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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Laws in Advanced Criminal Justice 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
101032  Master of Laws in Advanced Criminal Justice 
ORIGINATOR
University of KwaZulu-Natal 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Master's Degree  Field 08 - Law, Military Science and Security  Justice in Society 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  180  Not Applicable  NQF Level 09  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered  EXCO 0821/24  2021-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This qualification replaces: 
Qual ID Qualification Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Min Credits Replacement Status
81301  Master of Laws: Criminal Justice  Level 8 and above  NQF Level 09  128  Complete 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of the qualification is to enable leaners to become effective legal researchers and to critically engage with legal principles within this broader context, so ensuring their professional development as legal scholars and/or practitioners.
Learners are assisted to engage with the underlying legal theories and to assess the legal principles that ultimately impact on society as a whole. An opportunity is provided for learners to obtain detailed knowledge of a specific chosen legal area, and to critically reflect, analyse and synthesise divergent legal concepts in the chosen area. The purpose is to engage relevant material for use in the national, African regional and international contexts, thus enabling students to interpret law in the broader context to effect positive legal change. The aim is to develop various competencies and skills that facilitate lifelong learning.

Rationale:
As the legal field is ever changing and developing within a broader constitutional, national and international context, new knowledge generated by trained researchers as professional practitioners is necessary for the enhancement of the broader legal profession, private and public practice, the judiciary and the court system, and government and the legislature. This qualification assists in that regard. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Learners may be admitted to the qualification on the basis of RPL if their status demonstrates their ability to complete the qualification.

Entry Requirements:
A Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Level 8 or B Proc Degree, Level 8 or have acquired a level of experience, which, in the opinion of the University State, equips them to study and research at Postgraduate level. 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
Y 

QUALIFICATION RULES 
The qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 9 totalling 192 Credits.

Compulsory Modules (120 Credits):
  • Research Methodology, 24 Credits.
  • Mini Dissertation, 96 Credits.

    Elective Modules: Choose any 3 modules totalling 72 Credits.
  • Advanced Criminal Law, 24 Credits.
  • Criminal Process, 24 Credits.
  • International Criminal Law, 24 Credits.
  • Criminology, 24 Credits.
  • Sentencing, 24 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
  • Identify, describe, critically evaluate and apply the main concepts and legal principles pertaining to a selected area of legal study within a broader constitutional and international context.
  • Identify issues and solve practical and perceived legal problems through analytical thinking and evaluative techniques.
  • Demonstrate advanced legal research skills pertaining to national, regional and international criminal justice laws.
  • Apply a critical and evaluative approach to analysing complex issues in the field of criminal justice.
  • Analyse complex legal problems relating to criminal justice and motivate the appropriate way of dealing with these problems, with reference to specific legal principles.
  • Critically engage with legal principles specifically within the context of criminal justice, and identify how they should be applied to complex legal problems in a criminal justice context.
  • Undertake independent legal research and write a dissertation which reflects advanced research skills, independent thinking, critical analysis and advanced insight into the selected areas of criminal justice. 
    		•

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    1. Demonstrate adequate knowledge and understanding of substantive law including Criminal Justice, Constitutional and Human Rights Litigation and Trial Advocacy.
    2. Conduct a review of the literature pertaining to own area of specialisation and to write and present a seminar paper.
    3. Demonstrating own comprehension of the various issues pertaining to the topics studied.
    4. Produce a dissertation or publishable articles, which make a contribution to knowledge by exploring an aspect of law and which meets academic requirements for form and content.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Each module will be assessed through an integrated individual written assignment or test, in addition to a range of oral and written, group and individual class assignments in order to give students the opportunities to demonstrate a variety of competencies.

    The dissertation requires students to apply their learning in an integrated way to analyse a specific area related to their work context in a work-based assignment and to apply the theoretical frameworks to recommend solutions to identified legal problem areas. The dissertation assesses the ability of learners to integrate solutions from different modules to the applicable legal issue addressed in the dissertation. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Law.
  • Doctor in Law, Level 10.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Law in different specialisations, Level 9. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification.
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. University of KwaZulu-Natal 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.