Law and Criminology LLB

Core modules:

Comprehending Criminology

This module introduces students to key areas of criminological definitions, empirical study, theory and the development of criminal justice systems. The module looks at case studies of crime and deviance from contemporary life to help students understand how some of the history and theory of criminology can be brought to bear on social and legal issues. Topics may feature, for example, youth crime, spouse murder, football hooliganism and credit card crime but also other areas if and when interesting cases arise.

20 credits

Criminal Law and Justice

This module will introduce students to the concepts, theories and institutions of criminal law and justice, and its place in society. It will develop an understanding of the essential concepts of criminal liability. It will 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 the more advanced study of criminal law and also of criminal evidence, criminal justice and criminal process.

20 credits

Introducing Criminological Research

This module focuses on how crucial criminological topics have been investigated. The module is taught by lectures and seminars/classes and assessed by two 'take-home' exercises. In the seminars/classes students will work in small groups to examine real research studies, and work out how to tackle research problems.

20 credits

Law of Obligations (Contract, Torts & Restitution)

The module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree, which cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It introduces students to the Law of Obligations, within the context of the Common Law. It facilitates an understanding of basic principles of Contract, Tort and Restitution (as appropriate), engendering an understanding of the substantive law, whilst recognising and appreciating the role of these comparators as illustrative of the broader nature of the Common Law. The module provides a firm foundation for more advanced study in the areas of contract, torts, restitution and unjust enrichment.

20 credits

Property Law (Land Law, Equity and Trusts)

This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree, through which students cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It introduces students to the concepts, theories and institutions of property law, and its place in society, focussing on the mechanisms for the creation, protection, transfer and loss of the different types of property right, specifically in Land Law and in Equity and Trusts. Students have the opportunity to practise the application of these mechanisms to factual scenarios. The module is essential for more advanced study of property-related subjects, including commercial property law, intellectual property law, and environmental law.

20 credits

Public Law in the UK and the EU

This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree, through which students cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It covers the key principles of constitutional, administrative, EU and Human Rights Law, enabling students to acquire knowledge of the key institutions and laws of the UK and the EU relevant to the constitutional and administrative justice systems of those legal orders. The module challenges students to explore at least one contemporary constitutional debate in some depth. The module provides a firm foundation for the more advanced study of a range of areas of public law.

20 credits

Core Legal and Study Skills 1 (CLASS1)

This module supports students throughout Level 1 of their undergraduate studies. Following a programme of group learning experiences, lectures, tutorials, and self-reflection, it offers professional and peer support to students as they begin their University studies. It teaches the 'English Legal System' element of the 'Foundations of Legal Knowledge' taught through the other Level 1 Law modules, providing a basis for subsequent legal learning. It provides guidance to ensure students navigate the programme to their specific needs and interests. In doing so, the module will create a foundation for communities of learning that will sustain them throughout their degree.

Core modules:

Advanced Criminal Law and Justice

This module builds upon the foundational learning in SLW107 Criminal Law and Justice, developing students' knowledge about the doctrine and principles of criminal law. The focus rests upon the theme of criminalisation 'Beyond Homicide', the main family of substantive crimes examined by the predecessor module. It examines the range and scope of criminal law in critical detail, looking at the substantive offences and considering them in wider socio-legal context.

20 credits

Punishment and Penal Policy

This module is concerned with the sentencing and punishment of offenders. It considers, in historical context: the philosophical underpinnings of punishment; sentencing policy and practice; and the forms that punishment takes (including custodial and non-custodial options). It also considers what we know about public attitudes toward punishment. A key issue addressed by this module is the rapid growth of the prison population since the mid-1990s: how can we explain this state of affairs, and can/should this trend be reversed?

20 credits

Responding to Crime

The module looks at key topics in relation to responses to crime and victimisation. It explores policing and prosecution, public responses, crime prevention, restorative justice and victim support. To what extent are policing and public priorities for policing aligned? How does the public view the role of the authorities? How can we support victims? Are there alternative responses to crime instead of prosecution and sentencing? What are we doing to prevent crime? Do certain types of crime require particular responses? A goal of the module will be to emphasize the interrelatedness of these topics and present them as integrated problems.

20 credits

Core Legal and Study Skills 2 (CLASS2)

This module supports students through Level 2 of their Qualifying Law degree at the University of Sheffield, in particular by assisting students in the transition to a higher level of learning. The module has a core purpose of reprising and enhancing the skills messages from the equivalent Level 1 module. This is achieved through a short series of lectures at the beginning of Semester 1, followed by an essay writing workshop timed to coincide with Semester 2 formative assessments and the opportunity to participate in a negotiation exercise. Additionally, the Module introduces the School's internationalisation agenda through the lecture series and online resources, and directs the students towards the School's Employability and Skills Initiative. The module provides guidance to ensure students navigate the programme to their specific needs and interests, and assists students to gain the most from communities of learning that will sustain them for the remainder of their degree.

Optional modules:

Advanced Administrative Law and Justice

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module develops in more detail the foundational concepts of administrative law introduced in the compulsory module 'Public Law in the UK and the EU', with a particular emphasis on theories of administrative law and justice. The main focus will be judicial review: its development, purpose and place within the legal system; the substantive grounds and procedural aspects; and the remedies available. There will also be emphasis on non-judicial remedies in administrative law.

20 credits

Advanced Constitutional Law

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge'. The module develops in more detail the foundational concepts of constitutional law introduced in the compulsory module 'Public Law in the UK and the EU'. Theories of constitutionalism will be explored, alongside recent developments in British constitutional practice. Various proposals for constitutional reform will be analysed and the extensive operation of constitutional law through layers of public bodies identified.

20 credits

Advanced EU Law

This module is one of the core/optional foundation subjects of the Qualifying Law Degree programmes offered by Sheffield Law School. Building on 'Public Law in the UK and the EU', it explores the institutional structure and legal framework of the EU, as well as its substantive law. The module offers a distinct perspective on the dynamics of the EU, focusing on fundamental rights, the internal market and citizenship. Students will engage with Treaty provisions, EU legislation and cases, and practise a range of legal skills in applying EU law to concrete situations, thereby developing their employability.

20 credits

Advanced Equity & Trusts

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module critically examines the nature of property rights, 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 the administration of trusts, and to the personal liability of trustees.

20 credits

Advanced Land Law

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module critically examines the nature of property rights and applies the student's knowledge and understanding of these in the broader structure of land law.  The module will primarily explore, through a transactional framework, the system of registered titles to land as well as the unregistered land system/first registration of land. Within this transactional framework, co-ownership, trusts of land, overreaching, mortgages, and commercial interests (including leases, easements and restrictive covenants) will be considered. 

20 credits

Advanced Law of Contract

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. Issues of contract formation and variation will be examined in depth, alongside an analysis of the doctrines of estoppel, duress, undue influence, mistake and misrepresentation. The module will also re-evaluate the law relating to the interpretation and construction of the terms of the contract including implied terms, exclusion clauses, the doctrines of frustration and remedies. Students will be expected to critique existing legal solutions and apply complex legal principles to mock scenarios.

20 credits

Advanced Torts Law

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. In Law of Obligations the students will already have been introduced to the tort of negligence. We will build upon this foundation and further develop depth and breadth of understanding. Students will then enhance their understanding of tort by reference to other substantive torts. Which may include nuisance, trespass to the person and defamation.

20 credits

Analysing Crime Data

This module covers basic statistical analysis of datasets, especially crime survey data. Using data-bases based on pre-existing surveys, students are taught how to enter, clean and check data, and all commands necessary to analyse survey data (eg frequency, cross-tabulation, correlation, select, count). This module does not assume any prior knowledge of the main data analysis computer package used by criminologists to examine survey data (IBM Statistical Package for Social Scientists - IBM SPSS).

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

Criminology and War

The module enables students to critically analyse the nature of contemporary war from a variety of criminological perspectives. It does so through the following debates: criminology of war; war as policing; war as crime; crime in war; masculinity, violence and war; victimology and war; environmental criminology and war; war and domestic criminal policy; war, veterans and domestic crime; and criminology as peacemaking. These debates are informed by a range of examples, in particular from the post-9/11 battlefields of the Middle East.

20 credits

Foundations of Company Law

This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the legislative, contractual and equitable aspects of company law. The main focus of the module will be on the legal principles governing the establishment, operation and management of companies, including: the effects of the separate legal entity status of companies; the role of the board of directors; the rights and responsibilities of shareholders; creditor rights; and remedies.

20 credits

Prisons, Prisoners, and their Families

Imprisonment and its effects are a key concern in studies of punishment. This module takes a holistic approach by developing understandings of the impact of imprisonment on prisoners, prisoners' families, and prison staff. Beginning with a history of imprisonment and policy making, the module explores the management of prisons, including examination of the rules and regulations that govern day-to-day life in prisons, power relations and modes of resistance. The module then considers the experiences of specific groups of prisoners, prisoners' families, and staff. The module concludes with discussion of the future of imprisonment and arguments around prison abolition.

20 credits

Race, Gender and Crime

This module examines the relationships between gender, race and crime. It explores, from a critical standpoint, when and how patterns of law-breaking and victimisation vary according to gender and race. Focusing on topics as diverse as gender-based violence, sex work, political protest/disorder and Islamophobia, the module examines how patriarchal and racialised social structures serve to marginalise and criminalise, and also under-protect, (some) women as well as Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

20 credits

Criminology Research Project

This module develops on the earlier research methods module (Analysing Crime Data). There, students learned to manipulate and analyse data using SPSS on a computer. Here, students will work in small groups developing research ideas to form a fully developed questionnaire, which will be subsequently administered to a small general public sample via Corporate Information and Computing Systems (CICS). Thereafter, resulting data iscoded, computerised and analysed, and results written up as an individual report.

20 credits

Solidarity: Politics, Law, and Society across the Globe

In this interdisciplinary module, we explore how solidarity has been understood, practised, and contested across the globe. From Cuban solidarity for African liberation struggles to cross-species solidarity in climate activism today, we explore the possibilities of solidarity in action. In doing so, we will look at the wide-ranging impact that solidarity has had from individual survival to regime change. Taking a critical approach to the topic, we will also explore situations in which acts of solidarity can amplify forms of exclusion and injustice.

20 credits

Murder, Myth and Memory: A History of Jack the Ripper

This module introduces students to historical criminology through the lens of an infamous case study, namely Jack the Ripper (an unidentified serial killer who preyed on London's Whitechapel district between August and November 1888). It seeks to disentangle the layers of meaning surrounding the Ripper's murders and examine how myth and memory have shaped understanding of this case. 

Some of the questions that will be explored throughout the course include: 

Does the application of modern techniques of investigation, such as geo-profiling, to the Ripper case impinge on historical values? To what extent is Ripperology a 'masculine' discipline and how have feminist approaches helped to address this? How do dark tourism activities such as 'Jack the Ripper Walking Tours' shape cultural memory? What role do ethics and empathy play in historical research? By undertaking this module students will gain practical experience in the analysis of a variety of historical source material including letters, newspaper reports, photos, postcards, cartoons, post-mortem reports, official police reports and parliamentary debates.

20 credits

Core modules:

Core Legal and Study Skills Final Year (CLASS-FY)

This module supports students through their final year of undergraduate study in the School of Law and builds on WINS at Levels 1 and 2. Lectures are focussed in the first weeks of each semester and are supported by a programme of tutorials, led by Personal and Academic Tutors, and self-reflection exercises which offer professional and peer support to students. It teaches a range of research skills, and values, supporting 'research-based' modules on offer in final year. It provides guidance to help students create a solid foundation for communities of learning that will sustain them after graduation.

Plus one from:

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

Theoretical Foundations of Criminal Law

This module explores the theoretical foundations of criminal law in England and Wales, attempting to situate criminal law in its political, philosophical, historical, and social contexts. Specific issues of criminal law theory, such as criminalisation, harm, responsibility, the rule of law, and minimum intervention are discussed, along with an introduction to the principles of criminal justice and the developing trends affecting these issues. Students will be encouraged to critically deconstruct these issues, and evaluate the distance between these theoretical principles and practice by applying these principles to current debates and tensions in the law, gaining a richer and more critical understanding of the law they have previously studied.

20 credits

Optional modules:

Advanced Administrative Law and Justice

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module develops in more detail the foundational concepts of administrative law introduced in the compulsory module 'Public Law in the UK and the EU', with a particular emphasis on theories of administrative law and justice. The main focus will be judicial review: its development, purpose and place within the legal system; the substantive grounds and procedural aspects; and the remedies available. There will also be emphasis on non-judicial remedies in administrative law.

20 credits

Advanced Constitutional Law

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge'. The module develops in more detail the foundational concepts of constitutional law introduced in the compulsory module 'Public Law in the UK and the EU'. Theories of constitutionalism will be explored, alongside recent developments in British constitutional practice. Various proposals for constitutional reform will be analysed and the extensive operation of constitutional law through layers of public bodies identified.

20 credits

Advanced EU Law

This module is one of the core/optional foundation subjects of the Qualifying Law Degree programmes offered by Sheffield Law School. Building on 'Public Law in the UK and the EU', it explores the institutional structure and legal framework of the EU, as well as its substantive law. The module offers a distinct perspective on the dynamics of the EU, focusing on fundamental rights, the internal market and citizenship. Students will engage with Treaty provisions, EU legislation and cases, and practise a range of legal skills in applying EU law to concrete situations, thereby developing their employability.

20 credits

Advanced Equity & Trusts

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module critically examines the nature of property rights, 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 the administration of trusts, and to the personal liability of trustees.

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

Advanced Land Law

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. The module critically examines the nature of property rights and applies the student's knowledge and understanding of these in the broader structure of land law.  The module will primarily explore, through a transactional framework, the system of registered titles to land as well as the unregistered land system/first registration of land. Within this transactional framework, co-ownership, trusts of land, overreaching, mortgages, and commercial interests (including leases, easements and restrictive covenants) will be considered. 

20 credits

Advanced Law of Contract

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. Issues of contract formation and variation will be examined in depth, alongside an analysis of the doctrines of estoppel, duress, undue influence, mistake and misrepresentation. The module will also re-evaluate the law relating to the interpretation and construction of the terms of the contract including implied terms, exclusion clauses, the doctrines of frustration and remedies. Students will be expected to critique existing legal solutions and apply complex legal principles to mock scenarios.

20 credits

Advanced Torts Law

This module is one of the optional foundation subjects of the degree, which students can take to cover in more detail the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. In Law of Obligations the students will already have been introduced to the tort of negligence. We will build upon this foundation and further develop depth and breadth of understanding. Students will then enhance their understanding of tort by reference to other substantive torts. Which may include nuisance, trespass to the person and defamation.

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 provide an overview of Commercial Law. The module is designed for students with a broad interest in commercial law, but will also provide a foundation for those wishing to undertake training in a large city firm.

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

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

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

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

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

Criminology Research Project

This module extends research methods abilities developed initially in earlier research methods modules. There, students learned to manipulate and analyse data using SPSS on a computer. Here, students will work in small groups developing research ideas to form a fully developed questionnaire, which will be subsequently administered to a small general public sample via Corporate Information and Computing Systems (CICS). Thereafter, resulting data are coded, computerised and analysed, and results written up as an individual report.

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

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

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

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

Foundations of Company Law

This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the legislative, contractual and equitable aspects of company law. The main focus of the module will be on the legal principles governing the establishment, operation and management of companies, including: the effects of the separate legal entity status of companies; the role of the board of directors; the rights and responsibilities of shareholders; creditor rights; and remedies.

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

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

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

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

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

Jurisprudence

This module introduces students to the key debates and theories within the study of jurisprudence: the theory and philosophy of law. The module will span ancient, modern and contemporary legal philosophy. The debates considered will centre around the nature of law, and the relationships between law, power and morality. The jurisprudential theories that will be considered will typically include areas such as natural law, legal positivism, Marxist legal theory, critical legal studies and feminist legal theory.

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

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

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

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

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

Sex Work: Rights, Regulation and Resistance

This module draws on a large and growing body of international scholarship to introduce students to the complexities and diverse realities of sex work. It will equip students with a sound understanding of a whole range of theories and concepts that help to make sense of the social, cultural, and legal dimensions of sex work. It will explore the various sex markets; gendered differences in the buying and selling of sex; violence, exploitation and trafficking; sex worker-led activism and resistance; and the regulatory models used across the globe to govern sex industries. In so doing, the module uses sex work as an entry point to consider key sociological and criminological debates concerning structure and agency, social justice, and race, gender, migration and class. 

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

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

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

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

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