Narrabundah College

COURSE :

LEGAL STUDIES (A, T)

UNIT:

CRIME & JUSTICE (A, T)

SESSION: 2

YEAR: 2015

1.0 STANDARD UNIT

CLASSES: 631, 233, 533

TEACHERS: THOM ROBERTSON, STEVE EDMOND
SPECIFIC UNIT GOALS
A Course
This unit should enable students to:

T Course
This unit should enable students to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the legal

concepts, principles, and use of legal
terminology and cultural awareness

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of

the legal concepts, principles, appropriate use of
legal terminology and cultural awareness

Effectively analyse information to develop a

balanced, logical and empathic argument

Critically analyse information to develop a

balanced, logical and empathic argument

Define, locate, select and organise relevant

information for the argument

Define, locate, select and organise relevant

information for the argument

Communicate accurately, and clearly, with

appropriate referencing, and with a sense of
audience

Communicate clearly, concisely, with technical

accuracy, appropriate referencing, and with a
sense of audience

Effectively analyse the criminal law principle,

and processes within the criminal justice system

Critically analyse the criminal law principles, and

processes within the criminal justice system

CONTENT
CRIME:
The following provides an overview of the content that can be studied at different depths as
required. Relevant case studies, issues and laws will be used and referred to throughout.
Concepts of crime

Factors associated with criminal activity

Laws and morals
Cultural influences
Distinction between criminal and civil liability
Types of crime e.g. crimes against person/ property/State
Issues/case law based
Concept of crime moral, cultural influences

Principles of Criminal Law

Presumption of innocence
Burden of proof
Standard of proof

 Right to silence

Elements of a Crime

Harm
Actus reus
Mens rea
Offence studies e.g. assault, murder, manslaughter, theft, drug offences,
dangerous driving, etc.

Sources of law and jurisdictional issues:

Review of court hierarchy

Statute law
Common law (codes, statutes)
State based law
Multi-jurisdictional crimes
Overlap of commonwealth and state/territory jurisdictions
Different approaches to criminal law in different jurisdictions

The State judicial, executive (penal and police) and legislative

Prosecution - DPP
Victim and victim rights
Perpetrator/defendant and rights
o Accessories/Accomplices
o Society

Players in the criminal justice system

Defences

Complete e.g. self-defence, insanity, necessity, provocation

Partial e.g. provocation, diminished responsibility

JUSTICE

The following provides an overview of the content that can be studied at different depths as
required. Relevant case studies, issues and laws will be used and referred to throughout.
Criminal Procedures:

Pre-Trial
o Police powers
o Bail and remand
The trial
o Types of hearings
o Procedure and evidence
o The jury
o Sentencing procedures

Justice and criminology

Types of sentences
Purposes of criminal justice system
Media influence and impact
Social impact
Indigenous issues
Recidivism
Prisoners rights and issues
Players in the Criminal Justice Systems
o Role of the state
o Victim rights
Defendant rights
o Legal aid issues

ASSESSMENT ITEMS*
Item
Research Essay
Oral Presentation
Test
TOTAL

Weighting
35%
25%
40%
100 %

Due
Wednesday Week 7
Weeks 11-14
Test Week

*For the full 1.0 unit

Assessment Criteria (from the course document):

Students will be assessed on the degree to which they demonstrate:
Knowledge and application of legal/political principles
Critical analysis
Research and information skills
Communication oral or written

Assessment Policy
There are a number of ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies (BSSS) requirements that
students must meet to be assessed in a unit and be awarded scores and/or grades. These
requirements also ensure consistent procedures across the college and the system. Notably
these include minimum attendance and completion of assessment task requirements. There
are also detailed penalties for late or plagiarised work. Assessments are subjected to rigorous
moderation procedures within the college to ensure comparability of marking and, at the end
of Year 12, college marks are scaled to allow comparability across the ACT system. Grades
are allocated on the basis of student performance against set criteria that are available in
course framework documents. Students are encouraged to consider carefully the marks and
feedback given on assessments and, if there are issues with marking, the college has open
and transparent appeals procedures.
Further details of these assessment policies and procedures are located on the colleges
website under the Students tab http://www.narrabundahc.act.edu.au.

Parent and Carer Involvement

At home involvement
Parents and carers of students are encouraged to take an active role in their childs learning
by continuing the debates and discussions that are started in the classroom at home. We
have found that Legal Studies, and particularly the Crime and Justice unit, gets students
thinking about bigger picture societal and cross-curriculum questions including, but not
limited to: 1) how should we treat convicted criminals; 2) is it better for society in the long run
to punish or try to rehabilitate criminals; 3) are there some people who cannot be
rehabilitated; 4) is it always wrong to break the law; 5) what purpose does the law serve in
maintaining an orderly society, and; 6) does the law advantage some groups of people more
than others?
When students inevitably raise questions/issues like these at home, they usually doing so
because they respect your opinion and are in that critical stage of their civic development
where they are starting to form their own opinions. As such, please take the time, if you can,
to have an in depth and mature discussion with them about your experiences with the law
and legal/political systems. This will benefit their learning hugely.
Involvement at school
We anticipate that this year we will again be able to run an excursion towards the end of the
unit on Crime and Justice to the ACT Magistrates and Supreme Court. Parents and Carers are
encouraged to attend this excursion and to take the time to become involved as an observer
of our follow-up classroom activity where we run a mock court in class.

SESSION 2 2015
WEEK

TOPICS COVERED

Week 1
(28 April-2 May)

Introduction, Definitions and causes of crime

Week 2
(5-9 May)

Types of crimecase studies in crime

Week 3
(12-16 May)
Week 4
(19-23 May)
Week 5
(26 May-30 May)

Assessment Items
NOTES
Parent-teacher
night Thursday

Principles of criminal law

Elements of a crime

Defences to a crime

Week 6
(2-6 June)

Sources of law and jurisdictional issues

Week 7
(9-13 June)

Players in the criminal justice system

Week 8
(16-20 June)

Case studies in crime

Week 9
(23-27 June)

Case studies in crime

Week 10
(30 June-4 July)

Criminal procedures and justice

Queens Birthday
Monday 9 June

H O L I D A Y S 7 18 JULY
Week 11
(21-25 July)

The jury

Week 12
(28 July-1 Aug)

Punishment and rehabilitation

Week 13
(4-8 Aug)
Week 14
(11-15 Aug)
Week 15
(18-22 Aug)
Week 16
(25-29 Aug)
Week 17
(2-6 Sept)
Week 18
(8-12 Sept)

Excursion week
Sentencing reform

Moderation Day 2
14 August

Justice and criminology

Issues and case studies in the criminal legal system

ASAT 2-3 Sept

Assessment Week (8 Sep-11 Sep) -Student Free
Vocational Placement & Work Exp

12 September
Feedback Day