| CODE | CRI2002 | ||||||
| TITLE | Criminal Investigation | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Criminology | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit continues to build on the knowledge taught in study-unit CRM1006 Introduction to Criminalistics. CRL1006/7 Criminal Law and Procedure. It aims at introducing the various roles of the major key players in criminal investigations and the laws and procedures that come into play. The importance of evaluating and accessing a crime scene and the policy and decision making required during the investigative process will also be covered within the context of the legal admissibility of evidence. Students will build on their knowledge of crime and will understand the legal implications related to the investigation of crime. For this reason criminal law and procedure are two very important components that come into play and continuous reference is made to existing case law and real case work. Study-unit Aims: - Familiarise students to the general aspects of criminal investigations; - Prepare the student with the legal and criminal understanding of the intrinsic value of criminal investigations; - Pose links between the respective criminological theories and other policing strategies that come in place in criminal investigations; - Provide a clear understanding of the legal implications surrounding criminal investigations and the importance of the disciplined observance of the law throughout the entire process. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain the scientific and legal principles in the process of collating evidence; - Describe the step by step approach that is essentially required; - Describe the construct of a specific crime type; - Recognise and choose the adequate investigative approach; - Describe the tactical, procedural and legal implications; - Assess the evidential value of the evidence for each particular construct of a crime. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Foster critical thinking skills; - Adopt various observation skills and preparation of evidence skills to particular scenarios; - Adopt the structured analytical approach to presenting their investigation; - Analyse and discuss the investigative process; - Describe who are the major key players in criminal investigations; - Identify wrong doings and best practices; - Describe the role of each stakeholder. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Bennet, W. W. & Hess, K. M. (2006) Criminal Investigation (8th ed.). Belmont: Wadsworth Thomson. - Brandl, S. G. (2004). Criminal Investigation: An analytical perspective. USA: Allyn & Bacon. - Lyman, M. D. (2008) Criminal Investigation: The art and the science (5th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hill. Hess, K.M, Hess Orthmann, C and Lim Cho, H. (2020). Criminal Investigation, 11th Edition. Mexico: Cengage Learning. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Additional Notes: This Study-Unit is only offered to BA (Hons) in Criminology students. | ||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | John Spiteri |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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