The aim of this course is to provide an opportunity for students:

• to engage with the codified criminal law of the federal jurisdiction
• to consolidate and build upon the skills and knowledge gained during their study of Criminal Law and Procedure
• to undertake in-depth study of specific areas of the substantive federal criminal law
• to engage with contemporary and emerging issues in the federal criminal area
• to consider the purpose and role of the criminal law in our society.

The course will take a theoretical, doctrinal and, sometimes, comparative approach both to principles of criminal responsibility in the federal criminal jurisdiction and to offences against the Commonwealth Criminal Code.  Topics will be selected from a range of areas which may include: theories of crime and punishment underpinning federal criminal law; inchoate offences; cyber crimes; drugs and prohibited commodities; corporate and industrial crimes; terrorism and political offences; defences; and federal sentencing law.

At the conclusion of this course students should be able to:

• demonstrate their familiarity with relevant course themes and readings
• demonstrate thorough research techniques
• demonstrate a depth of critical knowledge and understanding with respect to federal criminal law, its principles of responsibility and the context of its administration
• apply their knowledge in the development of a sustainable analysis or argument concerning the topic, issue or debate involved
• demonstrate their familiarity with the core principles of the substantive law taught
• analyse the facts of a problem and identify the legal issues they raise
• accurately and concisely summarise the relevant law
• formulate legal arguments relevant to the resolution of the legal issues
• demonstrate an understanding of how different offences and bodies of criminal law doctrine overlap and inter-relate in relation to concrete fact situations.

Assessment in this course is likely to involve at least two pieces of assessment including a take-home exam at the end of the semester.  There will also be a minimum attendance requirement.  More information about the means of assessment, including the relationship between the assessment and the learning outcomes of the course, will be available on the course home page by the first week of semester.

Every week there will be three contact hours.  Depending on the size of the group, it is likely that two of the three classes will be lecture-style.  However, it is likely that the third contact hour will be in a seminar format and will involve working through problems or specific set reading in group discussion. In general, in addition to the three contact hours per week, students are expected to spend seven hours a week engaging in reading and other preparation for this course.

Criminal Law and Procedure LAWS1206
Completed or completing five LAWS courses at 1000 level

Please refer to the course home page.

Students need access to WATTLE to complete the course.

This course has Criminal Law and Procedure as a prerequisite. It complements the other criminal law related courses offered by the Law School including Criminal Justice and International Criminal Law.