Outline

Overview

Corruption and its impact on government and society is an increasingly prevalent part of public life and discourse. This course introduces students to the principles and practice underlying laws pertaining to anti-corruption and their enforcement. It will focus on the legal frameworks that have been established to combat the various aspects and stages of corruption, and the work of certain agencies in regulating industries and enforcing those laws. Topics will include bribery of public officials, cartel behaviour, anti-money laundering, asset recovery and transnational enforcement, amongst others.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	LAWS3523
Academic unit	Law
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	LAWS1016
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Derwent Coshott, derwent.coshott@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Participation	Structured Class Participation (15%) Prepare and present answers to assigned sets of discussion questions.	15%	Ongoing	Semester length.
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Interim Assignment (25%) Interim Assignment	25%	Week 07 Due date: 12 Apr 2024 at 16:00 Closing date: 19 Apr 2024	2,000 words / 3 weeks
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Final Assignment (60%) Final Assignment	60%	Week 12 Due date: 17 May 2024 at 16:00 Closing date: 24 May 2024	3,000 words / 5 weeks
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Structured Class Participation (15%): Each topic will contain a set of discussion questions. Students will be on-call to answer any and all questions in a given set, which will be allocated them. Students who are unable to attend their allocated class must apply for Special Consideration. A failure to participate in the class discussion in the allocated class will result in 0/15 for this assessment and may lead to an Absent Fail.

Interim Assignment 2,000 words (25%): The Interim assignment will be a research exercise focusing on materials covered in early in semester. The assignment will be 2,000 words long excluding references. It will be released on Canvas at 4:00pm (Sydney, Australia time) on 22nd March 2024. It will be due at 4:00pm (Sydney, Australia time) on 12th April 2024.

Final Assignment (60%, 3,000 words): The final assignment will take the form of a 3,000 (excluding references) research paper worth 60% of a student's final mark. A list of suggested topics drawn from the seminars will be circulated to students, or if a student wishes to formulate a topic, the student may do so in consultation with the course lecturers. It will be released on Canvas at 4:00pm (Sydney, Australia time) on 12th April 2024. It will be due at 4:00pm (Sydney, Australia time) on 17th May 2024.

Word limit penalty: A piece of assessment which exceeds the prescribed word limit will attract a penalty of 5% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment for every 100 words, or part thereof. The total word count for essay and other written assessments will exclude all footnotes and any bibliography (if required).

Use of editors or proof-readers: The use of assistance in preparing and editing assessment tasks in this unit of study is strictly prohibited. Assistance includes human and automated writing tools (not including spell checking).

Special consideration: Successful grants of Special Consideration may involve alternative tasks, as appropriate.

Assessment requirements to pass a unit of study: A student must make a genuine attempt at all assessment tasks set out in this Unit of Study in order to obtain a Pass mark and grade (or above); otherwise an Absent Fail grade will be recorded as the student’s result for this Unit of Study.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2021 (Schedule 1).

Result Name	Mark Range	Description
High Distinction	85-100	Completely answers the question. Contains striking originality of approach or analysis. Demonstrates exhaustive or innovative research (where independent research required). Exceptionally well written, structured and expressed. Is otherwise exceptional in some way.
Distinction	75-84	Completely answers the question. Achieves a critical and evaluative approach to the issues. Content and structure is well organised in support of the argument. Demonstrates extensive research and analysis to support a well-documented argument. Generally well expressed and free from errors. Has a clear structure and is well articulated.
Credit	65-74	Covers main issues fairly well in answering the question. Contains no significant errors. Demonstrates an attempted critical approach to the issues. Demonstrates reasonably sound research and analysis in addressing the key issues. Has a clear structure and reasonably clear expression.
Pass	50-64	Identifies the key issues, but does not follow through with a reasoned argument. Contains some significant errors. Displays satisfactory engagement with the key issues. Offers a descriptive summary of material relevant to the question. Superficial use of material, and may display a tendency to paraphrase. Demonstrates little evidence of in-depth research or analysis. Adequate expression. Overall, demonstrates the minimum level of competence in the assessment and satisfies the requirements to proceed to higher-level studies in the degree or subject area.
Fail	0-49	Does not answer the question. Contains significant or numerous errors. Few or no identifiable arguments. Content that is inappropriate or irrelevant. Lack of research or analysis. Difficult or impossible to understand through poor grammar, expression or structure. Overall, does not demonstrate the minimum level of competence in the assessment.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

The late submission of a piece of assessment, without an approved extension, will attract a penalty of 5% of the total marks available for the piece of assessment per 24 hours or part thereof, after the due time on the due date. For example, a submission after the due time but before the same time the following day will attract a 5% penalty.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1: Introduction & 2: Investigating Corruption	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 02	2: Investigating Corruption	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 03	3: Bribery	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 04	4: Official Misconduct	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 05	4: Official Misconduct & 5: Civil Consequences of Corruption	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 06	5: Civil Consequences of Corruption & 6: Asset Recovery	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 07	6: Asset Recovery & 7: Corruption and Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 08	7: Corruption and Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing & 8: AML/CTF: FATF Recommendations	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 09	8: AML/CTF: FATF Recommendations & 9: AML/CTF: The Australian Legal Framework	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 10	9: AML/CTF: The Australian Legal Framework	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 11	9: AML/CTF: The Australian Legal Framework & 10: AML/CTF: Typologies	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 12	10: AML/CTF: Typologies	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 13	11: AML/CTF in Action	Seminar (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: All students are required to attend at least 70% of classes to satisfy the pass requirements for each unit of study. Failure to meet this requirement may result in a student being precluded from sitting the final assessment.

Referencing: The Sydney Law School expects you to use the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (4th edition, 2018) for your footnoting style, although you should confirm this with your lecturer, and a link to the library website where this is set out comprehensively is available at https://libguides.library.usyd.edu.au/c.php?g=508212&p=3476376 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Required readings are listed by topics as contained in the Reading Guide.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. identify and describe anti-corruption issues through analysis of applicable case law/legislation found in legal databases, and online/offline texts.
LO2. describe situations and contexts in which corruption issues arise.
LO3. critically examine policies that underpin or have given rise to anti-corruption law through in-class discussion.
LO4. apply knowledge and theory and employ resources such as legal databases and online/offline texts, discussed in the unit to real-world situations involving corruption.
LO5. synthesise knowledge and theory and use resources discussed in the unit to develop sound oral and written legal arguments.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

N/A

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

LAWS3523: Anti-Corruption Law

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect