Balance in the Administration of Justice and Security - Essay Example

? BALANCE IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND SECURITY The balance in administration of justice and security has been a major global problem. Over the past few years, many people have complained of injustices in the community. It was difficult for various administrations to respect the offender's rights and the citizens' rights and still maintain law and order. The offenders were treated harshly and their rights were violated. They were also subjected to torturous punishments. As a result, there was a great imbalance between the administration of justice and security. Things have changed in the 21st century because of the evolution of security and justice. This is because of the change in technology and new laws that aid in balancing the two. New laws have been formed and implemented in order to protect the rights of citizens while still offering them security. Some of these laws include different and less torturous methods of punishing the offenders. There have also been several changes in the constitution. Many rights have been included in the constitution in order to maintain peace by creating a stable balance. Mass media and technology have helped in the balance. The issues concerning legal environment have been enacted in the constitution in order to grant citizens justice and security. Balance is very important in all the countries in order to maintain peace and order. Introduction The introduction of new laws and policies has helped in the evolution of justice and security in the 21st century. Many countries have established new policies that govern how civil and criminal activities are handled. The countries have also increased surveillance in order to minimize such cases. For example, the United States government has formed an anti terrorist act in order to prevent crime. The people working in the law enforcement and security sides have to make sure that they are not abusing the rights of victims or criminals while working on their cases. Justice should be a natural right. In social environment, justice must be natural. The actions of the police have to be in relation to this statement. Their role in the system has to be governed by this goal of the justice system. Justice involves digging deep down into the issue in order to deliver justice. In order for police to administer justice, they have to take no sides whenever investigating an issue. Selflessness will assist them in maintaining law and order (Alexander, 2003). They should have passion in their doing in order to achieve this. According to the constitution the police should present service of justice with loyalty. Before, the police used to administer justice in the favor of the rich and wealthy. Very few wealthy people used to be arrested or even sent to jail. With the new laws and policies that have evolved in the 21st century, the administration of justice by the police is based on the balance of justice and security. The rich are at a low risk of going to jail unlike the poor people. This has been so because the rich are able to hire top lawyers. In very few cases we hear the rich people in our communities go to jail. They are always given the lowest charges. For example, many celebrities all over the world are found with many illegal commodities like guns and drugs. Most of these celebrities are charged with the shortest term in jail. On the other hand, the poor people are the ones who are punished more. This is because they are not able to pay lawyers like the rich. This was the case in the past few years. Even if some of these cases still exist, the evolution of the balance in the administration of justice has helped minimize these cases. All governments now have lawyers who represent the poor people in the community. The poor are now able to express themselves in a court of law. Torture which was one of the main methods that the police used in many countries was abolished. Torture was seen as the quickest means of obtaining information from people. By doing so, they made sure that justice was achieved. They used the wrong means and the citizens' rights for a free and fair trial were neglected. The evolution led to formation of important laws that abolished torturous activities as a method of obtaining information. These days, the use of lie detectors has been encouraged. The legal procedures in border crossing and airport security has also aided in the balance in the administration of justice and security. Many criminals used to escape the country when they learn that there is a warrant for their arrest. This made it difficult for justice to be served. These days, there are several legal formalities that have to be followed if one wants to leave the country. Everybody has to have a passport if he wants to cross the border to another country. By doing this justice is achieved since the criminals are not permitted to travel outside the country with a criminal record. In addition to this, terrorist's actions have minimized over the past few years. This is because of the tight security offered by the police in the airports. The introduction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a major step in creating a balance in administration of justice and security. Where any government is unable to solve some of the criminal cases, the ICC takes the mandate to do so. Many powerful people charged with neglecting human rights are charged in this court. Criminals who are accused of doing activities that have caused harm to many people are brought to this court (Alexander, 2003). By doing this, the whole world is accepting the administration of justice while still protecting human rights. This is a clear indication of what the evolution of justice and security has achieved in the 21st century. Technology has also improved security in urban areas and traveling agencies. Many building now have security check ups at their entrance. It is impossible for anyone to enter with dangerous weapons in these buildings. This has relatively minimized criminal acts in the major business building in the urban areas. Traveling companies have also adopted this mode of security check ups. For one to travel to another country, thorough search is done. The luggages are scrutinized by several machines in order to prevent crime. In the airports there are several machines which aid in this activity. These machines can be able to sense dangerous equipments in the luggage of the passengers. The evolution has also helped in the handling of offenders. Many laws and policies have emerged on how the criminals should be handled and not mistreated like in the past days. The people involved in criminal activities were mistreated. This was because there was no balance in the administration of justice (Prasad, 2006). Their rights were violated. As a result of the evolution, the people charged with criminal activities have their rights. They are protected against physical harm and they also have health and sanitary rights. They also have religious freedom, a right to legal assistance, and freedom of speech while imprisoned. Most governments have introduced rehabilitation programs to the convicts. Some of the programs include education facilities. The convicts are now able to continue with their studies or learn something new as a career. By doing this, their rights are respected as well as justice has prevailed because their movement has been restricted. Technology has also helped in the balance in the administration of justice and security. One of the major areas where technology has helped is by the introduction of surveillance cameras. The surveillance cameras have helped minimize crime in the urban neighborhoods. The surveillance cameras have also helped in administering justice where a criminal act has occurred. For example, many people are afraid of informing the police the people responsible in these acts. This is because they are afraid that the offenders would harm them. The cameras have assisted in minimizing these cases whereby the offenders are caught and justice prevails. The presence of the cameras therefore helps in the balance in the administration of justice and providing security for the citizens. It is very essential for urban areas to use the surveillance cameras since it will help in minimizing crime in these areas. The use of mobile communication equipments has helped in the balance. Technology has helped largely in the administration of justice. For example, the police are able to corner the criminals by using these mobile gadgets. They are able to maintain law and order. In our courts, voice gadgets are also used as evidence in verbal messages. The presence of computers has also aided in the balance. The administrating body in every government is now able to keep criminal records of every person. Previously, it was difficult for the police to get information on certain people but these days, the presence of computers has helped in administering justice. Like in the United States, the federal government a facial recognition and figure print software. This software has all the faces of every citizen in the country and their figure prints (Prasad, 2006). The police look for finger prints where there is a crime. They then scan the finger prints through their database looking for the offenders. This technology helps in administering justice in the community. The balance in the administration of justice and security is a very important aspect to be considered by any government. The balance clearly causes peace to exist among the citizens and between the government and its citizens. The evolution of justice and security has led to positive changes all over the world. Citizen's rights have been protected as a result of the evolution. The evolution has also improved security in communities globally. Technology has helped a great deal in the administration of justice and security. This has been achieved by both preventing people's rights to privacy and still providing them with security. Despite there being difficulties in attaining the balance, the evolution has helped in the cases involving individual rights versus the needs of the justice system and security to maintain order and public safety. It is clear that the evolution of justice and security over the 21st century has tried its best to balance rights and freedoms with vigilance and sufficient authority to protect the citizens in a free society while respecting constitutional guarantees concerning individual rights. References Christopher, K. Penny. (2011) In The Balance: The Administration of Justice and National Security in Democracies. Alexander, Edgar H. Brenner. (2003) The Balance In Justice and Security. Human Rights Watch(1998) Justice in the Balance: Recommendations for an Independent and Effective International Criminal Court. Rand Palestinian State Study Team. Building a successful Palestinian state. 2005 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Development Assistance Committee, SourceOECD (Online service) - 2008 - 256 pages Prasad, N. Chakraborty P.(2006) Administration of Justice in Mizoram Read More