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PUL805Law3 Unitsintermediate

Comparative Criminal Law I

This course focuses on criminal responsibility, elements of offences, and available defenses, taking a comparative approach across jurisdictions like Nigeria, Ghana, and India. It explores the concept, content, and basis of criminal responsibility, addressing offenses such as murder and manslaughter. The course also examines strict liability and sexual offenses, providing a comprehensive understanding of criminal law principles and their application in different legal systems. Students will analyze legal standards, case laws, and statutory provisions to evaluate criminal responsibility and defenses.

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26h
Study Time
13
Weeks
2h
Per Week
none
Math Level
Course Keywords
Criminal ResponsibilityMurderManslaughterDefensesComparative Law

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
📚
Math Level
No Math
📖
Learning Type
Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Criminal Responsibility

2

Murder

3

Manslaughter

4

Strict Liability

5

Sexual Offences

6

Defenses to Offences

Total Topics6 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

tutor-marked assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

final examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Law Enforcement

Apply your skills in this growing field

Legal Counsel

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Judiciary

Apply your skills in this growing field

Paralegal

Apply your skills in this growing field

Criminal Investigator

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

LawGovernmentSecurityCorrectionsJudicial System

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: General Principles; The Concept And Basis of Criminal Responsibility; Comparative Sources of Criminal Law

2h

Unit 1: The Meaning of Criminal Responsibility

2 study hours
  • •Define criminal responsibility
  • •Discuss the anticipated results of committing a crime
  • •Explain the laws governing crimes across jurisdictions
Week
2

Module 1: General Principles; The Concept And Basis of Criminal Responsibility; Comparative Sources of Criminal Law

2h

Unit 2: The Concept, Content and Basis of Criminal Responsibility

2 study hours
  • •Discuss how criminal responsibility is evaluated
  • •Explain legal defenses to criminal responsibility
  • •Examine the relationship between intention and anti-social events
Week
3

Module 1: General Principles; The Concept And Basis of Criminal Responsibility; Comparative Sources of Criminal Law

2h

Unit 3: The Conceptual Problem of Criminal Responsibility and Codification in both Common Law and Civil Law Jurisdictions (Nigeria, Ghana, India, Queensland)

2 study hours
  • •Analyze conceptual problems of criminal responsibility
  • •Examine principles in statutes and case laws
  • •Compare principles across jurisdictions
Week
4

Module 1: General Principles; The Concept And Basis of Criminal Responsibility; Comparative Sources of Criminal Law

2h

Unit 4: The Comparative Sources of Criminal Law in Jurisdictions (Nigeria, Ghana, India, Sudan Respectively)

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the relevance of criminal law
  • •Explain how criminal law protects human life, property, morality, and the state
  • •Compare sources of criminal law across jurisdictions
Week
5

Module 2: Murder and Its Elements

2h

Unit 1: Murder

2 study hours
  • •Identify acts of prosecution of unlawful purpose
  • •Explain the position of murder in Nigeria, Ghana and India
  • •Discuss the elements of the crime of murder
Week
6

Module 2: Murder and Its Elements

2h

Unit 2: Actus Reus (AR)

2 study hours
  • •Explain the different definitions of actus reus
  • •Explain how the elements of actus reus differ across jurisdictions
  • •Discuss the importance of actus reus in criminal law
Week
7

Module 2: Murder and Its Elements

2h

Unit 3: Mens Rea (MR)

2 study hours
  • •Analyze the shift in establishing mens rea
  • •Explain the test for the existence of mens rea
  • •Discuss intention, knowledge, recklessness, and objective fault
Week
8

Module 3: Distinctions on Murder and Manslaughter

2h

Unit 1: Manslaughter

2 study hours
  • •Differentiate between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter
  • •Discuss the punishment for manslaughter
  • •Explain the elements of manslaughter
Week
9

Module 3: Distinctions on Murder and Manslaughter

2h

Unit 2: The Distinction between Voluntary and Involuntary Manslaughter

2 study hours
  • •Identify when a killing constitutes manslaughter
  • •Compare the distinction between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter
  • •Discuss mitigating circumstances
Week
10

Module 3: Distinctions on Murder and Manslaughter

2h

Unit 3: Criticism and Distinction on the Offence of Murder and Manslaughter

2 study hours
  • •Explain the distinction and relationship between murder and manslaughter
  • •Prove that the sentence depends on jurisdiction and court evaluations
  • •Discuss the moral implications of each offence
Week
11

Module 3: Distinctions on Murder and Manslaughter

2h

Unit 4: Provisions on the Punishment of the Offences

2 study hours
  • •Discuss the punishment for murder and manslaughter
  • •Explain the exceptions to the death penalty
  • •Compare punishments across different jurisdictions
Week
12

Module 4: Strict Liability and Other Offences

4h

Unit 1: Concept of Strict Liability

2 study hours
  • •Explain the concept of strict liability
  • •Discuss the applicability of strict liability in criminal cases
  • •State the arguments for and against strict liability

Unit 2: Rape

2 study hours
  • •Define rape
  • •State the various jurisdictions' views on rape
  • •Distinguish rape from other forms of indecent assault
Week
13

Module 4: Strict Liability and Other Offences

2h

Unit 3: Other Sexual Offences

2 study hours
  • •State the laws regulating sexual offences
  • •Describe the ingredients of assault
  • •Discuss the gravity of sexual offences in various jurisdictions

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Review key definitions of criminal responsibility from Unit 1

2

Create comparative charts of murder and manslaughter elements (Units 5-7)

3

Practice applying defenses (Units 11-13) to hypothetical scenarios

4

Focus on case laws from Nigeria, Ghana, and India

5

Allocate study time evenly across all modules

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