Announcements

 

Academy Documents

Kindly access the Students' Policies & Forms by clicking on the button below. The following documents, among others, can be found there: Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct, Students' Privacy Notice, Deferral, Suspension, and Cancellation Policy, Assignment Extension Policy, Re-Sit Policy, Complaints Procedure Policy, Equality Policy, and Student Disciplinary Policy.

Students' Policies & Forms

 

Online Sessions Link

To join the online sessions for this module, please click on the button below. If you are not already signed in to your Zoom account, you will be prompted to register your attendance. You will also need to enter the password provided below.

Join Session

Meeting ID: 823 7237 7202
Passcode: 356162

Please ensure that your name and surname appear as registered for the study programme, as this is essential for recording your attendance.

 

Lecture Schedule & Notes

Lecture notes will be available during the week following the respective lecture. Schedule dates are indicative and may change. All changes, if any, may be communicated via email, SMS or telephone calls.

LectureDateTimePresentationNotes (If Any)Session Recoring
Lecture 0120 October 202517:30 to 20:30hrsPresentation 01Request
Lecture 0227 October 202517:30 to 20:30hrsPresentation 02Request
Lecture 033 November 202517:30 to 20:30hrsPresentation 03Request
Lecture 0414 November 202517:30 to 20:30hrsPresentation 04Request
Lecture 0517 November 202517:30 to 20:30hrsPresentation 05Request
Lecture 0624 November 202517:30 to 20:00hrsPresentation 06Request
Lecture 071 December 202517:30 to 20:00hrsPresentation 07Request

 

Lecturer 

Dr Franklin Calleja

 

Lecture Summaries & Suggested Reading 

Lecture 1 - Principles of Criminal Law (1)

  • The principles of criminal law serve as the foundation for defining crimes, determining
    responsibility, and ensuring fairness in the justice system. The themes that will be
    discussed in the first introductory lecture are:
    Criminal Offences
    o The distinction between Criminal Offences and Civil Wrongs
    o Definition of a criminal offence
    o The classification of criminal offence
    Penal Laws
    o Justification of punishment
    o Interpretation
    o Rules pertaining to Criminal Law
    The Subject of a Criminal Offence

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Antolisei, F. and Grosso, C., 2016. Manuale di diritto penale. Milano: Giuffrè.
  • Horder, J., 2019. Ashworth's Principles of Criminal Law. 9th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

Lecture 2 -Principles of Criminal Law (2)

  • The operation of criminal law is carefully structured to balance effective enforcement with
    fairness, ensuring that only those with capacity and culpability are held responsible under
    the principles of criminal liability. In this sense, criminal law is subject to certain limitations
    and conditions to ensure fairness and proper application. In the second lecture we will
    delve in the limitations in operation of criminal law both in terms of time and jurisdiction.
    The theory of criminal liability will also be covered in this lecture.
     Operation of Criminal Law
    o Limitation by Time
    o Limitations by Territory
    o Exemptions
     Theory of Criminal Liability

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Antolisei, F. and Grosso, C., 2016. Manuale di diritto penale. Milano: Giuffrè.
  • Horder, J., 2019. Ashworth's Principles of Criminal Law. 9th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

Lecture 3 - Exemptions from Criminal Liability and General

Grounds of Defence

  • Exemptions from criminal liability and general grounds of defence are important aspects
    of criminal law that limit or remove liability in certain situations. They exist to ensure
    fairness, recognizing that punishment should not apply where blameworthiness is absent
    or where an unlawful act was justified or excused
  • Age
  •  Insanity
  •  Intoxication
  •  Mistake of law & Mistake of fact
  •  Casus
  •  Legitimate Defence

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Stefano Filletti, Criminal Law Handbook, Kite Group.
  • Horder, J., 2019. Ashworth's Principles of Criminal Law. 9th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

Lecture 4 - Important Aspects of Criminal Law

  • In this lecture we will discuss different aspects that are intrinsic to the understanding of the
    mechanisms of Criminal Law. In this lecture, the following topics will be discussed:
    Attempts
    An attempt occurs when a person, with the intention to commit a crime, takes
    substantial steps toward carrying it out but ultimately fails to complete the offense.
    The law punishes attempts because they demonstrate criminal intent and pose a
    threat to public safety, even if the intended harm is not fully realized.Complicity
    Complicity refers to the liability of individuals who aid, encourage, or otherwise assist
    another person in committing a crime. An accomplice can be held just as responsible
    as the principal offender, as their actions contribute to the commission of the
    offense.
    Conspiracy
    Conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to commit an unlawful act
    or to use unlawful means to achieve a lawful goal. Unlike attempts, the crime of
    conspiracy is complete once the agreement is made, regardless of whether the
    planned crime is carried out.Punishment
    Punishment in criminal law is the legal consequence imposed on offenders who
    violate the law. It serves several purposes, including retribution, deterrence,
    rehabilitation, and protection of society, aiming to balance justice for the victim with
    fairness to the offender.

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Antolisei, F. and Grosso, C., 2016. Manuale di diritto penale. Milano: Giuffrè.
  • Horder, J., 2019. Ashworth's Principles of Criminal Law. 9th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

Lecture 5 - Substantive Criminal Law (1)

  • Substantive Criminal Law
    Substantive criminal law is the branch of law that defines crimes and prescribes the
    punishments for them. It sets out what conduct is considered criminal and establishes
    the elements that must be proven to convict someone, including the required mental
    state (mens rea) and physical act (actus reus). In this lecture we will be considering the
    following offences:
    -Forgery
    -Theft

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Antolisei, F. and Grosso, C., 2016. Manuale di diritto penale. Milano: Giuffrè.
  • Horder, J., 2019. Ashworth's Principles of Criminal Law. 9th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

Lecture 6 - Substantive Criminal Law (2)

  • This lecture will be a continuance of the previous lecture, focusing on substantive criminal law
    but with regards to the following offences:
    Crimes against the person
    - Homicide
    -Bodily Harm
    Sexual Offences

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Antolisei, F. and Grosso, C., 2016. Manuale di diritto penale. Milano: Giuffrè.
  • Horder, J., 2019. Ashworth's Principles of Criminal Law. 9th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

Lecture 7 - Criminal Procedure

  • Procedural criminal law governs the process through which the state investigates,
    prosecutes, and adjudicates crimes, ensuring both effective law enforcement and the
    protection of individual rights. It sets out the rules for each stage of
    proceedings—investigation, indictment, trial, sentencing, and appeals—while upholding
    key principles such as legality, due process, presumption of innocence, equality of arms,
    proportionality, and the right to defence.
    Police, prosecutors, judges, defence counsel, and victims each play defined roles within
    this framework. Safeguards like the right to be informed of charges, to remain silent, to
    legal counsel, to a fair and speedy trial, and to appeal are central to balancing state
    authority with individual freedoms.
  •  Procedures in the Court of Magistrates
  • Procedures in the Criminal Court
  • Procedures in the Court of Criminal Appeal

Core Reading List

Supplementary Reading List

  • Antolisei, F. and Grosso, C., 2016. Manuale di diritto penale. Milano: Giuffrè.
  • Horder, J., 2019. Ashworth's Principles of Criminal Law. 9th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

Methods of Assessment

2 Assignments 100% of final score

 

Assignment

You are required to choose two of the four questions available in the Assignment Submission Form made available by clicking the button below. The assignment must be submitted no later than Thursday, 22 January 2026, along with the Assignment Submission Form. Please ensure that you indicate the question you have addressed on the Assignment Submission Form.

Assignment Submission Form

For guidance on how to plan, draft, and submit your assignment, please refer to the 21 Academy presentation on Writing and Submitting Your Assignment by clicking the button below.

Writing and Submitting Your Assignment

We are also providing the 21 Academy's Assignments Rubric for your reference. This rubric is a performance-based assessment tool that tutors will use for grading, and it will help you understand the requirements of the assignment and how it will be assessed.

Assignments Rubric

For referencing purposes, please use the OSCOLA Referencing Guide available by clicking the button below.

OSCOLA Referencing Guide

 

Submitting Assignment - Turnitin

The Academy will notify you via email when the assignment questions become available. Shortly after, you will receive another email from Turnitin, likely on the same day, confirming your enrolment in a "class" where you can upload your assignment(s).

Please ensure that your assignments are submitted no later than 23:59 on the assignment submission deadline, as indicated on the Assignment Submission form or in the Turnitin "class."

At 21 Academy, you have the option to submit multiple drafts before the final submission deadline. The version uploaded at the deadline will be treated as your final submission for assessment. Please note that Turnitin evaluates the same assignment twice within a 24-hour period, so any additional submissions during this time will not be reviewed until the 24-hour period has passed. Ensure that your final submission does not exceed 20% similarity, particularly when using direct quotations.

Follow this very short video to understand how to submit your assignment through Turnitin

Submitting a Paper

To understand the similarity report generated by Turnitin follow this 1 minute video

Understanding the Similarity Report

 

Referencing Style

Law students should use the OSCOLA referencing style as it is the standard citation system for legal writing in Malta. It ensures consistency, accuracy, and clarity when referencing legal sources, which is essential for academic and professional work. The video below provides detailed guidance on how to reference using OSCOLA. Please also refer to the OSCOLA Referencing Guide by clicking the button below

OSCOLA Referencing Guide