This course introduces students to the sources of law which define general principles of criminal responsibility, and to a selection of substantive criminal offences and criminal defences as well as to criminal procedure. The substantive offences include assault, sexual assault, murder, manslaughter, and property offences, whilst the criminal defences include provocation and self-defence. Students will be exposed to common law sources as well as legislation and criminal codes where relevant. Basic legal theories of the criminal law will also be introduced. The lecture program will be supported by problem-solving tutorials aimed at enabling students to give legal advice as to criminal liability and the resolution of procedural problems.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
At the conclusion of the course, you should have:
- a sound knowledge and critical understanding of the relevant substantive and procedural legislation and case law;
- an ability to apply this knowledge and understanding in the context of individual and collaborative problem solving (ie identifying legal issues in a factual scenario, applying the relevant legal principles to those facts and using apporpriate skills of legal reasoning and argumentation in reaching a legally sustainable conclusion;
- a familiarity with the more important debates about the purposes of the criminal law and the fundamental concepts which it embodies; and
- an appreciation of the broad political and social forces which shape selected areas of the criminal law.
Indicative Assessment
A team debate, a mid-semester problem-based assignment and an exam at the end of the course.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
There will be 3 hours of lecture time per week, supplemented by a 1 hour compulsory tutorial which will run in 12 of the 13 weeks of the course. A further 6 plus hours of private study is expected per week in order to review required reading and to prepare for tutorials.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
S Bronitt and B McSherry, Principles of Criminal Law (3rd edition, LawBookCo, 2010).
Preliminary Reading
None. Consult course outline for Week 1 reading.
Please consult the Course Study Guide.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $1626 | |
| 2014 | $2808 | |
| 2013 | $2808 | |
| 2012 | $2808 | |
| 2011 | $2778 | |
| 2010 | $2718 | |
| 2009 | $2670 | |
| 2008 | $2670 | |
| 2007 | $2670 | |
| 2006 | $2646 | |
| 2005 | $2298 | |
| 2004 | $1926 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $2916 |
| 2014 | $3762 |
| 2013 | $3756 |
| 2012 | $3756 |
| 2011 | $3756 |
| 2010 | $3750 |
| 2009 | $3426 |
| 2008 | $3426 |
| 2007 | $3426 |
| 2006 | $3426 |
| 2005 | $3234 |
| 2004 | $2916 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2943 | 17 Feb 2014 | 07 Mar 2014 | 31 Mar 2014 | 30 May 2014 | In Person | N/A |