LAW7294

Criminal Justice, Legal Culture and Globalisation ( 6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: Professor David Nelken

Offered:
Not offered in 2005.

Synopsis: This unit aims to provide an introduction to the differences in the role and rule of law and other significant contrasts in legal culture, crime and regulation between countries belonging to the English language common law tradition of criminal justice and those belonging to the Continental civil law traditions of Europe and Japan. Special attention will be given to differences in the structure and role of the institutions of criminal justice; the control of police and prosecution discretion; the relationship between law and politics; and the importance given to different types of crime protection.

Objectives: (1) Provide students with an introduction to the differences in the role and rule of law and other significant contrasts in legal culture, crime and regulation between countries belonging to the English language common law tradition of criminal justice and those belonging to the Continental civil law traditions of Europe and Japan. (2) Help students to grasp what is involved in doing and reading interdisciplinary and comparative socio-legal research. (3) Give students the opportunity to develop their conceptual skills in examining concepts such as 'legal culture' and 'globalisation'. (4) Give students the basis for further research on major criminal problems such as transnational organised crime, political corruption and juvenile delinquency and the different ways of handling them.

Assessment: Class participation - 10% Research paper - (6500 words) 90%