CQUniversity Unit Profile
LAWS13021 Criminal Law in Practice
Criminal Law in Practice
All details in this unit profile for LAWS13021 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

Criminal Law in Practice is delivered via intensive mode. This unit will build on your existing knowledge of criminal law with an emphasis on developing practical oral and written communication skills designed to assist you in the practice of criminal law. You will complete advocacy based assessment tasks that will require you to present legal argument, orally, via the use of zoom. You will analyse fundamental aspects of criminal law and apply the law using a practical methodology. In this unit you will study practical topics relating to specific criminal law issues including police powers and responsibilities in arrest and questioning, applying for bail, the registry committal and committal hearing process, procedures to ensure a fair trial, the role of the jury and verdict, sentencing of youth offenders and adult offenders and the appeals process to the District Court of Queensland, the Queensland Court of Appeal and the High Court of Australia.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 3
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 10
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisites: 48 credit points of law units including LAWS11060 and Co-requisite LAWS13010 

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2021

Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Practical Assessment
Weighting: 40%
2. Written Assessment
Weighting: 60%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from Have your say survey, email communication to UC and student verbal feedback to the the UC in zoom sessions.

Feedback

Students commended the practical assessment tasks.

Recommendation

This unit will continue to teach, practice and assess practical skills in criminal law advocacy.

Feedback from Email communication to UC, feedback from students in zoom classes and face to face interaction with students.

Feedback

Students recommended the unit be delivered via intensive mode.

Recommendation

The unit profile has been amended to state that this unit will be delivered via intensive mode.

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Research and apply principles of criminal law from legislation, rules and case law to the analysis of practical criminal law scenarios
  2. Demonstrate persuasive written and oral communication skills in response to practical criminal law scenarios
  3. Apply critical legal thinking, analytical reasoning and professional judgment that demonstrate an in-depth understanding of criminal law issues.
Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Practical Assessment - 40%
2 - Written Assessment - 60%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes

Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Practical Assessment - 40%
2 - Written Assessment - 60%
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Criminal Process in Queensland

2nd Edition (2017)
Authors: Douglas.H., Barrett. M., Higgins. E.
Thomson Reuters
Pyrmont Pyrmont , NSW , Australia
ISBN: 9780455239750
Binding: Paperback

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 4th ed

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
Lance Rundle Unit Coordinator
l.rundle@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 08 Mar 2021

Module/Topic

Module 1 Criminal procedure, courts, arrest, warrants and bail


Chapter

 Chp 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom workshop module 1

Week 2 Begin Date: 15 Mar 2021

Module/Topic

Module 2 Committal, trial, jury and verdict

Chapter

Chp 6, 7 (pp161-181), 8, 9, 10

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom workshop module 2

Week 3 Begin Date: 22 Mar 2021

Module/Topic

Module 3 Sentencing

Chapter

Chp 7 (pp 147-161), 11, 12

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom workshop module 3

Week 4 Begin Date: 29 Mar 2021

Module/Topic

Module 4 The appeals process

Chapter

Chp 13, 14 (389-395)

Events and Submissions/Topic

Zoom workshop module 4

Week 5 Begin Date: 05 Apr 2021

Module/Topic

Assessment 1- Criminal law advocacy 

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Criminal Law Advocacy Due: Week 5 Tuesday (6 Apr 2021) 8:00 am AEST
Vacation Week Begin Date: 12 Apr 2021

Module/Topic

Mid term break

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 6 Begin Date: 19 Apr 2021

Module/Topic

Self guided learning

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 7 Begin Date: 26 Apr 2021

Module/Topic

Self guided learning

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 8 Begin Date: 03 May 2021

Module/Topic

Assessment 2- Final assessment task

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Final Take Home Paper Due: Week 8 Friday (7 May 2021) 4:00 pm AEST
Assessment Tasks

1 Practical Assessment

Assessment Title
Criminal Law Advocacy

Task Description

In week 1, on Moodle, you will be provided with a criminal law scenario and details to complete assessment 1.

You will be required to present your legal argument via zoom in a live format to the unit coordinator and in the presence of other students.

You will be graded on your legal advocacy, in addition to how you link your legal argument with reference to the law and facts.

You will present this task on a date to be selected. A share document on Moodle will be available in week 1. You will use this document to select a day and time to complete the oral assessment in addition to selecting the role of defence or prosecutor. 

The purpose of this assessment is to develop your legal advocacy skills. Therefore, the feedback is designed to refine and improve your advocacy skills to better prepare you for criminal law legal practice. 


Assessment Due Date

Week 5 Tuesday (6 Apr 2021) 8:00 am AEST

The written component is to be submitted via Moodle. The oral componsent will be conducted via zoom during.


Return Date to Students

Week 5 Tuesday (6 Apr 2021)

Students will receive verbal feedback after their zoom presentation. A grade will be confirmed via Moodle Gradebook after all students complete the assessment task.


Weighting
40%

Assessment Criteria

You will be assessed on your legal advocacy skills. In addition to how you link your legal argument with reference to the law and the facts in a persuasive and concise style using grammatically correct language.



Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Submission Instructions
Written component on Moodle. Oral component in a live zoom session in the presence of the unit co-ordinator and other students.

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Research and apply principles of criminal law from legislation, rules and case law to the analysis of practical criminal law scenarios
  • Demonstrate persuasive written and oral communication skills in response to practical criminal law scenarios
  • Apply critical legal thinking, analytical reasoning and professional judgment that demonstrate an in-depth understanding of criminal law issues.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy

2 Written Assessment

Assessment Title
Final Take Home Paper

Task Description

The final take home paper will be released on Moodle. The assessment will comprise criminal law problem scenarios requiring a legal argument with reference to legislation and case law to support your argument.

This assessment must be completed by the due date. You will have 24 hours to complete the assessment.  You must upload your answer to Moodle in a word document to the assessment two upload link. In the absence of an approved extension, there will be no opportunity to complete the task after the due date and there will be no opportunity to apply a late penalty of five per cent per day and you will receive a mark of zero for this assessment task.


Assessment Due Date

Week 8 Friday (7 May 2021) 4:00 pm AEST

Students are to submit their answer via the assessment 2 link on Moodle


Return Date to Students

Given the final take home paper is treated like an examination, the final take home paper will not be returned to students. Students will receive their mark for this assessment and their grade for the unit on the date of certification/ release of grades.


Weighting
60%

Assessment Criteria

You will be assessed on your research skills, including your reference to case law, reference of legislation and your legal argument linking the law to the problem scenario using persuasive, concise, and grammatically correct language.


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Research and apply principles of criminal law from legislation, rules and case law to the analysis of practical criminal law scenarios
  • Demonstrate persuasive written and oral communication skills in response to practical criminal law scenarios
  • Apply critical legal thinking, analytical reasoning and professional judgment that demonstrate an in-depth understanding of criminal law issues.


Graduate Attributes
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving
  • Critical Thinking
  • Information Literacy

Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?