Criminal Justice presentation (20%) - in this assessment task, students will deliver a 10 minute in-person presentation on a topic chosen from a list available on the unit Canvas site. The presentation schedule and topics will be released on 5 April 2024 at 09.00AM (Sydney, Australia time). Students will present on the working of a specific legal system with a focus on policing, bail, prosecution, prisons, juvenile justice or sentencing. You will be required to identify and analyse key concepts and issues and provide a coherent argument, supported by relevant evidence and references. Students will be assessed on their ability to identify relevant key issues, structure and organisation of the presentation, presentation skills and the use of visual aids/slides. Information about the marking criteria will be discussed in class/made available via Canvas. The due date is on 20 April 2024 at 17:00 pm (Sydney, Australia Time).

Group Comparative Report (20%) – in randomly assigned groups, students will create a 2000-word report, comparing and contrasting two criminal justice systems based on those presented in class (see previous task). The Release date is on 5 April 2024 at 09.00AM (Sydney, Australia Time). Students will be assessed on their ability to analyse and describe the justice systems being discussed, compare them with a focus on similarities and differences, critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each and identify law reform potential withing each system. Groups will need to write a report employing a coherent structure.  Information about the marking criteria will be discussed in class/made available via Canvas. The Group Comparative report must be submitted via Canvas by 13 May 2024 at 12.00PM (Sydney Australia time).  

Research Essay (60%) - Students will create a 5000-word research essay based on the in-person presentation compared to another criminal justice system of their choice. The research essay will ask students to research the selected topic at an in-depth level using critically selected primary and secondary sources as appropriate, employing relevant comparative legal research methodologies. Students will be assessed on their ability to demonstrate their understanding of the topic area, their analysis, application of the content discussed in the unit, the structure of their argument(s) and the presentation of their argument(s) and the presentation of their research consistent with the conventions of legal writing and the AGLC 4th ed. Information about the marking criteria will be discussed in class/made available via Canvas. 

• The Release date is on 5 April 2024 at 12.00 PM (Sydney, Australia)

• Students must consult the unit coordinator by 2 May 2024 to confirm their comparative research question and the systems compared therein.
• The research essay must be submitted via Canvas by 26 May 2024 at 12.00PM (Sydney Australia time). 

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 except discursive footnotes will be included.  

Use of editors and automated writing tools: 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.  

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

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.