A Comparative Review of Criminal Justice Models: Islamic vs Secular Perspective
ABSTRACTIn critical legal scholarship, criminal justice is often regarded as mainly a formidableinstrument of control. This has led to the argument that the whole notion of criminal justice’scapacity to control crime and adjudicate with fairness are only rhetoric. In the general sensehowever, criminal justice, whether Islamic or secular, is considered as set of rules andprocesses modelled to contain and remedy against violation or infractions. Because it is aphenomenon that responds mainly to social incidents and dynamics, it has become susceptibleto constant modification and reviews. This is particularly common with man-made laws aspriorities shift and in many cases, a response to the disappointment, which scholars associatewith the seeming exaggerated demand for efficiency in a system that is incapable of providingone. For Islamic model, the idea of constant changes and reforms is far-fetched as rules andprocedures are defined based on standard religious texts and juristic opinions. This paperintends to discuss the development and characteristics of both Islamic and secular models ofcriminal justice, drawing inference from the orientation that shaped these models and comparethe ideas and practices that define them. The paper take particular interest in the key aspectsof crime control and due process models.  

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