St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo
Department of Sociology and Legal Studies
LS 102 (Section 001)
Introduction to Criminal Law
Winter 2015
Wednesdays & Fridays 8:30am – 9:50am, Siegfried Hall (STJ 1036)
Instructor and T.A. Information
Instructor:
Office:
Email:
Phone:
Office hours:
Susan Dianne Brophy, PhD
STJ 3025
susan.brophy@uwaterloo.ca
519-888-4567 ext. 28284
Wednesdays & Fridays 10am – 11:30am (changes to be posted on LEARN)
Name
Contact
Jurisdiction (by Last Name)
Jessica Jordao
jessica.jordao54@gmail.com
GROUP 1: A – F
Alishau Diebold
alishau.diebold@gmail.com
GROUP 2: G – N
kjwr@live.ca
GROUP 3: M – S
GROUP 4: T – Z
plus AccessAbility and make-up exams
Katherine Weaver-Rutten
Susan Dianne Brophy
susan.brophy@uwaterloo.ca
Course Description
Criminal law is an exciting but complex field of study. As an introduction to this field, we focus on major
concepts and cases in order to achieve a strong foundational understanding of criminal law in the
Canadian context. Students will benefit from the mix of learning strategies used in this course. On most
Tuesdays there will be a lecture, when new content will be first introduced. However, most Thursdays
will be more like tutorials, when cases and examples will be used to help expand on and clarify the
lecture material. Toward the end of the course there will be short documentaries screened in class,
which speak to the more controversial aspects of criminal law.
Course Goals and Learning Outcomes
This course was designed with three learning objectives in mind. First, we will gain a basic understanding
of how criminal law is made and administered in the Canadian context. Second, we will learn about
different theoretical approaches by reading select works by prominent contributors. Third, we will
develop a familiarity with the major controversies in criminal law.
Required Texts
The following text and reserve items are the required materials for the course. Make sure to have these
correct materials on hand. No substitutions or exceptions are permitted.
Bookstore:
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (2012) 5th Edition (Irwin Law Inc.)
LEARN/Reserves:
Remainder of the readings can be accessed through the Library Course Reserves
or through LEARN (see below).
2
Waterloo LEARN
LS 102 Section 001 has an online home that is accessible via learn.uwaterloo.ca. Students should visit
this page for the latest course announcements, assignment instructions, course email policies, and links
to readings not found in the textbook. Go to this page frequently and make it your first stop if you have
any questions about the course.
Course Requirements and Assessment
Requirement
Description
Value
Schedule
EXAM 1
EXAM 2
EXAM 3
EXAM 4
Covers W1A to W3A. Short & long answers.
Covers W4A to W6A. Short & long answers.
Covers W7A to W9A. Short & long answers.
Covers W10A to W12A. Short & long answers.
25%
25%
25%
25%
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13
FRIDAY, MARCH 13
MONDAY, APRIL 6
Missed Examinations
For all exams, accommodations will only be considered if:
(a) you are ill and submit a University of Waterloo Verification of Illness Form to the course
instructor as soon as possible;
(b) there was a death of a family member, which you can prove through official documentation
(travel receipts will not suffice) submitted to the course instructor;
(c) due dates conflict with important dates on your religious calendar, and you have informed
the course instructor of this fact;
(d) you are registered with AccessAbility Services and can provide the course instructor with the
relevant documentation.
Familiarize yourself with the University of Waterloo’s policies on what your responsibilities are in the
event of a late or missed course requirement: https://uwaterloo.ca/registrar/finalexaminations/examination-regulations-and-related-matters#acc_illness
Keep in mind the following regulations:
Students in on-campus courses who are ill and unable to meet assignment due dates or write a
term test or final examination should seek medical treatment and provide confirmation of the
illness to the instructor(s) within 48 hours by submitting a completed University of Waterloo
Verification of Illness Form to support requests for accommodation due to illness.
The University of Waterloo Verification of Illness Form is normally the only acceptable medical
documentation and is available on line at uwaterloo.ca/health-services/student-medicalclinic/services/verification-illness. Students who consult their physician or use the services of an offcampus walk-in clinic must provide this form to the attending physician for completion; doctors' notes
and forms created by the physician or clinic are normally not acceptable.
Make-up Examinations
Students may write a make-up exam only for legitimate reasons, as outlined above. Do not assume that
you are eligible to write a make-up exam – you must have permission from the professor. All make-up
exams are held in the Professor’s office from 10am-11:20am, according to the following schedule:
Exam 1: Fri Jan 30
Exam 2: Fri Feb 27
Exam 3: Fri Mar 20
Exam 4: Mon Apr 13
3
Grading Turnaround
Students will receive all examination grades within two weeks of writing the exam.
Grade Re-Appraisals
The professor will re-evaluate exams upon request only if:
(a) the student making the request first consulted the member of the Teaching Team who
originally graded the work, and no mutually agreeable solution was achieved; (Note: only for
Exam 4 should you consult the professor as first step.)
(b) the student understands that the professor’s re-appraisal is no guarantee of a higher grade,
but in fact could result in a lower grade on the assignment.
Electronic Device Policy
Electronic devices may be used for note-taking alone. If your misuse causes a distraction, you will be
given a fair warning to stop; if misuse continues, you will be excused from the class. At various points
during the year the professor may request that all devices be closed in order to minimize distractions.
Class Schedule
UNIT I: PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINAL LAW
WEEK/TOPIC
1
Criminal Law
and the
Constitution
DATE
1A: WED JAN 7
1B: FRI JAN 9
2A: WED JAN 14
2
Criminal Law
and the
Constitution
2B: FRI JAN 16
3A: WED JAN 21
3
3B: FRI JAN 23
4A: WED JAN 28
4
Actus Reus
READINGS
Introduction & Overview
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (2012)
Excerpts from Chapter 1:
- Sections A-I, pp. 1-9
- Section Q & Conclusion, pp. 21-23.
(12)
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (2012)
Excerpts from Chapter 2:
- Section A, pp. 24-31.
(8)
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (2012)
Excerpts from Chapter 2:
- Section B, pp. 31-50; pp. 59-64.
(25)
- build on material from 2A
TUTORIAL - discuss important cases (linked to on LEARN)
- focus on key concepts
Speakers may request that you familiarize
GUEST SPEAKER(S)
yourself with some content of their
Topic: First Nations
choosing prior to the talk – check LEARN.
EXAM 1
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (2012)
Excerpts from Chapter 3:
- Section A, pp. 81-84; pp. 94-95.
- Section B, pp. 106-113; pp. 115-119.
(18)
4
4B: FRI JAN 30
5A: WED FEB 4
5
Mens Rea
5B: FRI FEB 6
6A: WED FEB 11
6
6B: FRI FEB 13
- build on material from 4A
TUTORIAL - discuss important cases (linked to on LEARN)
- focus on key concepts
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (2012)
Excerpts from Chapter 5:
- Section A, pp. 163-171.
- Section B, pp. 180-184.
- Section C, pp. 193-195.
(17)
- build on material from 5A
TUTORIAL - discuss important cases (linked to on LEARN)
- focus on key concepts
Speakers may request that you familiarize
GUEST SPEAKER(S)
yourself with some content of their
Topic: Political Protest
choosing prior to the talk – check LEARN.
EXAM 2
UNIT II: CONTROVERSIES AND DEBATES IN CRIMINAL LAW
7A: WED FEB 25
7
Gender
7B: FRI FEB 27
8A: WED MAR 4
8
Race
8B: FRI MAR 6
9A: WED MAR 11
9
9B: FRI MAR 13
10A: WED MAR 18
10
Corporate
Crime
10B: FRI MAR 20
11A: WED MAR 25
11
Mental
Disorder
11B: FRI MAR 27
12A: WED APR 1
12
12B: MON APR 6
Nicola Lacey, ‘General Principles of Criminal Law’? A
Feminist View’ (2000), pp. 87-100.
(14)
- build on material from 7A
TUTORIAL - discuss important cases (linked to on LEARN)
- focus on key concepts
Richard Delgado & Jean Stefancic, ‘Critical Race Theory
and Criminal Justice’, (2007), pp. 133-145.
(13)
- build on material from 8A
TUTORIAL - discuss important cases (linked to on LEARN)
- focus on key concepts
Speakers may request that you familiarize
GUEST SPEAKER(S)
yourself with some content of their
Topic: Sexual Assault
choosing prior to the talk – check LEARN.
EXAM 3
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (2012)
Excerpts from Chapter 6
- Section D, pp. 230-242.
(13)
- build on material from 10A
TUTORIAL - discuss important cases (linked to on LEARN)
- focus on key concepts
Kent Roach, Criminal Law (2012)
Excerpts from Chapter 8
- Sections A-G, pp. 279-302.
(24)
- build on material from 11A
TUTORIAL - discuss important cases (linked to on LEARN)
- focus on key concepts
Speakers may request that you familiarize
GUEST SPEAKER(S)
yourself with some content of their
Topic: Mental Health
choosing prior to the talk – check LEARN.
EXAM 4
5
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Academic Integrity
To maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo and its
Federated University and Affiliated Colleges are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness,
respect, and responsibility.
Discipline
A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing
academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure
whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences
(e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance
from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Associate Dean. When misconduct has
been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under the St. Jerome’s
University Policy on Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of
penalties, students should refer to University of Waterloo Policy 71 (Student Discipline).
Grievance
A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been
unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Students who decide to file
a grievance should refer to University of Waterloo Policy 70 (Student Petitions and Grievances).
For more information, students should contact the Associate Dean of St. Jerome’s University.
Appeals
A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under the St. Jerome’s
University Policy on Student Discipline or University of Waterloo Policy 70 (Student Petitions
and Grievances) if a ground for an appeal can be established. In such a case, read St. Jerome's
University Policy on Student Appeals.
Academic Integrity Office (UW) http://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/
Note for students with disabilities
The AccessAbility Services (AS) Office, located in Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all
academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities
without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic
accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS Office at
the beginning of each academic term.