In Focus: Criminal Law

BSc Psychology with Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies
Have you ever looked at the news and wondered why a person is or isn’t guilty of a crime?
This module looks at a range of criminal offences from the most serious ones, such as murder and manslaughter, through to less serious ones such as minor assaults and theft.
Run by experienced academics who also have insights into legal practice and policy making, the module provides some really valuable foundations in advising on real-life problems and critiquing the law. Skills that are needed throughout the programme.

Real-life Debates

We will consider some of the interesting debates about the scope of criminal law and relevant defences. You will know the answers to the below questions and more by the end of this module. The academic points will be brought to life by a range of real-life scenarios and topical stories.
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    Should drunkenness be a defence if you didn’t really know what you were doing?

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    Can you take a pre-emptive strike to defend yourself?

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    What if you, a doctor fails to spot an obvious problem and the patient dies?

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    If you hand a syringe of drugs to someone and they self-inject and die, who causes the death?

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    If a person who knows they have HIV, has unprotected sex with someone who consents to sex but is unaware of their HIV status, are they a rapist?

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    If you’re in a gang and watch while one of your gang members attacks someone, are you just as guilty as the person who carries out the attack?

Hear from your peers

“Best module yet! I thoroughly enjoyed studying Criminal Law. The teachers were very helpful and the module was well organised.”
“I found the tutorials incredibly helpful. It was very comprehensive and gave a great overview of criminal law and its think points.”
Howard League Law students at Efford Youth Club for a day of action

Academic staff

This module is taught by Nigel Firth, an ex-solicitor and Phil Bates who has undertaken policy research.