Australian courts represent a fundamental pillar of the criminal justice system. Understanding their role and responsibilities is important for students studying criminology, sociology, law and public policy. In this course, students will be introduced to the key issues and principles which govern the administration of justice, particularly as this relates to the important role of courts within the wider criminal justice system. Both historical and contemporary issues will be explored, including a key focus on recent innovations as the judicial system attempts to become more responsive to the multiplicity of needs within the offender population. Wherever possible, this course is complemented with field visits to the ACT Magistrates and Supreme Courts, as well as the High Court of Australia.
 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Source and evaluate information and data about the role and function of courts in Australia;
2. Chart the history of innovation in court practice in Australia and its connection to the development of criminal justice policy;
3. Apply both theory and research to critically evaluate the role and function of courts in Australia;
4. Identify areas in need of reform and make recommendations that are supported by international and national best practice; and,
5. Present the outcomes of research in both oral and written formats.

Field Trips

There will be two tours to the High Court of Australia (in Weeks 10 and 11). Students will be asked to show their personal preference to attend one of the tours (i.e. either on 13th May or 20th May) in Week 2. For students who cannot attend either tour due to unavoidable circumstances, please contact the Course Convener in Week 1 before the allocation begins in Week 2.

Other field visits (i.e. public court hearings) to courts will be independent and unsupervised. Students will be asked to reflect on their experience and answer questions provided in the activity booklet (i.e. written assignment 1 & 2) for each visit. An additional activity booklet will be provided to students for their final visit to the High Court of Australia. Students’ observation and reflection on their final visit will be used to support their answers in the exam (see “Assessment Item 5: Examination” for more detail).

Required Resources

Findlay, M., Odgers, S., and Yeo, S. (2014) Australian Criminal Justice, 5th ed. Ed. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Course Introduction: Law, Crime and the Judicial Function
2	Court Organisation and Structure	Tutorial participation
3	Courtroom Actors	Tutorial participation
4	Field Trip – Public Court Hearings	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation
5	Court Processes: Pre-trial and Trial	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation
6	Court Processes: Sentencing	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation; Written assignment 1
7	Court Processes: Appeals	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation
8	Field Trip – Public Court Hearings	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation
9	Specialist Courts and Diversion Programs	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation
10	Field Trip – Public Court Hearings / Supervised tour at the High Court of Australia	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation; Written assignment 2
11	Field Trip – Public Court Hearings / Supervised tour at the High Court of Australia	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation
12	Summary	Tutorial participation; Tutorial presentation

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial participation	10 %	31/05/2019	31/05/2019	1, 2, 3, 4
Tutorial presentation	20 %	31/05/2019	31/05/2019	1, 2, 3, 4
Written assignment 1	15 %	05/04/2019	23/04/2019	1, 3, 4
Written assignment 2	15 %	17/05/2019	31/05/2019	1, 3, 4
Examination	40 %	22/06/2019	04/07/2019	1, 2, 3, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Examination(s)

The examination timetable is set by the ANU examinations office and students will be notified by the Course Convenor when the timetable is available. 

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial participation

Your attendance will be recorded at the beginning of each tutorial. Unless otherwise approved, students are required to attend the tutorial to which they have been assigned. Anticipated absences should be discussed with the lecturer in advance of the tutorial and alternative arrangements should be made, where appropriate. If, due to illness or otherwise, your absence from class is unanticipated, you should alert the lecturer as soon as possible.

Notwithstanding the requirement to attend each tutorial, the participation component of this assessment will be graded giving consideration to how regularly you as a student engage with the readings, participate in the activities and respond to questions raised by the lecturer or tutor. Thus, while attendance is mandatory, it is through your engagement that you earn your participation marks.

Assessment Task 2

Tutorial presentation

This assessment is a group-work activity. You will be divided into groups of 3 or 4 with a specific topic for each group. The class presentation is intended to provide opportunity for students to: (1) conduct research on a designated topic; (2) analyse the relevant subject matter on that topic; (3) identify the significance of that subject matter within the area of criminal justice; (4) communicate that position to the audience in an articulate and interesting manner; (5) engage the audience in discussion.

Assessment Task 3

Written assignment 1

This is a take home piece of coursework.

The word limit for each reflective note is 1,500 words. Each assignment must specify the number of words used. A penalty will be imposed if the word limit is substantially exceeded of one mark per two hundred and fifty words.

Assignments should be typed.

The assignment is intended to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the manner in which criminal courts operate.

Assessment Task 4

Written assignment 2

This is a take home piece of coursework.

The word limit for each reflective note is 1,500 words. Each assignment must specify the number of words used. A penalty will be imposed if the word limit is substantially exceeded of one mark per two hundred and fifty words.

Assignments should be typed.

The assignment is intended to allow students to demonstrate their understanding of the manner in which criminal courts operate.

Assessment Task 5

Examination

The final exam will cover material presented during the course, including from the recommended readings. There will be both multiple choice questions and short answer questions, the latter of which will only relate to the visit to the High Court of Australia. Students will be allowed to bring with them, to the exam, the activity booklet for their last court visit and a piece of note paper (on an A4 paper).

The examination timetable is set by the ANU examinations office and students will be notified by the Course Convenor when the timetable is available. 

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission not permitted. If submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date is not permitted, a mark of 0 will be awarded.
• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students