Postgraduate Course: Criminalisation (LAWS11266)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Not available to visiting 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 | What conduct may the state criminalise? This course will offer students the chance to develop answers to this important and often neglected question within legal and political theory. Drawing on classic debates about the role of notions such as immorality and harm in justifying state coercion, the course would investigate fundamental questions about the ethics of criminalisation. For example, may the state regulate forms of wrongdoing that are harmless or merely offensive, or that harm others in ways to which those others have consented? The course would also consider contemporary controversies about the limits of the criminal law. For example, it will consider the use of the criminal law to control risk and remote harms in contexts such as terrorist activity and anti-social behaviour. A more general aim of the course will be to encourage students to apply philosophical insight and methods to policy debates. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
1. Understand and critically analyse the principal theories of criminalisation, and in particular the significance of concepts of harm and offence in this context.
2. Apply these theories to novel situations and proposals.
3. Assess whether and to what extent existing practices of criminalisation can be justified with reference to these theories.
4. Demonstrate development of key research, communication and personal effectiveness skills:
&· the ability to synthesise and communicate information and ideas effectively in written and oral form
&· the ability to present to others research and scholarly work relating to their own and foreign legal cultures
&· the ability to work independently, seeking relevant advice and support when necessary
&· the ability to work constructively as a member of a group or team, to assert leadership or follow instructions effectively
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Assessment Information
| Essay (80%) and further exercise (oral or / and written), to be specified in course guide at start of semester (20%). |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
This course is a core (but optional) course for the LLM in Criminal Law and the LLM in Criminal Justice. It is optional for students on other masters programmes within the School of Law. |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Research skills; oral and written communication skills; problem-solving and critical analysis skills; teamwork skills |
| Reading list |
To be distributed in advance of seminars |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
The course will consist of ten two-hour seminars |
| Keywords | Criminalisation, criminal law |
Contacts
| Course organiser | |
Course secretary | Mr Douglas Thompson
Tel: (0131 6)50 2022
Email: D.Thompson@ed.ac.uk |
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