Restoring a World Devoid of Moral Sense
To say that contemporary legal and justice systems are properly functioning would be inaccurate and naïve. Today, instead of reliance on a common core of moral principles, the system is beleaguered by boundless more relativism, self-interested political and ideological determinations, as well as secular justice theories. This is a stark contrast to the founding principles of our nation and the various systems once respected and the envy of the world. Today, our system has largely abandoned the natural law principles and Judeo-Christian moral teachings that shaped the world’s best justice system.
Without a foundation of fixed and dependable moral-ethical principles , today’s justice system all too often produce policies and protocols devoid of moral sense or correctness, and as a result, lead to decisions that have little regard for the dignity and virtuous development of the human person.
The Center for Criminal Justice, Law and Ethics believes the current state of affairs is completely fixable. Justice practitioners can restore order, right, and good within the system and be prepared to confront the serious challenges of their professions through a renewed understanding and application of the time-tested, perennial principles of the natural law. Natural law principles are unchanging first principles that have long been the rule and measure of all human conduct in Western society.
Revisiting these principles, grounded in the Judeo-Christian, Catholic heritage, gives justice leaders a deeper capacity and a dependable measure to discern human action which is right and just action.
Thus, the Center for Criminal Justice, Law, and Ethics at Franciscan University seeks to change the landscape of the justice system nationally and internationally by:
- forming justice professionals who measure the idea of “justice” and its aligned systems by the perennial principles of the natural law and Catholic moral tradition,
- advancing the integration of natural law principles into legal decision making and the implementation of justice policy.
Dr. Charles P. Nemeth has spent the vast majority of his professional life in the study and practice of law and justice. He is a recognized expert on professional ethics…
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The Criminal Justice Program at Franciscan University prepares students for a variety of careers in the justice and legal professions. Students learn to view justice and law through the lens of Catholic social teaching and natural law, taking into consideration the dignity of all people.