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Course Details
The Canadian criminal justice system is an adversarial system which pits the accused person against the State. The adversarial process follows a well-defined series of procedural steps from initial complaint to verdict and sentencing. This course provides a detailed examination of the legal procedures that govern criminal proceedings in Canada including the tendering of evidence by both Crown and defence, with a particular emphasis on issues applicable to forensic investigators and technicians.
Prerequisite(s)
Admission to a Forensic credential program or permission of the Program Coordinator.
Credits
2.5
This course isn't currently offered through BCIT Part-time Studies. Please check back next term or subscribe to receive email updates.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
Outline the initial stages of a criminal prosecution including: how a complaint comes to be investigated, the Crown counsel charge assessment standard and Crown discretion in determining what, if any charges are prosecuted, and the essential differences between the roles of investigators on one hand and prosecutors on the other.
Outline the fundamental legal principles that must govern all criminal trials in Canada, and the respective roles of Crown Counsel and defence counsel.
Outline and interpret the differences between Summary and Indictable offences in the Criminal Code and discuss the modes of trial available to an accused person depending on the type of offence they are facing.
Discriminate between the Criminal Code sections dealing with compelling the attendance of an accused person to court.
Outline the law of Judicial Interim Release (bail) with particular regard to the legal principles and practical aspects pre-trial release, the role the investigation of the offence plays in judicial interim release proceedings, and the inter-relationship between the result of a bail hearing (detention or release) and the timing and object of any ongoing investigation.
Outline, in detail, all procedural aspects related to the Preliminary Inquiry, the purpose or goal of a preliminary inquiry from both Crown and defence perspectives, and the impact on witnesses including forensic professionals.
Outline each procedural element of a criminal trial (jury trials and Judge alone trials) from the opening statement through to verdict and sentencing.
Compare various perspectives of the Canadian criminal justice system other than those of counsel for the Crown and defence, and why the honesty and good faith of the investigators and consequent integrity of the criminal investigation is crucial to our system.
Analyze trial strategies and tactics used by both Crown and defence counsel.
Effective as of Fall 2010
Related Programs
FSCT 7001 is offered as a part of the following programs:
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Registration is now open for the Spring/Summer 2021 term.
Classroom Locations
Classroom locations are subject to last minute changes. Please check the Part-time Studies Classroom Locations listing at www.bcit.ca/rooms on the first day of any course you are registered for.