CRI1006: Using the Old Bailey Online Archives as a starting point, investigate a crime that occurred in Britain between 1674 and 1913: Criminology, Assessment, UON, UK

• The Assessment Task

Using the Old Bailey Online Archives as a starting point, investigate a crime that occurred in Britain between 1674 and 1913. The scope of this assignment is to allow you to reflect on crime and justice from a historical perspective. After investigating the case, you will need to write a report of 2,000 words which must outline the facts of the case, provide an assessment of the case, conclude with a summary of the themes you have discussed, and end with a reference list

You need to select a case from the Old Bailey Online Archives to use as the basis for your investigation. You should avoid infamous cases as this is likely to influence your own investigation and impact your critical analysis. You can choose from any of the years covered by the archive (1674-1913) but you need to ensure you select a case that will interest you and provide enough material for a sustained piece of writing. Once you have decided on a case you need to make sure you note down the accurate reference, download the case for your reference, and make sure you provide the case number in your reference list. You need to read your chosen case thoroughly and draw out the important details and start identifying themes for further discussion.

Throughout your investigation, you will need to explore the wider academic literature whether criminological, historical, or legal. The overall focus of the report is to tell us what your case says about continuity and change in the criminal justice system for England and Wales and how society responds to crime. To help you with this, you can comment on aspects including – but not limited to 2 the nature of the offense, the media response to the crime, the actors in the courtroom, the sentence, or comparison with modern-day approaches.

• Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

1. Assess the impact of ‘True Crime’ narratives on a mainstream understanding of crime and criminal justice policy.
2. Explain how criminological theory can enhance the understanding of real-life instances of crime.
3. Explore the main methodological concerns within ‘True Crime’ narratives of criminality.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the historical context both to crimes under critique and criminological theory
5. Collect and review academic literature and other sources independently