What is a crime? How does criminal justice work in England and Wales? Find out more by following a case through the system.
Why join the course?
What happens when a crime is allegedly committed in England and Wales? Now’s your chance to find out. On this course, you’ll follow a suspect through the journey of investigation, prosecution and adjudication. You’ll step inside the courtroom - discovering how criminal justice processes work - and learn about the criminal law and key institutions like the police and the courts.
What topics will you cover?
- Week 1: Definitions of crime; measuring the extent of crime
- Week 2: Investigation and prosecution
- Week 3: The trial process
- Week 4: Sentencing
When would you like to start?
Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts.
- Available now
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to
- Identify different definitions of ‘crime’.
- Describe, in basic terms, key processes in criminal justice including investigation, prosecution, defence, adjudication and sentencing.
- Develop a reasoned view on the values underpinning criminal justice processes in England and Wales and on the effectiveness of institutions including police, lawyers, and courts.
Who is the course for?
This course is aimed at those with good secondary education and an interest in law and/or criminal justice. The level is undergraduate level 1, so equivalent to the first year of a degree course. You do not need any prior knowledge of the field, but a keen interest in criminal justice is essential.
Who will you learn with?
I am a postgraduate student at York Law School, having completed my LLB in 2018. Additionally, I support witnesses in the criminal courts and represent the interests of young people to the Police.
Who developed the course?
University of York
The University of York combines the pursuit of academic excellence with a culture of inclusion, which encourages everyone – from a variety of backgrounds – to achieve their best.
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