Module LAW3003B for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
LAW3003B: Criminal Law
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The module aims to make you fully conversant with the main criminal law offences; aware of the complexity of definitional issues; aware of the major theoretical debates within the field of criminal law: and able to argue with confidence on relevant ethical and doctrinal issues.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate in-depth understanding of the general concepts and principles governing the criminal law, their derivation and the various theories that encapsulate and attempt to systematise them 2. Possess detailed knowledge of the law governing the offences and defences covered on the module, including areas of growth or areas in need of reform. 3. Develop understanding of the importance of non-legal/contextual materials, including academic commentaries, and use them effectively to produce an academic argument. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 4. Demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of a range of legal rules, concepts, values and principles, and be able to explain and discuss the relationships among them; 5. Identify and apply the relevant law to make an informed judgement about the merits and relevance of particular information and make reasoned choices between alternative solutions or arguments; 6. Communicate technical legal information and argument effectively and concisely, in a manner appropriate to the discipline; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 7. Take responsibility for own learning and manage time efficiently in preparing for learning activities, and to work independently within a limited time frame, to complete a specified task. 8. Identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of resources with minimal guidance; 9. Work effectively with, and meet obligations to, others. |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | One week turnaround, 2,500 words | 1-8 | Individual indicative mark and individual written feedback, with supplementary oral feedback available. General comments given to the whole cohort. *See summative assessment: students have two opportunities to submit. They may use the first opportunity as formative and submit a second essay. |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 48 hour turnaround, 2500 words | 1-8 | Individual written feedback, with supplementary oral feedback available |
| Essay | 50 | One week turnaround, 2500 words | 1-8 | Individual written feedback, with supplementary oral feedback available *The student will have two opportunities to write an essay under this summative assessment (one in the first term and one in the second). A student may choose only to complete one (in which case the mark awarded will be the mark for this 50% part of the assessment) or to complete two (in which case the higher of the two marks will be taken). |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (50%) | Essay (48 hour turnaround, 2,500 words) | 1-8 | August / September reassessment period |
| Essay (50%)** | Essay (one week turnaround, 2,500 words) | 1-8 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
** If a student achieves less than 40% in one essay but 40% or more in the other, the higher mark will be taken. If a student achieves less than 40% in both essays, and is permitted to refer, they may submit a third essay (and will be capped at 40%). If a student defers in respect of one or both essays, they may submit one deferred essay and the mark awarded for it will be taken.
