COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is designed to develop general understanding of the concept of human rights and legal mechanisms developed to protect them within the criminal justice system. The first part of the course examines the nature of the idea of human rights, its political and legal universality, and historical evolution. The discussion in second part primarily focuses on the Bill of Rights and the rights available to an accused in a criminal prosecution. The course addresses critical human rights issues through different stages of the criminal justice process (criminal investigation, trial and sentencing). It seeks to determine if constitution, statutes and judicial decisions establish foundation for the policy which balances conflicting interests of the law - of the citizens to protect their human rights and that of state to control criminal conduct.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this course, the students are expected to:

• Understand the historical evolution of the concept of human rights and its importance for the development of democracy and justice in a society.

• Understand that the human rights idea symbolizes individual entitlement and corresponding obligation on society; that people enjoy rights not by the grace of society and not only because it may be good societal policy to respect them, rather they are entitled to them.

• Understand that human rights are not absolute category, or the equivalent of justice and "the good society," but rather prima facie rights that may sometimes bow to compelling public interest.

• Explain why and under what conditions the criminal justice system, as an instrument of crime control, may impose restrictions on exercise of some of the most important human rights and freedoms.

• Understand why it is important that criminal justice system develops the instruments to ensure that agencies and individuals authorized to enforce the law respect human rights of citizens.

• Develop the ability to effectively combine traditional research techniques and resources available via the Internet.

METHOD OF EVALUATION

Students are expected to take all tests at the regularly scheduled time. If a student cannot do so, he/she should inform the professor before the test. If the reason for being absent is valid, the student will be given the opportunity to take a make-up test. Because of the difficulty of developing a second test, make-up test will consist entirely of essay questions. Students who miss test without informing the professor beforehand will not be permitted to make up the test unless they can provide proof of having had to leave the campus unexpectedly for a hospital stay or serious family emergency.

Students in this class will be expected to adhere to the University regulations on absence from class. Students are advised to keep in mind that four absences may result in an automatic failure in the course, and that three tardy arrivals will be counted as one absence.

Students are reminded that they must adhere to the standards of academic ethics of the University. These include standards of honesty for such activities as submitting assignments and essays, taking tests and examinations and doing project assignments.

REQUIRED TEXT

Due to specific nature of the course, it does not rely upon a single source. Instead, the students are expected to combine the extensive use of lecture notes and Internet research.