Year

2024

Credit points

10

Campus offering

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  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

Nil

Teaching organisation

4 hours per week for twelve weeks or equivalent.

Unit rationale, description and aim

Criminal Law and Procedure deals with the nature, purpose and justification of the criminal law and the various forms of conduct that are made crimes in in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Commonwealth. It also examines the procedures used to detain, prosecute and try persons charged with criminal offences.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Learning Outcome NumberLearning Outcome Description
LO1Accurately identify, locate, and interpret relevant primary sources of criminal law
LO2Apply the Criminal Law to factual situations and thereby advise clients and others of their rights and liabilities
LO3Identify, describe and critically evaluate the offences created by the Criminal Law relevant to the jurisdiction
LO4Prepare and write an opinion on criminal liability to a professional standard

Content

Topics will include: 

  1. Definitions of Crime and the Aims of the Criminal Law 
  2. Elements of Crime 
  3. Sources of Criminal Liability 
  4. Homicide and Defences 
  5. Non-fatal Offences against the Person 
  6. Property Offences 
  7. Inchoate Offences 
  8. Participatory Liability 
  9. Defences 
  10. Commencement of Criminal Proceedings 
  11. Arrest, Search, Seizure, Forensic Procedure and Police Questioning 
  12. Bail 
  13. Trial 
  14. Sentencing 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

Mode: Lectures, tutorials, electronic consultation, library tasks and presentations or Online lectures and activities or ACU Online 10 week asynchronous delivery mode.

Duration: 4 hours per week over 12 weeks or equivalent.  Students are expected to spend 150 hours in total for this unit. 

This level one compulsory Law unit allows students to demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding in a specialist area of law to meet the requirements of accreditation.  

Our strategy is to encourage students to creatively engage with unit content and to apply fundamental legal knowledge, skills and understandings to address legal problems.  

The unit is designed to be delivered in intensive, weekly or online mode. We have taken a multimodal learning approach to provide accessibility and flexibility to our students and a student-focused approach that increases depth of learning and engagement through actively utilising LMS.   

ACU Online 

This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment strategy is designed to assess knowledge, skills and understanding in a specialist area of law required for accreditation.  

The assessment tasks for this unit are designed to demonstrate achievement of each of the learning outcomes listed.  

All assessment items must be attempted and submitted to be eligible for a passing grade.

Overview of assessments

Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment TasksWeightingLearning Outcomes

Assignment 1: Hypothetical Problem

15%

LO2, LO3

Assignment 2: Written opinion on criminal liability

35%

LO1, LO2, LO4

Exam: A series of hypothetical questions designed to test students’ knowledge of and abilty to apply criminal law theory to practical examples. Exam will be completed online via the learning management system.

50%

LO1, LO2, LO3

Representative texts and references

John Anderson et al, Criminal Law Perspectives: From Principles to Practice (Cambridge University Press, 2021)

Simon Bronitt and Bernadette McSherry, Principles of Criminal Law (Thomson Reuters, 4th  ed, 2017) 

Roderick Howie and Peter Johnson, Annotated Criminal Legislation New South Wales (Lexis Nexis)

Gerard Nash, Annotated Criminal Legislation Victoria (Lexis Nexis)

Michael Shanahan et al, Carter’s Criminal Law of Queensland (Lexis Nexis)

Tyrone Kirchengast et al, Waller and Williams Criminal Law Text and Cases (Lexis Nexis, 14th ed, 2020)

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