Course

Criminal Process: a Human Rights Framework - JURD7525

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Postgraduate

Units of Credit: 6

EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2

Enrolment Requirements:

Pre-requisite: 36 UOC of JURD courses for students enrolled prior to 2013. For students enrolled after 2013, pre-requisite: 72 UOC of JURD courses.

Excluded: LAWS8125

CSS Contribution Charge: 3 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

View course information for previous years.

Description

This course examines core common law precepts shaping criminal justice processes through the lens of human rights jurisprudence. It does this by traversing the law and practice in various jurisdictions with a focus upon police arrest, search, questioning and also criminal trial processes. These themes are analysed from the perspective of human rights jurisprudence incorporating the rights to liberty, privacy, the privilege against self-incrimination and the various legal obligations bundled under fair trial rights (such as the presumption of innocence, equality of arms, ‘speedy’ trial and ‘confrontation’ rights). The course pursues this intersection of the common law and human rights jurisprudence through current issues, systemic pressure points and key topics that may vary from year to year. Students from both common law and human rights traditions are encouraged to explore areas of special interest.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

While some knowledge of criminology and criminal justice is useful, there will be no assumption that students possess such knowledge prior to commencing the course.

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of key concepts of criminal process rights contained in human rights instruments;
  • Demonstrate an appreciation of the differences between common law obligations and human rights jurisprudence in relation to criminal process law;
  • Engage in debate concerning the relationship between the common law and human rights jurisprudence in relation to criminal process issues;
  • Undertake advanced legal research on criminal justice issues across common law and European jurisdictions.

Main Topics

  • police arrest, search, and questioning
  • criminal trial processes
  • human rights
  • rights to liberty, privacy, the privilege against self-incrimination
  • presumption of innocence,
  • equality of arms,
  • ‘speedy’ trial
  • ‘confrontation’ rights

Assessment

Class participation 10%
Class presentation 30%
Research essay 60%

Course Texts

Prescribed

Gans J, Henning T, Hunter J & Warner , Criminal Process in a Human Rights Framework, Federation Press, TBP September 2011

Recommended

Please refer to the course outline for detailed reading list.

Resources

Please refer to the course outline for detailed reading list.
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Study Levels

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