Yr 12 Legal Studies: Crime - Police powers in a criminal investigation

NSW Legal Studies syllabus HSC course

Core topic: Crime

This learning activity is aligned to the syllabus 'learn to' statement:

• Discuss the powers of police in the criminal investigation.

The aim for this learning activity is to provide students with a deeper understanding of the course content through reference to either contemporary case studies, media events or amendments to legislation.

This learning activity will focus on four pieces of legislation that police need to adhere to during a criminal investigation – Law Enforcement (Powers & Responsibilities) Act 2022, Evidence Act 1995, Children (Criminal Procedure) Act 1987, Bail Act 2013.

Each piece of legislation is supported with contemporary media events and criminal cases in the form of focus studies. The majority of these focus studies examine how there is a breakdown in the criminal investigation due to the police not adhering to the correct legislative procedures for undertaking an arrest, entering a property to undertake search and conducting an interview of an alleged juvenile offender.

The activity requires students to read reference material and to complete a series of review based questions.

This learning activity is also cross reference with syllabus outcomes as well as aligned to the relevant theme and challenge component.

The inclusion of contemporary media events and court cases is well suited to act as a supplement for student class notes.