- International Fees
International fees are typically 3.12 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Course Overview
The Canadian criminal justice is an adversarial system of adjudication which pits the State against accused. The system applies well-established rules governing both the procedural and substantive aspects of a criminal process. The conflict takes place within a criminal trial and related judicial proceedings. This course pursues a detailed exploration of the criminal justice process, from the commencement of the investigation to the verdict at trial. Each step is considered in the context of the goal of a fair and impartial inquiry aimed at getting at the truth. The perspective of the major players in the process, including the police, Crown counsel, the accused, the judge and jury, and even witnesses, are all explained and explored.
Prerequisite(s)
- No prerequisites are required for this course.
Credits
3.0
- Not offered this term
- This course is not offered this term. Please check back next term or subscribe to receive notifications of future course offerings and other opportunities to learn more about this course and related programs.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Assess the fundamental legal principles that govern all criminal proceedings in Canada, including those principles applicable to the adversarial system of justice upon which we rely.
- Identify the rights of accused persons in Canadian law, and the obligations of agents of the state, including investigators and Crown Counsel, and to discuss the key underlying principles.
- Compare and contrast the respective roles of Crown Counsel, defence counsel and the judge and jury, and explore other perspectives on the Canadian criminal justice system, including those of professional and civilian witnesses in a proceeding.
- Differentiate the stages of a Canadian criminal proceeding from investigation to sentencing, and explain the purpose of a criminal trial.
- Interpret what constitutes evidence, who can call evidence, who can give evidence, and how evidence is introduced in a criminal trial.
- Evaluate the fundamental principles of expert opinion evidence in Canada.
- Assess potential evidence in terms of its relevance, materiality, and admissibility, and the application of the criteria to the expert witness's unique evidentiary role in a criminal proceeding.
- Compare and contrast the specific features of real, testimonial and recorded evidence, the concept and importance of admissions, and the evidentiary rules of exclusion.
- Analyze the components and importance of continuity and integrity of exhibits and evidence tracking while working in an accredited forensic laboratory.
- Discuss and defend trial strategies and tactics used by both Crown and defence counsel and ethical issues in judicial proceedings.
Effective as of Fall 2020
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice.