General Criminal Law Course

Lesson 1 • Origins and Purpose of Criminal Law

Traces criminal law from ancient codes to modern systems and explains its social functions. Grounds subsequent doctrinal study in historical and theoretical context.

Lesson 2 • Sources and Structure of Criminal Law

Identifies statutory, common-law, and constitutional sources that create criminal rules. Students learn how these sources interact and which controls when they conflict.

Lesson 3 • Core Principles Governing Criminal Liability

Introduces legality, proportionality, and culpability as foundational constraints on criminal liability. These principles recur throughout every subsequent chapter.

Lesson 1 • Mens Rea: Mental States in Criminal Law

Explains purpose, knowledge, recklessness, and negligence as the four primary mental states. Accurate mens rea identification is essential for charging and defence strategy.

Lesson 2 • Concurrence and Element Analysis

Requires that actus reus and mens rea coincide in time and applies full element analysis to sample offences. Prepares students for charge-by-charge case evaluation.

Lesson 3 • The Actus Reus Requirement

Defines the voluntary act requirement and its exceptions, including omissions and possession. Establishes the physical component that must accompany mental fault.

Lesson 1 • Criminal Attempt

Defines attempt and examines tests for determining when preparation crosses into punishable conduct. Connects to mens rea doctrine established in Chapter 2.

Lesson 2 • Conspiracy

Analyses the agreement element, overt act requirements, and scope of conspiracy liability. Students evaluate how conspiracy charges expand prosecutorial reach.

Lesson 3 • Accomplice and Accessory Liability

Establishes when a secondary party shares full liability for a principal's crime through aid or encouragement. Distinguishes accomplice liability from accessory after the fact.

Lesson 1 • Infancy and Intoxication Defences

Addresses age-based incapacity and voluntary or involuntary intoxication as defences. Connects to mens rea analysis by examining how these conditions affect mental state.

Lesson 2 • Excuse Defences

Examines duress, entrapment, and mistake as defences that excuse rather than justify conduct. Excuses acknowledge wrongfulness but deny full moral responsibility.

Lesson 3 • Mental Incapacity Defences

Analyses insanity standards, diminished capacity, and competency as mental-state-based defences. Students distinguish between tests and understand their procedural consequences.

Lesson 1 • Sexual Offences

Covers rape, sexual assault, and related offences, including consent doctrine and force requirements. Examines statutory rape and evolving legal standards.

Lesson 2 • Homicide: Murder and Its Degrees

Defines murder, distinguishes first- and second-degree murder, and analyses the felony-murder rule. Builds on causation and mens rea doctrine from earlier chapters.

Lesson 3 • Assault, Battery, and Mayhem

Defines assault as apprehension-causing conduct and battery as harmful or offensive contact. Examines aggravated forms and the offence of mayhem.

Lesson 4 • Manslaughter: Voluntary and Involuntary

Distinguishes heat-of-passion voluntary manslaughter from criminally negligent involuntary manslaughter. Students apply provocation doctrine and negligence standards to fact patterns.

Lesson 1 • Theft Offences and Their Unification

Traces larceny, embezzlement, and false pretences and explains how modern codes consolidate them into unified theft. Emphasises the intent to permanently deprive element.

Lesson 2 • Burglary and Criminal Trespass

Analyses breaking, entering, and felonious intent elements of burglary and the lesser offence of criminal trespass. Examines how modern statutes have expanded common-law burglary.

Lesson 3 • Robbery and Extortion

Defines robbery as theft by force or fear and extortion as coercive threats to obtain property. Distinguishes these offences from simple theft and from each other.

Lesson 1 • Weapons and Firearms Offences

Analyses unlawful possession, carrying, and use of weapons and the regulatory framework governing firearms. Examines how weapons charges interact with underlying violent offences.

Lesson 2 • Offences Against Government and Justice

Examines bribery, perjury, obstruction of justice, and contempt as offences targeting institutional integrity. Connects to earlier conspiracy doctrine when multiple actors are involved.

Lesson 3 • Public Order and Morality Offences

Covers disorderly conduct, riot, public intoxication, and obscenity as offences against public order. Examines constitutional limits on criminalising expressive conduct.

Lesson 1 • Capital Punishment and Proportionality

Analyses constitutional proportionality requirements and their application to the death penalty and life sentences. Examines categorical exemptions for certain offender classes.

Lesson 2 • Collateral Consequences and Reentry

Identifies civil disabilities, registration requirements, and employment barriers that follow conviction. Examines policy debates over reducing collateral consequences to support reentry.

Lesson 3 • Theories and Goals of Punishment

Revisits retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation as competing sentencing rationales. Students evaluate which theory best justifies specific sentencing outcomes.

Lesson 4 • Sentencing Structures and Guidelines

Examines determinate, indeterminate, and mandatory minimum sentencing structures and the role of guidelines. Analyses judicial discretion within structured sentencing systems.