ATS3084 Justice in practice: Interdisciplinary approaches to criminology and criminal law

In this interdisciplinary unit, you will engage with students and academic staff from Criminology and Criminal Law to critically examine the legal, social, and institutional dimensions of contemporary criminal justice issues. Responding to the growing demand for cross-disciplinary and globally-aware legal education and crime prevention, the unit prepares you not only to understand the legal framework of the criminal justice system but also to evaluate its broader construction, application and reform potential through both local and international lenses.

Criminal justice problems cannot be adequately understood or addressed from a single disciplinary lens. You will explore key topics that connect theory and practice.  Law students bring doctrinal knowledge, statutory interpretation skills, and familiarity with legal reasoning; Criminology students contribute theoretical insights, empirical research methods, and a sociological understanding of criminalisation and justice processes. Together, these perspectives foster a rich, dialogical learning environment in which students are encouraged to interrogate disciplinary assumptions and build collaborative, practice-informed understandings of justice.

This unit will be based at Monash Prato campus and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative, developed in partnership with an Italian university. You will work directly with Italian peers on shared learning activities, discussions, and group projects. This international collaboration enables comparative and intercultural engagement with diverse legal traditions and social responses to criminal justice and legal challenges. It will enhance your global perspective, teamwork skills, and cultural competencies, essential attributes for future legal and justice professionals operating in an increasingly interconnected world.