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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED UNIT STANDARD THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Describe the structure and functioning of the criminal justice system in South Africa 
SAQA US ID UNIT STANDARD TITLE
255761  Describe the structure and functioning of the criminal justice system in South Africa 
ORIGINATOR
SGB Criminology and Criminal Justice 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY
-  
FIELD SUBFIELD
Field 08 - Law, Military Science and Security Safety in Society 
ABET BAND UNIT STANDARD TYPE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL CREDITS
Undefined  Regular  Level 4  NQF Level 04  8 
REGISTRATION STATUS REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE SAQA DECISION NUMBER
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 2018-07-01  2023-06-30  SAQA 06120/18 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30   2027-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This unit standard replaces: 
US ID Unit Standard Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Credits Replacement Status
115228  Describe the structure and functioning of criminal justice in South Africa  Level 4  NQF Level 04  8   

PURPOSE OF THE UNIT STANDARD 
This unit standard is for learners and practitioners interested in pursuing a career path to prevent/reduce conflict, deviance, crime and victimisation. The benefit of this unit standard to society is that a learner who completes it will contribute to social and economic upliftment and to improving safety in the personal, social, environmental/ecological and corporate sphere by building and confirming knowledge regarding conflict, deviance, crime and victimisation, conflict, deviance, crime prevention/reduction and criminal justice. Learners learn to participate as responsible citizens in the life of local, national and global communities by contributing to victim and offender care. They also learn the importance of being culturally sensitive across a range of social contexts when planning programmes relating to conflict, deviance, crime and victimisation. The attaining of these outcomes will also contribute to the development of learners' entrepreneurial skills within the field.

Learners credited with this unit standard will be able to:
  • Describe the different components of the criminal justice system in South Africa.
  • Identify the role, function and purpose of each component of the criminal justice system and its relationship to the whole system.
  • Describe the inter-relationship between the formal and non-formal justice systems. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    It is assumed that the learner has the following knowledge and skills:
  • Communication at NQF Level 3.
  • Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 3.
  • Computer Literacy at NQF Level 3. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD RANGE 
  • Non-formal justice systems include any form of non-state ordering which aims to respond and deal with conflict, deviance, crime and victimisation. This includes community justice, restorative justice, and vigilante justice, amongst others.
  • Crime includes all types of legislated and non-legislated crime, for example, property crimes, crimes against the person (e.g. assault, bullying), workplace crime and violence, crimes against the environment etc.
  • Role-players include private individuals and organisations, community organisations, national, provincial and local authorities, the police, courts, corrections, etc.
  • Components of the criminal justice system includes the primary agencies of the justice, safety and security sector, as well as any peripheral agencies that are from time to time involved in criminal justice, such as social services.
  • The legal and legislative framework for the criminal justice system includes the Constitution and Bill of Rights, international standards, and norms governing crime prevention, the investigation and prosecution of crime, sentencing and treatment of offenders. It also includes all South African legislation and case law pertaining to the criminal justice system. 
    		•

    Specific Outcomes and Assessment Criteria: 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 1 
    Describe the different components of the criminal justice system in South Africa. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    The different components are identified of the criminal justice system. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    An explanation is given of the different components of the criminal justice system in terms of their key characteristics. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    A description is given of the legislative and legal framework governing the criminal justice system. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The functioning of the South African criminal justice system is reviewed within an international and human rights framework. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 2 
    Identify the role, function and purpose of each component of the criminal justice system in terms of its relationship to the whole system. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    A description is given of each component of the criminal justice system in terms of its role, function and purpose. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    An explanation is given of the role and function of the criminal justice system in terms of preventing and responding to crime. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    The relation between components of the criminal justice system is explained in terms of their connectedness. 

    SPECIFIC OUTCOME 3 
    Describe the inter-relationship between the formal and non-formal justice systems. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERIA     

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 1 
    Non-formal justice systems are explained in terms of their origin and development. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 2 
    The role of non-formal criminal justice practices is explained with reference to its contribution to justice in society. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 3 
    An explanation is given of the community and other stakeholders' roles within non-formal justice systems. 

    ASSESSMENT CRITERION 4 
    The non-formal justice systems' role is assessed in terms of preventing and responding to crime. 


    UNIT STANDARD ACCREDITATION AND MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • An individual wishing to be assessed (including through RPL) against this Unit Standard may apply to an assessment agency, assessor or provider institution accredited by the relevant ETQA, or an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
  • Anyone assessing a learner against this Unit Standard must be registered as an assessor with the relevant ETQA or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
  • Any institution offering learning that will enable achievement of this Unit Standard or assessing this Unit Standard must be accredited as a provider with the relevant ETQA or with an ETQA that has a Memorandum of Understanding with the relevant ETQA.
  • Moderation of assessment will be conducted by the relevant ETQA at its discretion. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ESSENTIAL EMBEDDED KNOWLEDGE 
    Qualifying learners should understand and explain:
  • The development and approaches of traditional and post-modern conflict/deviance/crime/victim perspectives.
  • The framework provided by South African criminal law and the Constitution.
  • The framework provided by international human rights law governing criminal justice.
  • The development of the criminal justice system in South Africa.
  • The importance of the criminal justice system in preventing and responding to conflict, deviance, crime and victimisation.
  • The elements of the non-formal criminal justice system in South Africa. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOME 
    N/A 

    UNIT STANDARD LINKAGES 
    N/A 


    Critical Cross-field Outcomes (CCFO): 

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COLLECTING 
    Collecting, analysing, organising and critically evaluating information to better understand and explain:
  • Describing the different components of the criminal justice system in South Africa.
  • Identifying the role, function and purpose of each component of the criminal justice system and its relationship to the whole system.
  • Describing the inter-relationship between the formal and non-formal justice systems. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO COMMUNICATING 
    Communicating effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written persuasion when:
  • Describing the different components of the criminal justice system in South Africa.
  • Describing the inter-relationship between the formal and non-formal justice systems. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD CCFO DEMONSTRATING 
    Demonstrating an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation when:
  • Describing the different components of the criminal justice system in South Africa.
  • Identifying the role, function and purpose of each component of the criminal justice system and its relationship to the whole system.
  • Describing the inter-relationship between the formal and non-formal justice systems. 
    		•

    UNIT STANDARD ASSESSOR CRITERIA 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this unit standard was Reregistered in 2012; 2015. 

    UNIT STANDARD NOTES 
    This unit standard replaces unit standard 115228, "Describe the structure and functioning of criminal justice in South Africa", Level 4, 8 credits. 

    QUALIFICATIONS UTILISING THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
      ID QUALIFICATION TITLE PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL STATUS END DATE PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QA FUNCTIONARY
    Core  61451   Further Education and Training Certificate: Criminology  Level 4  NQF Level 04  Passed the End Date -
    Status was "Reregistered"     		 2023-06-30  SAS SETA 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS UNIT STANDARD: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.