International and Comparative Criminal Justice LLM

About the Course

The programme offers a unique opportunity to delve into controversial criminal law and procedure issues, including those that relate to counter-terrorism practices adopted since 9/11, through analytical comparisons between common law systems (especially the United States, United Kingdom and Indian legal systems), civil law systems (especially the French legal system) and Islamic law systems, and through a detailed examination of the law and procedure applying to international criminal tribunals and the International Criminal Court.

Aims

This programme aims to provide graduates with a fundamental understanding of international and comparative criminal law and procedure and their interconnections, especially in the light of the radical transformations that this area has experienced since the beginning of the 21st century, with the genesis of the International Criminal Court and the excesses of the fight against international terrorism since 9/11.

Programme team

• Dr Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos, Course Director
• Dr Mohamed Elewa Badar
• Prof Ilias Bantekas
• Dr Manisuli Ssenyonjo

Enquiries

Jenny King, PG Administrator
Brunel Law School
Brunel University
Email j.king@brunel.ac.uk 
Tel +44 (0)1895 267316
Fax +44 (0)1895 810476

Course Director: Dr Dimitrios Giannoulopoulos
Assistant Deputy Head of School
Email dimitrios.giannoulopoulos@brunel.ac.uk 
Tel +44 (0)1895 266241
Fax +44 (0)1895 810476

Dr Giannoulopoulos will be pleased to be contacted if you wish to know more about the academic content of the programme.

Special Features

Research assistantships

The top student(s) in this course will have the chance to do a research assistant placement during the summer, with one of the academics teaching in the programme.

Research centres

The Law School benefits from very active research centres, which have hosted a number of research seminars and workshops in the last few years. Many of these events have pertained to international and comparative criminal justice issues, including counter-terrorism and human rights issues.

LLM students will be expected to actively participate in the activities of relevant research centres. The activities of the Criminal Justice Research Group and those of the Human Rights and Cultural Diversity Research Centre will be of great interest to students taking this LLM programme.

Extra-curricular activities

The Law School offers students numerous opportunities to undertake extra-curricular activities, including a Reading Group, a Law Film society, mooting and debating societies and research workshops organized by the research centres based at the School. LLM students are expected to play a leading role in the context of many of these activities.

Research skills

The Law School offers a very elaborate scheme of research and writing skills sessions, designed to facilitate students’ learning and to equip them with appropriate transferable skills. Some of the modules in this programme also integrate skills training, e.g. on how to answer essay questions, use electronic legal databases and cite legal authorities.

Course Content

The LLM International & Comparative Criminal Justice is normally awarded to students who successfully complete taught modules of 120 credits and a dissertation weighted at 60 credits (180 credits in total).

Typical Modules

Note: modules are subject to withdrawal at the School's discretion.

Core Modules

• Dissertation (60 credits)
• International Criminal Law (15 credits)
• Comparative Criminal Justice (15 credits)
• International Criminal Justice (15 credits)
• Counter-terrorism and Human Rights (15 credits)

Elective Modules
In addition to the above core modules, an LLM student will have to take 60 credits of taught modules by choosing any of the following elective modules:

• Public International Law (30 credits)
• International Human Rights and Islamic Law (30 credits)
• Fundamentals of International Human Rights Law (30 credits)
• Regional Protection of Human Rights (30 credits)
• The Migrant, the State & the Law (15 credits)
• Minorities and Indigenous Rights (15 credits)

Teaching and Learning

The faculty places great emphasis on the creation of a unique learning experience. In addition to attending seminars and preparing coursework and exams, students will also learn by participating in research centre activities and research trips, contributing to newsletters, making oral presentations, attending law film screenings as well as participating in debating events and reading group sessions.

Assessment

The faculty places great emphasis on the creation of a unique learning experience. In addition to attending seminars and preparing coursework and exams, students will also learn by participating in research centre activities and research trips, contributing to newsletters, making oral presentations, attending law film screenings as well as participating in debating events and reading group sessions.

Assessment methods in this programme range from coursework, seen examinations and a dissertation (15,000 words) to oral presentations and assessment by contribution in seminars.

Employability

Brunel University has always placed great emphasis on developing graduates who can innovate and implement, and who can add value to society through their industry. Brunel students become the kind of graduates whom employers want to recruit, and as a result they currently enjoy the 13th highest starting salaries in the UK. This success is down to several factors:

• combining academic study with work experience
• creative and forward-looking subjects
• an award-winning careers service
• working while they study
• the entrepreneurial spirit

Careers

This programme is for students who are looking for career opportunities in criminal justice institutions (such as the police, the prosecution service, the judiciary), at domestic and international levels, and also NGOs and international institutions with jurisdiction on criminal law, human rights and counter-terrorism issues, as well as for students interested in pursuing an academic career, by undertaking a PhD on comparative/international criminal justice or counter-terrorism.

Brunel University has always placed great emphasis on developing graduates who can innovate and implement, and who can add value to society through their industry. Brunel students become the kind of graduates whom employers want to recruit, and as a result they currently enjoy the 13th highest starting salaries in the UK. This success is down to several factors:

• combining academic study with work experience
• creative and forward-looking subjects
• an award-winning careers service
• working while they study
• the entrepreneurial spirit

Fees for 2013/14 entry

UK/EU students: £8,000 full-time; £4,000 part-time

International students: £13,500 full-time; £6,750 part-time

Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements

The normal requirement for admission will be a good undergraduate honours degree (normally a 2:2 or overseas equivalent) in law. The School may consider other applicants based on their qualifications, experience and potential to successfully to undertake and complete the course. Such applications are considered on a case by case basis by the Postgraduate Director.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
• TOEFL Paper test: 580 (TWE 4.5)
• TOEFL Internet test: 92 (R20, L20, S20, W20)
• Pearson: 59 (51 in all subscores)
• BrunELT 65% (min 60% in all areas)

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.