Students

LAWS2050 – Crime, Policy and Governance

2024 – Session 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Ben Hightower
Contact via iLearn
see iLearn for consultation times
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
60cp including LAWS1010 or LEX101 or LEX102 or PICT101 or PICT103 or PICT1030 or CRIM1001 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

All written assessments submitted electronically must be submitted through the link provided in iLearn. This unit will utilise Turnitin plagiarism detection software. Students should carefully check that they submit the correct file for an assessment, as re-submissions will not be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file in error.

The design, moderation and feedback of all assessments is in accordance with the Macquarie University Assessment Procedure (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below).

Late Submission Policy

A maximum penalty of five (5) percentage points of the total possible marks will be applied per day to late submissions, for up to a maximum of seven calendar days. Tasks that have not been submitted within the maximum number of additional late days will receive a mark of zero. This provision does not apply to online exams or other assessment with a time limit of less than 24 hours.

Penalties for late submission will be applied consistently and equitably to all students enrolled in the unit. Where short-term, serious and unavoidable circumstances have affected their ability to submit an assessment task, a student must submit a formal application for Special Consideration as per the Special Consideration Policy. Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor.

Where an application for Special Consideration is approved, and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes.

Special Consideration

Students should submit applications for Special Consideration electronically via ask.mq.edu.au, along with the supporting documentation. Before submitting their applications, students should refer to the Special Consideration Policy (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below).

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Research Essay 40% No 11/10/2024 11:55pm (Week 10)
Take Home Exam 40% No 25/10/2024, Opens 10am (Week 12)
Class Participation 20% No Ongoing

Research Essay

Assessment Type 1: Essay
Indicative Time on Task 2: 22 hours
Due: 11/10/2024 11:55pm (Week 10)
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will be required to submit a research essay 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: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 8 hours
Due: 25/10/2024, Opens 10am (Week 12)
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

Class Participation

Assessment Type 1: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 20%

 

An assessment of students' participation in tutorials which may include participation in tutorial discussions and debates, problem-solving, role plays, critical engagement with the unit materials, and other activities. This may require preparation before the tutorial including completing the required readings and considering or preparing responses to the tutorial materials.

 
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)
  • 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

Delivery

Lectures: Live. Mondays 2pm. 17WW G25

Tutorials: Face-to-face and Online. Consult student timetable for time and location. Online tutorials are for external students only.

This unit is worth 10 credit points, which equates to 150 hours of work. Therefore, students should expect to commit an average of 10 hours per week to this unit, including all scheduled and unscheduled activities and preparing and executing the assessment tasks.

Resources

Readings will be accessible through iLearn.

Students require access to a computer, internet with decent speed and a secure/reliable server. The iLearn page contains all Unit requirements and a weekly schedule for teaching, readings and tutorials. Information about all assessment tasks is also available on iLearn.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Unit information based on version 2024.03 of the Handbook