Skip to main content
Unit of study_

CRIM3601: Medico-Legal and Forensic Criminology

2025 unit information

This unit of study examines the relationship between crime, law, medicine and science. It focuses on criminal detection practices, death investigation systems, the coroner's office, autopsies and socio-legal management of the dead body, human tissue and organ controversies, and the role of medicine, science and psychology in criminal justice.

Unit details and rules

Managing faculty or University school:

Arts and Social Sciences

Study level Undergraduate
Academic unit Sociology and Criminology
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
? 
12 credit points at 2000 level in Criminology or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Socio-legal Studies
Corequisites:
? 
None
Prohibitions:
? 
SLSS2603
Assumed knowledge:
? 
None

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. appraise the historical and contemporary relationship between law, crime, medicine and science via case studies
  • LO2. engage with contemporary debates about the use of medicine and science in criminal justice contexts
  • LO3. research a specific medico-legal and forensic criminological issue from the perspective of the humanities and social sciences, identify and develop an analysis and write it up as an effective and persuasive essay
  • LO4. demonstrate an ability to interpret medico-legal and forensic issues using theoretical approaches within socio-legal studies and criminology
  • LO5. understand differing cultural perspectives and ethics on medico-legal and forensic issues and death.

Unit availability

This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.

The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.

Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2024
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2025
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Outline unavailable
Session MoA ?  Location Outline ? 
Semester 1 2020
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2021
Normal day Remote
Semester 1 2022
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2022
Normal day Remote
Semester 1 2023
Normal day Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney
Semester 1 2023
Normal day Remote
Outline unavailable

Find your current year census dates

Modes of attendance (MoA)

This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.