Conclusion

In this course you have considered how the criminal justice system differs from its popular image. By exploring a number of common myths and considering whether they are true, you have considered the court system and the people who work in it, as well as the purposes of criminal law and punishment.

Take a moment to reflect on how your impressions of the criminal law and courts have started to change. At the start of this course, you associated the following symbols with criminal justice:

Reflection point

Has the meaning of those symbols changed at all for you? Do you have a different image of Lady Justice now?

Figure 29 Equality and balance

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Illustrative painting of a Black woman with a long red dress and long, flowing hair. She holds up a set of balance scales. Behind her is a yellow background, darkening to orange near the edges of the image.

Figure 29 Equality and balance

You should now be able to:

• explain some key features of the criminal justice system
• describe some key features of the criminal law
• understand the truth about the biggest myths around criminal law and the criminal courts.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course W111 Criminal law and the courts [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .