Saint Leo University Law Enforcement Agencies in Australia Paper Introduction Critically review a journal article on a recent (within the last 1-3 years)

Saint Leo University Law Enforcement Agencies in Australia Paper Introduction

Critically review a journal article on a recent (within the last 1-3 years) issue related to the country Australia

Directions

critically review a journal article on a recent (within the last 1-3 years) issue related to the country Australia

UNIT FOCUS:

Research and describe in detail the functions, organization, and issues facing your country’s law enforcement agencies.

The review will:

meet the Turabian (Chicago Style) format for writing essays. Please see template for proper formatting.
include a minimum of 500 words not including the cover and reference pages.
use proper citation throughout article, ex: (Author 2014, 24)
original work only
make sure paper is in the correct format (See template attached)

Attach a pdf file of the article with the Journal review. Course name
Journal Review
By:
07/6/19
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It should come as no surprise that Ireland has had a colorful history when it comes to its
justice system. For many years the IRA spread fear through the streets with their acts of
terrorism aimed at national recognition and freedom from the British government. While this
may have worked during the revolutionary war, this part of the country was more evolved by the
1980’s and thought there was a more elegant way to deal with unhappy citizens. As Ireland
evolved and grew, a justice system came into focus that allowed its people to be safe and secure
in the country the loved so much.
As the future would come steaming into view the Republic of Ireland would devise a
Justice System that followed both common law and statute law that was able to tame its people
and work towards a future where her people could prosper. In the Devolution era of Northern
Ireland, David Ford discuss the innovations and advancements of the criminal justice system
since 2010.
In February 2010 Northern Ireland signed the Hillsboro Castle Agreement which allowed
the devolution of policing and justice powers to the Northern Ireland Executive (Ford 2015,
15). In April of the same year Ireland created its own Department of Justice and is considered
“The final piece of the devolution jigsaw in Northern Ireland and it was possible only with local
political agreement” (Ford 2015, 16). The intention of this was to create a stronger political tie
between the administration of justice and the country.
The interesting part about this change in justice is several issues were placed in the center
of the justice systems priorities. The new system placed rehabilitation at the center of their
objective “Historically the Prison Service focused on containment. That had to change” (Ford
2015, 19). The identified the need to put money into the prisons to provide a rehabilitation
setting. They created the need to focus on how to deal with reoffenders, and they decided the
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need to improve the work force was a key aspect of creating a better system. This understanding
of the need for rehabilitation moves the country away from filling prisons and keeping them full
to the concepts of attacking recidivism and attempting to correct the thinking or behavior that
leads people to breaking laws. It is no secret that prison can be an education system for further
criminal activity. While some crimes have such a heinous effect they cannot be ignored, other
none violent crimes can be dealt with in a way that educates and rehabilitates so subjects can go
on to be contributing members of the community.
As Justice Minister and leader of the alliance party, David Ford, was able to advance a
progressive justice agenda specific to the needs of the country today. “The fundamentals of our
systems are the same: a constitutionally independent judiciary, policing by consent, citizens’
rights, and international requirements hold our separate systems together in a common legal and
values-based framework. This is a strength” (Ford 2015, 17). The understanding of a framework
that meets the needs of the system as well as the country is a key factor in the success of any
justice system.
With the Devolution, the National Crime Agency (NCA) was created as the premier law
enforcement agency of the country. This organization was created to combat the organized
crime issue in the country. While this organization was vital for the success of Ireland, it was
met with some heavy political opposition. “The constitutional arrangements for policing in
Northern Ireland were hard fought following the Good Friday Agreement. It follows that a body
which, for instance, tasks and co-ordinates is not a suitable or acceptable approach to Northern
Ireland” (Ford 2015,18). Because this organization was created prior to the start of the
devolution of justice in Northern Ireland, for the first time the Executive and parties had an
opportunity to consider the National Crime Agency role in the devolved area.
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As Ford steamed ahead the Devolution of Northern Ireland has gained ground in many
aspects of Justice. They established several common ground goals to focus the needs of the
Justices system and the country. In this, it placed rehabilitation at the center of the work, there is
a need to address the declining prison estate, there was a renewed focus on outcomes to reduce
reoffending, and they needed to refresh the work force. Creating a new more efficient system of
justice is no easy feat nor is it something that will happen quickly, Ford will not see the results of
his work until long after he has retired, but the start he has made will assist the country into
moving into the future a little bit safer and a little bit smarter as to the ways of the modern
criminal justice system.
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References
Ford, D. (2015). The devolution era in Northern Ireland. Criminal Justice Matters, 100(1), 1621. doi:10.1080/0268117x.2015.1061335
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