Fair Trials, Human Rights and Criminal Justice
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| LAWW4057 | Law | 4 | 15 | Spring UK |
- Code
- LAWW4057
- School
- Law
- Level
- 4
- Credits
- 15
- Semesters
- Spring UK
Summary
The module will describe and critically evaluate the criminal trial, with broader reference to the social, political and institutional context of legal rules and broader debates in criminology, contemporary criminal justice policy, and law reform. Attention will be devoted to the theoretical, comparative, and human rights dimensions of criminal trial proceedings, as well as to the law of criminal procedure and evidence.
Target Students
Only available to PGT students within the School of Law and exchange students hosted by the School of Law.
Classes
This module is taught in seminar format.
Assessment
- 100% Coursework: 15 pages
Assessed by end of spring semester
Educational Aims
The module will:(1) Facilitate in depth study and critical evaluation of criminal trial process, procedure and policy-making, including key principles of evidence (like the presumption of innocence, privilege against self-incrimination, and confrontation rights), appeals, and post-conviction remedies;(2) Foster an appreciation of the theoretical and practical significance of criminal adjudication to individual liberty and the attainment of criminal justice;(3) Highlight the dynamic role of criminal procedure law in general, and of human rights law in particular, in contemporary trial practice;(4) Employ national and supra-national comparisons as the basis for discussion and normative evaluation; and(5) Foster awareness of the centrality of criminal trial procedure and 'fair trial rights' to the discourse and politics of human rights.Learning Outcomes
- To develop critical reflection on law as a tool of social policy.
- To analyse legal rules in their procedural and social context.
- To develop skills of comparative legal analysis as a resource for problem-solving and normative evaluation.
- To emphasise the significance of the law of human rights for the protection of the citizen and to promote democratic accountability of state power.
Conveners
Last updated 07/01/2025.