ATS2469 - Victims, justice and the law - 2018

The unit considers the concepts of justice, victims and the law as they exist within and beyond the legal system. The unit engages with historical and contemporary perspectives and constructions of these intersecting concepts to explore understandings of crime and criminality, and examine the potentials and limitations of the legal system in practice. Bringing together interdisciplinary approaches from law, criminology and socio-legal studies, this unit considers the relationships between law, justice and victims through the study of: criminal and civil law, restorative justice, therapeutic jurisprudence, public policy, the media, criminal justice procedures, human rights and social change.

Upon completion of the unit students will be able to demonstrate the ability to:

1. identify how concepts of victims, justice and the law are constructed in historical and contemporary contexts;
2. demonstrate research skills using University library and databases to access contemporary scholarship and data to inform written and in class discussions;
3. demonstrate depth of knowledge and comprehension of key criminological perspectives and concepts involving victims, justice and the law;
4. communicate well-structured, evidenced and organised responses to contemporary debates involving victims, justice and the law; and
5. identify and synthesise understandings of justice, victims and the law, including an analysis of their theoretical versus practical application and impacts.

Within semester assessment: 60%

Exam: 40%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Criminology