Session

Topic

Brief description

Week 1

Introduction

• Introduction of Module themes and assessment methodology. Explore student familiarity with police accountability, integrity and oversight. Go through the definition of essential concepts.
• Deliver exercise 1. 

Week 2

The role of police in democracies and the need for police accountability, integrity, oversight

• Show the Ted Talk on Approaches to policing: Warrior vs. guardian mindsets in policing. Lecture on the role of police in democracies, and how it evolved over time.
• Discussion on the key powers of the police, and implications for human rights, with illustrative examples.
• Lecture and discussion on the need for accountability.
• Deliver exercise 2.

Week 3

Internal and executive control of the police

• Lecture on internal control mechanisms, with a particular focus on internal complaint handling procedures.
• Discussion on police integrity, provide examples of codes of ethics.
• Deliver exercise 4.
• Lecture on executive control, with discussion on country practices and examples.

Week 4

Police oversight: the role of the Judiciary and the Parliament

• Lecture and discussion on judicial and parliamentary oversight.
• Student presentations on the state of judicial / parliamentary oversight in the country and/or international good practice examples.
• Discussion on challenges with judicial and parliamentary oversight.

Week 5

Police oversight: Independent Police Complaint Bodies

• Lecture on independent oversight of the police, with a particular focus on independent police complaint bodies.
• Student presentations on comparative IPCB models and mandates.
• Discussion on establishing an IPCB in the country - potential challenges.
• Alternatively, presentation(s) by the ombudsman institution / NHRI / anti-corruption commission in the country. 

Week 6

Police oversight: the role of the Media and Civil Society

• Lecture and discussion on the Role of NGOs, Media, International Actors in monitoring the police.
• Exercise 3 Role Play.
• Show the Documentary on the media and the police.
• Discussion on the documentary.

Week 7

Gender, diversity and police accountability

• Lecture and discussion on gender and police accountability.
• Deliver Exercises 5 and 6.
• In depth analysis of a case concerning SGBV committed by a police officer.
• Lecture and discussion on diversity in policing and implications for accountability.
• Exercise 7 on Profiling.

Week 8

Police Detention: Integrity, Oversight and Accountability

• Lecture and discussion on police detention and accountability. In depth analysis of the most recent SPT report on the country concerning detention conditions.
• Exercise 5 on analysing case law on detention.

Week 9

The role of whistle-blowers in police accountability

• Lecture and discussion on whistle-blowing and police accountability.  
• Show DW documentary on 'Exposing corruption, abuse and war crimes - Whistleblower'.
• Discussion on the documentary.
• Exercise 5 - Analyse case on whistle-blowing.

Week 10

Course wrap up; open discussion with a police representative

• Invite a representative from the National Police Service (alternatively, if class size and police regulations permit, arrange a visit to the local police station and organize a meeting with a representative of the police service).
• Discussion with the police representative on integrity, accountability and oversight.