As the DIGICRIMJUS team, we have conducted researches on general principles of different criminal laws, the development of specific crimes, cybercrimes and challenges to existing offences. Furthermore, our researches have been in comparative criminal procedure, questioning how evidence is to be gathered and transferred within the digitalized and within virtual world. These works created the content environment for the intellectual outputs of this project. You may check each Intellectual Output and receive detailed information.
Development of a curriculum for teaching block (unit) on national digital criminal law
Our project’s first Intellectual output is especially innovative since lectures on digital criminal law are not to be found and are not part of law schools’ curriculums, while there is a current need to teach and train students in digitalization matters. The development of the lecture will include transforming research findings into teaching blocks and completing additional topics on necessary techniques as well as on national criminal laws and procedures.
The courses target postgraduate students who are interested in criminal law and aim to provide a critical examination of the digitization processes associated with criminal law for these students who already have a basic knowledge of criminal and criminal procedure law. In the course, participants will gain skills related to both technical and legal backgrounds, and they will gain a perspective that will enable them to make connections between these two fields.
Development of a special master program between the three participating institutes: LL.M. in comparative criminal law
It is planned that future students may obtain an own specific master degree on comparative and digital criminal law when successfully obtaining a BA or equivalent degree from one of the three law schools, or a comparable degree from another University after an entrance qualification (1), then taking part within one of the trilateral seminars organized by the leading partners and successfully passing it (2), participating and passing at least two out of three lecture on digital criminal law in at least two of the partner institutions (developed IO_01) (3), passing two additional classes, one in comparative law, one in other subjects of law and/or digitalization within one of the partner institutions (4), studying one semester – each – at two out of the three partner institutions (1 semester home institute, 1-semester foreign institute) with success (5), writing one master thesis (6).
The program is as a trilateral program unique in its kind. That underlines the transnationality of “digital questioning”. Also, the program is setting a specific emphasis on the further development of comparative law and especially on different methods of comparative work and seeks to make aware of the many different ways of comparative research.
A comprehensive package of materials that is available online in a separate learning platform 1 – video lectures
Among law students, there is a tendency to use digital learning materials more frequently during their legal studies. There are legal loopholes in the codes and regulations to cover problems occurred in the digital platform. Digital materials that are produced within the project will contribute to problem-solving regarding these issues. In this sense, the target group is mainly law students and those who are interested in legal studies and issues regarding digitalism. Digitalization in legal fields, especially in criminal law, is highly young and open to new challenges that are not predictable today. Given that, traditional criminal law comparison methods fail to meet the needs of this area, new comparison methods will be introduced through the cooperation of three countries (Turkey- Germany-Hungary).
The expected impact of video lectures is to reach out as much as possible, to law students and those who are interested in legal studies and digitalization. As all video lectures will be distributed free of charge, they can be obtained by a large group of people all over the world. The distribution of video lectures will be enhanced thanks to the cooperation of our partners from three countries.
A comprehensive package of materials that is available online in a separate learning platform 2 – methodological guidelines
The unique idea is that students of the actual class of digital criminal law, be it in one of the partnering institutes or else, will be able to observe the lecture also from their home desk, including individual preparation material and the end of the class test. The idea replies to the current needs of next-generation students and information society. It also aims at making the lecture format available to anyone, even beyond the classroom. Beyond students of law, therefore the platform lecture format also addresses lawyers, judges, investigative officers, and police as well as computational scientists, politics, and the public beyond.
A comprehensive package of materials that is available online in a separate learning platform 3 – study book
Digital Criminal Justice: a Studybook Selected Topics for Learners and Researchers
The tools of the Digital Age have had a profound impact on criminal law. Computer crimes, cyberterrorism, cyberwarfare, spyware, data breaches, intellectual property theft, identity fraud, regulation of cryptocurrencies in the context of financial crimes, invasive surveillance, the potential criminal responsibility of robots and AI systems, criminal activity in the deep web are just a few of the novel criminal law issues of our era. Notably, the possibility of machines exceeding the intelligence of humans challenges the basis of criminal law; the free human being. In addition to the re-conceptualization of substantive criminal law, digitalization has also brought about profound changes and challenges to procedural criminal law. Remote criminal proceedings, admissibility of digital or digitally-obtained evidence, criminal risk assessment tools based on AI, crime prediction tools, and electronic monitoring of offenders are just a few of the many new issues. It must also be noted that as much as digitalization has enabled the proliferation of crime and its variations, it has also provided new opportunities to combat crime through innovative developments in law enforcement and cooperation. This timely book aims to tackle these novel challenges to criminal law from a comparative perspective. Spanning a variety of substantive and procedural issues, it proposes solutions to the pressing issues of modern criminal law.
Podcasts on comparative criminal justice for everyone in selected topics
The concept of the proposed intellectual output is inspired by these foregoers, but also goes way beyond them in its unique production method. The element of innovation in this particular podcast is the use of the reverse teaching method (flipped classroom) during production, which is also in line with the general objective of the project proposal regarding broadening the traditional classroom learning environment. Topics in the field of Digitalization and Criminal Justice are pre-selected by participating academics and assigned to students. Students then thoroughly research the topic and need to find an aspect of it to present to the masses in the form of a short podcast episode. Academics then evaluate their performance based on the selection and elaboration of the chosen topic, the professional accuracy of the presentation and the general receptibility of the episode.
Quizzes on comparable cases from criminal justice globally
Apart from educational use, a lot of people – mainly among the younger generation – like to take quizzes in their freedom as well, think of the great popularity of quizzes in magazines. From the combination of the two above-mentioned areas of quizzes and the use of game elements in a non-game context, thus the concept of gamification was born. Not only does it encourage the participation of students in classroom activities, but it also contributes to the improvement of the general learning experience. It has been proven that implementing gamification into education increases students’ engagement and motivation and has a generally positive outcome on achievement. It goes without saying, that a project about digitalization – such as the hereby proposed DIGICRIMJUS, shall itself make use of digital instruments. Therefore, the planned quizzes will be implemented and made available in various free quiz providers, such as menti.com and Kahoot.
Some form of questioning has always been inseparable from any kind of education. In recent decades, quizzes have been a common way of examination.
Developing a knowledge hub is necessary for keeping people informed and updated on digital awareness. There is a lack of conscience in Turkish society, especially their personal data protection and digital media literacy. In this manner, the main objective of developing such a hub is to make people understand the importance of social media literacy for people, especially for students in the wake of globalization
Knowledge hub on global issues of digitalisation and criminal justice
The development of professional content about digitalization-comparative methods-criminal-justice leads to mutual learning for the involved law students; generates motivation for submitting topics and news for the non-involved but addressed students and the broad public; creates new forms of teaching/learning in connection with criminal law; enhance protection against fake news by developing critical thinking skills.