Module SXL-2113:
Criminal Law

Module Facts

Run by School of History, Law and Social Sciences

20.000 Credits or 10.000 ECTS Credits

Semester 2

Organiser: Mr Cathal MacPartholan

Overall aims and purpose

This module provides an introduction to the substantive criminal law in Wales and England, and the wider contextual issues related to criminal law and justice. It examines general principles of criminal liability, fatal and non-fatal offences against the person, and selected offences against property. Students will also study defences and rules in relation to parties to crime, and will analyse contemporary developments in the area of criminal law.

Course content

The module content includes but is not limited to:

actus reus and mens rea; Negligence and Strict Liability; General Defences; Parties to Crime; Inchoate Offences; Homicide; Non-fatal Offences against the Person; Offences under the Theft Acts 1968 and 1978: Theft and Related Offences; Offences involving Deception; Further Offences under the Theft Act; Criminal Damage; Sexual Offences.

Assessment Criteria

good

B- to B+ (60% - 69%) A comprehensive answer, containing all the material relevant to the question and no irrelevancy, all the material and references being accurate and correct, there being no inaccuracy or error, the whole presented in an argument which, while clear, logical and critical, leaves room for improvement in its construction and presentation. An answer which shows complete competence in the subject.

excellent

A- to A* (70% +) An outstanding, possibly brilliant, answer, containing all the material relevant to the question and no irrelevancy, all the material and references being accurate and correct, there being no inaccuracy or error, the whole presented in a clear, logical, critical argument with little room for improvement. An answer which demonstrates a complete mastery of the subject.

threshold

D- to D+ (40-49%) An answer which, while predominantly correct in its presentation of material, contains a significant level of error and is therefore not entirely reliable.

C- to C+

C- to C+ (50-59%) An answer which, while always in the main accurate and correct, fails to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant material and is lacking in criticism. An answer which while reliable with regard to correctness is either not comprehensive or not entirely pertinent.

Learning outcomes

  1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the functions of criminal law, giving examples of relevant offences, and to clarify the relationship between law and morality

  2. Accurately explain how criminal liability is imposed for both acts and omissions, and demonstrate practical understanding of this through applying the knowledge to legal problems

  3. Explain and differentiate between the various culpable states of mind

  4. Distinguish between offences of basic and specific intent and correctly apply the distinction to a legal problem

  5. Develop and effectively communicate logical legal arguments on aspects of criminal law

  6. Critically analyse the general defences to criminal charges and their use in contemporary case law

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
EXAM Exam

Students answer two exam questions.

 60.00
COURSEWORK Written assignment

Students write a 2,500 word essay on a set topic in criminal law.

 40.00

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Lecture

The module will be taught by means of 36 hours of lectures (2 hour lectures, twice weekly) taught over the course of one semester.

 36
Tutorial

8x 1hour tutorials require students to engage individually and in groups in commenting upon, critically evaluating and applying the principles and details of the subject under the guidance and instruction of the tutor. Attendance and participation by all students is expected, as understanding is based upon one’s own development of ideas in context.

 8
Private study

Private study includes preparation for tutorials and summative assessments.

 156

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
  • Argument - Able to put forward, debate and justify an opinion or a course of action, with an individual or in a wider group setting

Subject specific skills

  • Develop the ability to interpret legal rules and employ techniques of legal reasoning competently and efficiently in order to offer a range of solutions and conclusions to actual or hypothetical complex legal problems, all supported by relevant academic literature, jurisprudence and legislative research. Such solutions will be clearly communicated and presented
  • Develop the ability to analyse complex legal issues, set against the background of the political, social, economic or cultural contexts in which they may arise
  • Develop those skills which are necessary for scholarship and research in legal subjects, namely the ability to identify relevant primary and secondary legal sources and to retrieve accurate legal information using paper and electronic sources

Resources

Resource implications for students

Students are expected to have a copy of the key text.

Talis Reading list

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/sxl-2113.html

Reading list

The main textbook for this module is J. Herring, Criminal Law (11th ed), MacMillan

Pre- and Co-requisite Modules

Courses including this module

Compulsory in courses:

Optional in courses: