Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Law School
Criminal Law in context involves the study of the general principles of criminal responsibility and procedure and examines how specific offences are made, defined, prosecuted and defended. The course examines how the operation of different institutions and actors (public and private police, prosecution, courts, defendants, juries, corrections) shape the boundaries of the criminal law, focusing on the role of discretion and public interest/policy considerations.
Criminal Law in Contextﾠbegins with an overview of key principles of criminal law, focusing specifically on the concept of criminal responsibility and exploring how this manifests in the construction of criminal offences and defences. We then turn to an examination of specific crimes, such as offences against the person, property offences, drug offences, and public order offences. At each point, we examine the criminal law by applying key principles to specific cases, and critically analysingﾠthe tensions and limits of the criminal law in context. As we explore the material, we also pay attention to issues of law reform in order to critically assess how the criminal law might best respond to emerging crime problems challenging our modern world.ﾠ
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
LAWS1110 or (LAWS1100 + CRIM1019)
Restrictions
Restricted to students enrolled in the BCCJ, BCCJ(Hons), BA and BA duals except the BA/LLB.
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
Criminal Law in Contextﾠaims to equip students with requisite skills and knowledge to understand how criminal law is constructed and applied,ﾠand to critically examine its operation in context.ﾠ
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Identify and describe key principles underpinning the criminal law, particularly the concept of criminal responsibility.
LO2.
Understand how the criminal law operates in relation to specific offences, defences, and contexts.
LO3.
Analyse and critically evaluate the criminal law within specific situations, contexts, and crime types.
LO4.
Apply effective legal research skills, such as analysis of case law, legislation, and secondary sources, to understand the application of the law and to support arguments re: law reform.
LO5.
Demonstrate and apply skills required to communicate effectively within a legal and policy context.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notebook/ Logbook |
Learning Log
|
20% |
24/03/2025 2:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Law Reform Submission
|
45% |
28/04/2025 2:00 pm |
| Tutorial/ Problem Set |
Problem-based Assessment
|
35% |
26/05/2025 2:00 pm |
Assessment details
Learning Log
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Notebook/ Logbook
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
24/03/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
At the beginning of week 5 (i.e. by 2pm on Monday 24 March 2025), you must submit a learning log to demonstrate your engagement with and understanding of content covered in weeks 1-4 of the course. Your log will consist of your responses to weekly discussion questions, which will be available in the relevant course content folder each week. You will be required to engage with course materials and reflect on class discussions, as well as conduct some additional research and reading on the topic in order to answer the questions. A detailed task sheet and marking criteria will be available in the Assessment folder on the course Blackboard site in Week 1.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct Policy.
Submission guidelines
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Law Reform Submission
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
28/04/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
Students will be provided with a choice of topic questions on an area of law reform and are required to choose ONE of these topics for their law reform submission. The specific topic questions will be made available on Blackboard in Week 1.
Students will be provided with some materials/recommended readings with respect to each topic question, but are also expected to conduct additional self-directed research in order to find and evaluate relevant legislation, case law, and secondary materials. A detailed task information sheet will be made available on the Blackboard site in Week 1.
Students should stay within a 10% range over or under the set word count (of 2500 words, excluding footnotes). Your word count should be included on the front page of your assessment. Direct quotes are included in the maximum word length.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct Policy.
Submission guidelines
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Problem-based Assessment
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
26/05/2025 2:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05
Task description
You are required to answer questions relating to two different problem-based scenarios, based on materials covered in weeks 8-12 inclusive. You will be required to engage with course materials as well as conduct some additional research and reading on the topic in order to complete the assessment, and seminars in the relevant weeks will include practice scenarios for you to hone your skills in preparation for this task. A detailed task sheet and marking criteria will be posted by the end of week 7 in the Assessment folder on the course Blackboard site.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct Policy.
Submission guidelines
Assignments must be submitted electronically via the submission link on the course Blackboard site.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 7 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extension to Assessment Due Date
Where an extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered is available, any extension is limited to one week (7 days). In exceptional circumstances, extensions may be granted for more than one week, but in no case will an extension exceed four weeks (28 days) in total. Where a student is incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, they should apply for removal of course.
A student may apply for an extension to assessment due date if they are unable to meet an assessment deadline due to extenuating circumstances. Please refer to the Applying for an extension page on my.UQ for further details on acceptable reasons for an extension and for instructions on how to apply. Additional information on extensions can be found within the Assessment Procedure .
Spoken or written notification of difficulties with assessment deadlines to a course coordinator or the School does not constitute an authorised extension.
Applications to be submitted before the due date: Applications for extension (whether they be medical or exceptional circumstances) shall be made by the due date and time for the assessment. Requests for extensions received after the assessment item submission due date and time, must include evidence of the reason for the late request, and will require the decision maker listed in the Student Grievance Resolution Procedure to accept the request for consideration.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Penalties for Late Submission
The following penalties apply to late submission of an assessment item, assuming that an extension has not been approved, and that late submission is academically possible (e.g., it does not delay feedback to a cohort, or interfere with course delivery).
First 7 periods of 24 hours (or part thereof) - 10% per 24 hours of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item. For example, a report worth a maximum of 40 marks, submitted 28 hours late will attract a penalty of 8 marks, calculated as 2 periods of 24 hours x 10% x 40 marks.
More than 7 periods of 24 hours - 100%.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 47 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 48 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Seminar |
Seminars The seminar topics are:
Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: