered
that the evidence collected did not pass the ET, because they didn’t cross-reference all available
evidence effectively. If they had done this properly, they would have found that the 14-year-old key
witness was lying about what she had seen. If the CPS had not allowed the case to pass the ET, the
inaccurate evidence wouldn’t have been used in court.
The CPS moves on to the second stage of the FCT, if the guidelines are met: the ‘Public Interest Test’
(PIT). A decision must be established regarding whether a prosecution is required in the public interest.
To decide this, another set of questions must be asked:
1. How serious is the offence?
A parking fine is not considered a serious crime, meaning it would not pass the PIT, as the driver would
not be seen as a danger to society. Alongside this, the murder could be compared to manslaughter, and
it would be considered more in the public interest to take a murder case to court than a case of
manslaughter.
1. What is the suspects level of culpability?
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller jessicastraker76. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.01. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
