Peter Sallmann

Criminal Justice: A Systems Approch

In recent years increasing emphasis has been placed on the non-system nature of the criminal justice process. This emphasis has largely operated in academic criminal justice circles but the debate has also permeated the practice of criminal justice. Most of the discussion has taken place in the United States. The arguments, however, are equally applicable to other Anglo-American criminal justice systems, especially those of countries such as Britain and Australia. This article sets out to raise some of the questions and issues and to pose some of the conceptual and practical difficulties involved in suggestions which have been made to tighten the set of relationships between the various components of the criminal justice system. The discussion will be centered on Australian problems but useful references can be made to overseas developments, particularly those in Britain and the United States.