Course

Criminal Justice: Global Perspectives - LAWS8209

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: Academic Program must be 9200 or 9210 or 9230 or 5740 or 9285 or 5285 or 9211 or 5211 or 9220 or 5750 or 9235 or 5235.

Excluded: JURD7309

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 provides a grounding in comparative law study. It covers aspects of policing and prosecution but focuses in particular on criminal trial practice in various jurisdictions. Particular topics include socio-political traditions and the state’s participation in the criminal justice system, the convergence of processes globally and the dynamics of transplanting legal processes across legal systems. In addition the course examines how justice systems respond diversely to the perceived need for reform and the growth of lay participation (typically, jurors) in countries’ adjudication processes. Many of the above topics are considered in the specific context of their impact upon victims, defendants and witnesses.


LLM Specialisations

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

The course will provide an opportunity for students to develop knowledge and understanding of how other systems of criminal process function and their understanding of important legal and law-related issues within a comparative framework. It will offer an opportunity for students to sharpen their critical analytical skills and develop their ability to undertake independent high quality research and to structure, write and develop a research thesis on a criminal justice topic.

Main Topics

Assessment

In-class presentation: Mandatory for LLM. Optional for LLB 20% (10% if court questionnaire used)
Class participation: Participation in class discussion 10% (LLB students may opt for 30%)
Criminal court fieldwork: To be completed outside class times. Mandatory for LLB and LLM students from non-common law jurisdictions 10%
Court questionnaire: Optional and only available for LLB and LLM students from non-common law jurisdictions. 10%
Research essay:
LLB: 3,000 - 3,5000 words. LLM: 4,000 - 5,000 words. Due last day of session
70% (60%-90% maximisable for LLB students)
 

Course Texts

Prescribed
Pakes, Francis, Comparative Criminal Justice, Willan Publishing, 2004

Recommended
None

Resources

Please refer to the course outline for a full list of resources.
Students

Study Levels

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