In some countries, some criminal trials in law courts are shown on television so that the general public can watch.
The community in several countries is occasionally allowed access to footage showing real criminals tried in law courts, as these events sometimes go on the air. From my own perspective, the drawbacks of this are incomparable to its upsides.
Publicized trials are beneficial in certain ways. To begin with, the complex nature of legal procedures can be further understood by ordinary people, which may result in them having greater confidence on their nation's legal system. To be specific, observing a transparent, organized and step-by-step process of how witnesses are inquired, how testimonies are given under oath, as well as how a verdict is reached with deliberation renders the public convinced that the country's judiciary is indeed effective and trustworthy, on which they can rely for legal protection. In other words, people are inclined to believe in and approve of what they comprehend adequately well; so is the case of complicated judicial processes clarified through televised trials.
Another prominent benefit is that the publicity of trials could have crime rates decreased. That is to say, the sight of criminals being properly sentenced for their offenses gives people a prospect as to how severe punishments would be if they themselves commit crimes. Comparable to the concept of Hell awaiting malefactors - an idea constructed by some religions to warn people off wrong deeds, watching the uncompromising enforcement of laws in specific details on television could serve as a deterrent to people's potential law-breaking intentions. Therefore, it is likely that broadcast trials assist in bringing down the number of illegal acts.
On the other hand, a notable downside of making a guilty person's ordeal in law court publicly aired is that offenders could face difficulties in social re-integration after serving their sentence. Since ex-criminals are usually prone to skeptical attitude from local people, they are predisposed to start a new life in another locality where they are barely known. Nonetheless, if the footage of them being tried circulates across the country, these people become nationally recognizable, and nasty criticism against them may continue to prevail in the new neighborhood. In worse scenarios, the potential prevalence of cynical views wherever these individuals relocate to can result in them being unemployed and excluded from social activities, thereby finding themselves a burden to their family and the community. Although it seems to me that former inmates' life being forced to such extreme due to the influence of televised trials is not highly possible, this negative aspect should still be taken into consideration.
To conclude, my personal conviction is that broadcasts of criminals standing trial are rather positive than negative; however, its prospective drawback should not be omitted.
Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
The community in several countries is occasionally allowed access to footage showing real criminals tried in law courts, as these events sometimes go on the air. From my own perspective, the drawbacks of this are incomparable to its upsides.
Publicized trials are beneficial in certain ways. To begin with, the complex nature of legal procedures can be further understood by ordinary people, which may result in them having greater confidence on their nation's legal system. To be specific, observing a transparent, organized and step-by-step process of how witnesses are inquired, how testimonies are given under oath, as well as how a verdict is reached with deliberation renders the public convinced that the country's judiciary is indeed effective and trustworthy, on which they can rely for legal protection. In other words, people are inclined to believe in and approve of what they comprehend adequately well; so is the case of complicated judicial processes clarified through televised trials.
Another prominent benefit is that the publicity of trials could have crime rates decreased. That is to say, the sight of criminals being properly sentenced for their offenses gives people a prospect as to how severe punishments would be if they themselves commit crimes. Comparable to the concept of Hell awaiting malefactors - an idea constructed by some religions to warn people off wrong deeds, watching the uncompromising enforcement of laws in specific details on television could serve as a deterrent to people's potential law-breaking intentions. Therefore, it is likely that broadcast trials assist in bringing down the number of illegal acts.
On the other hand, a notable downside of making a guilty person's ordeal in law court publicly aired is that offenders could face difficulties in social re-integration after serving their sentence. Since ex-criminals are usually prone to skeptical attitude from local people, they are predisposed to start a new life in another locality where they are barely known. Nonetheless, if the footage of them being tried circulates across the country, these people become nationally recognizable, and nasty criticism against them may continue to prevail in the new neighborhood. In worse scenarios, the potential prevalence of cynical views wherever these individuals relocate to can result in them being unemployed and excluded from social activities, thereby finding themselves a burden to their family and the community. Although it seems to me that former inmates' life being forced to such extreme due to the influence of televised trials is not highly possible, this negative aspect should still be taken into consideration.
To conclude, my personal conviction is that broadcasts of criminals standing trial are rather positive than negative; however, its prospective drawback should not be omitted.
