Students

LAWS2050 – Crime, Policy and Governance

2020 – Session 2, Special circumstance

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group learning activities on campus for the second half-year, while keeping an online version available for those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face to face activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Kate Gleeson
9-10am Wednesday by Zoom
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
60cp including LAWS1010 or LEX101 or LEX102 or PICT101 or PICT103 or PICT1030 or LAW109 or LAWS1300
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit explores dynamic public policy development in relation to crime. It examines how governance frameworks (including legal and regulatory institutions) endeavour to regulate conduct by individuals and corporations, and how these frameworks aim to promote public interests and community welfare. Students will analyse the impact of various stakeholders in the criminal justice system on policy formulation, including in relation to corporate, environmental and moral crimes. They will be challenged to critically analyse real-world reform initiatives and to appreciate how criminological expertise and modern concepts in governance theory (such as reintegrative shaming, responsive regulation and restorative justice) are articulated in legal and policy-making forums.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Describe and critique how legal institutions and governance frameworks endeavour to regulate the conduct of individuals and corporations in relation to activities that impact on community welfare and the public interest
  • ULO2: Analyse and apply modern theories of criminal justice (restorative justice, responsive regulation and reintegrative shaming)
  • ULO3: Conduct interdisciplinary research in criminology in the course of developing problem-solving skills, and identify the role played by these disciplines in influencing legal processes and policy-making forums
  • ULO4: Critique current policy initiatives in relation to crime through the application of established theoretical frameworks

General Assessment Information

Details of the assessment tasks, due dates and detailed marking rubrics are available on iLearn. All written assessments are to be submitted electronically via Turnitin. Plagiarism detection software is used in this unit and the University's Academic Honesty Policy is strictly applied. 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved,

(a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and

(b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline.

No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests, take home exams.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Online quizzes 20% No 21/8, 11/9, 16/10, 6/11
Research Report 40% No 1 October 2020
Take Home Exam 40% No 5-7 November 2020

Online quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 3 hours
Due: 21/8, 11/9, 16/10, 6/11
Weighting: 20%

 

Regular quizzes based on the unit content

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and critique how legal institutions and governance frameworks endeavour to regulate the conduct of individuals and corporations in relation to activities that impact on community welfare and the public interest
  • Analyse and apply modern theories of criminal justice (restorative justice, responsive regulation and reintegrative shaming)

Research Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 45 hours
Due: 1 October 2020
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will be required to submit a research paper on an assigned topic which consolidates their learning in the unit.

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and critique how legal institutions and governance frameworks endeavour to regulate the conduct of individuals and corporations in relation to activities that impact on community welfare and the public interest
  • Analyse and apply modern theories of criminal justice (restorative justice, responsive regulation and reintegrative shaming)
  • Conduct interdisciplinary research in criminology in the course of developing problem-solving skills, and identify the role played by these disciplines in influencing legal processes and policy-making forums
  • Critique current policy initiatives in relation to crime through the application of established theoretical frameworks

Take Home Exam

Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 3 hours
Due: 5-7 November 2020
Weighting: 40%

 

Open book take-home exam of short questions covering topics discussed in the unit

 


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Describe and critique how legal institutions and governance frameworks endeavour to regulate the conduct of individuals and corporations in relation to activities that impact on community welfare and the public interest
  • Analyse and apply modern theories of criminal justice (restorative justice, responsive regulation and reintegrative shaming)
  • Conduct interdisciplinary research in criminology in the course of developing problem-solving skills, and identify the role played by these disciplines in influencing legal processes and policy-making forums
  • Critique current policy initiatives in relation to crime through the application of established theoretical frameworks

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

This unit requires students to listen online (through Echo360) a weekly one-hour lecture. Students are also expected to attend the equivalent of a one-hour tutorial each week.  There is no required textbook. Weekly readings are available through Leganto (link available via the iLearn site).

Before listening to the weekly live lecture, students are required to access the unit's iLearn page to review online content such as videos (of approximately one hour) and read the assigned readings.

Before you listen to the first lecture on 29 July 2020, you should have logged onto iLearn and viewed the assigned weekly online content of approximately an hour, and read the assigned weekly reading.  

 

Unit Schedule

Week commencing

Lecture

Tutorial

Assessment

27/7

Introduction. We are all criminals

 

 

3/8

Why do we punish crime?

Introduction. We are all criminals

 

10/8

Failures of criminal justice

Why do we punish crime?

 

17/8

Restorative justice

Failures of criminal justice

Quiz

24/

Reintegrative shaming

Restorative justice

 

31/8

Responsive regulation

Reintegrative shaming

 

7/9

Environmental crime

Responsive regulation

Quiz

14/9

 

 

 

21/9

 

 

 

28/9

Drug court

Environmental crime

Essay

5/10

Children’s court

Drug court

 

12/10

Koori Courts

Children’s court

Quiz

19/10

Domestic Violence

Koori Courts

 

26/10

Finance

Domestic Violence

 

2/11

 

Finance

Quiz, take home.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

The assessment regime has changed,

Changes since First Published

Date Description
26/07/2020 quiz date changed. late penalty info added