This programme draws upon Birmingham Law School’s long standing research strengths in the areas of criminal law and criminal justice. Criminal Law is concerned with the most potentially invasive assertion of authority by the state: if you fail to comply with the law you will be punished. This programme provides a holistic analysis of the criminal process through an analysis of the law, its philosophical underpinnings and its operation in practice. Students can study to attain a broad overview of criminal justice processes or specialise in particular aspects as diverse as underpinning theories, policing, health aspects of criminal justice or indeed international aspects of law enforcement co-operation. Many modules have been created and are taught by leading scholars of the particular field and students benefit from close contact with researchers. For those wishing to gain in-depth understanding of criminal law and criminal justice, this course offers the opportunity for broader or deeply specialised study within an innovative research-led teaching environment which benefits from BLS’s longstanding stature in this field and our staff’s dedication to ensuring it lives on; also in our LLM graduates. At Birmingham Law School we research into topics as diverse as the ever widening net of criminalisation and (at least quasi-) criminal justice processes, to money saving tactics and their effect on the very philosophy which underpins our criminal law and justice system, the justice which emerges from it and effects. These specialisations flow into the modules on this LLM which will allow you to study the five separate objectives used in enforcement of Criminal Law; retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation and restitution taught. All of these are subjects of great debate and controversy across all jurisdictions and students benefit from debating these informed by and in exchange with our broad range of experts.