Module Information
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 8 x 1 Hour Lectures |
| Lecture | 10 x 2 Hour Lectures |
| Seminar | 3 x 2 Hour Seminars |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Exam (Seen). Candidates are not permitted to bring any books, notes or any other materials into the examination. | 100% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours Exam (Seen). Candidates are not permitted to bring any books, notes or any other materials into the examination. | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Understand the law, policies and theories that underlie the criminal justice system.
2. Understand the key concepts of the subject and the methods of evaluating the operation of the system.
3. Utilize and apply relevant data and research materials.
4. Engage in debate and present reasoned and evidence based argument.
Brief description
Criminal justice broadly considers the enforcement of laws, investigation and prosecution of criminal conduct, court procedures and sentencing, and the implementation of punitive measures. This amounts to a large body of policy, law and practice that provides the context within which the criminal law operates.
The course aims to provide students with a broad but comprehensive view of the criminal justice system, considering all three key areas and drawing on a range of materials within law and the social sciences, legislation and case law, empirical research, statistical data, and comparative studies.
Although criminal justice is a discrete discipline there is an interdisciplinary element that will broaden the experience of the student of law, while making the study of some areas of the legal system accessible to students of other disciplines.
More generally the module aims to enhance students’ ability to engage critically and analytically with relevant materials, participate in informed discussion, and prepare reasoned arguments through the development of research skills.
Aims
More generally, the module aims to prepare students for a working environment by enhancing their ability to engage in analytical and critical debate and developing research skills both in the library and through the use of new technologies. More particularly, the module will develop an appreciation of the role of law in dealing with social delinquency and an understanding of the means of measuring and testing the effectiveness of legal responses to the problems of crime.
Content
Introduction to Criminal Justice
Police discretion
Policing theories
PACE/police powers
Police Governance
Police Accountability
Prosecutorial discretion
Courts
Special Topic 1: Presentation of Police Evidence in Court
Juries
Aims of punishment/sentencing
Sentencing
Special Topic 2: Death Penalty in the US
Goffman’s total institutions
Special Topic 3: History of Crime and Punishment
Prisons
Prisonization
Prison Overcrowding
Prison privatization
Inmates’ Rights
Review
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5