• E4J University Module Series: Firearms

• Module 8: Criminal Justice Response

• Introduction and learning outcomes

• Key issues

  • International and national legal framework
  • Firearms related offences
  • Role of law enforcement
  • Firearms as evidence
  • Use of special investigative techniques
  • International cooperation and information exchange
  • Prosecution and adjudication of firearms trafficking
  • Summary
  • References

• Exercises

• Possible class structure

• Core reading

• Advanced reading

• Student assessment

• Additional teaching tools

•  

• First published in April 2020
  

•  

  This module is a resource for lecturers  

Possible class structure

This section contains recommendations for a teaching sequence and timing intended to achieve learning outcomes through a three-hour class. The lecturer may wish to disregard or shorten some of the segments below in order to give more time to other elements, including introduction, icebreakers, conclusion or short breaks. The structure could also be adapted for shorter or longer classes, given that the class durations vary across countries.

First session

• Ask students to watch one or two of the videos listed. Produce a list of questions from the videos and overview; combine with an academic source relating to firearms in the criminal justice system.
• (In-class) Ice-breaker (10-15 minutes): In pairs or small groups, ask students to discuss the video and provide a summary of the main issues; use your questions to generate responses; use them to inform a discussion relating to firearms in the criminal justice system, establishing understanding so far.
• Lecture (25-35 minutes): Give a brief lecture about detecting and investigating firearms in the criminal justice system using the Module narrative.

Second session

• Pre-class activity (time varies): Ask students to look at work by Gramazzi (2014) and/or Savona and Mancuso (2017) and summarize the main points on criminal justice response. The summary will be used on a post-course debate on criminal justice response challenges.
• Discussion (10-15 minutes): In small groups, ask students to discuss illicit flows of firearms, in relation to trafficking and stockpiles and to list the consequences, causes and solutions.
• Lecture (25-35 minutes): Give a brief lecture about the legal framework and criminal justice responses using information from the Module narrative.

Third session

• Student activity – Following the lecture, ask students to complete Exercise 1

• Student activity – Following the lecture, ask students to complete Exercise 2

• Discuss the exercises and what was learned from them.
• Lecturers can conclude with a discussion summarizing the role of firearms in the criminal justice system, the difficulties inherent in combating firearms crime, and the flow of illicit firearms, and the importance of cooperation and proactive and intelligence-based investigations, which rely on the efficiency and training of criminal justice personnel and law enforcement.

Next: Core reading

Back to top