CRIMINAL LAW I - 2020/1
Module code: LAW1029
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, and in a departure from previous academic years and previously published information, the University has had to change the delivery (and in some cases the content) of its programmes, together with certain University services and facilities for the academic year 2020/21.
These changes include the implementation of a hybrid teaching approach during 2020/21. Detailed information on all changes is available at: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/coronavirus/course-changes. This webpage sets out information relating to general University changes, and will also direct you to consider additional specific information relating to your chosen programme.
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Module Overview
This module is intended to introduce students to the study of English Criminal Law as an academic discipline, to identify the general principles of the common law and of statutory interpretation that will prepare them for the study of particular criminal offences, and to familiarise students with the elements of several English homicide offences.
Integration with core legal skills and critical method training
The module also shares ten one hours ‘Justice, legal systems and method’ lectures with the other Level 4 Semester One law modules on the LLB programmes. These cover an introduction to the following areas:
Legal method: Introduction to the study of law; Use of sources: Authority and precedent; Interpretation; Research skills; Legal writing; Academic sources and critical analysis.
History of the English legal system; Comparative overview of legal systems; Introduction to common law and common law method; Introduction to critical legal method and theories of justice
These teaching sessions will be fully integrated into the study tasks and activities in the substantive study of this module during this Semester, and inform the learning outcome below. These sessions are delivered in collaboration with the Library and learning resources team to demonstrate the practical elements of legal skills and research.
Module provider
School of Law
Module Leader
WANG Bo (Schl of Law)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 4
JACs code: M211
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Module Availability
Semester 1
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
N/A
Module content
Indicative content includes:
- Normative principles of criminal law and justice
- Sources of English criminal law (both common law and statutory)
- Determining the procedural history of a criminal case
- Understanding criminal law case reports
- The distinction between general principles and specific criminal offences
- The difference between questions of fact and questions of law
- Stare decisis in the criminal law
- Principles of statutory interpretation in the context of criminal law
- Criminal conduct, acts and omissions
- Legal and factual causation
- Involuntary conduct (automatism), and intoxication
- The mental element in crime, including doctrines of direct and oblique intention and recklessness.
- The coincidence of the ‘mens rea’ and the ‘actus reus’ of a crime
- Failure of proof defences such as intoxication and automatism
- The common law defence of insanity
- Principal offenders and accessorial liability
- Inchoate liability
Assessment pattern
Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
---|---|---|
School-timetabled exam/test | MCQ | 20 |
Examination | 2 HOUR EXAM | 80 |
Alternative Assessment
N/A
Assessment Strategy
The assessment addresses all learning outcomes listed above.
The assessment method for each module has been selected to test a variety of key skills, competences and outcomes as required by QAA. As such, assessment method cannot be changed. Reasonable adjustment may be made on application subject to ALS approval AND only where such adjustment still allows for the required skills, key competences and outcomes to be assessed at an equivalent level.
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate a good level of:
- Identification of Issues
students should demonstrate the ability to identify the legal issues raised by the questions
- Clear statements of relevant legal standards
students should demonstrate the ability to clearly and accurately communicate relevant legal standards
- Synthesis and application
Students should be able to synthesise and apply relevant legal doctrines to specific facts, noting any gaps and inconsistencies in the law, and reach plausible conclusions about the liability of various parties.
- Statutory Interpretation
Students should demonstrate a working knowledge of judicial canons and practices regarding the interpretation of criminal statutes.
- Comprehension of Case Reports
Students should demonstrate the ability to read and understand criminal law case reports, analyse judicial reasoning, and trace the evolution of the common law over time
The summative assessment for this module consists of:
- A 2-hour, comprehensive exam, which counts for 80% of the module mark
- A multiple choice question (MCQ) assessment, which counts for 20% of the module mark
Formative assessment and feedback
- A 60-minute exam followed by in-class and written feedback
Module aims
- To analyse the general principles of English criminal law.
- To study the general principles for identifying conduct which the criminal law forbids, distinguishing crimes where causation must be proved and those crimes where the defendant's responsibility for particular circumstances will constitute punishable conduct.
- To study the mental element in crime, including intention, recklessness, gross negligence (in manslaughter), and knowledge of circumstance elements.
- To critically consider failure of proof defences, common law insanity, and partial defences to murder.
- To understand and evaluate the rules governing complicity and inchoate offences
- To critically evaluate legal judgments in criminal cases using tools for critical evaluation
Learning outcomes
Attributes Developed | ||
---|---|---|
003 | Comprehend and critically engage with the sources of criminal law, particularly common law case reports and Acts of Parliament | KCPT |
004 | Critically analyse the competing normative principles, policy concerns, and values which inform criminal law and its development | KCPT |
005 | Analyse major tendencies within scholarly discussions of criminal law and reform proposals | KCPT |
001 | Explain, analyse and demonstrate understanding of the general principles, concepts and history of criminal law and criminal responsibility | KC |
002 | Analyse and demonstrate a critical understanding of the evolving law of murder, various mens rea doctrines, defences, complicity, and inchoate liability | KCT |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Overall student workload
Workshop Hours: 12
Independent Study Hours: 116
Lecture Hours: 22
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy follows an enquiry-based learning approach.
Lectures will introduce the topics, give a general overview of the principles of each topic, give guidance on how to analyse the law and research those topics, and model the critical evaluation of criminal law judgments.
In order to learn in greater depth and breadth, such as to satisfy the learning outcomes, students will answer questions of some complexity in the 2-hour workshops, either engaging in liability analysis or performing a critical evaluation of a legal judgment. Typically the workshop groups will each contain 28 students, who will work in small groups to research the law and present answers, demonstrating self-direction and originality, of both approach and resolution. Students should be prepared to field questions during their presentations, either from their tutor or from fellow students, and to follow up the presentations with group discussion and feedback. Presentations may be required in any form, including advocacy for a specific party in a problem question or argument for or against a specific proposition.
For efficiency and ease of understanding, teaching of critical legal skills may be blended with the substantive subject-specific lectures.
The learning and teaching methods would typically comprise:
- 11 x 2-hour substantive subject-specific lectures
- 2 hours of lectures on critical legal skills (see “Module Overview” section above for further detail)
- 0.5 hour training in legal research skills, delivered by the Library and learning resources team (see “Module Overview” section above for further detail)
- 6 x 2-hour workshops, as described above
Note: as this module is assessed by examination, the formative assessment will also be by examination, which may be held in place of one of the substantive subject-specific lectures.
Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.
Reading list
https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: LAW1029
Programmes this module appears in
Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
---|---|---|---|
Law with Criminology LLB (Hons) | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
Law LLB (Hons) | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
Law with International Relations LLB (Hons) | 1 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.