This course will introduce students to the various components of the criminal justice systems in several nations. Students will study the reasons why one should study the systems of other nations, difficulties in comparisons and how to do a comparative analysis. Students will become familiar with the four main “families of law” or “legal traditions” and be able to identify the foundations of a nation’s legal system. In addition, students will compare the adversarial and inquisitorial systems of justice particularly with regard to pre-trial and trial processes, compare the mechanisms for constitutional review and judicial process. They will also examine the police structures and training in the model countries, examine the court structures and court personnel training in several model countries, and review the spectrum of sentencing options used in other countries. Finally, students will also discuss recent transnational crime concerns of terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking.
