UCOR-1600 : Law, Society & Justice

This course examines law primarily from the social science perspective, which views law as a social institution that is firmly embedded in the society. The social science perspective differs from the traditional view of law which is taught in law school and focuses on the law as a system of self-contained rules and logic that are autonomous or independent of the outside social structure. The social science perspective maintains that the law is not autonomous, but rather a product of the social, economic, political and culture system that created it. In addition, this course moves beyond an analysis of how the law and its procedures operate in theory and also explores how it often deviates from the ideal and operates in 'reality', and with what consequences to the criminal justice system and society.