599 Law & Policing (Allan)

LAW599

Law and Policing

(Allan)

Prerequisite courses: 

Prerequisite for:

Instructor(s): Malcolm Allan

Course credit: 3

Method of presentation: Seminar

METHOD OF EVALUATION

In-Class Presentation - 25% 

Written Assignment - 75%

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This seminar-based course is intended to introduce future lawyers and Crown and defense counsel to the context and nuance of policing and the justice system. This course attempts to highlight the tension of the political, cultural, and legal interplay between the police, the courts and Crown, victims of crimes, accused persons, mental illness and addiction, the legal defense community, the media and municipal and provincial governments and oversight. It is hoped that topics in this course and the resulting discussion will assist students to better understand how the legal system works in “real world” practice. The intention is that the student will come away from the course with a greater ability recognize, understand, and appreciate the complexities and competing priorities within the system they are about to enter, and be more effective advocates as a result. 

Topics covered will include:

• Police Use (and misuse) of Force

• Search and Seizure - Drafting and Litigating Search Warrants

• Electronic Surveillance and Data Collection

• Street Level Search, Seizure, and Detention

• Criminal Negligence, Negligent investigations and Police Civil Liability

• Interview and interrogation

• The Bail and Detention Process

• “High Risk” Incident Command and Tactical Operations

• Major Crimes Investigation (Sexual Assault and/or Homicide)

• Major Case Management

• Human Resources Law

• The Alberta Police Act and the Internal Police Disciplinary System

SPECIAL COMMENTS

Description updated 2023-24. Please contact the instructor for any specific questions you may have related to this particular course section.

REQUIRED TEXTS (IF ANY)

In-house materials.

*Reading list and other course components described in this course description are subject to alteration prior to the start of the class.