Assessment Two: Research Report Due Date: Friday 20 January 2023 by 8pm
Word Limit: 2000 wordsValue:50%
Identify an area of administrative or policy change to civil and criminal justice systems relevant to managing terrorism (i.e. justified by politicians in relation to counter-terrorism needs). The goal is to investigate the impact of that change to the policing/management of ‘terrorism’ and its impacts upon wider civil society. Students should outline how their chosen policy change balances the appropriate ‘risk management’ of the real threat of terrorism with the need to protect democratic and liberal values (such as human rights, democratic freedoms, and legal entitlements). Students should outline the impacts of your chosen area of administrative/policy change, including considering whether your chosen policy change has created unintended consequences or ramifications upon non-‘terrorist’ groups or individuals. A reflection is required on whether the specific policy change could be considered a ‘success’ or ‘failure’. Using the chosen policy change, students should reflect on how the ‘war on terror’ has impacted upon civil society and/or the criminal justice system and it’s functioning. Non- Australian examples are acceptable.
You will be assessed on your ability to:
- Identify an area for administrative/policy change or law reform to criminal justice systems relevant to managing terrorism. This can include changes to the law (either state or commonwealth), changes to policing, changes to courts, changes to the practices of counter-terrorism agencies such as ASIO, ASD, or the Centre for Counter-Terrorism Coordination, changes to regulation of citizens, journalists, or ‘suspect
communities’ etc. etc. (Note: these are just examples and other possibilities are relevant – feel free to discuss ideas with teaching staff).
- Areas of focus can include – as examples – intensive screening of asylum seekers and migrants for ‘terrorism-related’ connections; metadata retention laws; citizenship-stripping of returning foreign fighters; ASIO’s questioning powers; journalism, disclosure of information about counter-terrorism operations, and free speech; preventative detention orders in Victoria; increased surveillance powers over Australian citizens; commonwealth ‘Terrorist Act’ offences; local police counter-terrorism units; community-based partnerships for counter-terrorism/radicalization strategies; right to protest and counter- terrorism laws; whistleblowers and counter-terrorism laws; increased funding for counter-terrorism agencies; increased focus on terrorism within electoral politics; anti-encryptions laws and counter-terrorism, etc etc.
- Investigate the impact of current policy frameworks, policing practices, counter-terrorism strategies, and/or legislation on the area/issue you have selected.
- Articulate evidence-based legal, criminological, socio-political, and scholarly critiques.
- Contextualise the administrative change within broader social, political, historic, and/or economic global trends.
- Critically evaluate how the ‘war on terror’ has impacted civil society, government, and/or criminal justice administration. What changes have been made as a response to the threat of terrorism? And how might these changes have side-effects or costs for other values, individuals, or groups?
Students are asked to provide an overall argument as to whether the area of change that was selected has changed society for the better, for the worse, or
produced ambivalent results and outcomes. This example will then be used to comment, describe, and critically evaluate how the ‘war on terror’ has impacted government, criminal justice, and/or civil society.
Additional Instructions:
- Research report’s will differ between students depending on the subject matter that is discussed, however, in general, research reports should feature the following content:
An introduction outlining the major argument or arguments of the report.
An introduction to the area of administrative or policy change being considered within the report. Including necessary background political, historical, or social detail outlining how or why this change was made.
Detail outlining the nature of the policy change is also required (for example, detail of any new police powers provided within new legislation. It would be useful to articulate any known or anticipated impacts of this change).
If appropriate, provide some comparative detail on similar changes that were adopted elsewhere (in another nation or jurisdiction for example). If Australia (or your chosen example) is the only
nation adopting this change, that is worth noting or exploring.
Outline detail on the various impacts of the change under discussion. These impacts can be on criminal justice system actors, the government, the community, or specific individuals. Or can have an impact on a value or principle, such as ‘fairness’, ‘proportionality’, ‘equality’, ‘privacy’, ‘democratic freedoms’, ‘public trust’, etc.
Outline whether your chosen change has any unintended consequences or impacts upon non- terrorist individuals or groups.
What does the academic literature say about the success or otherwise of the type of change you are focusing on? Was the change evidence-based?
Does the change run contrary to the evidence or commentary provided in scholarly works? Has there been any scholarship on the impacts of the change you are focused on? Are there any reports or evidence of success for the specific change? Are there any particular groups opposed to the change under consideration?
Are there any concerning side-effects, risks, or deleterious effects for groups, individuals, or democratic principles by your chosen change?
Outline why specific democratic or legal principles are important, valuable, and necessary for a functioning society.
Outline whether your chosen change threatens, undermines, or damages any of the democratic or legal principles of Western, democratic societies (legal due process, limitations on state power, freedom of speech, privacy, non-discrimination, electoral participation etc.).
Ultimately, make specific arguments on whether your chosen area of change is generally good, bad, ambivalent, or has no effect on society? Does you change reflect a net-positive or net-negative impact on wider society (and the specific management of terrorism threats)? Use evidence where appropriate.
- Feel free to post in the discussion board and ask your lecturer or the unit chair for guidance on particular topics you may want to explore in your research report.
- You must include atleast10sources. These can be academic, peer- reviewed sources, or policy documents and other grey literature such as NGO reports or law enforcement or government press releases. Highly- graded assignments are likely to use more than 10 sources.
- News and media articles will not count to the tally of 10 sources.
- Use of news articles should be limited to 2 or 3 occasions (max), and you should only use a news article if it: a) Features commentary and/or data from a reputable or knowledgeable expert on your chosen
terrorism/counter-terrorism issue, b) features a novel or in-depth analysis of an issue not also represented in academic literature, c) features discussion or information about terrorism or counter-terrorism that is not available elsewhere, or d) the news article is being used to make a brief factual point (such as the emergence of a new piece of legislation or critical counter- terrorism or terrorism event) that is not available elsewhere.
- See the Guide on Reputable Sources for further indication of appropriate sources to use.
- The bibliography is notincluded in the word count.
- Please refer to the Deakin Harvard Referencing Guide to ensure that you format and arrange your citations and Reference List correctly.
- The assignment must be submitted only in Word format online through the ‘Research Report’ drop-box on the CloudDeakin site for ACR305
- Please do not submit .pages or .txt documents.
- Submissions in hard copy or via email will not be accepted.
- No cover sheet is required.
- Please access your Deakin email regularly, as this will be used to communicate any technical issues or problems with your submission.
- Late penalties will apply unless a formal extension has been granted by the
Unit Chair. The Unit Guide details the policy relating to late penalties.
- Please note: in accordance with Deakin University policy, assignments submitted more than five days late without extension (or Special Consideration) will not be marked.
- The extension guidelines and request form can be found on the Cloud Deakin site for ACR305.
- Extension request forms must be received by the Unit Chair before 24hourspriortotheduedatewith the relevant supporting documentation. Requests which do not include the form and/or supporting evidence will be returned. In the event of serious or ongoing issues, please contact the Unit Chair.
- If you have any questions relating to this assessment task, please refer to the CloudDeakin Discussion Forum. Before posting, read any previous threads to ensure that your question has not already been answered.
Good luck with the assessment!
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