School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    The Pursuit of Justice
  • Unit Code

    CRI1107
  • Year

    2026
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    4
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Suzanne ROCK

Description

Justice is a key principle in criminal justice systems around the world. But what is justice? Who determines when justice is served? And how is it upheld? In this unit students will learn the historical and contemporary systems of justice. They will also explore the impact of colonisation on the design and functioning of our institutions incorporating Indigenous voices. Students will develop knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and philosophical foundations of justice, the criminal justice system, and how society responds to criminal behaviour.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded CRI1101, CRI1111, JUS1111

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Apply multidisciplinary knowledge and theory to respond to a range of real-world criminology and justice issues.
  2. Investigate and analyse criminology and justice issues independently and collaboratively to critically understand the challenges and solutions relevant to crime and justice.
  3. Communicate clearly and respectfully, demonstrating academic integrity and awareness of audience and context.
  4. Engage with global and local culture, including Indigenous knowledges and perspectives, to cultivate cultural responsiveness, social responsibility and personal growth.
  5. Design innovative solutions, independently and collaboratively, to address a range of complex criminology and justice challenges.

Unit Content

  1. Philosophical theories of justice.
  2. The history of justice pre and post colonisation.
  3. The politics of justice.
  4. The role and function of police in society.
  5. The structure of the Australian court systems.
  6. Theory and practice of custodial and non custodial corrections.
  7. Alternative forms of justice.
  8. Victims and the justice system - can we have justice without prosecution?
  9. The foundations of social justice.
  10. Professional writing skills.
  11. Oral ethical, defensible and evidence-based reasoning.
  12. Techniques for performing under pressure.

Learning Experience

ON-CAMPUS

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 113 x 2 hour tutorialNot OfferedNot Offered

For more information see the Semester Timetable

ONLINE

Students will engage in learning experiences via ECU’s LMS as well as additional ECU learning technologies

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseReport Development exercise including evidence of learning30%
ReportLegislative and Social Justice Report including evidence of learning40%
VivaOral Q&A review30%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseReport Development exercise including evidence of learning30%
ReportLegislative and Social Justice Report including evidence of learning40%
VivaOral Q&A review30%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

CRI1107|4|1