Law (Graduate Programme) LLB

Introduction to Law and Legal Systems

This module explores the institutional structures and legal framework of England and Wales. It is designed to achieve a number of different objectives. In essence, its main role is to introduce students to the topic of law, and to encourage them to think creatively about the purpose of law. In addition, students will be taught basic legal skills and given an introduction into the legal systems and materials that they will be dealing with throughout the remainder of the degree. Students will engage with statute, case law and consider the impact of both human rights and the assimilation of some EU law into the domestic legal system.

This module also aims to provide foundational knowledge of the principles and institutions of the domestic legal system which will be essential for students' subsequent legal studies on the programme.Emphasis will be on developing analytical and problem solving skills to aid legal study.

This module aims:1. to ensure that students, from any first-degree background, have a basic understanding of law in general and the domestic legal system in particular;2. to introduce the basic source materials employed in domestic law and to understand the influence of human rights law and the assimilation of EU law;3. to introduce the salient features of legal reasoning and interpretation;4. to outline the principal features of the criminal, civil and administrative justice systems;5. to introduce some basic questions concerning the relationship between law, morality and human rights;6. to consider the limits of law as an instrument of social control and change;7. to introduce some basic issues concerning the rationality of legal doctrine and institutional design.8. develop the intellectual and practical skills needed to find, research and analyse the law from a diverse range of sources;9. enhance and practise the ability to communicate findings and arguments.

20 credits

Contract Law

This module is a foundational module for the study of law. It will introduce students to the law of contract, within the context of the Common Law. It facilitates an understanding of basic principles of contract, and the place of contract law in the legal system and society.

The module examines which agreements the law recognises as legally binding, how such agreements are formed, how their terms are determined and how they may be varied, the consequences of impropriety, such as improper pressure by one party during negotiations, and what happens when one party is in breach of their obligations under the contract. The module examines some current initiatives to harmonise contract laws within Europe and around the world. Contract is a core module for professional legal purposes; it underpins a number of other legal subjects, and provides an opportunity to study a prime example of judge-made rules.

This module aims to:1. explore in depth the core principles of the law of contract, 2. introduce students to the dynamic potential of the common law as it relates to contract and obligations more generally.3. facilitate an understanding of the implications of the wider law of contract, by reference to the development of the law governing the substantive area of Contract, and Restitution/Unjust Enrichment.4. develop and strengthen a critical and inquiring mind by identifying and comparing the range of perspectives presented by Contract and Restitution/Unjust Enrichment.5. develop an understanding of appropriate lawyerly skills through personal research, legal argument and problem solving.6. support and develop the ability to read and discuss legal sources.7. develop skills of argumentation in written form, appropriate to the audience being targeted.8. develop skills of effective team-work and collaboration in order to appreciate strengths and weaknesses of teamwork and feedback appropriately.9. foster the capacity of students to apply legal principles and clear and well-reasoned advice under time constraints.10. support students in enhancing their ability to manage his/her own learning, and contribute to seminar and lecture discussions, as appropriate.

20 credits

Criminal Law

This module is a foundational module for the study of law. It will introduce students to the concepts, theories and institutions of criminal law and justice, and its place in society. It is concerned with the essential principles and concepts which govern the circumstances in which a person can be found guilty of a criminal act or omission. To illustrate these concepts, the module provides an analysis of some of the most significant criminal offences. It also considers when a person can escape liability by pleading defences, among others, insanity, diminished responsibility and intoxication.  

The module will also focus on the main institutional and procedural features of the criminal justice system, with the aim of stimulating an enquiring attitude towards the practice of criminal process. Students will have the opportunity to practise applying these processes to factual scenarios. The module provides a firm foundation for more advanced study of criminal law and also of other modules, such as criminal evidence. 

This module aims to:

1. provide an overview of the criminal justice legal systems and processes, including crime and policing, the nature and institutions of the criminal justice systems, the court system and criminal appeals;2. teach the basics of the general part of the criminal law, and of the main offence categories;3. foster basic skills of research and to practise the use of a range of primary and academic sources to develop a method for exploring questions and issues: to ask 'How do I find out the answer?' rather than 'What is the answer?'. This in turn will develop and strengthen a critical and inquiring mind aiding the ability to make reasoned choices between alternatives whilst identifying lawyering as a problem solving enterprise;4. develop skills of argumentation in written and oral form, appropriate to the audience being targeted;5. develop skills of effective teamwork and collaboration in order to appreciate strengths and weaknesses of teamwork and feedback appropriately;6. critically analyse the contribution that law and criminal justice can make to other disciplines.

20 credits

Constitutional and Administrative Law

This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree, through which students cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It follows on from the introduction to the legal systems of the UK which were covered in Introduction to Law and Legal Systems. It covers the key principles of constitutional, administrative and human rights law, enabling students to acquire knowledge of the key institutions and laws of the UK, as well as the designs and processes of the UK's constitutional and administrative justice systems. The module challenges students to explore contemporary constitutional debates, and analyse and challenge some of the basic tenets of the constitution of the UK. Topics covered include the dynamic and evolving relationship of the UK with the EU, devolution, as well as the relationship in the UK of the judiciary with the political branch.  The module provides a firm foundation for the more advanced study of a range of areas of public law in year 2. This module will develop your analytical skills and your ability to understand the role of public law in resolving a series of contemporary complex, shifting and technical issues of law and governance.  

This module aims to:1. provide an overview of the field of public law relating to the UK;2. demonstrate the international dimensions to, and layers, of law;3. increase understanding of the limits of the law and the effects of political, social, ethical and economic context;4. raise awareness of the contemporary and fast-moving nature of the legal discipline;5. develop and strengthen a critical and inquiring mind capable of making coherent evidence and theory-based arguments about the law;6. foster basic skills of research and practise the use of a range of primary and academic sources;7. develop skills of argumentation in written form, appropriate to the audience being targeted;8. develop skills of effective team-work and collaboration.

20 credits

Torts Law

This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree, through which students cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It follows on from the introduction to the legal systems of the UK which were covered in Introduction to Law and Legal Systems and the introduction to the general principles of obligations in Contract Law.

This module will examine the tort of negligence, concentrating on the principles of duty of care and breach of duty, focusing on the tensions raised by issues such as liability for economic loss and psychiatric injury, and also on the complex problems of proving causation. It will also look at the place of torts law within the law on obligations. It will consider the effectiveness of the torts system in light of the concept of vicarious liability, the available defences, the law of damages, and the policy considerations involved. Torts to be studied will vary each semester and could include occupiers' liability, nuisance, products liability, trespass and defamation. 

This module aims to:1. explore in depth the core principles of the law of torts to develop knowledge and understanding of the discipline;2. equip students, through an understanding of these principles, with the legal and conceptual tools and skills needed to appreciate the importance of tort law principles within the broader framework of domestic law;3. raise awareness of the contemporary and fast-moving nature of the legal discipline;4. develop and strengthen a critical and inquiring mind capable of making coherent evidence and theory-based arguments about the law;5. foster basic skills of research and practise the use of a range of primary and academic sources;6. develop skills of argumentation in written form, appropriate to the audience being targeted;7. develop skills of effective team-work and collaboration.

20 credits

Land Law

This module is a foundational module for the study of law. It will introduce students to the concepts, theories and institutions of land law and its place in the legal system and society.

The module critically examines the nature of property rights, their creation and transfer, and their protection against third parties. Some non land examples will be used to draw comparison with both the unregistered and registered land systems in England and Wales. The module will introduce the role of equity in creating and protecting proprietary rights. Particular consideration is given to the unregistered land system, the registered land system, the protection of third parties and the mechanisms of land transactions.

This unit aims to:1. explore in depth the core principles of land law and of other 'types' of property, building a foundation for students' knowledge and understanding of the discipline which will be necessary for the later study of Equity and Trusts;2. focus on legal solutions in Land Law offered at common law and in statute;3. equip students, through an understanding of these principles, with the legal and conceptual tools and skills needed to appreciate the importance of land law within the broader framework of domestic law;4. challenge students to apply such principles in problem solving;5. foster the skills necessary for students to use knowledge and understanding to explain and critique existing land law arrangements and possible alternatives;6. develop the intellectual and practical skills needed to find, research and analyse the law from a diverse range of sources;7. enhance and practise the ability to communicate findings and arguments.

20 credits

Core modules:

Equity and Trusts

This module is a foundational module for the study of law. It will introduce students to the concepts, theories and institutions of equity, with a focus on trust law, and its place in the legal system and society.

The module critically examines the nature of property rights (building on students' studies of land law), their creation and transfer, and their protection against third parties. The module emphasises the role of equity in creating new proprietary rights and remedies. Particular consideration is given to the creation of express trusts (predominantly private), to resulting and constructive trusts, to discretionary trusts and non-trust powers of appointment, to the administration of trusts, and to the personal liability of trustees.

This unit aims to:1. explore in depth the core principles of the law of property, building on the foundation of previous study of land law, and to develop knowledge and understanding of the discipline;

2. focus on legal solutions offered at common law and in equity, with particular emphasis on the law of trusts;

3. equip students, through an understanding of these principles, with the legal and conceptual tools and skills needed to appreciate the importance of property law principles and general equitable principles within the broader framework of domestic law;

4. challenge students to apply such principles in problem solving.

5. foster the skills necessary for students to use knowledge and understanding to explain and critique existing property law arrangements and possible alternatives;

6. develop the intellectual and practical skills needed to find, research and analyse the law from a diverse range of sources;

7. enhance and practise the ability to communicate findings and arguments.

20 credits

EU and International Law

This module explores the institutional structure and legal framework of the EU, as well as its substantive law. Students will engage with Treaty provisions, EU legislation and cases, and consider the application of EU Law within EU Member States and its complicated relationship with UK Law post-Brexit. 

This module also aims to provide foundational knowledge of the principles and institutions of the international legal order, and applies it to specific areas of international relations. The foundational knowledge covers issues of nature and sources, sovereignty, liability and enforcement. Emphasis will be on developing analytical and problem solving skills in relation to a new and different type of legal order to the domestic one with which students are familiar.

This module aims to:

1. provide a foundational understanding of the institutional and operational dynamics of the EU, and the key legal principles and enforcement methods contained within the EU legal system;2. provide students with the knowledge of the principles of the law governing foundational aspects of international law - where the law comes from, to whom does it apply and how it is enforced - and an understanding of how those principles operate within individual disputes and cases;3. equip students, through an understanding of these principles, with the legal and conceptual tools and skills needed to appreciate the importance of EU Law and international law within the broader framework of domestic law;4. challenge students to apply such principles in problem solving;5. foster the skills necessary for students to use knowledge and understanding to explain and critique existing EU Law and international law solutions and consider possible alternatives;6. develop the intellectual and practical skills needed to find, research and analyse the law from a diverse range of sources;7. enhance and practise the ability to communicate findings and arguments.

20 credits

Optional modules:

Principles of Healthcare Law and Ethics

This module will introduce students to the nature and scope of healthcare law and ethics in the UK as it is affected by statute, the common law and international instruments. It will address fundamental aspects of healthcare law and ethics as they arise in practice including resource allocation, regulation, elements of clinical negligence as well the important concepts of consent and confidentiality.

20 credits

Law, Accountability and Government

The Criminology Research Paper requires a student to submit a research paper of 6,000 words on a criminological topic that is approved in advance by the module convenor. The aim of the module is to support a student in independently carrying out research, whether library-based or empirical. It may also enable a student to study a subject that is not otherwise covered in depth on their degree. It is the student's responsibility to select the topic and to approach the module convenor for approval. The student may only proceed with research that a member of the criminology staff is willing to supervise. The student should approach the appropriate staff member and seek agreement for the supervision of their project before opting to undertake the research paper.

20 credits

Drugs, Crime and Control

This module aims to develop a multidisciplinary understanding of drugs, crime and control by engaging with the key academic and policy literature. Students will explore a wide range of drug-related issues and debates, critically analyse the laws, policies and institutions of drug control, and situate them within the wider social context. The topics covered will include: the social construction of the 'drug problem'; drugs and crime; historical and contemporary perspectives on drug policy; drugs policing from the global to the local; tackling drugs through criminal justice interventions; drug control across the world; and the legalisation debate and alternatives to criminalisation.

20 credits

Special Project: International Mooting I

This module is an optional, advanced module addressed to students who wish to develop their advocacy skills. Students on the module may participate in international mooting competitions, for example the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law (4 students maximum); the Oxford International Intellectual Property Law Moot (3 students maximum);  the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (6 students maximum); the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition (5 students maximum). The competitions offered each year will depend on the availability of staff members to act as tutors and academic advisors. Students will need to refer to the list of competitions offered in each academic year. Students will be chosen on the basis of their CV and personal statement, and an interview with the academic advisor of each competition. More information on the selection process for each competition will be communicated to students at the beginning of each academic year.



The module will be assessed by written pleadings. The length, structure, and content of the written submissions will be based on the case assigned by the organisers of each competition and the relevant competition rules. Depending on the structure and content of each competition, academic advisors can also assess students on the basis of their engagement in class activities and their performance in any oral rounds of the competition for which the team qualifies. This will be clearly stipulated in the information materials for each competition. 



The central aim of the module is focused on student-centred learning and the development of practical legal skills. These skills will include case analysis, legal writing skills, oral advocacy and practical legal research. The module will provide more options for students within the Law School to gain practical experience in a specialised field of law and will help develop students employability, both in the legal profession and in other sectors such as public policy and careers in international organisations. This module is part of a suite of optional final year modules based on special projects which students in the Law School can choose as extra-curricular activities.

20 credits

Digital Lawyering

This module will consider the different ways in which technology interacts with contemporary legal practice, from the use of social media to the impact of artificial intelligence. Students will explore the impact of technology on the legal profession, with a particular emphasis on digital skills, professional identity and ethical issues.  They will also discuss the challenges to traditional legal roles posed by the growing law tech market. During the module, students will work in small groups to develop a law tech project and reflect upon the process. No prior technical skills are required and support and guidance will be given.

20 credits

Law Research Paper

The Law Research Paper requires a student to submit a research paper of 6,000 words on a legal topic that is approved in advance by the module convenor. The aim of the module is to support a student in independently carrying out research, whether library-based or empirical. It may also enable a student to study a subject that is not otherwise covered in depth on their degree. It is the student's responsibility to select the topic and to approach the module convenor for approval. The student may only proceed with research that a member of the law staff is willing to supervise. The student should approach the appropriate staff member and seek agreement for the supervision of their project before opting to undertake the research paper.

20 credits

Intellectual Property Law

This module will look at the various legal mechanisms which are available to protect the results of creative endeavour, namely copyright, patents and trade marks. In particular the module will look at the philosophical justifications for granting legal monopolies over material such as music, genetic information and colours (when used to ‘brand’ merchandise) and ask where the balance should be drawn between protecting the rights of the market entrant against unfair copying as against those of society in having unencumbered access to important new ideas.

20 credits

Children and the Law

This module critically engages with legal and ethical debates relating to children, at both international and national levels. It allows final year students to apply a child-centred approach when analysing legislation, policies, practises, and court decisions concerning children. Children and the Law draws on a variety of disciplines, including childhood studies, sociology, psychology, criminology and law.

There are five parts to the module. First, students are introduced to the core principles underpinning child law. These include, the best interests of the child, children's capacity, parental responsibility, and children's participation. These introductory lectures also address child related theories. During the first stages of teaching, students will be invited to take part in media training facilitated by Sheffield IT Creative Media Services.

In parts two-four of the module, students apply their foundational knowledge across three case studies. These draw on the expertise of staff and cover a broad range of issues involving children. Each case study consists of lectures (4x1 hour), a tutorial (60 minutes), and a workshop (90 minutes). Tutorials consist of set questions that students must prepare for in advance of the session. During each workshop, students are divided into small groups and asked to respond to a statement in an oral presentation. This exercise will strengthen students' public speaking, analytical and problem-solving skills. It is envisaged that individual members of staff will be responsible for the delivery of their case study's lectures, tutorial and workshop.

The fifth part of the module includes a series of concluding lectures to prepare students for the summative assessment and bring together cross-cutting themes explored in the case studies.

Not only will this module provide students with a sound knowledge of child law, it will also enhance their employability prospects by developing a range of skills. These include, time management, organisation, leadership, digital literacy and communication. Video presentations allow students to become co-creators of knowledge, whilst enabling them to grow as legal advocates. The module learning outcomes of Children and the Law line up with several of the Sheffield Graduate Attributes, including 'using clear, concise language appropriate to the academic discipline'; 'selecting, using and seeking existing and new knowledge to develop intellect'; and 'assessing and presenting data, information and evidence using software and digital media.'

20 credits

Commercial Law

This module aims to familiarise students with the basic doctrines and concepts in English commercial law, the skills to apply these concepts to novel factual scenarios, and the ability to critically evaluate them from a doctrinal and theoretical perspective. The module will teach students the main concepts and principles of commercial law and how they are used to structure and facilitate a range of common commercial transactions.  Transactions/ issues considered could include, for example, the interpretation of contractual terms, the laws of agency, secured transactions, and the laws on assignment.  It will also examine legal doctrines critically and equip students with the ability to evaluate and critique commercial law concepts from a variety of perspectives.

20 credits

Corporate Insolvency Law

This module will explore legal and commercial aspects of a company's insolvency. Corporate insolvency is a pervasive issue in the business world as it affects the financial position of individuals, businesses, local economies and cross-border transactions. Companies are the primary vehicles for conducting business in modern society. This module will help students to understand why companies become insolvent and how their insolvency is resolved. In so doing, the module will introduce students to the link between credit finance and insolvency, different insolvency procedures in English Law, the legal treatment of stakeholder rights in a company's insolvency, mechanisms to preclude insolvency or to rescue insolvent companies as well as insolvency principles that may affect pre-insolvency commercial arrangements. Corporate insolvency will have enhanced implications due to economic impacts, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis.

20 credits

Immigration and Asylum Law

All forms of migration are frequently high-profile subjects of political and social debate. People cross international borders for a host of reasons, including family formation and reunion; work; study; business visits and tourism; and retirement. People are also forced to migrate as asylum-seekers, refugees, and victims of trafficking. This module examines how immigration and asylum law defines, creates, shapes, and proposes solutions to these debates.

The module examines the Refugee Convention and the legal definition of who is recognised as a refugee. The module asks why some people are excluded from the legal protections of refugee status and why others encounter particular barriers to establishing their legal claim to asylum.

Immigration law includes issues related to who can enter, who is forced to leave, and who can stay permanently and obtain citizenship. And above all, why are some people able to and others not.

By studying this module, students will get a broad understanding of the current immigration rules or statute law in each category, but the focus is on why immigration law is what it is. What are the historical or policy reasons behind the current state of immigration law? What are some of the alternatives? And what does immigration law tell us about the UK as a society and political body?

The answers are rarely pretty. We examine in detail how UK immigration law has frequently been structured to exclude Black and Asian migrants, and how border controls have reached inside the borders of the UK to negatively affect settled Black and Asian individuals and communities.

20 credits

Philosophies of Criminal Punishment

This module allows students to undertake an advanced study of penal theory - that is, the ideas underpinning criminal punishment as a concept, practice, and set of institutions. The module approaches key questions around criminal punishment: what is it? What makes it a legitimate practice? Why do we punish; what are we trying to achieve? How much should we punish? The module explores different forms of punishment and analyses the theoretical foundations on which they are based, enabling students to explore deep and systematic questions about the nature and justifications of criminal punishment, both in the abstract and in particular jurisdictional and institutional contexts.

The module is assessed by a single coursework essay, and includes teaching aimed at developing students' skills at writing critically in a theoretical context. Although it engages with a range of philosophical and social theory, no specialist knowledge of philosophy is needed to take this module; students will be assumed to have the knowledge of a typical undergraduate law or criminology student in teaching and the selection of readings.

20 credits

Competition Law

Businesses selling goods and services often face competition from other sellers of similar products. The effect of this competition will normally be to keep prices down and to enhance choice for customers. Competition law is concerned with protecting and encouraging competition in markets, and seeks to control agreements which restrict competition, the ability of powerful businesses to restrict competition by unilateral conduct, the particular issues raised by concentrated markets and the reduction of competition by mergers and similar transactions. This module looks briefly at the underlying economics and then at EC and UK competition law, at both substantive issues and enforcement. The module has a practical orientation. Previous experience of economics is not required.

20 credits

International Trade Law

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) plays a significant role in regulating the global economy. The WTO Agreements cover a wide range of topics, from international trade in goods and services, to subsidies and intellectual property. The WTO rules have pervasive effects on economic development, on individuals' lives, and on governments' freedom to define and pursue the public interest. Students will be introduced to the fundamental ideas of trade liberalisation, the WTO's institutional structure, and the WTO Agreements' core rights and obligations, and will be encouraged to critically reflect on whether international trade law appropriately balances competing values and whether existing rules and institutions should be changed.

20 credits

Criminal Process

The module aims to familiarise students with various criminal justice models and the nature of English criminal processes. Students will study the structure and functions of key institutions, and the role of various actors within the system. This may include modelling of the criminal justice system; values and the criminal justice system; police powers (eg, stop and search, detention); suspect rights; prosecution and pre-trial decisions; bail custody decisions; criminal legal aid; mode of trial; magistrates' court personnel and proceedings; judges and jury trial; 'system errors' and the machinery for correcting them.

20 credits

Foundations of International Law

Foundations of International Law provides foundational knowledge of the principles and institutions of the international legal order, and applies it to specific areas of international relations (further developed in Advanced Issues in International Law). The foundational knowledge covers issues of nature and sources, sovereignty, liability and enforcement. Emphasis will be on developing analytical and problem solving skills in relation to a new and different type of legal order to the domestic one with which students are familiar.

20 credits

International Human Rights Law

Protecting human rights is an increasingly important concern of international law in the modern world. Understanding its significance involves knowing what the current guarantees of human rights are and how arrangements for protecting them work. This module provides a broad but selective survey of issues in this field, examining the main human rights treaties and reviewing the procedures for implementing them, in the United Nations, through regional institutions, and elsewhere.

20 credits

Youth Crime and Justice

This module examines youth crime and 'antisocial behaviour, as well as formal responses to young people who offend. During the first half of the module, contemporary and historical views of youth crime are critically examined, attending particularly to class, ethnicity and gender, and to the historical construction of youth as problematic. The second half of the module focuses on youth justice, including the role of the police, the courts, Youth Offending Teams, custodial institutions and other bodies in regulating unruly youth and preventing and responding to youth crime.

20 credits

Criminology Research Paper

The Criminology Research Paper requires a student to submit a research paper of 6,000 words on a criminological topic that is approved in advance by the module convenor. The aim of the module is to support a student in independently carrying out research, whether library-based or empirical. It may also enable a student to study a subject that is not otherwise covered in depth on their degree. It is the student's responsibility to select the topic and to approach the module convenor for approval. The student may only proceed with research that a member of the criminology staff is willing to supervise. The student should approach the appropriate staff member and seek agreement for the supervision of their project before opting to undertake the research paper.

20 credits

Police and Policing in a Global Context

This module explores policing on a macro-level, taking into account developments on a national and global scale. The topics covered will include: conceptualizing the police and policing; key features of policing, such as police powers, discretion, police culture and accountability; models of policing; the history of policing in the UK and elsewhere; the policing of multi-ethnic communities (who can also be thought of as 'global citizens'); the role of the police in policing, in the light of the growing involvement of non-warranted civilians and others in policing activities; policing in other countries, including post-colonial countries; and policing in a transnational context; policing in global, late modern societies. The module will be partly empirical, but it will also be grounded in theories about the use of power; for example, it will be situated within theories about governance and social control, whilst also exploring whether and from where the police derive legitimacy in exerting power/authority over citizens.

20 credits

Special Project: Pro Bono

This is an optional module for final year students who volunteer – or have volunteered - at one of the pro bono projects approved by the School. It builds on students’ training and experience in various legal and criminal justice processes, develops students’ transferrable skills and prepares them for further study and employment. The pro bono project will form the basis for learning and assessments undertaken on the module, but the work carried out on the project per se is not assessed or credited towards the module. This module is approved as a Research Module for final year undergraduate students, as it requires students to conduct self-directed research including retrieval and evaluation of accurate current and relevant information from a range of appropriate sources. This module is part of a suite of optional Special Project modules, so is not available to any student undertaking another Special Project module.

20 credits

Law, Democracy and Populism

This module will explore the constitutional implications of the populist surge in Europe and America. First, specific features of the different 'varieties of populism' are identified, and second, their differential impact on core constitutional structures of liberal democracy is analysed. By comparing different populist approaches, we will examine how the ideals of the new populists have translated into law. Finally, the module focuses on the role of law and constitutional checks and balances as essential bulwarks against democratic backsliding. The current surge of populism seems to indicate that that constitutional democracy can find itself in great danger when democratic support for its core principles begins to ebb.

20 credits

Criminal Evidence

The Law of Criminal Evidence is that body of rules which determines what material may be used to prove or disprove the criminal offence alleged to have been committed by an accused. The module looks at what evidence can be presented, the way in which it can be presented, orally or by written statement, who can give evidence and the circumstances in which it can be given. The aim of the module is to provide students with knowledge of the basic principles of the law and an understanding of how these principles operate within the criminal trial and pre-trial process.

20 credits

Law Research Paper

The Law Research Paper requires a student to submit a research paper of 6,000 words on a legal topic that is approved in advance by the module convenor. The aim of the module is to support a student in independently carrying out research, whether library-based or empirical. It may also enable a student to study a subject that is not otherwise covered in depth on their degree. It is the student's responsibility to select the topic and to approach the module convenor for approval. The student may only proceed with research that a member of the law staff is willing to supervise. The student should approach the appropriate staff member and seek agreement for the supervision of their project before opting to undertake the research paper.

20 credits

Consumer Law

This module introduces students to the legal and policy frameworks for consumer protection in English law. The module is designed to answer two key questions: (1) Why should consumers be protected? and (2) How are consumers protected? 

To answer these questions, the module aims to enable students to understand and critically evaluate certain lines of enquiry. First, the module considers the competing theoretical rationales and policy justifications for consumer protection. Second, it examines the institutions, instruments and techniques adopted to protect consumers. Third, the module analyses key statutory provisions aimed at protecting the economic interests of consumers in contractual relationships and the substantive conduct requirements imposed on traders they transact with. Fourth, the module considers how consumer protection laws are enforced in England. 

Finally, the module aims to provide students with an opportunity to conduct independent research and to communicate their findings and arguments on relevant issues in consumer law.

Overall, the module is designed to provide students with an opportunity to critically engage with the law's role in championing specific policy priorities where traditional private law mechanisms are limited or inadequate.  

20 credits

Corporate Governance, Law and Sustainability

Corporations act as a dominant force in the global economy. Yet, along with the benefits that large companies can bring come a variety of societal and environmental harms. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals set out multiple goals relating to social and environmental sustainability but many of these objectives cannot be met without appropriate corporate action. Short-term decision making acts as the antithesis of sustainability yet is permitted by the UK's globally influential system of corporate governance. Spurred on by developments at the international level, the UK has thus sought to address a variety of sustainability issues through a number of specific regulatory interventions. This module seeks to introduce students to regulation and governance of corporate sustainability and permit the critical evaluation of the various instruments and approaches used in this area.

20 credits

Current Issues in Health Law, Ethics and Policy

This module builds on SLW345 Principles of Healthcare Law and Ethics, to offer students the opportunity to further develop and deepen their understanding of the legal, ethical and policy questions within and around Health Law, broadly conceived. It places the development of Health Law within its societal and  policy context, and allows final year students to consider the principles of health law and ethics and build critical knowledge by reference to particular and topical issues, such as drug policy, the future of human reproduction, and biotechnology and intellectual property. This module is inherently interdisciplinary in nature and draws on medicine, jurisprudence, sociology, criminology and law. The topics taught within it may vary each year, depending on developments in the relevant fields and the teaching staffs' research interests. The module will start with an introductory lecture setting out the broad themes to be discussed throughout the module, before the lectures on the particular topics start. Depending on staff availability, up to six discrete topics may be studied on this module. A concluding lecture will draw together the themes within the topics and provide guidance to students in preparing their summative assessments.

20 credits

Special Project: International Mooting II

This module is an optional, advanced module addressed to students who wish to develop their advocacy skills. Students on the module may participate in international mooting competitions, for example the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition on WTO Law; the Oxford International Intellectual Property Law Moot; the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot; the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition. The competitions offered each year will depend on the availability of staff members to act as tutors and academic advisors. Students will need to refer to the list of competitions offered in each academic year. Students will be chosen based on their CV and personal statement, and an interview with the academic advisor of each competition. More information on the selection process for each competition will be communicated to students at the beginning of each academic year. This module will be normally selected by students that are already part of a team participating in an international mooting competition and have already completed Module SLW315 'Special Project: International Mooting I'. For most international mooting competitions students need to prepare written submissions, which are usually due in January. Thus the autumn term module SLW315 focuses primarily on the preparation of the written pleadings based on the case of each competition. The Spring term module will focus on students' preparation for the oral rounds of the respective international mooting competition, which usually take place between February and May. However, in some cases, international competitions may take place exclusively in the Spring Semester. Students will need to refer to the list of competitions offered each year for more information on the length and structure of each competition. The central aim of the module is focused on student-centred learning and the development of practical legal skills. These skills will include case analysis, legal writing skills, oral advocacy, and practical legal research. The module will provide more options for students within the Law School to gain practical experience in a specialised field of law and will help develop students' employability, both in the legal profession and in other sectors such as public policy and careers in international organisations. This module is part of a suite of optional final year modules based on special projects which students in the Law School can choose as extra-curricular activities.

20 credits

UK Environmental Law and Policy

This module introduces students to the law relating to the protection of the environment and to the legal liabilities which may arise and the remedies which may be available when a pollution incident or other environmentally damaging event has taken place. Environmental law is a wide ranging subject, embracing the study of environmental principles (such as the concept of sustainable development, the precautionary principle preventative principle and polluter pays principle etc.); the use of regulatory controls to prevent or minimise pollution; criminal and civil liability for environmental damage, and the remediation of contaminated land. Throughout the module reference will be made not only to the law but also to the policy framework in which it operates. In addition, much UK environmental law has in the past been influenced by EU environmental law, and this will be reflected in the module along with current and past global influences. 

20 credits

Law of Public Companies

This module builds upon the knowledge and understanding of corporate law obtained on SLW233 and introduces students to the law of public companies. Students are introduced to the acute dependency of economies on these companies, particularly the legal and commercial implications of public companies having a wide variety and number of stakeholders such as shareholders, creditors, employees and consumers. Students taking this module would therefore be given an appreciation of the importance of maintaining the highest standards of governance and probity in these companies. This is achieved by a critical examination of the law regulating the incorporation, management, financing and restructuring of these companies.Students would therefore have an understanding of key legal issues that relate to the entire lifespan of public companies, as well as critical transactions such as equity finance, mergers and takeovers, along with associated laws regulating information disclosure, insider dealing and market abuse.

20 credits

Advanced Issues in International Law

Advanced Issues in International Law builds on the knowledge and skills learnt in Foundations of International Law, and applies it to a number of selected issues in international law. These issues will vary from year to year and will reflect to a large degree current issues of international concern. They are likely to be in the areas of Law of the Sea, International Environmental Law, International Institutional Law, International Criminal Law, International Law on Terrorism, and International Economic Law.

20 credits

Employment Law

This unit considers the principal areas of UK Employment Law, focusing on the relationship between employers and employees. In this guise the topic is often known as Individual Employment Law to distinguish it from Collective Labour Law, which covers matters such as trade union law and industrial conflict. Among topics covered are the Contract of Employment, Equal Pay, Sexual and Racial Discrimination, and the claims available on Dismissal.

20 credits

Family Law

The aim of the module is to enable students to understand the principles, policy and practice of selected parts of Family Law. The module is structured to encourage students to develop their critical awareness of the law and the social policy which informs it. It covers the law relating to children after marriage or relationship breakdown; the role of agencies and courts in child care and protection; the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 on Child Law; the remedies available to victims of domestic violence; nullity and divorce; and financial provision and property adjustment orders on marriage breakdown.

20 credits