Warning! This unit contains mature content and may not be suitable for some students. Any student under the age of 16 who would like to enrol in this unit must first complete a Parental Consent Form.

Subject details

At the completion of this subject students will be able to:

  1. understand how homicide is defined and explained
  2. develop an in-depth understanding of different types of homicide from experts in the field
  3. gain an understanding of the strengths and limitations of three key investigative strategies used in the detection of serious violent offenders
  4. understand the criminal trial process and its limitations
  5. develop an understanding of the punishment for homicide

  • Topics

    • Homicide: Introduction to the crime event.
    • Domestic Homicide
    • Child Homicide
    • Multiple Homicide
    • Detection of the Homicide Offender(s)
    • Police Intelligence
    • Forensics & Evidence Gathering at Crime Scenes
    • Prosecution for Murder
    • Victims of Homicide
    • The Prison Experience
    • Course Review & Exam Prep

  • Study resources

    • Instructional Methods

      • Disscusion forum/Discussion Board
      • Online assignment submission
      • Podcasting/Leacture capture

    • Online Materials

      • Resources and Links
      • Audio-Video streaming

Entry Requirements

Others

Students who have completed CCJ15 and CCJ11 as part of their degree can only enrol in CCJ114 as one of their two first year elective subjects.

Special requirements

No special requirements

This subject introduces students to the criminal justice process by illustration. Starting with a focus on the key elements of the crime event, students will develop an understanding of serious violent offences through the lens of offenders and victims of violence.

Students then learn how the criminal justice system responds to serious violence offences with particular emphasis on lethal violence. Using a case study approach, students first learn how serious violent offences are detected and investigated by the policing arm of the criminal justice system. Students then consider how these offences are processed in the courts, which includes the criminal trial process and sentencing.

Finally, students review the various forms of custodial sentencing and correctional settings. Throughout the subject students review the ways that criminological theory has informed the various ways that the criminal justice system responds to serious violent offences (eg. from policing initiatives and responses to sentencing to correctional rehabilitation).

  • Assignment 1 - Invigilated Exam (30%)
  • Assignment 2 - Homicide Investigation Review (40%)
  • Assignment 3 - Homicide Case Study (30%)

Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a subject.

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Related degrees

Undergraduate

Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice