Portugal s Criminal Justice System - 1440 Words

In the research on Portugal criminal justice system, it showed similarities and differences with the United States criminal justice system. For example, these two nations have some of the same problems, however Portugal has abolished the death penalty. When I looked into the strengths and weakness of law enforcement, criminal procedures, courts, sentencing, and corrections I believe that the United States has a better form in handling these matters. So far there isn t a perfect system to manage the justice system, but I strongly believe that in the future there will be a better way to manage our criminal justice system and have stronger relationships with other countries to help us improve our system as well as theirs. I believe Portugal†¦show more content†¦The guarda nacional republicana provides a national highway patrol and here in the U.S. it’s like our highway patrol. The United States criminal procedures are its strengths due to the way we handle things. Our criminal procedure starts with our law enforcement. They conduct investigations, look at cases and if they need more evidence to convict the offender they get a warrant to get a hold of the offenders belongings so they can go through all the evidence thoroughly and effectively. Then the investigation leads into the courts were the offender pleads guilty or not guilty. The judge determines the sentencing with the help of the jurors. This process may take a while, especially in murder cases. All evidence is crucial to determine the sentence. The evidence is what helps the jurors and the judge decide if the offender is guilty. Portugal court system is divided into two main categories of jurisdiction: judicial and administration. The judicial covers private law and criminal law. In the courts of Portugal, like the U.S. offenders have the right to get an attorney given by law if they can’t afford one. Here in the United States offenders have the right to defend themselves in a court trial. The U.S. provides the same human right if not more than Portugal. Harry Dammer and Jay Albanese (2013), in Comparative Criminal Justice System states, â€Å" The right to an attorney, the right to remain silent, the right to be free of unwarranted searches, and arrests..† (Dammer Show MoreRelatedDecriminalization Of The Criminal Justice System909 Words   |  4 PagesIn July, 2001 Portugal s Law 30/20001 decriminalized all drugs. Under the new law, possession of small amounts of drugs (~10 days or less worth of personal use), while still legally prohibited, were no longer grounds for criminal offense. 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