What are the advantages and disadvantages of the inquisitorial system?

Answer 1

Some of the advantages are;

• the decision maker has a more active role,
• the witnesses are usually called by the decision maker,
• there is less reliance on legal representation,
• the decision maker controls the production of the evidence,
• the cost of the system is mainly born by the state,
• the use of mainly written statements reduces costs.

Some of the weaknesses are;

• the judge is less impartial,
• the parties may feel at the mercy of the investigating judge,
• the parties are not able to call own experts,
• there is greater reliance on written evidence
• the judge is aware of character reports and past records.