KIM WOODS Assignment

The History of Courts and the Justice System

Introduction

The rule of law has been part and parcel of mankind since time immemorial, possibly dating back to our very existence although it may have been in more unrefined forms that it is today. With law come bodies and persons responsible for the enforcement of these laws. It is for this reason that criminal courts were established, following the abolishment of previously used systems of law enforcement. This has been a long and progressive change in order to arrive at the current state of criminal courts and their basic operation. It is therefore prudent to gain insight on the history of courts and the justice system in a holistic manner, shedding light on the steps that were taken to get to the current position.

Body

Pre-historic judicial system

· Ancient China

· Pre-modern Europe

· Colonial America

Institutions for criminal justice in colonial America

· Plight of County Sheriffs

· Introduction of judges and magistrates

· Colonial courts and the legal process

· Punishment and the use of jails.

Consolidation of criminal courts

· Establishment of international law

· Use of international courts

· Invention and function of modern police

Conclusion

Moving from primitive, inhuman and less just systems of law enforcement, man has made much effort in adopting more efficient ways of presiding over others. Later stages saw the use of more appropriate means of judgment of having select individuals who qualified to be in charge of law enforcement. The journey has seen man adopt the final system which is that of modern criminal courts and it has undergone much adjustment, rectifications and amendments in making most suitable for trying others.