Spring 2021 - CRIM 230 E100

Criminal Law (3)

Class Number: 8504

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 11 – Apr 16, 2021: Wed, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 23, 2021
    Fri, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    CRIM 135.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Nature, purpose, scope, sources and basic principles of the criminal law. Study of certain fundamental legal concepts such as mens rea, negligence and strict liability. Analysis of the concept of criminal responsibility in Canada. Critical examination of the legislative policies expressed in the Criminal Code. Study of the basic elements of a criminal offence. Examination of the legal principles relating to certain specific crimes and to certain major defences. Impact of Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the criminal law.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course will provide students with a critical lens through which to analyze and understand criminal law in Canada. This course will examine the classification of criminal offences, as well as take an in-depth look at a few specific types of offences such as drug offences, impaired driving, sexual assault, and homicide. This course will provide students with an overview of sentencing frameworks in criminal law, as well as specific defences to criminal offences such as NCRMD (not guilty by reason of a mental disorder). This course will examine the administration of criminal law, including the role of key players in the criminal justice system such as the defence lawyer, the crown attorney, the police, etc, as well as the prevalence of wrongful convictions in Canada.  Finally, this course will examine how criminal law is portrayed in the media, and the role this plays in shaping our understanding of criminal law in Canada.    

Course Delivery: 
This course will be delivered synchronously with weekly lectures running on Wednesday from 4:30pm-6:20pm and one-hour tutorials which students will be individually assigned to. Lectures and tutorials will not be recorded.

Grading

  • Final Exam 30%
  • Assignment 25%
  • Response Paper 20%
  • Presentation (tutorial) 15%
  • Meaningful Participation (tutorial) 10%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

There is no required textbook for this course. Readings for this course will include electronic scholarly articles, government reports, case law, media articles, and/or chapters from books that will be made available to students via Canvas. Students will be able to access all scholarly articles through the library website, and links will be provided in the course syllabus and via Canvas. Similarly, students will be provided with links to all other course readings.


Department Undergraduate Notes:

If you have any Criminology course enrollment requests (course adds, course swaps), please contact a Criminology advisor. Please do not contact instructors for enrollment assistance as they will ultimately refer you to a Criminology advisor.

Criminology course enrollment requests should be sent to a Criminology advisor no later than the last day of the Second week of classes. Late enrollment requests are subject to approval and are not guaranteed. 

Enrollment requests for non-Crim courses should be directed to the advisor for the program offering the course. 



ATTENTION: STUDENTS WITH A DISABILITY: Please contact the Center for Accessible Learning, (MBC 1250 or Phone 778-782-3112) if you need or require assistance, not your individual instructors.  

  • A student must complete ALL aspects of a course (including assignments, exams, class participation, presentations, chat room components), otherwise they will receive a grade of N. 
  • The University has formal policies regarding academic dishonesty and grade appeals. Students are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with policy S 10.01, the Code of Academic Integrity and Good Conduct, available on the University’s website. Information about grade appeals may be obtained from the General Office of the School of Criminology.
  • Under GP18, the University has policies and procedures which respond to our obligations under the BC Human Rights Code to provide a harassment and discrimination free environment for the students, staff and faculty of this institution.  Members of this community have an affirmative obligation to safeguard the human rights of others.
UNIVERSITY POLICY FORBIDS FINAL EXAMINATIONS WHILE CLASSES ARE STILL IN SESSION.

Please note that all teaching at SFU in spring term 2021 will be conducted through remote methods. Enrollment in this course acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as soon as possible to ensure that they are eligible and that approved accommodations and services are implemented in a timely fashion.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English. Each student is responsible for their own conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2021

Teaching at SFU in spring 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).