Units
Criminal Law in Context
Unit code: JSB176
Contact hours: 3
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
Justice students work, or hope to work, as justice professionals in areas related to the Criminal Justice System or Human Rights. They need an understanding of fundamental principles of criminal law and of social justice issues related to criminal law. Laypeople may assume that the law is shaped by rational decisions aimed at reducing crime and punishing wrongdoing, when in fact a closer examination of the policy underpinnings, the substance of the law and the way in which it is applied demonstrates that such an analysis is overly simplistic. A deeper understanding of the forces that shape the law and the way the law's application can distort its policy objectives is essential to those who wish to contribute to more effective laws.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 2 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2012
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
Justice students work, or hope to work, as justice professionals in areas related to the Criminal Justice System or Human Rights. They need an understanding of fundamental principles of criminal law and of social justice issues related to criminal law. Laypeople may assume that the law is shaped by rational decisions aimed at reducing crime and punishing wrongdoing, when in fact a closer examination of the policy underpinnings, the substance of the law and the way in which it is applied demonstrates that such an analysis is overly simplistic. A deeper understanding of the forces that shape the law and the way the law's application can distort its policy objectives is essential to those who wish to contribute to more effective laws and their administration.
Aims
The aim of this unit is threefold, ie. to assist you to develop your ability to critically analyse the theoretical underpinnings of the criminal law; to deconstruct the substance of the law with reference to its theoretical basis; and to analyse the manner in which the law applies the policy underpinnings through the rules of procedure.
Objectives
On completion of this unit, you should be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of how our criminal law is a product of our society, particularly with regard to the relationship between criminal law, morality and government and demonstrate the graduate attribute of critical thinking.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the law relating to offences against the person, morality, drugs, public order, war crimes and demonstrate the graduate attribute of content knowledge.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of issues relating to crimes against the State and demonstrate the graduate attribute of critical awareness.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the issues of natural justice and due process, and demonstrate the graduate attribute of an ethical orientation.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of the framework of criminal justice and its foundational principles, and be able to apply the graduate attribute of problem-solving to the area of criminal justice.
Content
The content will cover Nature of Crime and Criminal Law; Modern Criminal Justice; Criminal Responsibility; Crimes of Violence; Crime and Public Order; White Collar and Corporate Crime; Drug Offences; War Crimes, Crimes against the State and Criminal Law and Crime and Rights.
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
This unit is taught externally.
Each week, a podcasted lecture, topic notes, readings and focus questions for use in on-line discussion forms will be made available via the Blackboard site.
Audio-visual materials and materials drawn from current media coverage of relevant case and issues will also be used.
Assessment
The assessment process in this unit is designed to be both formative (provide you with feedback on your progress in the unit) and summative (grade your progress in the unit and provide your final mark). There are three forms of assessment for external students and three forms of assessment for internal students: Discussion forum, an Essay and an Examination.Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:
Assessment name:
Essay
Description:
Students are to submit an Essay of approx 2,000 words.
Relates to objectives:
1,4.
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
External
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 5
Assessment name:
Examination (Theory)
Description:
An examination will be scheduled during the central exam period at the end of semester.
Relates to objectives:
1, 2, 3,4, 5.
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
External
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Exam Period
Assessment name:
Discussion Forum
Description:
Over the semester, students are expected to engage with a range of materials provided by the podcasted lectures as well as accessed via the Blackboard site. These will contribute to online discussion forums and activities.
Relates to objectives:
1,2,3,4,5.
Weight:
20%
Internal or external:
External
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Ongoing
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
The set textbook for this unit is:
G. Johnstone & T. Ward (2010), Law and Crime, London: Sage,
This text will be supplemented by further materials contained in Study Guide and Readings - available on the JSB176 QUT Blackboard unit site.
References:
The following references are useful if you wish to read beyond the prescribed references and readings:
Risk assessment statement
There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 01-May-2012
