This course introduces students to the sources of law which define general principles of criminal responsibility, and to a selection of substantive criminal offences and criminal defences as well as to criminal procedure.  The substantive offences include assault, sexual assault, murder, manslaughter, and property offences, whilst the criminal defences  include provocation and self-defence. Students will be exposed to common law sources as well as legislation and criminal codes where relevant. Basic legal theories of the criminal law will also be introduced. The lecture program will be supported by problem-solving tutorials aimed at enabling students to give legal advice as to criminal liability and the resolution of procedural problems.

At the conclusion of the course, you should have:

• a sound knowledge and critical understanding of the relevant substantive and procedural legislation and case law;
• an ability to apply this knowledge and understanding in the context of individual and collaborative problem solving (ie identifying legal issues in a factual scenario, applying the relevant legal principles to those facts and using apporpriate skills of legal reasoning and argumentation in reaching a legally sustainable conclusion;
• a familiarity with the more important debates about the purposes of the criminal law and the fundamental concepts which it embodies; and
• an appreciation of the broad political and social forces which shape selected areas of the criminal law.

A team debate, a mid-semester problem-based assignment and an exam at the end of the course.

There will be 3 hours of lecture time per week, supplemented by a  1 hour compulsory tutorial which will run in 11 of the 13 weeks of the course.  A further 6 plus hours of private study is expected per week in order to review required reading and to prepare for tutorials.

LAWS1201 Foundations of Australian Law

S Bronitt and B McSherry, Principles of Criminal Law (3rd edition, LawBookCo, 2010). 

None.  Consult course outline for Week 1 reading.

Please consult the Course Study Guide.

Students need access to WATTLE to complete the course.