Undergraduate Course: Evidence and Criminal Law (LAWS08122)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The course is concerned with two areas of legal study. First, it considers the doctrines and principles of criminal law, and in particular examines the scope and function of criminal law in society; criminal responsibility (including the mens rea doctrine, actus reus, and strict liability); specific offences (such as homicide, assault, sexual offences, offences of dishonesty, property offences, and public order offences); and defences (including mental disorder offences, provocation, necessity, and duress).
In its second part the course looks at the concept of evidence in the law, both in relation to the operation of the rules of practical inference in legal contexts and also at legal rules which structure the law's approach to evidence. These rules include those dealing with burdens and standards of proof, collateral evidence, hearsay, evidential privilege, corroboration, and evidence in the setting of a trial.
In both parts the course will consider the impact of the European Convention on Human Rights, especially article 6. |
| Course description |
Not entered
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Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Have developed a clear understanding of the structure and principles of criminal law and the law of evidence as well as deep knowledge of the basic rules around those subjects. These principles and concepts include: the nature of a crime and criminal responsibility, defences, crimes against the person and property, statutory offences, civil and criminal evidence, and human rights.
- Have developed the ability to analyse critically the criminal law and the law of evidence, and to reflect upon the normative bases of the law.
- Have begun to research independently on issues of criminal law and the law of evidence.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
By the end of this course students should be able to demonstrate a basic ability to:
Think creatively by applying knowledge to problems and to provide accurate answers in written and oral form
Present argument for or against a proposition in a dispassionate manner
Apply knowledge and analysis creatively to complex situations in order to provide arguable solutions to concrete problems by presenting a range of viable options from a set of facts and law
Think critically and make critical judgments on the relative and absolute merits of particular arguments and solutions
Act independently in planning and undertaking tasks in areas of law which he or she has already studied
Deploy numeracy skills
Reflect on his or her own learning, and to seek and make use of feedback |
| Keywords | Evidence and Criminal Law |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Elizabeth Campbell
Tel: (0131 6)50 2050
Email: liz.campbell@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Heather Haig
Tel: (0131 6)50 2053
Email: Heather.Haig@ed.ac.uk |
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