Legal system
Order Description
oscola referencing.
Southampton Solent University
Coursework Assessment Brief
Assessment Details
Unit Title: Legal System and Method
Unit Code: LAW 654
Unit Leader: Phil Jones
Level: Four
Assessment Title: Criminal Process
Assessment Number: AE3
Assessment Type: Written Report
Restrictions on Time/Length : 1,500 words
Individual/Group: Individual
Assessment Weighting: 30%
Issue Date: 28th September 2015
Hand In Date: 13th January 2016
Planned Feedback Date: 10th February 2016
Mode of Submission: on-line
Number of copies to be submitted: One
Anonymous Marking
This assessment will be exempt from anonymous marking as it falls within an exempt category under the University’s Anonymous Marking Policy.
Assessment Task
Marcus, an 18 year old law student, is walking home at 1.00am after having spent the past few hours studying at the University library. He is approached by a police officer, PC Sharkey, who asks Marcus to open his bag and to also show what he has in his pockets. Marcus is fed up being questioned by the police on his way home and simply walks past PC Sharkey. The police officer grabs Marcus by the arm and pushes him against a wall and asks Marcus again what is in the bag? Marcus states that he has done nothing wrong, and that the police officer has no reason to stop him. Marcus is then pushed into a police car and is drive to the nearest police station.
EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF POLICE POWERS OF ARREST, AND OF THOSE RELATING TO STOP AND SEARCH. ASSESS WHETHER PC SHARKEY HAS ACTED LAWFULLY.
Assessment criteria
• Identifies relevant areas of law and the legal issues.
• Knowledge and application of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984
• Make reference to relevant case-law and further legislation.
• Understanding of the nature of police powers.
• Coherent and concise explanation of the issues, linked to the research.
• Precision in writing
• Clear structure and written presentation, referenced appropriately.
Learning Outcomes
This assessment will enable students to demonstrate in full or in part the learning outcomes identified in the unit descriptors.
Apply knowledge of legal systems to constructively review the practical issues that arise in its operation.
Identify the differing elements of the criminal justice system, analysing the pressures and tensions in its operation.
Make a critical judgment on the structure and reasoning of a legal argument and its use of primary legal sources
Guidance for submission of work through Turnitin
Turnitin currently accepts the following file types: MS Word (.doc or .docx), WordPerfect (.wpd), PostScript (.eps), Portable Document Format (.pdf), HTML (.htm), Rich Text (.rtf) and Plain Text (.txt). All files submitted to Turnitin must be text based. Files that are password protected, encrypted, hidden, system files, or read only files cannot be uploaded or submitted to Turnitin.
If you have created your document using Powerpoint or any other programme not listed above, you must convert it into an acceptable format before uploading it into Turnitin. Please refer to the ‘Help and Support’ pages on Turnitin if you are unsure how to do this.
Extenuating Circumstances
The University’s Extenuating Circumstances procedures are in place if there are genuine circumstances that may have affected students’ academic performance. Remember however students need to be ‘fit to study’, this means that students can either submit their assessed work or declare extenuating circumstances, but cannot do both.
A summary of guidance notes for students is given below:
https://blade2-5.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNSExact=AS/AH/1250002309
Academic Misconduct
Any submissions must be students’ own work and, where facts or ideas have been used from other sources, these sources must be appropriately referenced. The University’s Academic Handbook includes the definitions of all practices that will be deemed to constitute academic misconduct. Students should check this link before submitting their work.
Procedures relating to student academic misconduct are given below:
https://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=AS/AH/1234570157
Ethics Policy
The work being carried out by students must be in compliance with the Ethics Policy. Where there is an ethical issue, as specified within the Ethics Policy, then students will need an ethics release or an ethical approval prior to the start of the project.
The Ethics Policy is contained within Section 2S of the Academic Handbook:
https://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=1234569791
Anonymous Marking
A copy of the University’s Policy on Anonymous Marking, process details and student guidance on submission sheet completion can be found on the following links, which are also uploaded on the Student Portal. The guidance ‘fact sheet’ will be available at Faculty Reception Points.
Policy: https://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=ASQS/AH/1234574213
Process: https://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=AS/General/1250004357
Fact Sheet: https://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=AS/General/1250004356
Grade marking
The University uses a letter grade scale for the marking of assessments. Unless students have been specifically informed otherwise their marked assignment will be awarded a letter grade. More detailed information on grade marking and the grade scale can be found on myCourse. The guidance ‘fact sheet’ is available at Faculty Reception Points.
Policy: https://docman.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNS=ASQS/AH/1234569864
Fact sheet: https://blade2-5.solent.ac.uk/DocMan8/rns?RNSExact=AS/AH/1234576014