Our online courses give you the flexibility to fit your studies around your lifestyle, when and where you choose. A certificate from the Centre of Paralegal Studies is a great way to start or further your legal career.
This course gives you the practical information you require to perform some of the main tasks of a paralegal.
The course is online, and self-paced. It’s up to you when you start, and how long you take to complete. At the end of the course there is a multiple-choice assessment.
Prerequisites
None
This course is suitable for:
- Law students applying for paralegal, summer clerkships or graduate positions
- Administrative staff who aim to upgrade their knowledge and skills
- Job seekers who want to increase their qualifications
- Employers aiming to get the best out of their staff.
Credit
On completion of the course, you will be awarded with a Criminal Law for Paralegals certificate from the Centre for Paralegal Studies.
What is covered in this course
You will gain an overview of State and Commonwealth offences; key legislation, jurisdiction of Courts in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, the difference between “summary” and “indictable” offences, learn that some indictable offences may be tried summarily, as well as gaining an understanding of key terms used in criminal law, as well as the role of key persons.
Learn about the right to silence, the questioning of an accused person, and what you should say to a client if they call you from the Police Station; the laying of charges by Police and what you should do when taking instructions from a client and at the first time the matter is listed before the Court.
Learn about bail, including the considerations that a Court undertakes when determining whether a person should be granted bail. Understand what is considered an “unacceptable risk” when determining whether there are any bail concerns.
The District Court in New South Wales and the County Court in Victoria conduct the vast majority of jury trials in those States. Learn about trial preparation, the brief of evidence and prosecutorial duties, as well as the obligations of disclosure. This course will provide an outline of the procedure in a criminal trial, provide information about briefing Counsel, as well as the rules of evidence.
If a person has been convicted of an offence or pleads guilty, they are ordinarily then sentenced. This course will provide details on the different penalties that could be given to offenders including imprisonment, intensive corrective orders, community correction orders, and fines. You will also learn what to consider at a sentencing hearing, and consider an example plea in mitigation for a driving offence. You will also learn what occurs following a sentencing hearing.
This lesson will provide information about appeals to the District Court in New South Wales or the County Court in Victoria against sentencing. You will also learn about appeals to the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal and the Victorian Court of Appeal.
A list of further reading and additional resources is provided.
Course Content
Lessons
Status
AssessmentsStatus
All of our courses are written by practising Barristers and Solicitors with extensive legal experience and knowledge. That is the unique benefit of undertaking a course at the Centre for Paralegal Studies. You are learning from the people that will employ you.
On registration you can immediately download course material written by a Barrister or Solicitor. Having access to such material without spending thousands of dollars is rare and invaluable.
On completion of a course you will receive a Certificate from the Centre for Paralegal Studies. That Certificate demonstrates your initiative, resourcefulness and motivation to undertake self-learning. It also tells employers that you have successfully completed a course written by legal professionals – it sets you apart from the crowd.
Think about it – an employer needs to choose between job applicants. So what sets you apart? A Certificate from the Centre for Paralegal Studies is the answer.
