LAW4561 · Advanced criminal law

Overview

This elective unit builds on your foundational criminal law knowledge and provides you with in‑depth study of selected, complex areas of criminal law not covered in the combined compulsory unit. The unit adopts a primarily doctrinal (“black‑letter”) focus, while also engaging you with policy, reform, and comparative perspectives. Topics may include drug law and policing, domestic violence offences, extended criminal responsibility, advanced homicide doctrines, emerging and technology‑based offences, federal criminal law, public order offences, and selected issues in criminal trials. The unit also incorporates comparative analysis across Australian jurisdictions and critical examination of the operation of criminal law in diverse communities. It is designed for students seeking advanced legal understanding and preparation for criminal law practice or policy‑related careers.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Demonstrate understanding of criminal law within broader social, policy and comparative contexts across Australian jurisdictions with consideration of justice and fairness in criminal law outcomes.
2. Reflect convincingly on professional responsibility, ethical issues and decision‑making in criminal law practice and reform.
3. Critically evaluate complex criminal law issues, doctrine and reform proposals by utilising advanced legal reasoning and evidence to make informed choices between competing legal and policy approaches.
4. Identify, research, evaluate, and synthesise legal, factual, and policy materials relevant to contemporary and advanced criminal law problems.
5. Communicate effectively, collaboratively and with coherence on complex criminal law issues for a range of audiences in both oral and written forms.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.