Overview

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Academic contacts

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Offerings

MURDOCH-W-INT-2018-ONGOING

Enrolment rules

Unit coordinator may permit enrolment without completion of prerequisites.

Other learning activities

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Learning activities

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Learning outcomes

1.
To develop an awareness of the nature and causes of investigator bias in criminal investigation
2.
To develop an understanding of how context and expectation effects can lead to inadvertent investigator bias
3.
To understand the rules of admissibility of scientific evidence in Court (Daubert and Frye principles) and the impact of the CSI effect on jurors in our adversarial legal system
4.
To understand the cross race effect and how this can impact, negatively, on the delivery of justice
5.
To develop a capacity to critically analyse evidential and forensic information while maintaining objectivity
6.
To develop the capacity to interpret data objectively using scientifically defensible arguments
7.
To develop the capacity to evaluate data in the context of peer-reviewed publications to ensure that all alternative interpretations of the data are considered and that context and expectations effects, which can lead to investigator bias, are eliminated
8.
To develop oral presentation skills, via PowerPoint
9.
To develop literature review, critique and writing skills
10.
To be able to think critically about the way in which the criminal justice system perpetuates wrongful convictions
11.
To understand the etiology of systemic bias associated with the wrongful conviction of individuals from marginalized groups
12.
To understand the relevance of race, gender or class bias on the frequency of wrongful convictions
13.
To be able to identify the remedies available, once a finding of systemic bias has been made
14.
To be able to identify and propose areas of reform to address the fallibility of the criminal justice system

Assessments

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Additional information

Unit content:BIO388 Forensic Science and Miscarriages of Justice involves independent study which focuses on miscarriages of justice due to errors, inadequacies or improper conduct associated with police investigation, forensic analysis or judicial processes. In Week 1 the major causes of miscarriages of justice are addressed in a series of lectures and the principles are illustrated with films and documentaries of actual cases. Small groups of students (3-4) are then assigned a specific case to analyse and during Weeks 2 and 3 (no contact weeks) each group generates a 12-15 minute PowerPoint presentation of the assigned case, comprehensive of case background, critique of the case, highlighting the inadequacies, describing the outcomes, explaining why the errors occurred and how they could have been prevented. The PowerPoint presentation is delivered to the entire class in Weeks 4. The causal factors that will be discussed and illustrated in the unit include: · law Enforcement bias or misconduct; · incorrect identification of the suspect; · false or misleading forensic testimony; · misrepresented evidence; · false Confessions (induced or invented); · false testimony; · ineffective or incompetent (or too competent) defence counsel; · prosecutorial misconduct. LECTURES: 1. wrongful convictions due to predisposing circumstances; 2. wrongful convictions due to tunnel vision and incorrect eyewitness id; 3. wrongful convictions due to reasonable doubt and scientific incompetency. 4. Invited speakers will discuss their experience in the forensic field. All the lectures are supported by films and documentaries