Regulating Cybercrime (5 ECTS)

Lecturers: Prof. Dr H.D. Wolswijk, Prof. Dr G.P. Mifsud Bonnici

When: block 3

Brief course description:
New technologies, including the Internet, cloud technology and cryptocurrencies, enable new ways of committing crimes. This creates new challenges to traditional criminal law and to existing cybercrime legislation. This course will review these challenges, understands the limitations and possibilities of the current legal frameworks and reflects on the future regulation of cybercrimes. Particular emphasis will be placed on the definition of offences, on the procedural means to investigate and prosecute these crimes as outlined in the current Cybercrime Convention (ETS 185). A comparative view of the legal issues will be adopted, drawing especially on the international framework (including the Council of Europe and the European Union) and national approaches.

The course will cover:
a.       definitions and categorisation of cybercrime;
b.       the relationships between cyberterrorism, cyberwarfare and cybercrime;
c.       content related cybercrime (such as child pornography; IP infringement; hate speech);
d.       offences against property (including fraud);
e.       computer assisted crimes;
f.         policing online behaviour (including responsibilities of internet service providers);
g.       prosecuting cybercrimes;
h.       discussion of key human rights cases relating to cyber investigations and prosecutions;
i.         the future of cybercrime (including a reflection on criminal responsibility in automation).

Teaching method: lectures

Assessment: The assessment will be on the basis of an electronic/digital essay exam (80%) and the participation in group presentations on the basis of the students own research (20%).