LAW4566 Young people and criminal law
Faculty of Law
LAW4566 Young people and 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 LAW1114, LAW4332 or LAW1116.
- 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 LAW4566
Prerequisites
Pass these before you enrol.
After LAW4566
No unit lists LAW4566 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 distinctive operation of criminal law in relation to children and young people, with a focus on criminal responsibility, procedure, policing, offences, sentencing, detention and non adversarial justice responses. Key outcomes include enabling students to analyse youth specific criminal law principles, critically evaluate the treatment of young people within criminal justice institutions, and assess contemporary policy and law reform debates. The unit incorporates international and comparative content, including international children’s rights standards and comparative youth justice approaches across Australian and International jurisdictions (e.g. Canada and New Zealand), to contextualise Australian and Victorian law within broader global frameworks.
Offerings in 2027
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Court observation and group presentationPresentation10%
- Problem-solving assignmentWritten30%
- Take home 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 an understanding of juvenile justice and youth offending within Australian criminal law, including relevant social, policy, international and comparative contexts, and the principles of children rights, justice, fairness and accountability that inform youth justice outcomes.
- 2
Reflect on ethical issues, professional responsibility and decision making in youth justice practice and reform, including considerations of vulnerability, capacity and culturally responsive approaches to working with children and young people.
- 3
Critically evaluate youth specific criminal law doctrines, reform proposals and issues relating to offences, procedure, bail and sentencing by applying advanced legal reasoning and evidence to make informed choices between competing legal and policy approaches.
- 4
Identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant legal, policy and factual materials relating to juvenile justice, including case law, legislation and reform reports.
- 5
Communicate effectively and collaboratively on complex juvenile justice issues in oral and written forms for legal and non‑legal audiences including policy makers and media.
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 LAW4566?
You need LAW1114, LAW4332 or LAW1116 before you enrol. Enrolment rules also apply.
When is LAW4566 offered?
In 2027, LAW4566 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is LAW4566?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does LAW4566 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