Monday, December 18. 2023

Last Week before the Holiday Break...We can do this!

Today's schedule is ABCD

A Block Legal Studies - Today we'll finish our look at Criminal Law by shifting into sentencing. We'll look at the objectives of sentencing (deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation, re socialization, and segregation). You will need to define the following questions over the next two days: 

absolute discharge, conditional discharge, probation, mitigating circumstances, aggravating circumstances, suspended sentence, concurrent sentence, consecutive sentence, intermittent sentence, indeterminate sentence, parole, day parole, statutory release, pardon, restorative justice, sentencing circle, closed custody, and open custody

Don't forget the principles of sentencing (deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation, resocialization, and segregation); options for sentencing; along with considerations in sentencing

Judges must consider several principles:

1. Proportionality: The sentence must proportional to the crime, and the offenders’ degree of responsibility – s. 718.1
2. Totality: A component of proportionality, it ensures the sentence is proportional to the gravity of the offence – s. 718.2(c)
3. Parity: The sentence should be similar to other sentences that involve similar offences and circumstances – s. 718.2(b)
4. Restraint: The Judge must exercise restraint to ensure sentences are just and fair, carried out in a manner that is both appropriate and humane – s. 718(d), (e)

In deciding the appropriate sentence in an individual case, the judge may consider several factors, including:

1. The nature of the offence, including the character and seriousness of the act itself, and whether it was committed on impulse or in a planned and deliberate way;
2. The age, background and family circumstances of the offender;
3. The previous criminal record (if any) of the offender, length of time since last conviction and any indication of lenient treatment in the past;
4. Any unusual circumstances that appear from the evidence;
5. Any mitigating factors, like a plea of guilty and cooperation with police;
6. Any aggravating circumstances, such as the abuse of a spouse, common law partner, a person under the age of 18 or a position of trust or authority in relation to the victim;
7. A pre-sentence report (if one is ordered by a judge) that is prepared by a probation officer and contains information regarding all aspects of the offender’s background;
8. The penalties assigned by law to the offence including minimum and maximum sentences; and
9. Consistency in the sentencing of different individuals who participate in the same crime.

The Criminal Code also states that all available sanctions other than imprisonment should be considered where reasonable for adult offenders, and particular attention should be given to the circumstances of Indigenous offenders.

Government of Canada How sentences are imposed

Sentence Calculation: An Explanation of the Basics of Sentence Calculation with Examples

B Block Human Geography - To help with your Big Thinking question, "Explain why religious conflicts occur. Is it only that religious ideologies disagree, or is geography involved? How do you think religious conflicts can be resolved?"  From Violence Based on Religion or Belief: Taking Action at the United Nations, check out:

From 2007 to 2018, religion-related war or armed conflict declined from 21 to 13 countries. However, these 13 conflicts continue to have grave impacts on civilians. In 2018, religion-related armed conflict took the greatest toll on the populations in:

• Syria (with millions killed or displaced),
• Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, and Yemen (with hundreds of thousands killed or displaced), and
• India, Iraq, Libya, Philippines, and Sudan (with tens of thousands killed or displaced).

Interreligious violence has also been steadily declining on a global level and in all regions, except for Sub-Saharan Africa. However, numerous incidents of interreligious violence can be found in the Central African Republic, Egypt, India, Iraq, Israel, Mali, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand, and Yemen.

Religious conflicts around the globe and a solution

Religious Conflicts At the same time, religious conflict may be used as a front for a hidden political agenda.

Does Religion Cause Violence?

Doesn't religion cause most of the conflict in the world?

Is religion a power for peace or does it cause conflict?

Why Religions Facilitate War and How Religions Facilitate Peace

Africa News: Religious Conflict

Religious clashes across India spark fears of further violence

And since we didn't get to it on Friday

C/D Blocks Social and Environmental Sciences - You'll be in the Learning Commons / library today to FINISH researching the following topics to research for your Salish Sea poster project:

1. Commercial Shipping
2. Expansion (twinning) of the Trans Mountain Pipeline
3. Aquaculture (both shellfish and finfish)
4. Indigenous Territories, land claims and businesses
5. Species at Risk (and legislation to protect them)
6. Eco - Tourism (including whale watching, sea kayaking, and boating)
7. Waste Management (Urban and Industrial)
8. Fisheries (fin fish commercial, sport, and Indigenous)
9. Population growth 

Your poster is going to be a small "snapshot" on the Health of the Salish Sea to help show progress in sustainably managing the Salish Sea ecosystem and its valuable resources, where conditions are declining, and where course corrections are needed. So for each topic you choose, find out:

• What's happening?
• Why is it important?
• Why is it happening?
• What are we doing about it?

In essence...what are the problems and what are the potential solutions. We assemble the poster over the next few days.

SRKW Orca Identification

Today's Fit...(sorry for the late update)