Study Programmes 2015-2016
| DROI1295-1 | ||||||||
| general criminal law | ||||||||
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Duration :
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| 30h Th, 15h Pr | ||||||||
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Number of credits :
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Lecturer :
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| Vanessa Franssen | ||||||||
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Language(s) of instruction :
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| French language | ||||||||
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Organisation and examination :
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| Teaching in the second semester | ||||||||
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Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :
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| Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program | ||||||||
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Course contents :
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| The course will begin with a brief recap of the fundamental notions and principles of general criminal law and of the main sources of Belgian criminal law, which were covered in the prerequisite course on Introduction to Criminal Law and Criminology (DROI1106-3). While this course does essentially focus on Belgian criminal law, it will also occasionally highlight the increased influence of European (criminal) law on the national legal system. The course will then present the constituent parts of infractions and liability determination rules, for natural and legal persons. It will then cover sanctions, as well as the factors influencing the type and quantity of sentences, before examining the execution of sentences, periods of prescription and the deletion of convictions. Finally, a closer look will be taken at the rules related to the enforcement of criminal law through time and space. In order to make lectures more accessible, the relevance of theoretical notions and rules will be illustrated using short practical cases. In addition, theoretical presentations are completed by concrete exercises. | ||||||||
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Learning outcomes of the course :
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| This course aims to teach students how to make appropriate use of legal texts and use appropriate legal terminology. Another of its goals is to provide insight into the legal system's logic with regards to criminal law. Finally, students will also learn to solve problems related to criminal law through short practical cases, and they will be encouraged to carry out a critical reflection on the subject. | ||||||||
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Prerequisite knowledge and skills :
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| Prerequisites: Introduction to criminal law and criminology (DROI1106-3). Links to other later courses: Special criminal law (DROI2207-1); Criminal business law (DROI0091-1); Criminal procedure (DROI2355-1); Special questions on criminal procedure (DROI1304-1); Comparative criminal procedure (DROI1305-1); International and European criminal law (DROI8021-1); EU criminal law (DROI1278-1). | ||||||||
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
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| As the course aims to teach the fundamental notions and principles of criminal law, much of it will consist in lecture classes. However, these lecture will be associated as much as possible with a more interactive (or Socratic) method, in order to encourage students to think critically and to communicate using the appropriate legal terms. Courses will be completed by practical assignments, through which students will learn to use and combine the various sources of criminal law. These assignments will also enable teachers to make sure students have understood the lectures, and will teach students how to use their knowledge in real-world situations. Finally, they also prepare students for their final exam. This means the assignments are an essential addition to the lecture classes. | ||||||||
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Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :
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| Oral lectures will be supported by detailed PowerPoint presentations, available to students on MyULg. Students will be encouraged to read additional material. When such material is required and included in the content covered at the exam, students will be notified in class. The lecture classes are completed by 15 hours of practical assignment classes during which some content might be illustrated or covered more in depth by professionals; this will be included in the exam. Students may also be invited to attend a conference. | ||||||||
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Recommended or required readings :
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| Required/essential material: PowerPoint presentations and personal class notes. The PowerPoint presentations will be uploaded to MyULg. Recommended reading: Reference books: Ch. Hennau and J. Verhaegen, Droit pénal général, Brussels, Bruylant, 3rd ed., 2003, 626 p.; F. Kuty, Principes généraux du droit pénal belge, Brussels, Larcier, 4 volumes, 2009-2012; D. Vandermeersch, Eléments de droit pénal et de procédure pénale, Brussels, la Charte, 5th ed., 2015, 873 p.; F. Verbruggen and R. Verstraeten, Strafrecht & strafprocesrecht voor bachelors, Antwerp-Apeldoorn, Maklu, 2 volumes, 2014, 531 p. More specific references will be provided in class. | ||||||||
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Assessment methods and criteria :
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| The exam will be written, featuring both multiple-choice questions and practical case analyses. The assignments completed in class will give students a very concrete idea of the type of question they will encounter at the exam. During the exam, students may use their own code. Other documents (PowerPoint slides, personal notes) will however not be allowed. In order to ensure optimal usage of the code, references to other legal provisions will be accepted. Any other information will not be tolerated, and codes and laws may not be annotated. Students may highlight and underline passages in the code, but only full words. They may also use adhesive notes or bookmarks, provided they contain only the title of a code or law; they may not include any other information. | ||||||||
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Work placement(s) :
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| This course does not include an internship. | ||||||||
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Organizational remarks :
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| Students should bring their code to class and make active use of it. | ||||||||
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Contacts :
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| Teacher/professor : Vanessa Franssen - vanessa.franssen@ulg.ac.be
Assistants : Daisy Chichoyan - d.chichoyan@ulg.ac.be Géraldine Falque - geraldine.falque@ulg.ac.be Elodie Jacques - e.jacques@ulg.ac.be Secrétariat : Julie Debroux - J.Debroux@ulg.ac.be - 04/366.31.59 |
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