This course examines general principles of criminal liability, a range of fatal and non-fatal
offences against the person and selected offences against property. Attempts to commit
offences, secondary liability and defences also form part of the University of London criminal
law curriculum. Criminal law consists of a highly developed body of precisely formulated legal
rules but as criminal conduct is subject to punishment it thus engages with broad issues of morality
and policy. Understanding the tension between certainty in the law and social adaptation affects
the development of criminal law will take students beyond the basic stage of understanding the
substantive rules of criminal law.