CRIMINAL LAW POLICY AND REFORM

LAW3CLP

2019

Credit points: 15

Subject outline

Criminal Law Policy and Reform provides law students with the opportunity to explore cutting-edge policy and law reform issues in the area of criminal law. Good lawyers do not merely know what the law is and how to apply it to facts; they also understand how and why the law changes and are able to help shape legal change. This subject is designed to develop students' understanding and skills in these respects. Students critically examine a range of topics in criminal law in which policy debates and/or law reform efforts have recently featured, such as hate crimes,cyberbullying, drug law reform, euthanasia, and terrorism, among others.Assessment tasks are modelled on real world examples of policy development and law reform documents.

School: La Trobe Law School

Credit points: 15

Subject Co-ordinator: Steven Tudor

Available to Study Abroad Students: Yes

Subject year level: Year Level 3 - UG

Exchange Students: Yes

Subject particulars

Subject rules

Prerequisites: LAW1LIM and LAW1CRL

Co-requisites: N/A

Incompatible subjects: N/A

Equivalent subjects: N/A

Special conditions: N/A

Learning resources

Readings

Resource TypeTitleResource RequirementAuthor and YearPublisher
ReadingsVarious online legal and academic materialsPrescribedVariousVarious

Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes

01. By the end of this subject, students will be able to create academic work that shows an ability to follow instructions that maintains academic integrity.

Activities:
Writing assignments will require an ability to understand and follow set requirements.
Related graduate capabilities and elements:
Writing(Writing)
Ethical Awareness(Ethical Awareness)

02. By the end of this subject, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the debates and processes involved in criminal law policy development and law reform.

Activities:
Tutorial sessions- students will be discussing policy issues around current topics in criminal law. Writing assignments will require students to write realistic documents similar to what lawyers, advocates, government policy officers and advisors produce
Related graduate capabilities and elements:
Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)
Ethical Awareness(Ethical Awareness)
Creative Problem-solving(Creative Problem-solving)
Writing(Writing)
Inquiry/ Research(Inquiry/ Research)

03. By the end of this subject, students will be able to write assignments that analyse and critique criminal law policy using well-developed legal research skills.

Activities:
Tutorial sessions- students will be using their legal research skills i.e. local relevant materials, textual analysis and interpretation and legal argumentation, to write answers to the questions posed. Writing assignment will require independent legal research to locate relevant sources and materials
Related graduate capabilities and elements:
Inquiry/ Research(Inquiry/ Research)
Information Literacy(Information Literacy)
Creative Problem-solving(Creative Problem-solving)

Melbourne, 2019, Semester 1, Blended

Overview

Online enrolment: Yes

Maximum enrolment size: N/A

Enrolment information:

Subject Instance Co-ordinator: Steven Tudor

Class requirements

Lecture/SeminarWeek: 10 - 22
One 3.0 hours lecture/seminar per week on weekdays during the day from week 10 to week 22 and delivered via blended.

Assessments

Assessment elementComments%ILO*
Analytical assignment - 450 words1001, 02, 03
Research assignment - 2700 words6001, 02, 03
Take-home examination - 1350 words3001, 02, 03