LW104-6-FY-CO:
Criminal Law
2020/21
Essex Law School
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Thursday 08 October 2020
Friday 02 July 2021
30
19 June 2020
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
LLB MN00 Law with Business,
LLB MN01 Law with Business (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MN02 Law with Business (Including Placement Year),
LLB MN10 Law with Finance,
LLB MN11 Law with Finance (Including Year Abroad),
LLB MN12 Law with Finance (Including Placement Year)
This 30 credit module, which is taught across the academic year, introduces students to the substantive criminal law of England and Wales. This will involve a study of the law governing criminal liability.
To introduce and develop understanding of Criminal Law
By the end of the module students at level 6 should be able to demonstrate the following:
Knowledge and understanding of the legal elements of criminal liability and the major criminal offences and defences
An understanding of the criminal law in its wider social, political, and philosophical context
An ability to read, understand, and analyse judicial decisions
An ability to break down a criminal law statute to its component parts and to interpret the statute
An ability to analyse and answer factual problems raising issues of criminal liability, and, in particular, to be able to do the following:
Identify the legal issue(s) arising
Identify and explain the relevant law
Engage in legal reasoning and problem-solving by applying the law, using relevant statutes and case-law, to the factual scenario
Appreciate the importance of facts and how they can affect legal analysis
An ability to evaluate the criminal law and to present a coherent oral and written argument on that basis
SYLLABUS
1. An Introduction to Criminal Law:
- Preliminary matters: Classification, Procedure, the Courts, Sentencing, and Appeals
- Criminal Law Theory
2. The Elements of Crime: Actus Reus
3. The Elements of Crime: Mens Rea
- Intention
- Recklessness
- Negligence
4. Offences Against the Person: Assault & Consent as a defence to Offences Against the Person
5. Homicide
- Murder
- Voluntary Manslaughter: Loss of Control & Diminished Responsibility c. Involuntary Manslaughter: Constructive Manslaughter, Gross Negligence Manslaughter, Reckless Manslaughter
6. Non-Consensual Sexual Offences: Rape, Sexual Assault,
7. Property Offences
- Theft
8. Defences: Incapacity
- Infancy
- Insanity
- Automatism
- Mistake
- Intoxication
9. Defences: Other General Defences
- Duress
- Duress of Circumstances
- Necessity
- Public/Private Defence
10. Inchoate Crimes: Attempt
11. Parties to Crime
This module is taught through a mixture of weekly live webinars, pre-recorded videos, and tutorials. Each week, the module teaching team will first produce and make available on Moodle two 25-minute pre-recorded video lectures. The module teaching team will then deliver a weekly live 50-minute webinar in which they further explore key legal concepts and answer your questions about the topics. These lectures and webinars will subsequently be available online through Moodle so that you can re-watch them as part of your independent study. Alongside this, there will be five bi-weekly 50-minute small group tutorials. The module teaching team will also produce and make available on Moodle short guidance notes. These notes will introduce the material to be covered in the lectures, webinars and required readings. The notes will also contain tips designed both to help you navigate the material to be covered in the lectures and webinars and to equip you to analyse the required readings.
You will be expected to have completed the required readings in advance of your tutorials. Your tutorials will enable you to discuss the material covered in lectures, webinars and the required readings, obtain feedback on your pre-class preparation and deepen your understanding of key concepts. To help you prepare in the best possible way for your tutorials, you will be completing regular Multiple-Choice Quizzes on Moodle. The quizzes will be based on the reading set for that week so that the quiz forms part of your preparation for each tutorial. The quizzes will enable you to track your progress, understand what you are doing well, and give you clear feedback to help you manage your studies and your progress.
- Child, John; Ormerod, D. C.; Smith, J. C. (©2019) Smith, Hogan, and Ormerod's essentials of criminal law, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Dyson, Matthew. (2020) Blackstone's Statutes on Criminal Law 2020-2021, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course. The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students. Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Coursework |
LW104 - Multiple Choice Quizzes |
|
50% |
| Coursework |
LW104 - Formative Essay |
|
0% |
| Coursework |
LW104 - Level 6 - Summative Assignment |
|
50% |
| Exam |
Main exam: 24hr during Summer (Main Period)
|
Additional coursework information
Coursework:
25% Coursework question, 10% Tutorial preparation, 5% Tutorial participation
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Simon Cooper, email: sjcoop@essex.ac.uk.
Prof Audrey Guinchard, email: abguin@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Audrey Guinchard, Mr Simon Cooper, Dr Oriola Sallavaci, Angela Francis
Law General Office, 01206872529, lawugadmin@essex.ac.uk
Yes
Yes
No
Dr Christopher Lloyd
Oxford Brookes University
Senior Lecturer
Available via Moodle
Of 1123 hours, 0 (0%) hours available to students:
1123 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Essex Law School
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.