Crime and Justice in the UK

Becoming a Juror

It is interesting that every ordinary people in UK might be selected as one of the 12 Juries, and they are not required to have knowledge of the law. The purpose of the random selection is to make sure a fair trial.

The jurors will attend in the court nine weeks after they recieve a Jury Summons letter contains the detail of the case. And there are several things people should do when recieve the letter:

1. Reply to Jury Summons with in 7 days;

2.Lear how to be a Juror: watch the DVD film 'Your Role as a Juror'

Finally, informations for the specific court where you are serving is given the day you at court.

It is quite different from the courts in China, we never heard that ordinary people who haven't learn much about the law.

Types of crime
The main types of crime are Gun crime, Knife crime, Burglary, Robbery, Vandalism, Anti-social behaviour, Fraud, Identity fraud, Bogus callers, Drugs and crime.

Youth Crime and Youth Justice
According to the report of Mike Hough and Julian V.Roberts -"Youth Crime and Youth Justice"(2003), the public have a negtive view of youth crime in Britain. The reasons might be: firstly, over-estimate the proportion of youth crime and increasing number of juvenile offender; secondly, people know little about the Youth Justice and the youth offending teams in Britain; thirdly, the public is to some extend have unstable attitudes towards the sentences of youth, people like to be lenient when confront with specific cases while they still think the youth justice system is too soft on young offenders; another reason might be the media, they always keep telling public the worst cases of juvenile crime.

Living condition, educational background, negative influences from family and psychologic status might lead to youth crime. Therefore, the best way to deal with Juvenile offenders might be pay more attention to their lives. Improving psychological service in schools, offering job and trainning opportunities.

The welfare state in UK and China

The social security system is run by Department of  Work and Pensions in Britain. The fund of this programme is contributed by the national tax system and the National Insurance Fund (employees and workers). The social security system benefits to not only the workers who pay for the NIF, but also to low income people, disabled people or family needs. 

In China, the department which has a similar function with the Department of Work and Pensions in Britain called the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Meanwhile, it is also financed from general taxation. However, some other departments are included in this programme: the Department of Welfare Lotteries and the Department of Charity and Social Donation. Unfortunately, it is difficult for the fund to cover all the citizens because of the huge population in China.

One of the differences between the two welfare system is the official retirement. In Britain, employed women at 60 and men at 65 is the official retiring age. While the retirement age for women is 55 and for men is 60 in China. The retirement age in China is lower than that in Britain. Personally, I think the reason might be the employment rate. The job market in China is tougher than Britain, so that job opportunities are preferred from young generation.

National Health Servic in UK in an significant part of welfare system and it offers free health care for British peole. However, the welfare system can only pay a part of medical care of citizens in China, and the proportion that citizens should pay for health care depends on their contribution to the fund system and working age.