LS4035: CRIMINAL LAW (2021-2022)

Last modified: 31 May 2022 13:05

Course Overview

The course builds upon the basic understanding of criminal law acquired in LS1020 although it is very important to understand that the topics are approached from a much more theoretical perspective. The course examines in detail selected principles of criminal liability, including the role and limits of the criminal law, the defence of mental disorder, murder, rape, provocation and the limits of excusability. Comparative material from a variety of jurisdictions is included.

Course Details

Study Type	Undergraduate	Level	4
Term	First Term	Credit Points	25 credits (12.5 ECTS credits)
Campus	Aberdeen	Sustained Study	No
Co-ordinators	Dr Elizabeth Shaw

Qualification Prerequisites

One of Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4 or Programme Level 5

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

LS1020 Criminal Law (Passed)
Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
Law (LS) (Studied)
One of Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4 or Programme Level 5

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

LX4035 Criminal Law (Studied)

Are there a limited number of places available?

Course Description

The aims of this course are as follows:

to introduce candidates to issues of importance and current interest in the modern criminal law.
to analyse those issues in terms of Scots law and also in terms of selected foreign systems of law.
to encourage personal research into a particular issue of current concern.
to encourage critical discussion of aspects of the present criminal law of Scotland.

The intended learning outcomes of the course are as follows:

a) Knowledge

awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of Scots criminal law.
awareness of the literature (both primary and secondary) relative to criminal law studies.
understanding in depth of the particular issues studied.
understanding of the variety of available solutions to problem areas within the criminal law.

b) Skills

ability to conduct further personal research with a fair degree of confidence (developed through research for essays, presentations and seminars).
ability to communicate in writing the results of personal research on issues of criminal law (developed through essay writing).
ability to communicate orally about the topics studied (developed through seminar discussions and presentations)
ability to listen carefully to and comment relevantly upon the work of others (developed through class discussions and discussion boards.
teamwork and cooperation (developed through group presentations and class discussions)

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers

Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

MCQ Test (15%)

2000 words essay (40%)

2000 words essay (45%)

Resit: each failed element should be retaken

Alternative Resit Arrangements

Resit failed element in same format

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Course Learning Outcomes

Knowledge Level	Thinking Skill	Outcome
Factual	Remember	ILO’s for this course are available in the course guide.