Master’s Degrees and Diplomas

LAWS6034 - Criminal Liability

Objectives

Examine the ways in which criminal liability is established, and the central factors governing liability.
Analyse the general principles of criminal law, constituent elements of particular offences and the definition of a range of defences from historical, theoretical and practical context perspectives, with a special focus on male violence.
Gain an appreciation of the tensions and perceived prejudices inherent in the criminal law and the criminal justice system.

Content

Phenomenon of criminal law; violence; capacity; proof; attempts and accessorial liability; offences: sexual and non-sexual assault, murder and manslaughter; defences: provocation and selfdefence, 'insanity' and substantial impairment, automatism, infanticide, intoxication, necessity and duress.

Session

Semester 2 2013
Wednesday Evenings, 6-8pm

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

Assessment

1 x 3,000 Word Essay (50%)
1 x Open Book Exam (50%)

Prohibition

This unit is an introduction to aspects of criminal law for non-lawyers and is therefore not available to candidates who have completed a law degree or completed criminal law at a tertiary level.

Please note: this unit is compulsory for Master of Criminology (MCrim) candidates.

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.