Are we reading enough crime? Examining the content and depth of criminal law courses

Abstract

What should be learnt in law school is currently a debated topic. One aspect of this debate is whether what is taught in the core subjects is necessary or taught to the right level. In this article, we examine one such core subject: criminal law. The aim is to provide baseline information on what students are expected to read in the subject as a proxy for what is taught and what is learnt. By examining the range of topics, and the amount of words set, we provide an indication of the expected breadth of learning and cognitive load on students. This is relevant both to traditional face-to-face teaching and online innovations.