Culture and Criminal Justice

Overview

Academic Lead: Kate Leader

Syllabus: SUM5013 Culture and Criminal Justice [PDF]

This innovative module sits at the forefront of cultural criminology and legal humanities, offering students a deep exploration of the relationship between culture and criminal justice. It engages students in critical discussions on how culture shapes, and is shaped by, law covering topics such as art theft, cultural looting, AI and technology, performance in trials, and the role of technology in legal processes. The first half of the module examines criminal justice through the lens of art and culture, exploring literature, theatre, and art that engage with justice themes, and developing analytical skills through performance analysis and creative writing. The second half reverses the perspective, analysing art through a criminal justice lens by considering issues such as censorship, policing culture, and the legal frameworks that regulate art and cultural expression. The module fosters cross-disciplinary thinking and equips students with new methods of critical analysis for criminology, law, and justice studies.

Course content is subject to change.

Course aims

Students taking this module will learn to critically evaluate the processes and dynamics of legal systems, their historical progress, and contemporary criminal justice policy through the lens of art and culture. This perspective will open new and original avenues of analysis for them which will help with critical thinking more generally. Students will furthermore study case law relating to art in the criminal justice system, be it vandalism, obscenity, theft, looting or forgery of cultural objects. The module will question whether there is a difference between art and other objects/subjects when it comes to the criminal justice process and whether there should be. 

Teaching and learning

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical workshops and field trips. 

Learning outcomes

Academic Content: 

• Learn to critically evaluate the processes and dynamics of legal systems, their historical progress, and contemporary criminal justice policy through the lens of art and culture. 
• Develop knowledge of scholarly literature in the field of criminal justice and culture. 
• Gain a basic understanding of legal issues involved in the protection of cultural heritage under national and international law as well as issues of censorship and art.  

Disciplinary Skills - able to: 

• Conduct effective analysis of relevant case studies. 
• Comprehend and evaluate scholarly literature. 
• Be able to integrate ethical and legal concerns relating to art and culture into professional practice in law. 

Attributes: 

• Collaborative effectively with classmates. 
• Engage in respectful debates with classmates. 
• Effectively communicate their learning in this course both orally and through written assessment. 

Fees

Additional costs

All reading material will be provided online, so it is not necessary to purchase any books.

For course and housing fees visit our finance webpage

Entry requirements

Course prerequisite:

No prerequisite knowledge is required. Students from different academic backgrounds will be able to undertake this course.

We welcome Summer School students from around the world. We accept a range of qualifications

How to apply

Have a question? Get in touch - one of the team will be happy to help!

Applications close 26 May 2026