Sample 2:1 Undergraduate Topics and Titles Order

Title 1: Corporate Crime: Holding Companies Accountable

Relevance of Topic and Focus of Dissertation: Corporate crime poses special challenges to the law, because it involves the commission of a crime by a collective entity acting through one or more individuals. It may therefore involve both a corporate legal entity and several different individuals. This is problematic because it is not always clear as to where liability should lie, and how corporate crime should be punished. The dissertation will focus on the problem of corporate crime, from the perspective of traditional components of criminal law. In seeking to apply the concepts of mens rea (including intention) and actus reus to the collective corporate entity, the current law in the UK will be critically examined. This includes section 250 of the Crime and Policing Act 2026, under which an offence committed by a senior manager acting within their actual or apparent authority can also be attributed to the company, and the separate offence of failure to prevent fraud under section 199 of the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023. This is an important issue, as individuals may commit crimes, seeking to conceal their actions and avoid responsibility beneath the corporate structure. The dissertation will therefore determine when collective responsibility, individual responsibility or both should be imposed when companies and their members commit crimes, and how this could be embodied in the law.

Indicative Sources:

• ML Benson & TD Madensen, ‘Situational Crime Prevention and White Collar Crime’ in International Handbook of White-Collar and Corporate Crime (HN Pontell & G Geis eds, Springer 2007) pp. 609-626.
• ML Benson & SS Simpson, White-Collar Crime: An Opportunity Perspective (Routledge 2009).
• MB Clinard & PC Yeager, Corporate Crime (Free Press 1980).
• N Shover & JP Wright, Crimes of Privilege: Readings in White-Collar Crime (OUP 2000).
• C Wells, Corporations and Criminal Responsibility (OUP 1993).

Title 2: When the Victim becomes the Defendant: A Critical Analysis of the Defence of Loss of Self Control

Relevance of Topic and Focus of Dissertation: The implementation of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 brought with it promises of major reform, which would update and improve homicide law in England and Wales. One of the most important changes brought about by the Act was its abolition of the partial defence of provocation, and the creation of the new partial defence of loss of control, which reduces murder to manslaughter. Such defences are particularly important for victims of domestic abuse who kill their abusers. Under sections 54 and 55 the loss of control need not be sudden, and fear of serious violence can be a qualifying trigger. Whether the new defence is more appropriate for such defendants will be critically examined, with a comparative analysis of the previous common law defence as modified by section 3 of the Homicide Act 1957 and the new defence under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. The elements of the defences, and their availability to victims of domestic violence will be explored, and weaknesses the remain in the new defence will form the basis for further reform.

Indicative Sources:

• S Bandalli, ‘Provocation - A Cautionary Note’ [1995] 22 JLS 398.
• M Burton, ‘Sentencing Domestic Homicide Upon Provocation: Still Getting Away With Murder’ [2003] 11 FLS 279.
• K Csefalvay, ‘Taunts, Chapati Pans and The Case of the Reasonable Glue-Sniffer: An Examination of The Normative Test in Provocation After Smith and Holley’ [2006] CSLR 45.
• J Horder, Provocation and Responsibility (OUP 1992).
• Law Commission, Final Report on Partial Defences to Murder: Law Com No 290 (Stationery Office 2004).

Title 3: Child Criminals: Should the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility be Increased?

Relevance of Topic and Focus of Dissertation: Child offenders spark controversial and important questions concerning whether or not the age of criminal responsibility is set at an appropriate age. In England and Wales, the Children and Young Persons Act 1963 raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from eight to ten. A child aged ten to thirteen was also presumed incapable of committing an offence unless the prosecution proved that the child knew the act was seriously wrong. Section 34 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 abolished this presumption. Children aged ten to seventeen are generally dealt with in the youth court and are subject to different sentencing rules from adults. The dissertation will consider the possible criminogenic effects of entering the criminal justice system at a young age. This dissertation will examine the concepts of criminal responsibility, intention and culpability in a bid to determine whether the minimum age of criminal responsibility should be increased. In comparing these elements as embodied in child offenders in comparison to adult offenders, a proposal will be made for the increasing of the minimum age of criminal responsibility.

Indicative Sources

• S Bandalli, ‘Abolition of the Presumption of Doli Incapax and the Criminalisation of Children’ [1998] 37 Howard Journal, issue 2.
• R Church, B Goldson & N Hindley, ‘The Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility: Clinical, Criminological/Sociological, Developmental and Legal Perspectives’ [2013] 13 Youth Justice, issue 2.
• BC Feld, ‘Competence, Culpability, and Punishment: Implications of Atkins for Executing and Sentencing Adolescents’ [2003] 32 Hofstra Law Review, issue 2, article 1.
• H Keating, ‘Reckless Children?’ [2007] 7 Criminal Law Review 546.
• J Muncie, Youth and Crime (3^rd edn, Sage 2009).