LAWS6034 - Criminal Liability

Objectives

• Examine the ways in which criminal liability is established, and the central factors governing liability.
• Analyse the general principles of criminal law, constituent elements of particular offences and the definition of a range of defences from theoretical and practical perspectives.

Content

Phenomenon of criminal law; violence; sexual and non-sexual assault; homicide; defences: self-defence, ‘insanity’ and substantial impairment, automatism, infanticide, intoxication; defences of necessity and duress; sentencing indigenous
Australians: recognition of customary Aboriginal Law in the mainstream criminal justice system.

Session

Semester 2 2010
Wednesday Evenings, 6-8pm

This unit is compulsory for Master of Criminology (MCrim) candidates

The timetable is subject to frequent changes. Please refer to the latest version of the Postgraduate Timetable.

Assessment

• 1 x 3,000 Word Research Paper (40%)
• 1 x Open Book Exam (60%)

Prohibition

This unit is an introduction to aspects of criminal law for non-lawyers and is therefore not available to candidates who have completed a law degree or completed criminal law at a tertiary level.

Courses this unit is available in

Master of Criminology | Graduate Diploma in Criminology | Master of Global Law |