LAWS6985 – Indigenous Peoples & Criminal Justice

Objectives

Focus on how the criminal law and its institutions are inextricably connected to the process of colonisation.
Review the place of contemporary criminal justice in NSW and other States against the background of colonisation and introduced law.
Compare other settler states including the US and Canada and New Zealand.
Examine 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).
Analyse reasons for the over-representation of indigenous Australians in all stages of the criminal justice process.

Content

Juvenile justice; policing and police discretion; alternative court process such as the circle sentencing; issues around Aboriginal customary law and the extent to which it is, or should be taken into consideration.

Session

Semester 2 Intensive
14-17 August 2013

The timetable is subject to frequent changes. Please refer to the latest version of the Postgraduate Timetable.

Assessment

Class Participation/Presentation (20%)
1 x 7,000 Word Essay (80%)

Legal Professional Development (LPD)

You can credit this unit towards Legal Professional Development (LPD). Units of study that are part of Sydney Law School’s Postgraduate Program meet the necessary Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) of the Law Society of New South Wales and the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements of the New South Wales Bar Association. You may complete this unit of study by enrolling on a non-degree basis or on an audit basis only with no assessment via Single Unit Enrolment.

Courses this unit is available in

The University of Sydney - Sydney Law School