Law, Criminology and Criminal Justice (with Foundation Year) LLB (Hons)

This module will assist you in developing the personal and academic skills that you will need for undergraduate study. It focusses on developing skills such as information retrieval, evaluation, critical thinking, note taking, presentation skills and group work.

This module will introduce you to the historical and contemporary development of social science disciplines and will provide examples of theoretical challenges and the ways in which research is applied in society. You will gain an understanding of the critical differences between disciplines and how interdisciplinary research is fostered through collaboration. You will also be introduced to academic standards, ethical guidelines and research protocols, personal development planning and to a range of study and transferable skills relevant to your degree course and beyond.

This module provides you with the opportunity to develop your skills in thinking critically about the information and analysis presented in an array of media in today’s digital world, drawing on the methodologies of a range of disciplines within the social sciences, humanities and law. You will explore examples of the debates over fake news in both the past and present, and look at how fake news can be used to both support and undermine the status quo, enabling you in the process to become more savvy and engaged citizens.

This module introduces you to the history of crime and justice, using media representations and crime fiction as a way of exploring crime over time, including aspects such as changes in society, law and education in this context.

This module allows students to identify an area of interest related to their undergraduate degree and to explore this through a small scale research project where students will be required to produce an analysis of an area of focus.

This module provides you with an opportunity to adopt an interdisciplinary approach to the Teesside region. You will learn about Teesside’s history, culture and society through the examination of various topics which will give you a deeper understanding of the region, both past and present.

You focus on the role played by public bodies, exploring how the law impacts on the individual and the remedies available when powers of the state are abused. You examine the Human Rights Act 1998 and the significance of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms 1950 for the UK citizen, and explore the duties of public authorities to protect and uphold fundamental human rights.

You explore the relationship between an individual and the state, focusing on constitutional principles relating to the UK and to the EU post-Brexit. The UK constitution comprises a series of powers and customs based on the traditional role of the Monarch. Much of this power is now exercised by Parliament and the Government, and this module explores the interaction between the organs of state. You develop an understanding of the key institutions of the EU and explore the relationship between EU and domestic law pre- and post-Brexit.

This module explores various aspects of the Criminal Justice System, including a range of agencies and institutions that operate within it. Initial focus is placed upon introducing students to the historical foundations of criminal justice in the 19th century and the material/ideological conditions of Victorian Penality. Whilst plotting this historical trajectory towards a contemporary understanding of the Criminal Justice System, a number of facets will be explored including the era of penal-welfarism, the dislocations of neoliberalism, criminal justice under New Labour and the Coalition Government. The aim is to locate our understanding of criminal justice within a broader historical, political, social, and economic context. The module will also explore a number of specific themes, for example, probation, prisons, restorative justice, race and gender and links are made to theory where appropriate.

Skills for successful legal study and success in either legal practice or a non-legal career are the focus of this module. You look at the use and sourcing of legal materials, legal research and how to tackle legal questions. You learn the fundamental processes of legal reasoning beginning with the doctrine of judicial precedent, followed by an examination of judicial approaches towards interpreting statute. You learn the key skills of the lawyer in practice, enabling you to identify and practice the necessary skills for the conduct of cases including the preparation and presentation of arguments.

All contracts are agreements but not all agreements are contracts, therefore it’s essential to identify the elements which distinguish purely informal agreements from those which are enforceable in law. You examine a number of issues that may arise once a contract is made, for example one party might change their mind, one party may have misled the other, property delivered may be defective, or one party may not perform the contract in whole or in part. In each case the law of contract has established principles for allocating responsibility.

The module seeks to provide an introduction to criminological theories and the way in which we understand crime and deviance in contemporary society. The module is designed to serve as a foundation to further criminological theory modules in levels 5 and 6. The intention is to provide a sound basis on which to explore debates about who commits crime, why crime is committed and why crime is seen as a social problem. Students will be introduced to a range of classic and traditional theoretical perspectives which will provide the foundations for more complex and contemporary theoretical perspectives later in the programme.

You are introduced to the nature and scope of the criminal law and elements of criminal liability. You study key specific criminal offences, including murder, manslaughter, non-fatal offences against the person, theft and related offences, inchoate offences and modes of participation, and learn about important defences to criminal conduct.

This module focuses on personal and professional development planning by encouraging self-evaluation, self-reflection, and development of key transferable skills. You engage with practitioners in law and other relevant professions (including non-legal professions), who provide insight into their work, and you learn about professionalism and legal ethics, which prepares you for the challenges of professional life. You develop research and academic writing skills and to take a more critical approach, in preparation for your research project/dissertation in your final year.

You explore a range of civil causes of action which fall within the scope of the law of tort, and study the theoretical underpinning and principles of a number of torts, and undertake guided research in specified areas to identify the relevant law. The important tort of negligence is considered in detail and in the context of an ever-rising number of personal injury claims, together with a number of other forms of tortious liability.

The Law of Equity and Trusts developed as a doctrine in order to provide justice in cases where the common law did not provide an adequate solution. It also operated to prevent individuals from behaving unconscionably by insisting on a strict application of the common law, to the detriment of another person. One of the most fundamental creations of equity is the trust, whether express, implied, or constructive. Whilst an express trust enables individuals to make provision for chosen individuals or charities, either as lifetime gifts or by Will on death, an implied or constructive trust protects the rights of beneficiaries who would otherwise be left without a remedy as a result of another person’s unconscionable behaviour. Equity also sets the legal framework in which wider remedies such as proprietary estoppel, lapse, tracing assets, equitable damages, liens, specific performance, injunctions, and other doctrines operate which are not within the scope of those provided by the common law. It continues to develop as a doctrine.

Critically examine the nature, extent and impact of sexual and domestic violence from a range of academic, theoretical, research, policy and practitioner perspectives. Explore the links between the various aspects of domestic and sexual violence, including rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, honour based violence and sexual exploitation.

You engage with the conceptual, methodological and ethical issues which characterise historically hidden problems – and we focus on the continued need for sensitivity in exploring and addressing these issues. The module traces the emergence of sexual and domestic violence as criminological problems, and critically examines the changing legal, policing, criminal justice and community responses.

Gain academic credit for participating in work experience related to criminology, criminal justice and sociology. You may find your own work experience (subject to approval from your module tutor) or you can take advantage of work experience opportunities offered as part of the module.

Work experience must be performed to an agreed job description and person specification for a minimum of 60 working hours. To take part you must complete a DBS check, along with any other security checks required by your work experience provider. You must also agree to and sign a legal agreement outlining the obligations of yourself, the University and the work experience provider. Alongside your work experience you explore employability issues and skills through a number of interactive workshops led by professionals from within and outside the University.

This module has limited places and participation is subject to a selection process involving an application, shortlisting and interview.

The module will help students explore the development, organisation and practice of policing in modern society. Students will be introduced to key concepts, theories and debates in the sociology of the police. The module situates policing within the wider institutional configuration of security and social control and facilitates an understanding of how economic, political and ideological factors shape these institutions. It examines a range of historical and comparative issues in police organisation, deployment and practice from a British and comparative perspective. The module also encourages students to reflect on the implications of these dimensions of policing for democratic government, civil liberties and human rights.

Examine the history of victim studies and the development of victimology as a discipline in criminology.

The role of the victim in criminal justice is key to debate in this field and you examine the growing trend by policy makers to establish a victim orientated system. The growth of agencies supporting victims is also discussed.

Key developments in the academic study of victims, policy implications and the issue of counting victims is explored. The module also examines the debates surrounding the balance of victim and offer rights and we discuss the concept of restorative justice and human rights issues from the perspective of victims.

You conduct an in-depth, self-directed and self-managed research project on a selected substantive area of law. You develop comprehensive knowledge and understanding of your chosen topic and develop your academic and transferable skills to a high level.

Land law is one of the foundations of legal knowledge. No one piece of land is the same as another and although in history land law is about large interests, the subject changed in the 20th century as the owner-occupier replaced?the landlord as the dominant figure and, in the later part of the century, the owner-occupier couple replaced?the single, usually male, owner. Compulsory land registration is now in the process of completing the transformation of the subject and it is predominantly co-owned, registered?land,?which is the focus of the subject, other forms being used to point out differences rather than as a norm.

Together with the Constitutional Principles of the UK and the EU module, this module ensures coverage of one of the seven foundations of legal knowledge. You are introduced to the substantive legal provisions of EU. In addition, you will explore EU competition law and EU external relations with the rest of the world.

An exploration of the ways the categories of race, ethnicity and social class are constructed and represented by the various forms and institutions that constitute the criminal justice system and wider systems of social control.

You examine the ideological, historical, economic and socio-political context of how race and class came to be associated with crime and criminal justice. We discuss how this association has been generated in part through early criminological discourse and through contemporary academic assessment of evidence and explanations about whether, and to what extent, minority ethnic criminality and victimisation is constructed through racism.

Case studies of criminality and victimisation, policing, stop and search, the courts, penality, genocide, and racial violence are used. You are asked to acquaint yourself with relevant theoretical and policy perspectives and debates about minority ethnic groups in relation to the criminal justice system, and to ask yourself whether theories of racism can enhance a criminological understanding of this area.

The study of drugs and drug use is at an important stage and views of drug use are changing. This module introduces key issues and debates in the field of drug use and misuse. It critically examines the changing status of drug use and the way drug use is conceived as problematic for individuals and societies. The module also highlights how changing attitudes and policy towards drug use reflect broader socio-economic and cultural changes.

You examine how drug policies have attempted to control and regulate intoxication in society by different health and crime prevention strategies. You consider: changing patterns of drug use and the implications of this change for drug users; the representation of drugs and drug use in popular culture; the nature of care provision for ‘problem’ drug users; the conflicting nature of drugs education and the dichotomy between harm reduction and ‘just say no’ strategies and crime prevention strategy as it relates to the ‘war on drugs’.

You also explore possible future policy alternatives such as legalisation and de-criminalisation and examine nations that have taken a more lenient approach to drug use. The module draws on current local, national and international research into social aspects of drug use. You are encouraged to draw on numerous resources including the media and popular culture, the internet, social networking and your own experiences.

This level 6 module adopts a comprehensive approach to the study of violence, exploring violent behaviour on a number of levels. The module will interrogate definitions of violence, explanations of violence and differing forms and manifestations of violence. For instance, the module will address violence as subjective and interpersonal, analysing a range of explanations and the social and situational characteristics of violence from the perspective of both perpetrators and victims. With this in mind, the module will explore different forms of subjective violence such as violence against women, football violence, violence and the night-time economy. The module will also take a wider approach to address structural and symbolic violence in the form of state violence and the harms which derive from political and economic systems. The module also aims to assess the place of violence within culture and the consequences for the individual and society of profligate cultural violence. Taken as whole, the module aims to offer students a clear sense of how violence links to a range of contemporary cultural and structural conditions.

The module explores the historical background to the youth justice system and critically debates how changes in social policy and legislation have influenced our approach to young people who have offended. The module examines how the construction of young people within society has led to increased surveillance and regulation in their everyday life. In addition, the module analyses how a range of socio-economic factors increase the likelihood that young people will engage in anti-social and offending behaviour. The module explores the relationship between theory, research and practice to understand the experiences of young people when they come into contact with the youth justice system.