This unit provides a critical introduction to the nature and causes of crime; legal and social processes of criminalisation; and societal responses to crime through criminal law, criminal prosecution and alternative justice mechanisms. The unit will address the social and legal construction of crime and fundamental criminal justice processes, including the principles of criminal responsibility, due process and the key actors involved in the criminal justice system. Students will gain an awareness of common and emerging crime problems, how to apply criminological evidence and theoretical perspectives to analyse and prevent crime, and of the strengths and shortcomings of approaches currently adopted to respond to crime and provide justice for victims. Emphasis will be placed throughout on access to justice for diverse population groups, particularly with respect to First Nations Peoples who are grossly over-represented in Australian prisons and as victims of crime.

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Describe and interpret what is meant by crime and criminal justice in Australia;
2. Identify and illustrate basic principles of Australian criminal law;
3. Describe and interpret procedural and institutional aspects of the Australian criminal justice system, including the roles played by justice sector actors;
4. Explain and analyse the role that the criminal justice system plays in social regulation, including its historical and contemporary role in shaping Aboriginal and Torrres Strait Islander realities; and
5. Drawing on a basic understanding of criminological theories, critically reflect on and evalute the effectiveness of the Australian criminal justice system in delivering justice.

Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - evaluate and adopt new technology
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - use Indigenous histories and traditional ecological knowledge to develop and augment understanding of their discipline

Prerequisites

11251 Foundations of Law and Justice

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

11256 Criminal Justice AND 9015 Criminal Process

Assumed knowledge

None.