Students

LAWS8002 – Criminal Justice and Public Policy

2025 – Session 2, Online-scheduled-weekday

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor
Andrew Burke
Contact via via iLearn message
17WW Room 309
Consultation by appointment (in-person or via Zoom)
Tutor
Jaimee Simonsen
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to GradCertLaw or GradDipLaw or JD
Corequisites Corequisites
LAWS600 or LAWS8001
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit aims to develop an advanced understanding of the substantive principles of criminal law, the administration of criminal justice and related public policy dimensions in contemporary Australian society. Students will critically examine principles of criminal responsibility, a range of criminal offences, and aspects of the prosecution and defence of criminal matters.

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: Understand at an advanced level general doctrines of criminal responsibility, elements of offences and defences, and the aims of the criminal justice system, in accordance with Priestley requirements for legal practice
  • ULO2: Critically research, analyse, synthesise, interpret and derive legal principles from legislation, parliamentary debates and case law governing the administration of criminal justice
  • ULO3: Apply principles of statutory interpretation and problem solving methods to criminal justice scenarios
  • ULO4: Communicate professionally, effectively and in a timely manner, and participate in verbal and non-verbal exchanges with diverse audiences and in diverse contexts
  • ULO5: Learn and work independently, meet deadlines, and reflect on performance using feedback to support personal and professional development

General Assessment Information

Submission - All assessments must be submitted electronically. 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.

Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments.

Word limits - Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked. Footnotes are to be used only for referencing.

Referencing - Referencing must conform to the requirements set out in the Australian Guide to Legal Citation 4th edition.

Late submission penalty policy - Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late submission penalty policy will apply to non-timed sensitive assessments (incl essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc).

Special Consideration - Special Consideration Students should submit applications for Special Consideration electronically via the Service Connect portal, along with the supporting documentation. Before submitting their applications, students should refer to the Special Consideration Policy (link provided under ‘Policies and Procedures’ below). Please do not email to request an extension or email to seek the outcome of a lodged application via email. No information can be provide via email, all information will be provided via the Connect system.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Professional Skills 20% No Ongoing
Practice-Based Task 40% No 22/09/2025
Exam 40% No University Examination Period

Professional Skills

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

 

Students will develop essential legal professional skills through structured classroom activities such as oral advocacy, critical reasoning, strategic problem-solving, collaborative work, team leadership, mooting, simulated client consultations, legal presentations or demonstrations, doctrinal analysis and problem solving, and/or collaborative legal research. These activities are designed to develop students’ professional capabilities including capacity to communicate legal concepts clearly and engage professionally with diverse audiences in diverse contexts.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand at an advanced level general doctrines of criminal responsibility, elements of offences and defences, and the aims of the criminal justice system, in accordance with Priestley requirements for legal practice
  • Critically research, analyse, synthesise, interpret and derive legal principles from legislation, parliamentary debates and case law governing the administration of criminal justice
  • Apply principles of statutory interpretation and problem solving methods to criminal justice scenarios
  • Communicate professionally, effectively and in a timely manner, and participate in verbal and non-verbal exchanges with diverse audiences and in diverse contexts
  • Learn and work independently, meet deadlines, and reflect on performance using feedback to support personal and professional development

Practice-Based Task

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 22/09/2025
Weighting: 40%

 

An assessment on professional skills and knowledge relevant to the unit. This could be a legal or policy brief, a report, an essay, a law reform proposal, legal pleadings or other related professional task. This assessment may require students to prepare a response through research and adhere to discipline-specific scholarly conventions.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand at an advanced level general doctrines of criminal responsibility, elements of offences and defences, and the aims of the criminal justice system, in accordance with Priestley requirements for legal practice
  • Critically research, analyse, synthesise, interpret and derive legal principles from legislation, parliamentary debates and case law governing the administration of criminal justice
  • Apply principles of statutory interpretation and problem solving methods to criminal justice scenarios
  • Learn and work independently, meet deadlines, and reflect on performance using feedback to support personal and professional development

Exam

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: University Examination Period
Weighting: 40%

 

An invigilated examination. The exam may cover any or all topics and materials covered in the unit.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Understand at an advanced level general doctrines of criminal responsibility, elements of offences and defences, and the aims of the criminal justice system, in accordance with Priestley requirements for legal practice
  • Critically research, analyse, synthesise, interpret and derive legal principles from legislation, parliamentary debates and case law governing the administration of criminal justice
  • Apply principles of statutory interpretation and problem solving methods to criminal justice scenarios
  • Communicate professionally, effectively and in a timely manner, and participate in verbal and non-verbal exchanges with diverse audiences and in diverse contexts
  • Learn and work independently, meet deadlines, and reflect on performance using feedback to support personal and professional development

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

Textbook

Howie, R., Sattler, P., Hood, M., Hayes & Eburn Criminal Law and Procedure in New South Wales (LexisNexis, 7th ed., 2023)

Lectures

The weekly lectures will be delivered by Dr Andrew Burke and the recordings will be made available online.

Tutorials

Professional Skills will be assessed in tutorials.

Online Content

Online content can be accessed on iLearn. Personal computer and Internet access are required.

Unit Schedule

1 Introduction to Criminal Justice
2 Principles of Criminal Responsibility
3 Murder
4 Involuntary Manslaughter
5 Voluntary Manslaughter
6 Assault
7 Defences: Duress, necessity, and self-defence
8 Defences: Mental health impairment, automatism, and intoxication
9 Summary Offences
10 Property Offences
11 Sexual Assault
12 Drug Offences
13 Extending Criminal Liability

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/

Academic Success

Academic Success 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 2025.03 of the Handbook