LAW4304 Forensic evidence: Law, science, medicine and technology
Faculty of Law
LAW4304 Forensic evidence: Law, science, medicine and technology is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2027 in Winter at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2027
- Winter
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 50%
- and 1 other task
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
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Requisites
Before LAW4304
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After LAW4304
No unit lists LAW4304 as a prerequisite in the 2027 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Students who commenced their course in or before 2026 must have completed a minimum of 60 credit points of law study.
Students who commenced their course in 2027 or later must have completed a minimum of 54 credit points of law study.
Overview
This unit examines the interaction between science, medicine, technology and the law. It focuses on the issues that arise when experts give forensic evidence in legal proceedings. Each week experts will present lectures about their areas of expertise. Topics include:
- field investigations (e.g., crime scene investigation, fire and explosion investigation);
- death investigations (e.g., forensic pathology, forensic odontology, forensic anthropology);
- forensic medicine (e.g., investigation of adult and child sexual assault);
- mental health evidence (e.g., forensic psychiatry, forensic psychology);
- comparison evidence (e.g., fingerprints, ballistics, toolmarks, document examination);
- biological and chemical evidence (e.g., DNA, drug analysis, chemical trace evidence);
- technological evidence (e.g., digital evidence, AV evidence).
Offerings in 2027
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Winter semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Research paperResearch assignment50%
- Take home exam50%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Identify and articulate the challenges presented and the tensions which arise when forensic evidence is tendered in legal proceedings.
- 2
Critically assess forensic evidence in a range of fields, in order to identify its strengths and weaknesses.
- 3
Recognise and reflect upon the ethical issues that may arise when forensic evidence is given in legal proceedings, and the professional responsibilities of lawyers in addressing these issues.
- 4
Demonstrate research skills and the reasoning and professional judgment required to formulate appropriate responses to complex legal problems involving forensic evidence.
- 5
Communicate effectively and persuasively on issues relating to forensic evidence.
- 6
Learn and work autonomously and use feedback to improve their own performance.
Workload and teaching
- Seminars36 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. The unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
Learning resources
Required resources
See the Moodle unit page for prescribed and recommended resources. Prescribed texts are usually available for purchase through the University Bookstore and are sometimes available for short-term loan or as eBooks through the library.
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW4304?
LAW4304 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is LAW4304 offered?
In 2027, LAW4304 runs in Winter at Clayton.
How much work is LAW4304?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does LAW4304 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 50% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.