LAWGENRL 454 : Youth Justice

Law

2021 Semester Two (1215) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

A study of how children and young people interact with and are treated by the criminal justice system of Aotearoa New Zealand, with comparison to developments in other jurisdictions. Topics may include: causes and responses to youth offending; youth as victims and participants in the criminal process; responses to Māori youth; gender; Family Group Conferences; Rangatahi Courts; and child imprisonment.

Course Overview

This course is for students wishing to undertake an in-depth examination of the youth justice system in Aotearoa New Zealand. The first half of the course charts the evolution of the youth justice system in Aotearoa, considers who are our young people who offend and why they offend, and whether our youth justice system in Aotearoa is fit for purpose. The second half of the course considers our responses to youth offending, including Police Diversion, Youth Justice Family Group Conferences,  Ngā Kooti Rangatahi (the Rangatahi Courts), the Youth Court, and Youth Custody. The course will encourage a critical and reflective appreciation of the issues covered. The focus of the course is on the youth justice system in Aotearoa; where appropriate, comparison with other jurisdictions will be discussed.  


Course Requirements

Prerequisite: LAW 201 Restriction: LAWGENRL 440

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Laws

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Explain the evolution and development of youth justice in Aotearoa New Zealand. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 4.1, 6.1 and 6.2)
  2. Identify, explain and evaluate who are our young people who offend, why they offend, and whether the youth justice system in Aotearoa New Zealand is fit for purpose. (Capability 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
  3. Explain and critically evaluate responses to youth offending in Aotearoa New Zealand, including Police Diversion, Youth Justice Family Group Conferences, Ngā Kooti Rangatahi (the Rangatahi Courts), the Youth Court, and Youth Custody. (Capability 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
  4. Develop and demonstrate effective legal research and analytical skills in preparing written tasks, contributing to online class discussion, in reading and analysing the material discussed in lectures and the prescribed course reading. (Capability 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1, 5.2, 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3)
  5. Develop and demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills through participating in class and online discussions, and completing written tasks. (Capability 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
In-class Feedback Session Individual Coursework
Essay 40% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 60% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5
In-class Feedback Session
Essay
Final Exam

Workload Expectations

This is a standard 15-point course. There will be around 36 hours of lectures in this course. As a general guide, you should expect a workload of three hours outside of the classroom for each hour spent in class. The guideline for the total workload for this course is 150 hours.


Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at lectures.
Lectures will be available as recordings. 
The course will not include live online events.
Attendance on campus is required for the exam.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

A reading list for the course can be found under the Reading List tab on the course Canvas page. Links to the reading materials for the course that are available electronically can be found under the Reading List tab on Canvas.
For students wishing to consult a textbook, the recommended texts for the course are:
Nessa Lynch, Youth Justice in New Zealand (Wellington: Thomson Reuters, 3rd ed, 2019)
Alison Cleland and Khylee Quince, Youth Justice in Aotearoa New Zealand: Law, Policy and Critique (Wellington: LexisNexis, 2014)

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course director, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a Student Academic and Support Adviser as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 07/05/2021 03:30 p.m.