Indigenous Peoples and Criminal Justice
LAWS6985
This unit will focus on how the criminal law and its institutions are inextricably connected to the process of colonisation. The place of contemporary criminal justice in NSW and other States will be reviewed against the background of colonisation and introduced law. There will also be some comparison with other settler states including the US and Canada and New Zealand. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of understanding history in order to provide a context for viewing the current relationship between indigenous Australians and non-indigenous Australians involved in the criminal justice process (including police, lawyers and the judiciary). Students will analyse reasons for the over-representation of indigenous Australians in all stages of the criminal justice process. Specific areas for consideration include juvenile justice, policing and police discretion, alternative court process such as the circle sentencing, and issues around Aboriginal customary law and the extent to which it is, or should be taken into consideration.
Unit of study details
Unit of study level: Postgraduate
Credit points: 6
Commencing semesters: 109, 108
Further unit of study information
Unit of study handbook: LAWS6985
Costs and scholarships information: Costs and Scholarships
Final dates to withdraw from units of study: Census Dates
Available for study abroad and exchange: No