6 ECTS credits
150 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 1023929AEW for working students in the 1st semester at a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Possible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Enrollment Requirements
NOTE: registration for this course is only possible for working students. Day students can register for courses whose code ends with an R. At Inschrijven / studentenadministratie@vub.be you must be registered at the VUB as a working student for the current academic year.
Taught in
Dutch
Faculty
Faculty of Law and Criminology
Department
Criminology
Educational team
Els Dumortier (course titular)
Activities and contact hours
26 contact hours Lecture
60 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
Course Content

The course Law & Criminology is the intermediate step between the courses ‘introduction to law’ and ‘Criminal Law' and 'Criminal Procedures’ for bachelors in criminology. This means that a broad legal knowledge is an asset and in the context of this course the structured social activity of punishment will be examined, without already studying the more technical aspects of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedures. This course also focusses on a historical and theoretical perspective on penal law. Also the European Convention on Human Rights, the Belgian Constitution and the impact of fundamental rights on penal law are explained. This course also discusses the rather complex features of the Belgian state structure and its impact on dealing with deviant behavior, including the imposition of penalties in the strict sense. 

The course is taught during the first semester in blocks of 2-3 hours in 8 lessons.

The course consists of four parts:

  1. principles  of Criminal (Procedural)Law;
  2. historical-theoretical reflections on Criminal (Procedural) Law;
  3. the European Convention on Human Rights;
  4. the Belgian Constitution and the federal Belgian state.
Additional info

Ppt slides and constitutional, legal and other texts used during classes will be made available on Canvas.

Digital lectures will be available for working students. More information will be communicated via the course unit platform in Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

In the course Law & Criminology the student will acquire:

  • Knowledge of theories about punishing and organizing the social approach to deviant behaviour;
  • Knowledge of the basic structure of the Belgian criminal law in the broad sense;
  • Knowledge of fundamental rights that are relevant to criminal prosecution in the broad sense;
  • Understanding of the theoretical, philosophical and historical background of the current organization of the Belgian sanctions;

The student learns to relate the above factors and elements. She / he also learns to work with legal texts and should independently take notes in the oral lectures and study these notes. 

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:

Additional info regarding evaluation

The examination is written (open questions, closed questions and/or multiple choice).

The use of constitutional and legal texts (made available on Canvas) in the examination is allowed. The codex, and any additional legislation may be used for the exam under the following conditions:

  • no added text, arrow, symbol or character, the use of cross-references and post-its is prohibited;
  • Passages may be indicated by underlining or using a highlighter. Whole words only should be emphasized. It is absolutely not allowed through the use of colors or other identification to insert any message;
  • The use of annotated codes is prohibited;
Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Criminology: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Criminology: Verkort traject (only offered in Dutch)
Bridging Programme Master of Arts in Gender and Diversity: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)