LAW2160 : Criminal Law (Inactive)
- Inactive for Year: 2024/25
- Module Leader(s): Ms Samantha Ryan
- Owning School: Newcastle Law School
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The aims of the course are as follows:
1. To introduce students to the substantive criminal law of England & Wales through the study of basic principles/elements of criminal liability, key offences and some defences;
2. To enable students to consider the above in a critical and evaluative way by drawing upon wider academic commentary and law reform proposals
3. To enable students to apply this knowledge in a clear, logical and critical manner to factual scenarios and to write about criminal law issues in an informed, clear and critical manner
4. To provide a sufficient knowledge and understanding of key elements of criminal law so that students will be able to engage with new or unfamiliar criminal offences in the future
Outline Of Syllabus
Introduction: Basic Elements
- Crime and Criminalisation
- Actus Reus: definition; omissions; causation;
- Mens Rea: definition of terms (intention, recklessness, negligence)
The Substantive Part: (Focus on Topics may change slightly from year to year)
Homicide: murder; voluntary manslaughter; involuntary manslaughter
Non Fatal Offences against the Person - assault and battery; malicious wounding/GBH; wounding/GBH with intent, and consent
Sexual Offences - Rape.
Property Offences – Theft
General Defences: One or two of the following:
Self Defence
Insanity
Automatism
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 22 | 1:00 | 22:00 | In person lectures; Flex - can switch to synchronous online or asynchronous delivery |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 60:00 | 60:00 | preparation for written assessment and exam |
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Combination of short recordings of lecture material and text published on Canvas to support module |
| Structured Guided Learning | Academic skills activities | 4 | 0:15 | 1:00 | MCQs designed to help students assess their substantive knowledge and understanding |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 5 | 1:00 | 5:00 | In person Flex - can be switched to online seminars if needed |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 107:00 | 107:00 | Combination of own reading and revision of substantive module content, and with directed reading |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Scheduled on-line contact time | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | whole cohort Q&A drop in sessions for questions on assessment |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures: There will be 22 one-hour lectures delivered in person. FLEX - can be delivered synchronously online or replaced with asynchronous learning materials. The lectures will deliver the substantive content of the module.
Small group teaching: There will be 5 one-hour small group classes. The seminars will provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge to problem based and essay based questions and obtain feedback on their approach. The seminars also provide students with the opportunity to learn from each other and to clarify any issues. The seminars help deliver the skills outcomes outlined above and help students prepare for both the coursework and exam components of the module.
Drop-in/surgery time: 2 x One hour sessions delivered to whole cohort online. One in advance of written assessment submission and one towards end of module with a focus on exam queries
Structured Guided Learning: combination or pre-recorded material and text to supplement lectures and MCQs to test knowledge and understanding of substantive content
Independent Study: There are 107 hours allocated to independent guided study and 60 hours to coursework preparation and writing and exam revision and preparation. Students are supported with reading lists and hot topics on the substantive topics studied but also have freedom to pursue their own further reading on specific topics.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 1440 | 1 | A | 75 | 24 hour take home exam – 2 questions from choice of 4. 1500 words per question. |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written exercise | 1 | M | 25 | Maximum 1500 |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The written exercise provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their written, research and analytical skills and to demonstrate intended learning knowledge and skills outcomes. It also helps prepare students for the end of year exam which will contain 2 essay questions.
An examination enables students to demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills. This medium is particularly suitable for giving students the opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving skills across the wider curriculum content; and/or to write in an informed, evaluative, concise and precise manner on a specific topic.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- LAW2160's Timetable