| CODE | CRL1013 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Basic Notions of Criminal Law | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 8 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Criminal Law | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit focuses upon Criminal Law theory. It discusses the nature of a criminal offence, how offences are sub-divided into crimes and contraventions as well as the forms of criminal liability ranging from the attempted offence to the completed offence. The juridical nature of conspiracy and complicity are also discussed together with the temporal nature of a criminal offence. Other matters studied in this study unit include defences that can be pleaded to criminal offences and the concurrence of criminal offences and their respective punishments. Study-Unit Aims: The aim of this study-unit is to examine the principles of Criminal Law, the theory of Responsibility, Limitations of Criminal law and General defences will be critically examined. It will discuss the various forms of the criminal action namely, preparatory acts, attempts, completed offence, conspired offence and complicity therein. It also discusses the modes of punishment inflicted for commission of a criminal offence. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Discuss the main principles and notions governing criminal law in Maltese law. 2. Evaluate the main offences in criminal law forming part of the syllabus of criminal law. 3. Interpret the principle interplay in interpreting criminal law. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 1. Apply and interpret criminal law provisions to given facts or cases. 2. Write on the general principles of criminal law. 3. Distinguish criminal law from other areas of the law. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: 1. Mamo: Notes on Criminal Law, University of Malta, Msida. 2. Criminal Code, Chapter 9, Laws of Malta 3. Constitution of Malta 4. The Interpretation Act, Chapter 249, Laws of Malta Supplementary Readings: 1. David Ormerod and Karl Laird, Smith and Hogan's Criminal Law, Butterworths, 14th edition, May 2015. 2. Francesco Antolisei, Manuale di Diritto Penale, Giuffre’, 2013 3. Andrew Ashworth and Jeremy Horder, Principles of Criminal Law, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2013. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Mary Muscat |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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