Distance learning Criminal Law in Ireland

jenny smith

A friend of mine is retired due to illness and is housebound. He has an interest in learning about Criminal Law in Ireland. He does not ever intend to practice or become a legal professional, it is a hobby of his. Would this course be suitable

Is anyone familiar with the Open College? Has it a good reputation?

Or could anyone recommend a book he could start with as an introduction

Pat Mustard

Never heard of The Open College.

As regards courses, your friend might be better off contacting an established college. These would include anything in NUI and also Griffith College.

Alternatively, there are tutors on the Law Society prep courses list. Maybe one of them would agree to online lectures via Skype or otherwise. https://www.lawsociety.ie/Documents/education/FE-1/FE-1GrindsList.pdf

As regards reading material, I see that the Law Society FE-1 Spring 2016 syllabus lists the following as recommended reading:

Recommended Reading


McAuley & McCutcheon, Criminal Liability, (2000) Roundhall Sweet & Maxwell.



Charleton, Bolger & McDermott, Irish Criminal Law, (1999), Butterworths.
Campbell, Kilcommins & O’Sullivan, Criminal Law in Ireland: Cases and Commentary, (2009), Clarus Press


Hanly, An Introduction to Irish Criminal Law, 3rd Ed, (2014), Gill and
MacMillan


McIntrye and McMullan, Criminal Law, (2012), Thomson Roundhall

Hanley is relatively up to date and can be got for fifty quid:
http://www.schoolbooksireland.ie/an-introduction-to-irish-criminal-law-3rd-edition/9780717159734/

MarkAnthony

There isn't - much to my dismay as it's the only area I really find interesting - a criminal law course. You can specialise after doing undergraduate law but you'll cover all areas. Griffith have distance learning and there is also the option of the Open University but that will be English Law.

PaulieBoy

jenny smith wrote: »

A friend of mine is retired due to illness and is housebound. He has an interest in learning about Criminal Law in Ireland. He does not ever intend to practice or become a legal professional, it is a hobby of his. Would this course be suitable

Is anyone familiar with the Open College? Has it a good reputation?

Or could anyone recommend a book he could start with as an introduction

That course is a QQI level 5 course, about leaving cert level. An ordinary degree is level 7, honours degree level 8, and so on. It's expensive enough for what it is. A good book would cover that and a lot more. An Introduction to Irish Criminal Law, by Conor Hanly is worth looking at as is the one listed above.
A lot of Irish criminal law is based on English case law so while an OU course would indeed be based on the UK law it would not, in my opinion, be a complete waste. Particularly if it just an interest, it would be more substantial than the open College course.

jenny smith

MarkAnthony wrote: »

There isn't - much to my dismay as it's the only area I really find interesting - a criminal law course. You can specialise after doing undergraduate law but you'll cover all areas. Griffith have distance learning and there is also the option of the Open University but that will be English Law.

Griffith is not just criminal law is it? He is interested in Irish law as he reads press reports of crime here

jenny smith

PaulieBoy wrote: »

That course is a QQI level 5 course, about leaving cert level. An ordinary degree is level 7, honours degree level 8, and so on. It's expensive enough for what it is. A good book would cover that and a lot more. An Introduction to Irish Criminal Law, by Conor Hanly is worth looking at as is the one listed above.
A lot of Irish criminal law is based on English case law so while an OU course would indeed be based on the UK law it would not, in my opinion, be a complete waste. Particularly if it just an interest, it would be more substantial than the open College course.

The Hanly book looks good as a start. It is 44 euro on book depository. Do you have to take exams for OU? He is not interested in exams and does not want to be under time pressure. It would need to be at his own pace

PaulieBoy

jenny smith wrote: »

The Hanly book looks good as a start. It is 44 euro on book depository. Do you have to take exams for OU? He is not interested in exams and does not want to be under time pressure. It would need to be at his own pace

You don't have to take the OU exams but it's a bit pointless of you don't, and expensive! Just get the books instead. They will cover everything he needs at a fraction of the cost.

MarkAnthony

jenny smith wrote: »

Griffith is not just criminal law is it? He is interested in Irish law as he reads press reports of crime here

There aren't any Criminal Law only courses outside of masters level because one needs to understand other aspects not least Constitutional law. Even EU law creeps into criminal and there are parallels drawn with Tort fairly frequently.

Griffith IIRC may have changed their course to be covering Criminal in the first year so that could be a good option. He could do year one and see if he wants to continue after that.

Manach

On the Open University, some of the modules are based on submitted marked assignments and not exams. This might prove better for the OP's friend if the legal courses are such.

MarkAnthony

In addition with the OU, I believe you can pick the modules you want. The main issue with self study is it's bloody lonely. Griffith are finally getting to grips with their forums and people are beginning to use them. I literally got people emailing me asking how I got their emails when I used them a few years back! (The forums used to email out your posts.) The OU on the other hand have forums which are very active which is great for making friends and getting help.

English Criminal Law isn't that different from Irish and you'd do very, very well being able to pull in Irish jurisprudence into an assignment where appropriate.

Edit: Make sure to tell him about here. If he can get past the rather acerbic wit he'll find most people unbelievably helpful and frankly able explain something better than most of the 'leading' academics out there. I count myself guilty of the former without the latter, however.

jenny smith

He is reading An Introduction to Irish Criminal Law third edition by Conor Hanly

He is interested in a book about the Irish Courts system. What about

http://www.claruspress.ie/shop/the-irish-legal-system/

or

http://www.legalbooks.ie/product_info.php/cPath/80/products_id/2704/osCsid/522a5def598d4f919875c68152c06d29

Or other?

He thanks all of you for the help

Pat Mustard

Byrne & McCutcheon used to be the book for intro to the legal system in Ireland. I have no idea of its popularity these days.

UCC has the Byrne & McCutcheon book on its (now outdated) general Irish law reading materials list:
http://www.ucc.ie/law/irishlaw/subjects/legalsystem.shtml

You have linked to a newer edition which would be more up to date.

I have never heard of the other book to which you linked but that is not to say that it may or may not be popular in academia these days.

PaulieBoy

jenny smith wrote: »

He is reading An Introduction to Irish Criminal Law third edition by Conor Hanly

He is interested in a book about the Irish Courts system. What about

http://www.claruspress.ie/shop/the-irish-legal-system/

or

http://www.legalbooks.ie/product_info.php/cPath/80/products_id/2704/osCsid/522a5def598d4f919875c68152c06d29

Or other?

He thanks all of you for the help

I would go for the Byrne & MacCutcheon one. I have it and like it, easy enough to read and covers pretty much everything. Others may well differ.

jenny smith

Thanks guys

jenny smith

http://www.claruspress.ie/shop/human-rights-and-policing-in-ireland-law-policy-and-practice/

http://www.claruspress.ie/shop/garda-powers-law-and-practice-paperback/

Any ideas about which would best Dermot Walshes is longer but is 2009, the other is 2014

Pat Mustard

jenny smith wrote: »

http://www.claruspress.ie/shop/human-rights-and-policing-in-ireland-law-policy-and-practice/

http://www.claruspress.ie/shop/garda-powers-law-and-practice-paperback/

Any ideas about which would best Dermot Walshes is longer but is 2009, the other is 2014

I don't think that somebody who is at undergraduate level would get either of those books. I wouldn't have done so, anyway.

Kings Inns or bust

Absolutely. The best thing to grab would be a second hand Kings Inns manual, personally I think Independent colleges one is best.

I'm trying to remember what the suggested text was for undergrad Criminal, not that I ever read the bloody thing.

jenny smith

Do any of these or similar books come as audio books for listening in car.?

Kings Inns or bust

You'll find many lectures online (youtube and alike). Perhaps burn the audio to CD?