• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 1

'What is an American?' Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur asked in the 18th century, when the American colonies were on the verge of revolution. That question has never really gone away. Whether as a self-proclaimed Republic, a slave-holding society, a 'nation of immigrants' or an imperial world power, America has had to invent and re-invent its national identity time and time again, from colonial times to the present.

On this module we study how Americans in different periods and different regions have thought, written, debated and talked about themselves in relation to their country in autobiography, poetry, fiction, and film. We ask how race, gender, and sexuality impact on notions of American citizenship, and we find out how to become an American, now and in the past. We will come across contradictory conceptions of American identity that may surprise us, as well as stereotypes and familiar tropes of optimism, individualism, and the right to bear arms.

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 1

This module covers use of the library and electronic resources reading cases, statutes and academic literature.

You will learn how to produce fully referenced academic work among the other skills necessary to help you study law. You learn about the doctrine of judicial precedent and the principles involved in interpreting legislation.

This module gives you the opportunity to focus very narrowly and examine in detail how to find a ratio and to see the English Legal System in a broader context by critically examining its structures, process and personnel.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 1

This module explores the legal rules and principles related to the formation, enforcement and vitiation of contractual promises. In particular you will consider ideas of offer and acceptance. You will study the legal doctrine of consideration and the equitable doctrine of promissory estoppel. You will consider rights of enforceability under the doctrine of privity and then go on to consider the classification and substance of particular terms in a contract, eg implied terms or exemption clauses. The module goes on to look at factors that may vitiate or void agreement such as misrepresentation, mistake, frusration, duress and undue influence.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 1

In broad terms, the Law of tort is the area of civil law primarily concerned with providing a remedy to persons who have been wrongfully harmed by the conduct of others. This module explores a number of the most important areas of tort law, for example negligence, nuisance, trespass to the person, liability for dangerous premises, liability for psychiatric harm and employers' liability.

The module will consider these and other areas as they are approached by the courts in England and Wales, to some extent the approach of other legal jurisdictions and also the social and political context of tort law.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 1

In this coursed, special attention is given to justice, equality and rights. You are introduced to theory which is then explored through a number of case studies focusing in particular on the development of non-discrimination and equality law in the English Legal System. The course will encourage you to think about contemporary issues from the perspectives of justice, equality and rights.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 1

This module takes as its premise the notion that ever since the explosion of mass media and mass society in the industrial age, the United States has taken an increasingly dominant place in the global visual imagination. This process reached its peak at the beginning of the 20th century, America henceforth generating for the world innumerable iconic and hegemonic visual representations of its own cultural narratives.

The task of the module will be to investigate and deconstruct some of the products of this visual field, along with the ideologies and narratives that sustain and refract them. Hence we begin by introducting you to visual theory, especially as it applies to the American context, and provide you with the critical tools necessary for the module. We then locate the period under scrutiny (1860-2001) within a broader visual and cultural prehistory, illuminating the roots of the modern world and its visual scene. After this, the module concentrates more particularly on the culture of the late-19th and 20th centuries.

Following a more or less thematic pattern, the module examines the issues that emerge over the course of the 20th century, referring forwards and backwards in order to generate connections where appropriate (for example, linking the Farm Security Administration projects to Matthew Brady's Civil War photographs). The intention here is to introduce you to aspects of visual culture and its criticism, as well as to defamiliarise and explore some of the more familiar American iconography surrounding us.

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 2

The module will consider the nature and structure of the British constitution. It will address some of the core theoretical principles of the constitution and examine how those principles are applied in the institutional arrangements of government in the UK.

The relationship between the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government will be considered, and the allocation of power between them will be analysed in terms of both constitutional theory and political practice.

The module will also consider the extent to which state power is subject to control and restraint. The mechanisms that are used to control the exercises of state power will be examined; the principles of Judicial Review, as well as some alternative mechanisms for holding the institutions of the state to account, will be considered.

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 2

This module examines the history of African-American political, cultural, and social developments from 1863 onwards. You will become famaliar with the debates that African Americans have had among themselves between emancipation and the present day, thus establishing a deep historical understanding of the ongoing freedom struggle in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. You will assess intraracial arguments over the relationship of blacks to the US government in war and peace, over racial and class identities, and over diverse tactics and strategies for the advancement of the race.

Although particular attention is given to the longrunning campaign to destroy de jure segregation in the southern states (culminating in the successful nonviolent direct action campaigns of the 1960s), the module takes as its foundation the fact that racial prejudice was a national not a regional phenomenon. Through lectures and seminars, you will examine the connections between African-American history and culture. Emphasis is given to well-known black leaders like Booker T. Washington, Marcus Garvey, and Martin Luther King, as well as to female activists and the unsung black masses themselves, who also receive close attention.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 2

This subject consists of two related parts:

• (a) key principles and concepts of equity and equitable remedies
• (b) the institution of the trust

The module aims to set Equity and Trusts in its social, economic and political contexts. It will consider the historical development of equity and the use of particular equitable remedies.

We will look at the institution of the trust, its formation and constitution, moving on to regard the idea of beneficial ownership. The nature of private and public purpose trusts and implied trusts is considered.

We also look at the duties, responsibilities and rights of the personnel involved in a trust relationship, and finally moving on to look at the liability for strangers to a trust.

Within this framework, the basic principles and theoretical underpinnings of the subject will be analysed.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 2

This module explores the legal rules determining what it means to own land and/or other rights that relate to land. Specific topics may include: the doctrines of estates and tenure; the meaning of land (fixtures); and the distinction between personal and property rights; the role of equity and the trust and the doctrine of proprietary estoppel; the contractual formalities for buying an interest or estate in land; acquiring ownership rights, including the rules of adverse possession; unregistered and registered title; mortgages; leases (and licences); co-ownership; trusts of land; freehold covenants; and easements.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 2

From New Amsterdam to 9/11 and beyond, New York has always been iconic. We experience the Big Apple through the sight and sounds that came before us: the movies, the music, the literature, the songs. But what goes on behind these images of ceaseless activity and glamour?

Now the hub of global finance, New York was also a haven for immigrants, with Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty sitting right there in its harbour. As a result of its diversity of population and ever-changing urban development, in this module we will be looking at the city from many perspectives, and find that to study its history and culture is to discover that the city that never sleeps never ceases to pose questions either.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 2

The distinctive nature and history of the Canadian state and Canadian constitutional arrangements make it an interesting study in its own right, and a useful comparator at a time of growing discussion and interest in the field of constitutionalism.

The Canadian model with its Charter of Rights and Freedoms provides a source of influence and inspiration to the UK and other Commonwealth countries, and is frequently used as a comparator particularly because of the multi-faceted nature of the Canadian state and the commitment of the Canadian Constitution to multi-culturalism.

Canadian constitutional law is examined in comparative perspective.

This module introduces students to the history, structures, sources and nature of the Canadian Constitution. In particular the module examines the distinctive history of the Canadian constitutional arrangements and the development of a rich Canadian constitutional literature which has made a major contribution to discussions of constitutionalism and difference.

The context of multi-national Canadian democracy provides a particularly interesting case study for an examination of Constitutional contestation. The course examines how this context has influenced the structure of the Canadian state, including Canadian federalism, constitutional change in Canada, and the adjudication of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms 1982 through the courts.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 2

This module examines four approaches to understanding contemporary US politics that emphasise the role of institutions, ideas, individuals and interests. These approaches are applied to the three main institutions of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court and to the nature of political parties and voting in the US.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 2

This module examines four approaches to understanding contemporary US politics that emphasise the role of institutions, ideas, individuals and interests. These approaches are applied to the three main institutions of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court and to the nature of political parties and voting in the US.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 2

The module builds upon Public Law I to develop a deeper understanding of the British constitution and of constitutional law more generally. Drawing upon legal, political and social theory, you examine the theoretical principles of constitutions focussing upon the operation and distribution of power within the state and its impact upon the lives of groups and individuals. Both theories and historical accounts of legitimacy, democracy and human rights will be examined, and their operation in contemporary legal and political practice will be considered.

• 30 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

The dissertation module will allow you to work on an American Studies project of your choosing. Weekly meetings, peer review and research workshops will guide you through the process of choosing your subject and devising research questions, identifying key debates in your chosen field, developing your own thesis and undertaking the sustained research necessary to demonstrate your mastery of the topic.

You will engage critically with both primary and secondary sources and strive to make an original contribution to your specialist area. The intention is to allow you the time and autonomy to produce a thoughtful and original piece of writing, to develop and demonstrate advanced skills of independent working, and to give expression to your academic interests in an intellectually disciplined and creative way. You will benefit from the guidance of a supervisor but the self-discipline, time-management and organisation required to complete the dissertation will be your responsibility. You will be expected to orally present your topic to your peers as part of the development process.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module encompasses the elements of a crime; actus reus and mens rea; negligence and strict liability; the criminal liability of corporations and children; defences; accomplices; homicide; non-fatal offences against the person; sexual offences; theft and other property offences and inchoate offences.

It places the law within the framework of the Human Rights Act 1998. Some aspects of criminal law theory such as theories of punishment, why conduct should be criminalised, and issues of procedure and evidence that are relevant to the substantive law are covered.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module examines the law and policy of the EU, with an emphasis on the role of law as a tool of European integration. The first part concentrates on a detailed study of the constitutional principles and values of the EU as expressed in the treaties and case law of the Court of Justice.

The second half of the module addresses substantive law, particularly in relation to the single market (in persons, goods and services) and non-market issues such as citizenship of the European Union and protection of fundamental rights.

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

The module provides you with an integrated understanding of the theory and practice of dispute resolution from an academic, cross-cultural and interdisciplinary perspective.

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is now a fundamental subject for legal professions and academic research. The first part of the module examines theoretical perspectives with a focus on the emergence of the ADR movement, with specific emphasis given to the influence and principles of the Access to Justice Movement.

The second part of the module offers an analysis of negotiation, mediation and arbitration, complemented by formative practical negotiation and mediation exercises. The module enables you to develop your critical understanding of the nature of dispute resolution, and to become more creative and effective in your legal problem solving.

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

Can law protect the environment?

This module introduces you to the role of law in decision-making processes which affect environmental quality and the use and conservation of natural resources.

You will gain an understanding of the role of law at national, EU and international levels. You also look at what makes environmental problems distinctive and key issues such as: how can we set legal standards for the environment?

Can we tell industry or individuals what to do, or should we incentivise behaviour by using economic tools or by disclosing information? Should we criminalise environmentally harmful behaviour or should we try to work with polluters to clean up and prevent problems in the future?

What rights do we, or future generations, or perhaps even the environment itself, have in relation to the environment? How far should we make those responsible for environmental harm pay for this? What role should the courts play in the development of environmental law?

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

This module is concerned with the devolution of assets on death, often representing the culmination of a person’s accumulation of goods in a lifetime of work and saving. The module considers both the law of intestacy (where property devolves by rules of law because there is no will) and the law of wills.

We will explore the modes of transfering inherited wealth and property on death in a social context, focusing on the idea of freedom of testation (which is particularly strong in this jurisdiction) and in the social context in which that principle operates. Here, we will consider the consequences that freedom of testation may have for poverty and the impact that that may have on the State’s obligation to alleviate poverty. The adequacy of current legislation to provide for the meeting of support obligations to family and dependants will be considered in this light.

The module will cover not only wills and intestacy, but also probate and the administration of estates (although in this regard the outline ideas rather than the technical details will be relevant to our study).

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

Gain an introduction to the legal issues concerned with the mass media.You will learn about:

• freedom of expression, what it might mean at a theoretical level and why it is perceived as important.
• who has rights (whether freedom of expression or privacy) and the issue of against whom they may be enforced.
• the various schools of thought about the application of law to the Internet.
• the history of communications legislation in the United Kingdom, as well as essential case law.
• the dual role of communications network users as both consumers and citizens, and the economic and human rights arguments pertinent to each category.
• the case law and legislation of the European Union and the Council of Europe, as well as comparative analysis of US legislation and case law
• the tension between protection of reputation and freedom of expression.

In this module, you look at how the media, as well as having rights, may also infringe the rights of others, especially privacy. You consider legislation including the Defamation Act 2013, Human Rights Act 1998, Communications Act 2003, and the Communications White Paper 2013.

You will also consider:

• Articles 8 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
• freedom of expression and privacy issues
• policy as implemented through case law at the European Court of Human Rights.
• European Union case law
• the Charter of Fundamental Freedoms
• media regulatory practice in the European Commission, in particular the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS) 2010/13/EU.

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

Islamic law is based on the Quran, the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, and the writings of Muslim scholars and jurists making it one of the oldest and most significant systems of law in the contemporary age.

Understanding Islamic law is crucial not only for Muslims, but for non-Muslims who work with Muslims in legal contexts, as well as for anyone wanting to understand the role of Islam in the world today.

This module will provide a critical overview of the history and practice of Islamic law. We will examine the basic cocepts of Islamic law, its classification, and the development of the classical schools of jurisprudence.

We will then consider the place of Islamic Law in the modern state and government. Placing Islamic law in the present context, this module will investigate the purposes, methodologies, and processes of Islamic jurisprudence.

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

Professional negligence and liability is a well established specialist area of academic legal study, as well as an important specialism within legal practice.

The range of solicitors' firms and barristers' chambers which offer specialist professional negligence services is wide. Some focus upon claimant based actions against, for example, architects, accountants, doctors,  lawyers, surveyors whilst others focus upon defence work.

Large City of London and similar practices will often specialise in bringing or defending complex commercially focussed professional negligence claims (e.g. the largest claims against firms of solicitors or accountants can run to hundreds of millions of pounds).

Consideration will also be given to professional protections and the history of professional immunities.

This module aims to enable you to consider and debate key areas of professional negligence and liability, focussing predominantly on the position in England and Wales but also making international comparisons where appropriate.

The module will consider the common law, statutory and other regulatory aspects of professional control and liability. In essence, the module will seek to address the question: 'how are professionals controlled and what avenues of redress are available for the wrongs they commit?'

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

The dissertation module involves researching and writing a 5,000-word dissertation on a subject of your choice. Having chosen your research topic in consultation with a supervisor, you work under the guidance of your supervisor for teaching block one. The teaching component is seminar based. The seminars are designed to equip you with the research skills required to complete your dissertation. The topics covered include: research methodology, writing up, advanced word processing and researching online. You submit a 2,000-word research proposal to your supervisor and receive feedback on this. You also present your research proposals to the tutor and the other students at one of the seminars towards the end of the first term. The module seeks to develop the skills of independent research and learning; good time management; the ability to reflect upon progress; and an appreciation of the value of constructive criticism.

You cannot undertake both Short Dissertation A and B and this module cannot be taken if you are completing the 30-credit dissertation module.

• 15 credits
• Autumn Teaching, Year 4

This module examines the rules governing commercial litigation in which not all facts are linked to a single jurisdiction. In those cases,
the following questions may arise:

• In which jurisdiction can litigation between the parties take place?
• The law of which jurisdiction governs the substantive issues of the dispute?
• Can a judgment rendered in one jurisdiction be recognised and enforced in another jurisdiction?

This module addresses those questions. It focusses on the relevant EC/EU Regulations and English domestic law, but there is also
an opportunity to look at international conventions and the law in some other countries.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module brings together several legal clinics and pro-bono projects within a single module, as well as critically discussing the evolution of such projects on a national and international stage. The aims of the module are therefore two-fold, and clearly focused on the two units of assessment:

1. The Autumn Term is predominantly focused on the academic understanding and discussion of pro-bono and clinic projects. Mainly through a lecture format, we discuss the history and evolution of such projects nationally as well as internationally. This will prepare you for your individual pro-bono projects, as well as your first assessment in A1.
2. Beginning in the Autumn Term, and the focus of the Spring Term, the other part of the module involves individual pro-bono projects. Within the various project streams (Clinics), you will actively participate and reflect upon and evaluate your work in (stream specific) seminar groups. Thematic lectures in the Spring Term, as well as formative presentations on your work, will both feed into your final assessed reflective portfolio (to be submitted in A2).

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

One of the most powerful influences on human activity is the driving force of trade. Commercial law is primarily concerned with the rights and duties arising from the supply of goods and services by way of trade.

This module adopts the specific-contract approach to the subject and focuses on the paradigm commercial transaction - the sale and supply of goods by one merchant to another.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

1. Introduction to Company Law: an outline of the new statute: Companies Act 2006; the inter-relationship between statute and the common law; the role of the European Company Law Harmonisation Programme; Company Law in context, theory and history.
2. Legal Personality and Limited Liability: different categories of companies (the private/public divide); the rule in Salomon's case and lifting the veil of incorporation.
3. The Promotion of Companies: the role of the Stock Exchange and investor protection; the role, duties and liabilities of the promoter; pre-incorporation contracts.
4. The Relationship between the Company and the Outside World: the objects of the company and the rise and fall of the ultra vires rule; the nullity principle; the internal operations of the company and their effect on third parties; principles of agency/vicarious liability, corporate crimes and criminal liability.
5. The Internal Relations within the Company: shareholders inter se; inter-relationship between the company's constitution and the Companies Act; alteration of the constitution; different classes of shares; preference shares and the alteration of their rights; the company and its employees; the stakeholder debate.
6. The Role of Corporate Governance in Company Life: the regulatory framework for companies; self-regulation by business and Government intervention; the work of the CG committees, a definition of CG and Corporate Social Responsibility;
7. The Management of the Company: composition of the board of directors; formalities of management; division of functions between the company's organs.
8. The Qualification of Directors: different kinds of directors (non-executive/executive; nominee; shadow; de facto); how are directors qualified?; the disqualification framework.
9. Directors' Duties and their Enforcement: the new statutory statement of duties; to whom are the duties owed?; the rule in Foss v. Harbottle; derivative and representative actions.
10. Protection of Minority Shareholders: just and equitable winding up; the action for unfair prejudice.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

The module examines the detailed rules of competition law and policy in the EU. It covers the law relating to cartels, abuses of dominant position, mergers, enforcement, state aid and the application of competition law to public services and undertakings entrusted with services of general economic interest.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

The first part of the module considers the development of explanations for criminal offending, looking at the classical and positivist schools of criminology as well as sociological, psychological and behaviouralist approaches.

It concludes by examining the more radical alternatives offered by neo-Marxist and feminist criminologists, the so called 'Left Realists' and contemporary criminology.

The second part looks at the more practical dimensions of criminal justice, dealing with crime statistics and victim surveys; victims in the criminal justice system; punishment, rehabilitation and compensation; diversion of offenders; sentencing and penal policy; imprisonment and prison regimes; and non-custodial and community sentences.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

The Dissertation module involves you researching and writing a 10,000 word dissertation on a subject of your choice.

Having chosen your research topic in consultation with a supervisor, you work under the guidance of your supervisors for the duration of the academic year.

The teaching component of the module takes place during the first teaching block only and is seminar-based. The seminars are designed to equip you with the research skills required to complete your dissertations.

The topics covered include:

• research methodology
• writing up
• advanced word processing
• researching online

You submit a 2,000 word research proposal to your supervisors during the first term and receive feedback on this. You also present your research proposals to the tutor and the other students at one of the seminars towards the end of the first term.

The module seeks to develop, among other things, the skills of independent research and learning; good time management; the ability to reflect upon progress; and an appreciation of the value of constructive criticism.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

Employment Law is one of the fastest growing areas of law and practice: the volume of both case law and legislation is considerable.

The election of a different political party to government inevitably brings new employment legislation in its wake and the current government is producing fairly radical proposals for change.

It is against this backdrop that the module seeks to examine and explore both the individual contract of employment and the three-way relationship involving employers, employees and trades unions.

The module looks at the dramatic changes in working arrangements, such as the growing participation and influence of women in the workforce, coupled with the very varied patterns of work (such as part-time/casuals/agency/flexible working).

We also look at the employee/self-employed distinction, the employment contract and its sources - with particular reference to implied terms such as mutual trust and confidence - and also the controversial expansion of employers' liability to encompass psychiatric harm caused by stress at work.

Protection of wages and limitations on working hours, together with 'family-friendly' entitlements covering maternity, paternity, adoptive and parental issues, are also examined. Topics of current interest which feature in the module are 'whistleblowing', restraint of trade covenants and references.

Thereafter, the module addresses termination of employment, in particular wrongful and unfair dismissal, redundancy and transfers.

Finally, we examine the important and expanding subject of discrimination and equality law in some detail, including sex, religion or belief, race, disability and age.

We also examine equal pay issues in this section of the module.

Overall, the aim is to make the module informative, relevant and stimulating by combining the academic aspects of employment law with an appreciation of current developments and proposals in this dynamic area of law which affects all our lives.

To keep you abreast of the latest developments, particularly in relation to the most substantial second term topic of discrimination and equality law, separate handbooks are issued at the start of each main teaching term.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module introduces you to the most important rules of Family Law. But it does more than just outline the rules on marriage and divorce, parental status and parental responsibility, child protection, domestic violence, contact and residence disputes, etc. It also considers the application of those rules in the social and political context that frames them.

The module requires students to think about the nature of the family in its broadest sense (to include married and unmarried partners in adult relationships, and the great variety of ways in which adults raise and care for children), and to consider the appropriateness of the rules that govern the family in law.

You will also be required to reflect on the place of law in the regulation of family life. The module will, for that reason, be both theoretical and extremely practical; and it will be both thoroughly legal (in a black letter sense) and a little sociological.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in the City or in an international business envionment.

It presents a comprehensive discussion of cutting edge issues arising from the global financial crisis. The module develops an interdisciplinary understanding of the global context in which financial regulatory frameworks seek to operate.

The interplay of the above theoretical and policy issues in domestic and international capital markets builds a solid foundation to explain how modern corporate and securities laws are shaped and how they have been evolved in judicial practices involving such law.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module introduces you to a number of key contemporary issues and debates within the field of health care law and policy. As well as gaining knowledge of the subject's substantive legal rules, you will acquire an understanding of the main ethical principles underlying these. The module is also designed to create an awareness of the historical development of health care law and policy and of how their contemporary nature is influenced by wider political and economic transformations at the national, EU and global levels.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

Human rights has become part of the contemporary political discourse, so much so that we generally take for granted that we know what the concept covers.

Today almost everyone around the globe is acquainted with the idea of human rights. We often hear about 'human rights', especially in the media.

This module questions what we mean by human rights. It does so by introducing international human rights law in a critical manner and comparing various systems of human rights protection.

The module combines theoretical critiques with case assessments, and you are strongly encouraged to follow current issues by reading a number of human rights blogs.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

The module covers aspects of the law of copyright, unregistered and registered trade marks, confidential information and patents. The module aims to introduce you to the principles of intellectual property law and its philosophical and economic justifications, but it will also encourage in-depth analysis of particular issues in the law and policy of intellectual property, such as internet 'piracy' and access to medicines in developing countries.

The focus of the module will be on UK law and policy, however reference will be made to EU and international law where relevant.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module will examine theoretical approaches to law and legal discourse. After an initial grounding in the history, relevance and contemporary significance of jurisprudence and legal theory, the module will explore in more detail doctrinal and philosopical approaches to the law, as well as more critical approaches such as feminism, socio-legal approaches, law and economics, law and literature and law and anthropology.

Particular theories will be considered in relation to relevant substantive areas of law. You will be given the opportunity to consider recent legal judgements from a critical perspective. Ultimately you will be asked to consider whether the way in which the law works is appropriate for contemporary issues in modern society.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

Public International Law governs the relations between states. Increasingly, during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries it has also come to regulate the activity of individuals and organisations. This module aims to provide a grounding in the basic concepts and general principles of international law.

You will be encouraged to examine the legal basis of international law, the sources of the law and the relationship between international law and national law. The module will also examine recent developments and matters of controversy in international law and will introduce students to interdisciplinary aspects of the study of international law.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

The first part of the module introduces students to a variety of historical and contemporary sociological perspectives on law. Taking the theme of the relationship between law and modernity as its point of departure, this part begins with a consideration of some of the key works of the founders of the sociology of law.

Following this, you are introduced to contemporary literature in both sociology and law that analyses the nature of some important changes in contemporary Western societies (including in politics and the economy), and how these developments may be affecting traditional understandings of the nature and function of law and regulation.

The second part of the module is designed to enable you to think through the ideas and theories explored in part one in the context of a particular institution: the welfare state. The types of question that will interest us here include the following: How has the way in which states provide for the social protection of their citizens altered over time? What role has law played in this? What is 'social law', and how (and why) might its nature have changed in the light of recent developments in the welfare state? What can contemporary social policy reveal about the relationship between the citizen and the state? What is the relationship between law, the welfare state, and the economy today?

We will think through possible answers to these questions via a consideration of some examples from the field of social policy, for instance health care, unemployment, and social housing.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

The module will cover the subject of sports law with reference to national, regional and international regulatory systems. In its introductory part, the module will address historical aspects of sports law, which led to the establishment of dedicated governing bodies. The module will then cover issues of tort law which affect participants in and spectators at sport events. Matters of public order will be considered with reference to the legal repercussions that emerged, for example, from the events at Heysel Stadium and Hillsborough.

Employment contracts in sports will be analysed in detail, with particular emphasis on the relationship between sportsmen and sportswomen and their employers, but also on the safeguards in place for other employees, which are not directly involved with sport performances but contribute to the organisation and running of sport events.

The module will also involve a review of the European dimension of sports law, and the impact of fundamental freedoms in the relevant regulatory framework. This will include an analysis of the impact of competition rules and media laws on the broadcasting of sport. Moreover, intellectual property matters will be addressed, with reference the branding and marketing of sports personalities and events.

On issues of integrity, the module will examine rules intended to prevent instances of discrimination, and enhance standards of financial governance for the stakeholders involved. The module will conclude with a part dedicated to international and comparative aspects of anti-doping regulations.

• 30 credits
• Autumn & Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module is a study of the law of evidence in England and Wales but we also take the opportunity to examine and assess selected developments in other common law jurisdictions such as Australia, Canada and the USA.

An outline of the history and development of evidence law puts into context the significance of key principles as developed very largely by case-law and, increasingly, now to be found in statutory provisions. From the last quarter of the 20th Century to the present day we examine and assess the significant impact that issues such as re-balancing the interests of victims as against those of defendants plus the rapid development of anti-terrorist legislation aimed at protecting society are having on the fundamental principles of presumption of innocence, burden of proof and right of silence.

The overall objective of a fair trial is considered in both domestic and ECtHR jurisprudence. We also explore the impact of changes over the same period on the worrying prevalence of miscarriages of justice in areas such as confession evidence and eyewitness identification.

The two major exclusionary rules of evidence - bad character and hearsay - are examined in some depth in the latter part of the module and we also address important issues relating to witnesses, such as competence, compellability, special measures for vulnerable or intimidated witnesses and the very vexed question of sexual history evidence. To ensure particularly that the rapidly developing law on bad character and hearsay is as up-to-date as possible, separate handbooks are issued at the start of each main teaching term.

Overall, the aim is to make the module informative, relevant and stimulating.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

This 30 credit module, taught over both terms, will introduce you to some of the key legal issues arising in banking.

In Term 1 we will examine the principles that underpin the regulation of banking; this will start with a discussion of risk and general theories of regulation, and then we will look more in-depth at the role of the Basel Committee in determining the nature of banking regulation on a global scale, the impact of the European Union directives on banking regulation and, finally, a case study of bank regulation in the UK.

In Term 2 our attention will focus on a detailed analysis of the relationship between banks and their customers in English law, examining the rights and obligations of those parties and we will close by looking at accounts, money and methods of payment.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module focuses on the international sale of goods which are transported by land, sea and air.

Due to time constraints, this module only deals with carriage by sea.

We will consider the main trade terms used in international sales contracts (common law and INCOTERMS), the essential elements of contracts of carriage of goods by sea, cargo insurance and key aspects of the financing of international sales transactions (mainly UCP 600).

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module will consider the European and International Law in specific areas of family law that have cross-border implications, such as divorce, maintenance, child abduction, intercountry adoption and surrogacy.

The module will allow you to reflect upon the effectiveness of attempts at harmonising law and legal regulation across International or European boundaries and the mechanisms for recognition and enforcement in the second state.

It will also consider the role of domestic and international courts in areas of family law in which harmonisation has been attempted or is being sought.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

This 15-credit module will introduce you over the term to the legal issues raised by the internet. The module will begin with a discussion of the various schools of thought about the application of law to the internet. It will also familiarise you with the history of communications legislation in the United Kingdom, as well as essential case law. You will be made familiar with the dual role of communications network users as both consumers and citizens and the economic and human rights arguments pertinent to each category. This will prepare you for later discussion of the case law and legislation of the European Union and the Council of Europe, as well as comparative analysis of US legislation and case law. The relevant domestic, European and international laws will be scrutinised so that you will gain an understanding of the major regulatory regimes applicable to the internet.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

Drawing on and developing knowledge acquired in Land Law, this module will enable you to further explore the law relating to land, with emphasis on the intersection between land use and the environment.

It will introduce you to different theories of property and alternative models of land ‘ownership’, in order to facilitate critical perspectives on dominant norms and structures.

The module will include analysis of property mechanisms, such as conservation covenants, for purposes of environmental protection, as well as the role of nature conservation legislation in the regulation of land use.

It will address the legal protection of landscape and the rationale for such interventions, as well as the legal framework governing the public’s right to access land for recreational activities. It will also explore the legal regulation of agricultural land use in the context of issues such as biodiversity, food security and climate change resilience.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

What turns a piece of street art from illegal graffiti to legitimate public art? What role does legal method have in our understanding of aesthetics and what are the similarities between legal and aesthetic interpretation?

How does art depict law, or law deal conceptually with music, how does law speak to architecture and the literal text? What role can art play in the rehabilitation of young offenders, and therefore how can art assist in the criminal justice system overall?

How do our understandings of aesthetics affect our politics and culture, and constitutional make-up? What role does aesthetics play in the daily practice of law, and what are the recent changes in media and intellectual property law that account for extant creative and artistic forms of ownership.

The questions above will be amongst some of the core issues that this module on Law and Aesthetics seeks to interrogate.

This module aims to lay the groundwork for both a theoretical and practical exploration of the role of law in aesthetics and the other way around.

First you will be familiarised with the theoretical and philosophical theories of aesthetics, linking to the political and the legal, legal method, semiotics and also aesthetic theory as a stand alone, such as art theory and theory of music.

The impact of aesthetics on law has been dealt with in considerable detail in the disciplines of law and literature, however this module seeks to interrogate the role of aesthesis further in not just textual form, but the more expressive and spatial movements of art, architecture and musical composition.

In addition, you will be familiarised with criminonlogical, sociological and subcultural theory relating aesthetics with youth culture, consumption and crime. The theoretical and practical elements of the module will come together with the study of art therapy and its application in rehabilitation, through your observation of and collaboration with local artists in Brighton. 

The module will use connections with art organisation 'Artscape' in the provision of workshops in prisons and young offender institutes, and the possibilities for you to attend and reflect on the role of art in law, and therapy in rehabilition more specifically, as part of your reflective log.

Topics covered will be as follows:

• Aesthetic Theory, Politics and Law
• Law, Semiotics and Interpretation
• Aesthetics, Performance and the Body
• Law, Literature, Text
• Law and Music
• Law and Art
• Law and Architecture
• Aesthetics, Subculture, Crime and Resistance
• Law, Criminal Justice and Art Therapy
• Aesthetic Practice I: Situationism and Futurism
• Aesthetic Practice II: Artscape, Street Art and Graffiti
• The Future of Law in Aesthetics and Aesthetics in Law

You will gain invaluable conceptual and pracitcal knowledge in the role of law in aesthetics and the other way around, assisted through your assessed essay on a chosen topic from the syllabus, as well as an assessed presentation during the module.

This module would compliment 'Law and the Creative Industries', Legal Theory, IP and Media Law.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module will cover the role of law and the legal system in human 'development' in 'developing' countries. We will explore how the law can affect the 'development' of a country and how the mode of development affects legal change. You will first engage with a critical understanding of the history and theory of law and development and engage with post-colonial crirtiques of law. The module will then examine specific topics including access to justice; human rights in the development process; governance, democracy, and development; technical legal assistance; and foreign direct investment.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

The Law of Succession is concerned with the devolution of assets on death, often representing the culmination of a person's accumulation of good in a lifetime of work and saving.

In this module, you study both the law of intestacy (where property devolves by rules of law because there is no will) and the law of wills.

You explore the modes of transfering inherited wealth and property on death in a social context. You focus on the idea of freedom of testation (which is particularly strong in this jurisdiction) and the social context in which that principle operates.

You also consider the consequences that freedom of testation may have for poverty and the impact that that may have on the state's obligation to alleviate poverty.

The adequacy of current legislation to provide for the meeting of support obligations to family and dependants will be considered in this light. 

You cover topics including wills and intestacy, and outline ideas around probate and the administration of estates.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

The dissertation module involves researching and writing a 5,000-word dissertation on a subject of your choice. Having chosen your research topic in consultation with a supervisor, you will work under the guidance of your supervisor for teaching block 2. The teaching component is seminar based. The seminars are designed to equip you with the research skills required to complete your dissertation. The topics covered include research methodology, writing up, advanced word processing and researching online. You will submit a 2,000-word research proposal to your supervisor and receive feedback on this. You also present your research proposals to the tutor and the other students at one of the seminars. The module seeks to develop the skills of independent research and learning; good time management; the ability to reflect upon progress; and an appreciation of the value of constructive criticism.

You cannot undertake both Short Dissertation A and B and this module cannot be taken if you are completing the 30-credit dissertation module.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

The role and nature of lawyers' ethics, conduct and regulation continues to be a contentious topic of discussion amongst academics and practitioner groups. The place it should occupy within the undergraduate law syllabus as a component of the future education of lawyers also remains topical. More broadly, professional regulation may be seen as a significant element of modern government and public policy. From those who would categorize the term "lawyers' ethics" as an oxymoron, playing little or no part in the day-today practice of the lawyer as hired gun, to those who place an ethical legal profession at the heart of democratic liberal values, this is a subject area which warrants close academic scrutiny.

The overarching objective of the module will be to deliver a grounding in the theory and practice of lawyers' ethics, conduct and regulation. The focus will primarily be on England and Wales, with some comparative examples, as appropriate. The module will be relevant for those students considering a career practising law as well as those with a more general academic interest in this field.

Module content will draw from key debates and so may vary from year to year, but core elements will remain. Notably the ideals of legal professionalism; professional organisation; professional power and culture; historical and current considerations of professional education, ethics, governance, regulation, discipline and dispute resolution, all as applied to the legal professions. Specific issues will also play a role, for example diligence and confidentiality in relation to client matters and wider professional obligations to third parties and society as a whole. Where relevant, theoretical insights will be drawn from philosophy, the sociology of the legal profession and regulatory theory.

• 15 credits
• Spring Teaching, Year 4

This module focuses on the legal regulation of sexual encounters, and requires you to think critically about the values and assumptions that underpin legal responses to a variety of sexual and intimate relationships.

Key questions which orient the module are:

• What messages do the substantive law and enforcement practices communicate about the nature and value of sexual activity?
• What are the consequences of the legal regulation of sexual activity in everyday life?

Topics that will be explored include legal definitions of 'sexual activity'; the role of consent in distinguishing sex from sexual violation; sexual activity involving vulnerable people such as children and mentally disordered adults; legal responses to pornography and sex work/prostitution; and legal aspects of same sex relationships.

The module combines elements of criminal, family and mental capacity law, and encourages you to consider the ways that different aspects of legal regulation intersect in particular contexts. For example, you will explore the relationship between criminal law and mental capacity law in relation to the sexual activity of mentally disordered adults.

Discussion and analysis of the substantive law will be informed by a range of relevant theoretical approaches such as feminist theory, intersectionality, masculinity studies and queer theory.

The module will be taught via weekly 2 hour seminars. These will alternate between standard seminars, each focused on a particular substantive topic, and 'workshop' sessions, the majority of which will consist of reading groups on one key text (in order to help you get to grips with some of the more complex theoretical approaches you will need to engage with). One cycle will be devoted to guidance on the assessment.