Criminal Law and Process
36 hours face to face + blended + swinburne online
One Semester or equivalent
Hawthorn, Online
Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
Overview
The aim of this unit is to enable students, through the study of cases, statutes and other material, to understand Victorian criminal law and procedure. The unit introduces students to the key principles of criminal law, including the content of criminal offences and defences to these offences. The unit explores the procedure relating to the criminal justice system including commencement of criminal proceedings, search, seizure, forensic procedures, police questioning, bail and the machinery of the prosecution, trial and sentencing.
Requisites
Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Identify the elements of a crime and any applicable defences
- Locate, interpret, evaluate and apply Victorian legislation relevant to criminal law and procedure
- Apply common law and statutory provisions to factual situations to effectively advise clients of their criminal liability
- Conduct research relating to criminal law and procedure and use the results of that research
- Work efficiently and effectively with other people to develop coherent solutions to problems
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Online Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Unspecified Activities Various | 9.50 | 12 weeks | 114 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Swinburne Online
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 12.50 | 12 weeks | 150 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1 | Individual | 40 - 50% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Assignment 2 | Group | 40 - 50% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Online Quiz | Individual | 10 - 20% | 1,2,3 |
Content
- Definition of crime and the aims of the criminal law
- Elements of crime
- Sources of criminal liability
- Homicide and defences
- Non-fatal offences against the personÂ
- Property offences
- Inchoate offences
- Participatory liability
- Defences
- Commencement of criminal proceedings
- Search, seizure, forensic procedures, police questioning
- Bail
- The machinery of prosecution
- Trial
- Sentencing
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.