Law LLB

Core modules:

Introduction to Law

This module introduces students to key concepts relating to law. This includes exploring what 'law' is, its role and its impacts within society. It examines how law is categorised and made, including looking at the role of the common law, legislation and equity. It also considers the individuals and organisations involved in making, interpreting and enforcing the law. The module highlights the ways in which the law interacts with ethics and includes case studies, examining the law in practice. It also explores key legal and academic skills, including reading and interpreting different sources of law, conducting legal research, and studying healthily.

Aims:

1. Enable students to think critically about the functions, role and impacts of the law within society.2. Introduce students to key concepts relating to law, with a particular focus upon the English legal system.3. Introduce students to key legal and academic skills relating to the study of law.4. Equip students with core knowledge, understanding and skills to enable them to successfully study other substantive legal topics.

20 credits

Criminal Law and Justice

This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree which cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. 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

Contemporary Issues in Law and Justice

The module is one of the core subjects of the degree, through which students cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. It introduces students to techniques of analysing the contributions of law in addressing social problems. Case studies will be explored, based on the research expertise of School staff and selected to demonstrate controversies in the law and a variety of approaches to legal analysis. Students will be challenged to identify how different perspectives on law relate to one another, and how they are portrayed through various media. The module provides a foundation for more advanced critical analysis of the law.

20 credits

Constitutional Law in the UK and the EU

This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree which cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge. This module introduces the key principles of constitutional law underpinning the UK and European Union's legal and political order. It critically examines the claim that the UK has a constitution, the doctrines which are said to be central to the UK's constitutional order, and mechanisms for changing UK constitutional law. It explores in depth some key features of the UK constitution, such as parliamentary sovereignty and the Human Rights Act 1998. The module explores the key institutions of the European Union, their functions, and their post-Brexit relationship with the UK's constitution.

20 credits

Contract Law

This module is one of the core foundation subjects of the degree which cover the Foundations of Legal Knowledge.The module will be delivered by a combination of in person lectures and seminars/workshops, where students will be encouraged to participate in discussions and develop their own skills as independent learners.

The Contract Law module provides the opportunity for students to explore issues of contract formation and variation including an analysis of the doctrines of estoppel, duress, undue influence, mistake and misrepresentation.  The module also extends to an evaluation of the law relating to the interpretation and construction of contractual terms 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

Resolving Legal Disputes

This module introduces students to a range of methods for resolving legal disputes, including self-help, negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, adjudication, court proceedings, tribunals and ombudsmen. It encourages students to think about the nature and characteristics of legal disputes, the considerations involved in the resolution of such a dispute, the different remedies available and the broader societal values and factors which may influence such a resolution. Students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and understanding to real-world scenarios and consider the range of skills involved in dispute resolution.

Aims:

1. Introduce students to key concepts and principles relating to the resolution of legal disputes, and the limits of the law as it relates to remedies.2. Facilitate an understanding of different methods of dispute resolution and the challenges and opportunities these provide.3. Develop and strengthen students' appreciation of the wider societal values and factors (for example, unequal access to justice) which influence the resolution of legal disputes.4. Develop students' ability to look at a problem creatively and engage actively in choices about how to use the law to address that problem, including answering hypothetical scenarios which reflect real-world issues.

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

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

Plus the below:
- Law, Justice and Ethics
- The Individual and the State

You’ll also have the opportunity to deepen your understanding of the legal field through a range of optional modules spanning areas such as Advanced Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Advanced EU Law, Advanced Law of Contract, Criminal Law and Criminal Process.

Example optional modules:

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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

Criminology Research Project

In this module students select any topic within criminology or criminal justice which is of interest to them and can be studied by means of a survey.  Past topics include attitudes towards decriminalising drugs, keeping safe at music festivals, discrimination and 'Hate' Crimes, attitudes towards unwanted sexual attention in the night-time economy and online sexual harassment. Students are helped to develop their ideas to form a fully developed set of survey questions which are sent out to staff and students within the University of Sheffield. Students are then supported in analysing the resulting data, using the computer programme SPSS, and in producing a report which forms the assessment.  The module provides students with digital, research and analysis skills which will increase their employability and will also prove useful in carrying out a dissertation.

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

Principles of Comparative Law

This module seeks to introduce students to comparative law. It will introduce students to the comparative method of legal research and question the role, function and value of comparative research. A study will be made of the major civilian and common law legal traditions. This will be undertaken both to give students an insight into how other legal systems work and to question the extent to which it is proper to talk about 'legal families'. This will lead on to a comparison between the civil and common law approaches to law. Case studies will be used to demonstrate a comparative approach to legal studies.

20 credits

Equity and Trusts

This module develops the student's understanding of the nature of equitable rights, doctrines, processes, and remedies in domestic law. Particular attention is devoted to the creation of trusts, both private and charitable, to variation of trusts, and to the administrative powers of trustees and their personal liability for breach of trust. The relationship between constructive trusts and proprietary estoppel is considered, as is the relationship between equitable principles and the law of restitution. Amongst equitable remedies considered are specific performance and injunctions. The process of tracing (including a comparison with tracing at common law) is also analysed.

Plus the below:
- Researching Law and Society

You’ll also have the opportunity to conduct further study of a specialist area of your choice through a range of optional modules spanning areas such as International Trade Law, Advanced Torts Law, Family Law, Policing, International Trade Law, Criminal Process and Digital Lawyering.

Example optional modules:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 lead. 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 lead for approval. Students should have a provisional research topic in mind and are encouraged to communicate this to the module lead in advance of choosing the module. The topic will be developed in consultation with the module lead/supervisor who will ensure it's suitability for the project.

20 credits

Criminal Evidence

The Law of Criminal Evidence is that body of rules, principles, and procedures collectively used to structure the criminal trial and its associated processes.. Specific topics covered in this module may include the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial, and the operation of exclusionary rules concerning hearsay evidence, confessions and character evidence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Imperialism, Colonialism, and International Law

This module explores the historical and contemporary intersections of imperialism, colonialism, and international law. It critically examines how imperial powers utilized international legal frameworks to legitimize colonial expansion and domination, while also examining how colonised people leveraged these legal frameworks as tools of resistance and struggle against colonial and imperial forces. The module will begin with an overview of the origins of modern international law and its entanglement with European colonial expansion. Key topics include empire, imperialism, Eurocentrism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, settler colonialism, the doctrines of discovery, the civilising mission, self-determination and decolonisation. Focusing on global encounters between imperial centres and colonial peripheries, students will investigate the role of international law in the governance of colonies, resource extraction, and the suppression of indigenous sovereignty.

Through case studies from Africa, the Americas, and Asia, students will explore the legacies of colonialism in contemporary international law, the persistent inequalities and power-dynamics in the international system, and the growing influence of the Global South.

 



 

20 credits

Advanced Equity & Trusts (DTP)

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

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

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

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