LAW4561 Advanced criminal law
Faculty of Law
LAW4561 Advanced criminal law is a level 4, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Law, offered in 2027 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It needs LAW1116 or LAW1114.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2027
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 60%
- and 2 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
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Requisites
Before LAW4561
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
After LAW4561
No unit lists LAW4561 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 elective unit builds on your foundational criminal law knowledge and provides you with in‑depth study of selected, complex areas of criminal law not covered in the combined compulsory unit. The unit adopts a primarily doctrinal (“black‑letter”) focus, while also engaging you with policy, reform, and comparative perspectives. Topics may include drug law and policing, domestic violence offences, extended criminal responsibility, advanced homicide doctrines, emerging and technology‑based offences, federal criminal law, public order offences, and selected issues in criminal trials. The unit also incorporates comparative analysis across Australian jurisdictions and critical examination of the operation of criminal law in diverse communities. It is designed for students seeking advanced legal understanding and preparation for criminal law practice or policy‑related careers.
Offerings in 2027
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Oral/group presentationPresentation10%
- Policy brief written assignmentWritten30%
- ExamExamination60%
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
Demonstrate understanding of criminal law within broader social, policy and comparative contexts across Australian jurisdictions with consideration of justice and fairness in criminal law outcomes.
- 2
Reflect convincingly on professional responsibility, ethical issues and decision‑making in criminal law practice and reform.
- 3
Critically evaluate complex criminal law issues, doctrine and reform proposals by utilising advanced legal reasoning and evidence to make informed choices between competing legal and policy approaches.
- 4
Identify, research, evaluate, and synthesise legal, factual, and policy materials relevant to contemporary and advanced criminal law problems.
- 5
Communicate effectively, collaboratively and with coherence on complex criminal law issues for a range of audiences in both oral and written forms.
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.
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for LAW4561?
You need LAW1116 or LAW1114 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.
When is LAW4561 offered?
In 2027, LAW4561 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is LAW4561?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does LAW4561 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 60% of the final mark, alongside 2 other tasks.
More details
- Credit points
- 6
- Level
- 4
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Faculty
- Faculty of Law
- Type
- Coursework
- EFTSL
- 0.125
- Student contribution
- SCA Band 4
- Study abroad
- Available
- Handbook years
- 2027