THE PROGRAMME OF CRIMINAL LAW PRACTICE AT THE FACULTY OF LAW UNIVERSITY OF SPLIT

The Programme of Criminal Law Practice in its current form was created and has been implemented at the Faculty of law in Split since the academic year of 1995/96. After harmonising the curriculum and syllabus with the Bologna Declaration, this Programme has been introduced as one of the elective subjects in the undergraduate course. The educational goal of this Programme is to train students to solve practical questions of substantive and procedural law, which occur during criminal proceedings. Apart from gaining concrete practical knowledge, students get a clearer idea of the kinds of work in the judiciary and of their own capabilities and inclination for such work. The programme is in the third and fourth year of study through three different stages. The first stage is carried out through practical work from the subject of Criminal Procedural Law in the winter semester and consists of solving simple practical cases. In the second stage in the summer semester of the third year of study, a simulation of a real criminal proceeding is carried out in all of its phases. After the simulation has been completed, the students follow the main hearing of the same case in the County Court of Split. In the third stage, work is mainly carried out in judicial and lawyers’ offices. Therein, a small group (maximum 16) of the best students from fourth year are involved and students follow court hearings and, under the supervision of practitioners, formulate appropriate legal acts. At the end of the Programme every student must take a final practical examination