LAW4306: Sentencing and Sanctions

Review #1 - written in 2020

RECORDED LECTURES: 

No.

IS THERE A PRESCRIBED TEXTBOOK? 

There is a prescribed textbook which is used as further reading. The lecturer will frequently refer to reports regarding certain topics which he encourages students to read in their own time.

WHAT UNITS SHARES THE DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THE UNIT YOU ARE REVIEWING?

Essay-based units such as Theoretical perspectives on law, gender and feminism.

ANY UNITS THAT WOULD PAIR WELL WITH THIS UNIT?

It is possible to undertake a unit in the alternate summer semester, such as LAW4309 Lawyers’ ethics in practice. Some assessments may be due at similar times, but it is possible to complete them with good time management.

HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE QUALITY OF THE UNIT?

Excellent.

HOW INTERESTING WAS THE UNIT CONTENT OUT OF 5?

5.

TIPS FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS: 

Start researching essay topics early. For the major essay where you can pick your essay topic, brainstorm the topic and feel free to consult the lecturer, who can provide you with resources to read or recommendations for potential areas to cover.

FURTHER COMMENTS:

This unit is a summer intensive, undertaken over six days across two weeks. The typical day runs from 10am to 5pm, with three breaks in between each session. The unit is highly interactive, with the lecturer asking students questions throughout his talks, however it is relatively easy to participate if you find the subject interesting and have insights to offer.

Using his wide range of contacts, the lecturer organises a guest lecturer (or possibly two) to come in each day to take a session. Guest lecturers come from all parts of the criminal justice system, including judges, academics, lawyers and members of external organisations such as the parole board or the post sentencing authority.

This unit overall provides a significant insight into the issues surrounding sentencing and how complicated it is. The range of guest lecturers and topics covered provides a unique and positive learning experience that differentiates this unit from any other in the law faculty. The lecturer is engaging and highly knowledgable. Personally, I have never enjoyed a unit as much as I enjoyed LAW4306. While it should be noted that the lecturer is known as a harsh marker, the knowledge that can be taken out of this unit is significant, as well as applicable to issues commonly debated in the media.

Personally, I can not fault this unit, but my personal opinion may be impacted by my significant interest in the area.

Review #2 - written in summer sem 2016

COMMENTS: 

If you like group discussion and questioning and debating current sentencing and sanctioning practices this is a highly recommended elective. Rather than simply learning the law, the lecturer encourages every student to challenge and assess current theories, media portrayals, the opinions of legal professionals and diverse sentencing and sanctioning methods used internationally.

It is an intensive unit. Due to the inclusive nature of this unit, within this period of time you will be expected to contribute to discussion. While this may be daunting in the first week, by the last week you will know the names of your classmates and will feel confident enough to contribute with a better understanding of the current sentencing and sanctioning practices.

For students who find it challenging to pay attention in lectures, this unit is very engaging and requires you to take an active role in the lectures. Furthermore, the lecturer encourages students to listen rather than take notes so as to be present in the class discussion and to get the most out of the lectures. Nearly every week there was a new guest speaker. It was great to hear from professionals within their field. It also made a full day of lectures more manageable.

The assessment is two essays. The second essay will require you to formulate your own essay topic. I really appreciated this as I was able to research an area of the law that I had been inspired to learn more about by a guest speaker.

A challenge of studying this unit may be time management. As there are two essays within a relatively short period of time, if you are studying other summer units and studying for the exams, make sure you start researching for the essays as soon as you can. The second essay was one of the lengthier essays I have written during my degree. A concise essay plan is crucial to writing a well-written, informative and logical essay.

The lecturer is outstanding. He attempts to learn every students name and encourage them to participate. He brings the classroom to life with activities, class debates and engaging lectures.

Review #3

The lectures were very interesting. The lecturer was wonderful- he challenges you, makes you think critically and understand the material. He would regularly walk around the room and ask individuals questions, so if you don’t like participation it may not be the right subject for you. There were no assigned readings (if there were, very few). The assignments are flexible: one 30% essay on a topic sentence and a 70% essay on a topic of your choice. I didn’t like doing an essay on a topic of my choice without guidance because I found it very difficult to choose. Arie is a harsh marker. He expects a lot from his students. The marks are on a bell curve too. 7/10 difficulty, similar to that of Constitutional Law.