Postgraduate Course: Mental Health and Crime (LAWS11114)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Law |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The aim of this module is to examine the relationship between mental health and crime and explore issues relating to the appropriate treatment of mentally disordered offenders in the criminal justice system. Different forms of mental disorder will be analysed (including psychotic illnesses; personality disorders and the mental health problems associated with substance misuse) and their links to crime evaluated. Key objectives are also: to trace the history and development of mental health law; to explore the nature of criminal justice and other disposals for mentally disordered offenders (comparing Scotland with England/Wales); and to assess the nature and limits of offender profiling. A day visit will be arranged to the State Hospital and Carstairs, where students will meet staff and patients and gain an insight into clinical practice and the day to day running of a secure institution. The course will conclude with a mock trial, where students will act as prosecution; defence agents and jury and the staff as judge, defendant and expert witnesses. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2011/12 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
WebCT enabled: No |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| Central | Seminar | | 18-29 | | | 09:00 - 10:50 | | |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| No Exam Information |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
| By the end of the course students should be able to: describe the main forms of mental disorder and what their relationship is to crime ; understand the evolution of mental health law and the nature of contemporary psychiatric defences; summarise and assess the main features of mental health disposals; and understand the role and limits of offender profiling in criminal investigation. |
Assessment Information
| The module will be assessed by means of a 5,000 word essay. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Lynne Copson
Tel:
Email: lcopson@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Douglas Thompson
Tel: (0131 6)50 2022
Email: D.Thompson@ed.ac.uk |
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© Copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 16 January 2012 6:21 am
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