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LAW-30118 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 18 April 2024

LAW-30118 - The Practice of Criminal Litigation
Coordinator: Lisa Mountford Tel: +44 1782 7 34363
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733218

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

LAW-10039 (Legal Essentials)

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25


Aims
To provide a practitioner focused insight into the practice of criminal litigation, from the point of giving advice at the police station through to a consideration of evidential issues, sentence upon conviction and appeal.
The content of this module broadly aligns with the SRA's SQE Assessment Specifications.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/law-30118/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

Explain the various procedural stages of a criminal case and advise a client accordingly: 2
Evaluate the tactical and legal considerations in advising at the Police Station and be able to apply the Code for Crown Prosecutors to a charging decision in relation to adults and youths: 2
Identify and deal with professional conduct issues if they arise and be able to offer advice on the availability of public funding: 2
Apply the rules of criminal evidence to a factual scenario: 2
Demonstrate effective oral advocacy skills by for example, making or opposing an application for bail; making a plea in mitigation or delivering an evidential submission to have evidence excluded: 1
Explain and apply the principles of sentencing: 1,2

Study hours

Lectures 13 x 1 hour
Drop-in (1 hour)
Workshops 9 x 2 hours
Self-study questionnaires on rules of evidence (20 hours)
Preparation for workshops totals 60 hours
Preparation for assessments 38 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Oral Presentation weighted 30%
Advocacy assessment
An oral advocacy application in the context of a criminal litigation exceeding no more than 15 minutes duration.

2: Open Book Examination weighted 70%
28-hour, online open book exam-active working time 4 hours
A problem based open book exam. Although 28 hours has been allocated as the time frame within which answers must be submitted, it is expected that most students will take no more than 4 hours to complete their answers. Answers must be completed and submitted in accordance with the Law School approved rubric for 28-hour online assessments. The maximum word limit for this practice-based module is 3500 words.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 18 April 2024