‘Conflicts as Property” (British Journal of Criminology, January 1977

This assignment asks you to retrieve and read the full text of Nils Christie’s article, ‘Conflicts as Property” (British Journal of Criminology, January 1977, vol.17, pp. 1-15), and compose a critical summary of the author’s main criticisms about the functioning of modern legal systems in western society.
What’s involved?
A ‘critical summary’ requires you to summarize an article, in this case with emphasis on what the author says about the functioning of the legal system in western societies, and provide some critical discussion of those statements. This means that your essay should include both a summary and some critical reflection, that is, your thoughts about the points made by the author – is he right? Is he wrong? A bit of both? Why do you think so – that is, what pieces of his arguments do you agree or disagree with, and what other knowledge, experience or research can you draw upon to support your position(s)?
Your essay should include:
•A brief, overall summary of the article
•A summary of the four main criticisms the author has of legal systems
•A critical examination of the author’s positions that supports/informs your position
The format of your assignment:
Your summary should be no more than 750 words or 3 pages in length; please double-space and use 12-point font. Please be sure to provide full and accurate references for all quotes or information/statements which are not your own