Criminal Law (JF_368)
About Study Course
Objective
Acquire knowledge of general conditions for application of the Criminal Law and its provisions, of the structure of the provisions of the special part of the Criminal Law and their analysis, of the individual criminal offences and characteristics of their qualifications. Independent analysis of the constituent elements of criminal offences, distinguishing them from similar forms of criminal offences.
Tasks:
1. Raise awareness of the nature and content of the Criminal Law.
2. Acquire knowledge of the aim and functions of the criminal justice sector and science and its fundamental principles.
3. Enhance students’ understanding of the constituents of the criminal offence, its elements, the idea of the criminal liability and punishment. Extend students’ knowledge of individual types of criminal offences and characteristics of their qualification.
4. Develop students’ skills in carrying out an analysis of the constituent elements of criminal offences by isolating them from similar constituents of criminal offences.
Prerequisites
The study courses “Political System of Latvia” and “Theory of Law” should be acquired prior to learning this course.
Learning outcomes
Of the nature and content of the Criminal Law; of the concept of a criminal offence and its constituent elements; of the concept of criminal liability and circumstances excluding criminal liability; of the purpose and tasks of the criminal penalty; of the specific nature of the criminal liability of minors; of coercive measures applicable to legal persons; of coercive measures of medical nature; of certain types of criminal offences; of the circumstances which provide for increased responsibility and of the legislation, the violation of which can lead to criminal liability.
Interpret the criminal law provisions, identify signs of constituent elements of a criminal offence; identify circumstances excluding the criminal liability; identify circumstances aggravating and mitigating the criminal liability; isolate similar constituents of criminal offences; critically evaluate the views of different authors on qualification of similar criminal offences.
Apply the acquired knowledge in identifying the fact of a criminal offence; formulate a personal view on the purpose and tasks of criminal liability and criminal penalty; qualify criminal offences; analyse and critically evaluate the provisions of the Criminal Law; assess specific situations and apply the corresponding provisions of the Criminal Law.
