Early Feedback Task (0%): As part of our commitment to student success, this unit includes a required Early Feedback Task. This task is designed to provide students with timely insights into their understanding and engagement with the unit content. It serves as a diagnostic tool to identify areas of strength and areas needing improvement, ensuring that each student is on track for successful completion of the unit.

The Early Feedback Task in this unit is a multiple-choice quiz of ten [10] questions tailored to reflect key concepts from seminars 1 – 6 (that is, materials covered up to and including week 3 of the term). You will have multiple attempts complete the task. The task will be available on Canvas from 12 August to 18 August 2024 (Sydney Australia time). Students will be provided with immediate, automated feedback, upon completion of the task.

Structured Class participation (10%) Active participation throughout the semester is an essential component for completing LAWS1016/LAWS5004 successfully. Students will be allocated a seminar group they are required to remain in for the duration of the semester. Students will need to demonstrate they are prepared for seminars by completing the required readings, making quality contributions to discussions, and engaging with their peers. Students will be scheduled as on-call for up to two [2] seminars requiring them to arrive in class having

• Completed the required readings for the week/topic(s)
• Prepared potential responses to questions about the readings/topic(s)
• Prepared potential questions that seek to clarify elements of the readings/topic(s).

Students will be asked to reflect on and self-assess their participation and contributions to seminars over the semester and provide a justification for their mark. Reflections/Self-assessments must be submitted via Canvas no later than 3rd November 2024, by 11:59pm (Sydney, Australia time). Instructions and more information on the participation component of the unit will be discussed in class and will be available on the unit Canvas site (see also below).  

Interim Assignment (40%) Students are required to submit a 2000-word (excluding references) response to a research and problem question. The question will be released by Friday 9 August 2024 Sydney, Australia time.
The due date for submissions is 6 September 2024 at 11.59 pm Sydney, Australia time.
 

Final Exam (50%)  Students will be required to complete an examination during the examination period (11-23 November 2024 Sydney, Australia time). The duration of the examination will be 2 hours plus 30 minutes reading time. Total duration is 2.5 hours.
All material addressed in the course will be examinable. It will be an open book exam (hard copy/printed materials only, no electronic devices). The exam timetable will be released by the Exams Office in due course. For further information, please refer to the Exam Timetable: https://www.sydney.edu.au/students/exams/timetables.html

Additional Information

Teaching and Learning Strategy in Criminal Law

Criminal Law is taught in small groups. This provides the opportunity for class discussion and engagement. This is a core component of the learning strategy. You will be expected to do the required readings before class, and to generate your own notes. This means that you will need to prepare before class and to participate in class discussions.

The Reading Guide includes questions and problems that are relevant to the various topics that we consider. You are encouraged to draft written answers to these questions and problems as part of your own preparation both for class and the final exam. Each week, one question has been starred. depending on your lecturer’s approach, this question might provide a basis for class discussion.

Criteria for Assessment of Class Participation

The criteria are very similar to those that are applied when assessing students’ written work. We will reward lucid, thoughtful contributions, which demonstrate an understanding of the compulsory reading material for the unit of study.

Students will be assessed on the quality rather than the quantity of their contributions. Nevertheless, it is difficult to award high marks to students who are absent or who regularly fail to participate in seminar discussions.

The following provides some indication of the type of performance in class that is associated with particular marks out of ten for class participation.

0 – 2       Unacceptable level of absence from seminars. Participation virtually non-existent. Little, if any, preparation. Obvious lack of commitment to the Unit. 

2.5 – 5    Irregular attendance without explanation. Inconsistent preparation. Evidence of a poor understanding of the material covered in the seminars.

5.5 – 7    Regular attendance, with reasonable level of preparation. Participates in seminar discussions, but sometimes exhibits some lack of comprehension of the topic. Adequate participation in seminar exercises.

7.5 – 8    Regular attendance and preparation. Demonstrates a reasonable comprehension of topics under consideration.

8.5 –10   Regular attendance. High quality participation based upon thorough preparation. Demonstrates an excellent comprehension of topics under consideration. Evidence of a critical and/or original approach to such topics.

Special consideration: Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, as appropriate. 

Word limit penalty: A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 10% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words, or part thereof. The total word count for essay and other written assessments will exclude all footnotes and any bibliography (if required).  

Use of editors or proof-readers: In completing unsupervised assessments, students may use editors, proof-readers, and automated writing tools (including translation software, grammar checkers, reference generators and artificial intelligence), provided that all use is acknowledged and consistent with University policies and procedures including Academic Integrity Policy. Acknowledgment must be made in writing on the front of the work submitted for assessment, or in an appropriate footnote or other reference, and state the name of the person or software.  

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study: A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.