6B089E - Cold Cases and Miscarriages of Justice 01 Sep 2027 - 31 Aug 2033 | Version 0
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | 6B089E | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Cold Cases and Miscarriages of Justice | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science | ||
| Faculty Group: | Applied Science | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Forensic Science | ||
| Module Leader: | Ella Mason-Buck | ||
| Module Team: | James McCormack, Beth Nurse, Hannah Seale | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2027 | Final Year of Intake: | 2032 |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 30 | Credit Level: | 6 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | 100484 - criminology | ||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | 100 | ||
Document Version Information
| Version | 0 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2027 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2033 |
Module Aims
To enable students to critically evaluate advanced criminological perspectives and their application to complex, contested forensic and investigative contexts, demonstrating independent scholarly judgement at the frontier of forensic criminology.
To develop students’ capacity to critically analyse cold cases and miscarriages of justice, examining the interplay of forensic evidence, investigative practice, institutional failure and criminological insight in determining case outcomes.
To foster professional accountability and ethical leadership by examining the systemic, intersectional and social justice dimensions of investigative failure, and by requiring students to communicate complex critical analysis in professional written formats appropriate to independent review.
Content Summary
In this module you will operate at the sharpest edge of forensic criminology. Rather than applying theory to new cases, you will be asking harder questions: what happens when investigations fail, when innocent people are convicted, and when the systems we trust to deliver justice get it badly wrong?
Working as an independent criminological advisor, you will examine a composite case study involving investigative failure, contested forensic evidence and wrongful conviction. You will critically evaluate the criminological dimensions of what went wrong — including institutional bias, systemic failure and the limits of forensic evidence — and draw on the full breadth of criminological knowledge you have developed across the degree to produce a sustained critical analysis.
This is an optional module that sits alongside the Level 6 Complex Crime Scene Investigation and Criminal Casework modules, drawing on the applied investigative and forensic knowledge developed in both. It asks you to think beyond the individual case to the systemic, ethical and social justice dimensions of investigative failure, and to communicate that analysis with the independent scholarly judgement expected of a graduating professional.
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching (Workshops, Practical's and Seminars) | 56 |
| Guided Learning - Independent (Directed Reading, VLE Tasks) | 10.5 |
| Summative Assessment and Preparation | 60 |
| Formative Assessment | 12 |
| Independent Learning (Wider Reading, Research, Reflection, Consolidation) | 161.5 |
| Total Hours Selected | 300 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Critically evaluate advanced criminological perspectives and their application to forensic science and criminal investigations. |
| LO2 | Critically analyse cold cases and miscarriages of justice, assessing the role of forensic evidence, investigative practice, and criminological insight in case outcomes. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asynchronous Assessment | Case study | The case study has been selected as the sole summative assessment because it is the format best suited to demonstrating the depth of critical analysis, independent scholarly judgement, and sustained argumentation expected at Level 6. | 0 | 5000 | 100 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Case study | ✔ | ✔ | |