LAW4566 · Young people and criminal law

Overview

This unit examines the distinctive operation of criminal law in relation to children and young people, with a focus on criminal responsibility, procedure, policing, offences, sentencing, detention and non adversarial justice responses. Key outcomes include enabling students to analyse youth specific criminal law principles, critically evaluate the treatment of young people within criminal justice institutions, and assess contemporary policy and law reform debates. The unit incorporates international and comparative content, including international children’s rights standards and comparative youth justice approaches across Australian and International jurisdictions (e.g. Canada and New Zealand), to contextualise Australian and Victorian law within broader global frameworks.

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 an understanding of juvenile justice and youth offending within Australian criminal law, including relevant social, policy, international and comparative contexts, and the principles of children rights, justice, fairness and accountability that inform youth justice outcomes.
2. Reflect on ethical issues, professional responsibility and decision making in youth justice practice and reform, including considerations of vulnerability, capacity and culturally responsive approaches to working with children and young people.
3. Critically evaluate youth specific criminal law doctrines, reform proposals and issues relating to offences, procedure, bail and sentencing by applying advanced legal reasoning and evidence to make informed choices between competing legal and policy approaches.
4. Identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant legal, policy and factual materials relating to juvenile justice, including case law, legislation and reform reports.
5. Communicate effectively and collaboratively on complex juvenile justice issues in oral and written forms for legal and non‑legal audiences including policy makers and media.

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.