FORENSIC SCIENCE PROGRAM TRENT UNIVERSITY

Transcription

1 FORENSIC SCIENCE PROGRAM TRENT UNIVERSITY FRSC 2100: Criminal Code 2016 FA Peterborough Instructor: Rhonda Smith Campus: Symons Trent Office Location: DNA B Telephone: ext Office Hours: Tues 11am 1pm Academic Administrative Assistant: Francisca Eckstein Office Location: DNA B111 Telephone: ext Teaching Assistant: TBD Course Description: This course focuses on offences and procedures contained in the Criminal Code of Canada. These include offences against the person, property, public order and processes such as seizure of property. Students will research case law and learn how to use it to understand criminal offences and defences. Required Texts: The 2016 Annotated Tremeear s Criminal Code of Canada, Student Edition or Regular Edition. Please bring the text to class with you each lecture.) Other Required Readings: As assigned during the course. LearningSystem/Blackboard: It is important that you familiarize yourself with the Blackboard learning system as it will be key information source for this course. Any course content slides used by the instructor during lectures that week will usually be posted to Blackboard within one or two days of the lecture. Blackboard will be the main tool for posting announcements although some announcements will be made in class as well and not all announcements will be posted on Blackboard. As well, some supplementary course reading material for which you will be responsible may be posted in advance of class, although some may be provided to you in class and not posted on the system. In addition, your assignment and test grades will be accessible by you under My Grades in Blackboard except for your final mark which comes directly from the Registrar s Office to you. Course Format:

2 Peterborough Campus: Please check to confirm times and locations. Type Day Time Location Lecture Monday 9:00am to 11:50pm OCA 203 Learning Outcomes: The course is developed to address several learning outcomes which include: 1. expanding knowledge of criminal law; 2. increasing understanding of the Criminal Code and how it works; 3. knowing how to apply the Criminal Code in analyzing situations and use sound judgement in decision making; 4. information gathering skills to investigate crimes in light of the Criminal Code; and, 5. caselaw research and analyze specific to particular offences. Course Evaluation: Normally, at least 25% of the grade in an undergraduate half-credit course offered in the Fall/Winter academic session must be determined and made available by the final date for withdrawal. Fall 2015, final date for withdrawal is November 8, No final examination is worth more than 50% of the final grade. With the exception of laboratory examinations in the sciences, no in-class tests or final examinations which are worth more than 10% of the final grade may be held during the last two weeks of classes in the Fall or Winter term. [Office1] Type of Assignment/Test Weighting Due Date Midterm Exam: The mid-term will test all information covered in the course up to this point in time. It will be a 2 hour test held 15% Week 6 in class. Crime File Videos: The Crime Videos will be 8-10 minute videos by groups determined in week 2 of the course. Each group will be assigned a section of the Criminal Code, create a relevant scenario and play roles in order to demonstrate the 20% Week 8 section, potential defences, and relevant Caselaw principles to their classmates. Crime Journal: The Crime Journal is an ongoing student responsibility and will require the student to follow the media s reporting of crime weekly for 7 weeks and relate it to the 25% Week 10 relevant Criminal Code sections and evidentiary and legal issues. Attendance: Attendance will be taken regularly in class. 5% All term Final Exam: The final exam will test all of the information covered in the course, with emphasis on material covered since the mid-term, and will occur during the regular exam schedule. 35% Per exam schedule 2

3 Week-by-week schedule: Fall Term 2105 Lecture Topics Readings read the section in the Text as well as the related caselaw for each section listed below Week 1 Sept 12 Introduction to Course Table of Contents; Glossary of Terms; Week 2 Sept 19 Week 3 Sept 26 Week 4 Oct 3 Working with the Criminal Code Parties to an Offence; Presumptions and Defences the rights of property Table of Cases Sections 1, 2, 4, 6, 7(3.7), 7(4.1), 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, Sections 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 464, 465, 8, 16, 17, 19, 25, 26, 33.1, 34, 35, 43 Sections 322, 334, 335, 343, 344, 348, 349, 354, 355, 361, 362, 380 Tests/Assignments Start Crime Journal Entries Crime Video Groups assigned Week 5 Oct 10 Thanksgiving no classes Week 6 Oct 17 Mid-term test Mid term test 2 hours in class Week 7 Oct 24 Reading Week No Week 8 Oct 31 Week 9 Nov 7 Week 10 Nov 14 Week 11 Nov 21 Week 12 Nov 28 Week 13 Dec 5 During Exam Period Dec 9-21 Classes person person & sexual offences An afternoon at the movies person Search, Seizure & Sentencing Final exam review Sections 222, 229, 234, 239, 219, 265, 266, 267, 268, 270, Sections 271, 273, 273.1, 273.2, 150.1, 151, 153, Sections 249, 252, 253, 254, 255, 264 Sections 486, 486.4, , , 489, 698, , , 730, 731, 732, 734, 742, 745 Crime File Videos due on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 3:30pm. Crime Journals due at start of class Final Exam 2 hours 3

4 Department and/or Course Policies: 1. Attendance Successful completion of this course requires regular class attendance. You are strongly encouraged to attend all lectures. You will be tested on material discussed in lecture even if it does not appear in the text book or course slides. Ultimately attendance is up to you. You do not need to inform me or the TA s when you will be away. You are responsible for managing your own attendance. 2. Questions sent via /voic It is important that you be aware of the information in this syllabus. Questions seeking information contained in the syllabus will not be responded to. 3. Assignments, Tests & Exams - a. MID-TERM TEST & FINAL EXAM Students are not to make any commitments (i.e. vacation, job-related, or other travel plans) during either the term as a whole or the final examination period. Students are required to be available for all examinations during the periods for which they are scheduled (as published in the course syllabus and/or university time table). b. DEFFERRAL OF MIDTERM/FINAL EXAM/ASSIGNMENT EXTENSIONS There will be no extension of deadlines for completion of assignments or writing of midterm/final exam. The only time an extension may be granted is where illness, accident or other extreme and unanticipated legitimate circumstance occurs which is beyond the student s control and where there is supporting documentation as referenced below. c. LATE ASSIGNMENTS Assignments are to be handed in at the beginning of class on the due date. Assignments handed in AFTER the first 15 minutes of class, but still handed in during class, will be docked 5%. Assignments handed in within 24 hours from the start of the class they were due will be docked an additional 10%, and an additional 10% every day (24 hour period) thereafter. All late assignments, other than the ones handed in during class, are to be handed into the Forensic Sciences Program office, DNA building, B111 and stamped, if during office hours, or otherwise put in the secure assignment box outside the office. d. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION Students are required to submit supporting documentation before b. above is approved without penalty. Supporting documentation must relate directly to the time period at issue. Supporting documentation will take the form of: i. for medical or illness reasons, the Trent University Medical Certificate from Health Services ( or a letter from the attending physician clearly indicating the start and end dates of the illness and the student s inability to write a test/exam, complete an assignment, and/or attend classes, as relevant to the particular request; and, ii. for other circumstances, students should consult the instructor about acceptable forms of documentation. e. PRE-REQUISITE FOR FUTURE COURSES - Note that a pass of 60% is required in order to continue taking law courses in the Forensic Science Program. If that applies to 4

5 you then know that there will be no circumstances, if you received a final mark of less than 60%, where you will be allowed to make up marks once the course in completed. Therefore it is important that you take steps early in the course to ensure your success. You are encouraged to seek extra help from the Instructor or the Teaching Assistants, through your Academic Advisor, and/or the Academic Skills Centre. University Policies Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty, which includes plagiarism and cheating, is an extremely serious academic offence and carries penalties varying from failure on an assignment to expulsion from the University. Definitions, penalties, and procedures for dealing with plagiarism and cheating are set out in Trent University s Academic Integrity Policy. You have a responsibility to educate yourself unfamiliarity with the policy is not an excuse. You are strongly encouraged to visit Trent s Academic Integrity website to learn more: Access to Instruction: It is Trent University's intent to create an inclusive learning environment. If a student has a disability and documentation from a regulated health care practitioner and feels that he/she may need accommodations to succeed in a course, the student should contact the Student Accessibility Services Office (SAS) at the respective campus as soon as possible, (Peterborough, Blackburn Hall, Suite 132, or sas@trentu.ca For Trent University Durham, Thornton Road, Room 111 contact ext or corinnphillips@trentu.ca Complete text can be found under Access to Instruction in the Academic Calendar. Have a great term! 5