UPDATED & NEW PRICE: Full Criminal Law Bundle! - Tasks, Notes, Rubrics

This is an EXCELLENT starting point for any Criminal Law unit in Canada. It includes the following resources:

1. Introduction to Criminal Law Google Slide Deck: Includes notes, research tasks, readings, and links to additional resources.
2. The Youth Criminal Justice Act Slide Deck: Includes notes, suggested readings, links to Government of Canada informational videos and a case study.
3. Understanding Canadian Law - The Criminal Trial Google Slide Deck: Includes notes, links to additional resources, research tasks, discussion questions
4. Crime in the Media Student Mini-Lesson Project: This is an excellent way to get students engaged in content relating to crime in the media. Students LOVE this assignment because it gives them an opportunity to become the teachers, and to be creative.
5. What is Justice - Scenario Based Activity: This activity is an excellent way to introduce this unit, as it forces students to think about the concept of justice (retributive and restorative) and how they think law enforcement should respond to crime.
6. Criminological Theory Assignment (BONUS RESOURCE): This is an advanced assignment (typically reserved for high level Grade 11 or Grade 12 students. It allows students to explore different criminological theories and apply those theories to real world contexts.

This bundle addresses the following learning expectations from the Ontario Curriculum (Understanding Canadian Law - CLU3M Strand E); however, this can be used for most law courses in Canada.

Foundations of Criminal Law

• E1.1 explain the legal meaning of key terms used to describe the elements of a crime (e.g., mens rea, actus reus) and different types of crime (e.g., indictable, summary, hybrid, and quasi-criminal offences)
• E1.2 describe some summary and indictable offences identified in the Criminal Code of Canada, and their related penalties
• E1.3 explain the philosophical principles and legal reasoning underlying the laws dealing with youth crime and the administration of justice for youth in Canada.

Legal Processes and Procedures

• E2.1 describe the requirements associated with the process of bringing an accused person to trial (e.g., protocols for legal search and arrest, protocols for collection of evidence, conditions governing pre-trial release), including procedural variations related to the nature of the alleged crime (e.g., age of the accused, violent versus non-violent offences)
• E2.2 describe the processes and the roles of key participants involved in a criminal trial (e.g., roles of the Crown prosecutor and defence lawyer, processes related to the accused obtaining council, jury selection, gathering and disclosure of evidence, delivery of verdict, sentencing procedures and options) and explain how the various elements are related to one another
• E2.3 explain how various sentencing options (e.g., participation in an anger-management program, house arrest, community service, participation in a healing circle, participation in a restorative justice program) are related to the purpose of the sentence (e.g., rehabilitation, punishment, dissuasion)
• E2.4 describe the legal reasons/grounds for granting an appeal in criminal cases (e.g., mistake of fact, mistake of law) and the available avenues for an appeal
• E2.5 describe the sentencing options for young people who contravene the existing youth criminal law (e.g., sentencing under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, alternative sentencing provisions, imposition of an adult sentence, participation in a restorative justice program) and the factors that influence which option is chosen

Criminal Justice System

• E3.2 identify the purposes of sentencing (e.g., deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation, protection of society) and assess the effectiveness of the Canadian prison system in achieving those purposes (e.g., with reference to availability of rehabilitation programs, eligibility for parole)
• E3.4 analyse how the media (e.g., social media, news, films, television) influence society’s perceptions and expectations related to the criminal justice system and legal procedures and trends (e.g., with respect to crime rates, right to a fair trial, rehabilitation programs, sentencing trends, response to protests [Kanesatake, the Occupy movement, the G20 summit], prevention of white collar crime, racial profiling)

Development of Criminal Law

• E4.1 identify defences that, over time, have become legally accepted under Canadian criminal law (e.g., automatism, battered spouse syndrome, self defence, duress, insanity) and explain the factors influencing their acceptance.
• E4.2 assess, from a legal perspective, how various individuals, groups, and cases have influenced the development of Canadian criminal law.