... be drawn taking into account all the issues discussed to see how justice as a concept works in contemporary society. Historical concepts of justice can be seen as early as the Magna Carta. This document 'reaffirmed long standing rights and responsibilities, restricted the powers of the king and stated that all people were subject to the law.' (www.historylearningsite.co.uk) The Classical School argued from the sense of Enlightenment and this 17th century perspective stated that 'people are rational beings, crime is a result of the exercise of free will and that punishment can be effective in reducing the incidence of crime since it negates the pleasure to be derived from crime commission. (Fulcher & Scott, 2003) The emphasis was heavily placed on the rich and the powerful to set out and implement the laws and subsequently this usually meant they benefited the rich and the powerful. This idea was highlighted in Marx's Instrumentalist theory ...

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