Description
Miscarriages of Justice is an elective subject in undergraduate programs offered by the Faculty of Law. While there is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of trials produce justified convictions or acquittals, there have been a number of high profile cases where the conclusions are questionable or where decisions have been overturned. This subject examines some of those high profile cases to decipher the systemic causes of such failures through an understanding of the processes involved in the criminal justice system. The subject also addresses the roles of investigators, the media, forensic science, expert witnesses, lawyers, juries, eyewitness testimony and the appeals process to determine how these may impact on cases of injustice.
Subject details
| Type | Undergraduate |
| Code | LAWS13-564 |
| EFTSL | 0.125 |
| Faculty | Faculty of Law |
| Semesters offered |
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| Credit | 10 |
| Study areas |
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| Subject fees |
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Learning outcomes
1. Think critically about an investigation trial and conviction. 2. Apply legal precedent to facts and determine weaknesses in prosecutorial or investigative approach. 3. Communicate findings both during group discussions and in public discourse.
Enrolment requirements
| Requisites: ? | Nil |
|---|---|
| Restrictions: ? | Students must be admitted into a Bachelor law degree or Bachelor of Laws combined degree or be an approved Law Study Abroad OR Law exchange student. This subject is not available as a general elective. To be eligible for enrolment, the subject must be specified in the students’ program structure. |
Subject outlines
Subject dates
| Standard Offering | |
|---|---|
| Enrolment opens | 20/03/2022 |
| Semester start | 16/05/2022 |
| Subject start | 16/05/2022 |
| Cancellation 1? | 30/05/2022 |
| Cancellation 2? | 06/06/2022 |
| Last enrolment | 29/05/2022 |
| Withdraw – Financial? | 11/06/2022 |
| Withdraw – Academic? | 02/07/2022 |
| Teaching census? | 10/06/2022 |