LW4005 - The Criminal Process

You will learn via a combination of large group sessions, small group sessions, tutor guided independent learning and independent learning.

The large group sessions will develop your knowledge and understanding of criminal procedure and criminal evidence.

The small group sessions will develop your ability to explain and analyse principles of criminal procedure and criminal evidence and to problem solve by applying those principles in the context of given factual scenarios. This will include developing your ability to comprehend, explain and apply cases, statutes, rules of court and practice directions that you have located

You will be expected to engage in tutor guided independent learning both in order to consolidate the learning from the large group sessions and in order to prepare for the small group sessions. This will include developing your ability to recognise locate and comprehend relevant cases, statutes, rules of court and practice directions. You will be made aware of the tutor guided independent learning in which you are required to engage via the large group sessions, an on-line reading list that will be accessible on the ELP and the instructions that you are given in order to enable you to prepare for each small group session.

You will be expected to engage in some independent learning in order to consolidate the learning from the large and small group sessions and from the tutor-led independent learning. This will again include developing your ability to recognise, locate and comprehend relevant cases, statutes, rules of court and practice directions using both on-line and print resources.

The University supports you in learning and research with an excellent library, excellent teaching facilities, access to practitioner and academic on-line legal databases and resources and appropriate software.

This module will be managed by a designated Module Tutor who will be responsible for guiding you in your engagement and learning on the module. Material will be delivered to you by lecture and through the ELP and you will access additional information via your directed and independent use of on-line legal data bases and print resources. The large group sessions will be recorded on Panopto, meaning that you will be able to refer back to them on-line in order to consolidate your learning.

The ELP site will contain: PowerPoint slides used in large group sessions; the module handbook (which will contain exercises to be used in the small group sessions); advice on assessment, supported by sample questions and answers; and Panopto recordings of large group sessions.

As well as contact with the lecturer, who delivers the large group sessions, you will also be taught by a seminar tutor, who delivers the small group sessions. Should you have queries you may approach the lecturer or your seminar tutor or e-mail your query to either member of staff, either to have your query answered on line or to make an appointment for a face to face meeting. Academic support is also available to you through formative and summative feedback on assessments. You will have the opportunity to submit formative written work and to work through practice questions prior to the end of module summative assessment.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the module you should be able to:

• Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of key principles of criminal procedure and criminal evidence and be able to apply those principles in the context of given factual scenarios.

• Demonstrate your ability to identify, explain, evaluate and interpret relevant case law, statutory provisions, rules of court and practice directions.


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

By the end of the module you should be able to:

• Communicate your knowledge and understanding of key principles of criminal procedure and criminal evidence (including relevant case law, statutory provisions, rules of court and practice directions) accurately, using accurate legal terminology and forming structured and coherent. arguments.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

By the end of the module you should have developed the ability to:

• Enhance your knowledge and understanding of key principles of criminal procedure and criminal evidence via both tutor directed independent learning and independent learning.

Formative assessment

One of your seminars will take the form of a short mock examination. You will receive feedback in the form of an answer guide on the eLP, written comments on your submission and oral feedback on the mock examination question in a subsequent seminar.

Summative assessment

This will take the form of a 2 hour unseen examination. The examination will require you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of key principles of criminal procedure and criminal evidence (including knowledge and understanding that you have obtained via tutor directed independent learning and independent learning) via accurate, coherent and structured answers to essay and problem questions which make use of correct legal terminology.

Summative feedback will be available in written form on scripts, via the elp as notes for guidance and orally from module/seminar tutors.

Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria will be made available to you to support you in completing assessments. Grade-Related Descriptors are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge and/or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured and placed within the overall set of marks.

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The criminal process module will enable you to understand the process which a suspect follows from initial arrest through time spent at the police station and possible remand in custody to eventual trial, sentencing if found guilty and potential appeal. You will develop an understanding of the rules of evidence which determine what must be proved in order to establish criminal liability and how it may be proved. You will develop the ability to locate relevant statutes, cases, rules of court and practice directions using on-line and print resources and to understand and explain the information so obtained. You will also develop the ability to explain principles of criminal procedure and criminal evidence by forming structured and coherent arguments, using correct legal terminology, and to problem solve by applying your knowledge of criminal procedure and criminal evidence to given factual scenarios.