Note from June 29, 2020
Although we do not yet know how long the social distancing related to the Covid-19 pandemic will last, and regardless of the changes that had to be made in the evaluation of the June 2020 session in relation to what is provided for in this learning unit description, new learnig unit evaluation methods may still be adopted by the teachers; details of these methods have been - or will be - communicated to the students by the teachers, as soon as possible.
Although we do not yet know how long the social distancing related to the Covid-19 pandemic will last, and regardless of the changes that had to be made in the evaluation of the June 2020 session in relation to what is provided for in this learning unit description, new learnig unit evaluation methods may still be adopted by the teachers; details of these methods have been - or will be - communicated to the students by the teachers, as soon as possible.
6 credits
60.0 h
Q1
Teacher(s)
Vandermeersch Damien;
Language
French
Main themes
The study of criminal law is centered on the knowledge and understanding of the general principles of criminal law; on the constituent elements of the offense; on the rules relative to the perpetrator, as well as on the relevant penalities and their application.
By way of example, we enumerate a few topics:
- Under what conditions can an individual find himself in a situation justifying the use of force in self-defense?
- Can a minor (or a person suffering from mental disorder) be tried by criminal court?
- What is a suspended sentence on probation and under what conditions can it be adjudged?
In this part, the professor outlines basic rights, such as the presumption of innocence, the right to remain silent, the right to a fair trial, the rights of the defense, the right to individual freedom, the inviolability of the home - and their concrete implications. The course covers a prosecution, describing the role and the powers of the various players (prosecution, defense, party seeking civil damages, judge, etc.).
By way of example, we enumerate a few topics:
- Under what conditions can an individual find himself in a situation justifying the use of force in self-defense?
- Can a minor (or a person suffering from mental disorder) be tried by criminal court?
- What is a suspended sentence on probation and under what conditions can it be adjudged?
In this part, the professor outlines basic rights, such as the presumption of innocence, the right to remain silent, the right to a fair trial, the rights of the defense, the right to individual freedom, the inviolability of the home - and their concrete implications. The course covers a prosecution, describing the role and the powers of the various players (prosecution, defense, party seeking civil damages, judge, etc.).
Aims
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| 1 |
The aim is to provide students, future criminologists, coming from diverse backgrounds, with as complete a survey as possible of the fundamental rules and principles of criminal law and procedure. The study of criminal law and Procedure involves fundamental principles affecting individual rights and freedoms. The course also covers the multiplicity of situations with which a party appearing before the court may be confronted, be that party the suspect or the victim of a crime, or the witness to a crime. The effectiveness of a law is often dependent upon the information and the understanding which the parties concerned have of the law. The criminologist is called upon to play a front-line role in this regard,alongside the partie appearing before the court. The student, who is not a law student, is thus called upon to familiarize himself with concepts of criminal law and procedure, but he must also be capable of analyzing and explaining the implications of a concret situation with which he could be faced in his latter practice as a criminologist. The effectiveness of a law is often dependent upon the information and the understanding which the parties concerned have of the law. |
The contribution of this Teaching Unit to the development and command of the skills and learning outcomes of the programme(s) can be accessed at the end of this sheet, in the section entitled “Programmes/courses offering this Teaching Unit”.
Content
The course relies on written materials which contain the basis of the knowledge which the student must master and on lectures whose purpose is to illustrate the course content with concrete cases.
Evaluation methods
Written examination.
Bibliography
- Damien Vandermeersch, "Eléments de droit pénal et de procédure pénale", Bruges, La Charte, 2003.
Teaching materials
- Damien Vandermeersch, "Eléments de droit pénal et de procédure pénale", Bruges, La Charte, 2003.
Faculty or entity
ECRI
