| Unit name | Criminal Law and Criminal Justice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0086 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Mr. Matt Rollinson |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Criminal law is part of the core curriculum for the MA in Law. Criminal law is equally fascinating and intellectually challenging. It stands distinct from other branches of the common law. This is because criminal law is mainly characterised (and distinguished from other areas of the law) by the imposition of punishment. Criminal law is also thought to involve an element of moral condemnation or stigma. Because of the severe consequences of a criminal conviction, criminal offences, and the punishment attached to them, must be clearly justified. This unit seeks to develop a contextual and critical approach to understanding the criminal law and criminal justice.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Criminal law is a core area of legal knowledge that builds foundations in understanding legal principles and doctrine, including in how courts and other relevant bodies make, develop, enforce, and interpret the law. In this unit, we study the doctrine through a series of topics including both offences and defences reflecting on the limits and scope of the criminal law, while critically evaluating the impact of criminal law on broader issues of criminal justice. As part of your study in this unit you will be able to explore and develop your own views on criminal law and justice through working collaboratively with your peers and reflecting on the formative feedback of your tutors. You will learn how the approach of criminal courts sometimes differ from the approach taken to civil matters and some of the reasons why this is the case. This is a core unit on the Law (MA) programme and can also be chosen by students on LLM programmes who have not previously studied English law.
An overview of content
In this unit we will introduce you to general principles of criminal liability alongside study of several particular offences and defences. Our eight topic areas will focus on the main concepts and principles which govern the construction of criminal liability. These topic areas may include: the necessary consequences/conduct a defendant must cause (also known as actus reus) and the necessary fault which a defendant must have (also known as mens rea), in order to found criminal culpability. Specific offences of murder and voluntary and involuntary manslaughter, non-fatal offences against the person (such as assault and battery), dishonesty offences (namely, theft and fraud), and general defences (namely, private defence, duress and necessity). Note: specific content may change, depending on staff expertise.
This unit is most relevant for students who have not previously studied English/Welsh Criminal Law.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Alongside the substantive content and the skills you will learn in this unit, you will have the opportunity to develop your own opinions as well as your approach to thinking on some of the most important questions study of the law implicates. For example, you will have the opportunity to consider principles of justice and fairness, as well as what equality before the law means in practice. This will enable you to bring your study of criminal law to your engagement with current affairs and to speak intelligently to issues of importance in society.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, a successful student unit will be able to:
The unit will be taught by means of a mix of weekly lectures, large group sessions, seminars, and asynchronous materials. These activities will typically take place on campus.
You will be directed to the materials you will need to review and the questions you need to prepare in advance of these sessions, which may comprise narrated videos, extracts from academic textbooks, cases and academic articles. This preparation is self-directed.
Seminar teaching is based around discussion, application and critical analysis of the materials, with students expected to contribute to discussion and engage in peer-to-peer learning with respect to hypothetical scenarios and essay questions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for your summative tasks (formative):
Formative assessment is built into every aspect of this course. Large group sessions and tutorials will provide opportunities for interactive learning towards the course’s learning outcomes. A formal formative assessment will be based on your written submission (1,500 words) to a seminar question for which you will receive individual feedback from your tutor that will help you to prepare for your summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Summative assessment will be through a Timed Assessment (4,000 words maximum; 100%). This Timed Assessment will require students to answer two questions from two parts: Part One offers a choice of two problem questions from which students must answer one (2,000 words); and, Part Two offers a choice of three essays questions from which students must answer one (2,000 words).
This assessment covers all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, the unit will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis with new assessment questions.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWDM0086).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
