Students

LAWS2050 – Crime, Policy and Governance

2026 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Ben Hightower
ben.hightower@mq.edu.au
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

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

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 penalty will apply to non-timed sensitive assessment (incl reading summaries, essays, reports, posters, portfolios, journals, recordings etc). Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs etc) will only be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application. Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic. 

Academic Honesty

Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic honesty and Macquarie Law School's guidance on Generative AI, Unverifiable content and Law Assessments. 

Submission of assessments

All written assessments in the unit are to be submitted electronically by way of Turnitin on the iLearn page. Plagiarism detection software is used in this unit to check all written assessments. Students should carefully check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file in error.

Format

All assessment tasks in this unit must be typed in Word format and be double spaced to facilitate marking in Turnitin.

Word Limits

Word limits will be strictly applied and work above the word limit will not be assessed.

Moderation

Detailed marking rubrics will be made available on iLearn. In addition, tutors will be provided with detailed marking guides.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due Groupwork/Individual Short Extension AI Approach
Professional Skills 30% No Ongoing Individual No Open
Practice-based task 35% No 15/10/2026 Individual Yes Open
Viva 35% No 05/11/26, 11am Individual No Observed

Professional Skills

Assessment Type 1: Professional task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: Ongoing
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Open

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:
  • 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

Practice-based task

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 15/10/2026
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: Yes
AI Approach: Open

An assessment on skills and knowledge relevant to the unit. This could be a legal or policy brief, a report, an essay, a law reform proposal 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:
  • 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

Viva

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 15 hours
Due: 05/11/26, 11am
Weighting: 35%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI Approach: Observed

An oral examination using a viva voce format which may involve the use of digital tools such as video conferencing, pre-recorded multimedia prompts, and/or AI-driven assessment systems to evaluate student comprehension and skills.
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
  • Academic Success 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.

3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.

Delivery and Resources

General

This unit requires students to attend or listen online (through Echo360) a weekly one-hour lecture. Students are also expected to attend 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 all online content such as videos, recordings and read the assigned readings.

Before attebnding attending tutorials, students should also review and prepare for that week's tutorial activity which is posted on iLearn.

Unit Schedule

Lectures: Thursays at 11am (Weeks 1-12, commencing 27 July) (Pre-recorded. No 'Live' lectures.)

Tutorials: All tutorials this session will be delivered online. 

Students must attend the tutorial in which they are enrolled. 

Tutorials are staggered, meaning week 2 covers week 1 lecture, week 3 covers week 2 lecture and so forth. Week 1 tutorial is an introduction to staff, classmates and the requirements of the unit. 

 

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 https://students.mq.edu.au/support/technology/service-desk. 

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 2026.02 of the Handbook