Law LLB (Hons) including specialist pathways

It is essentially a practice-focused module that will equip the students through teaching and assessed practice to undertake a time-constrained simulation of the first stage of judicial review as their summative assessment. In the teaching and learning students engage with as part of the module, particular emphasis is placed on the UK human rights framework and the ongoing dialogue between the executive and the courts in relation to rights in public law. Employability will be enhanced for students seeking to work in legal professional practice connected to administrative and human rights law, as well as for students seeking to work in the public sector more broadly.

The traditional underlying principles of the British constitution will be explored and examined in their historical context and their relevance in light of modern constitutional arrangements explored. The effect of external influences such as membership of the European Union, the European Convention on Human Rights and international law obligations will also be addressed. Finally, the efficiency of the constitution in protecting civil liberties will be explored. In addition, students, through regular assessed tutorial essays, will be taught the vital skill of academic legal writing.

This module will be taught through a combination of media: lectures, tutorials, reflective questions and group work. Lectures will be used to introduce each subject and explore difficult topics in depth. 

Tutorials provide an opportunity for students to analyse practical questions related to the subject material, thus providing a real link between the academic subject material and legal practice. Reflective questions on Blackboard will reinforce the independent self-study that is undertaken. Students will be expected to work in groups for Contract Law in Practice, in the style of a law firm providing advice to a client.

An opportunity for all students to complete a formative mock-examination will be provided in the first semester of the module.

This module provides the opportunity for student to do this. An undergraduate student of Law also needs to acquire appropriate skills. As well as skills which relate to the study and method of Law, students require reinforcement and development of their communication, research, information technology and basic legal research skills together with development of general critical abilities. 

This module seeks to provide a structured route, allowing students to achieve these objectives and demonstrate their skills development in a tangible way and at a level that may not always be required through the skills development that takes places within substantive modules. It acts as a foundation for further study and assists employability by giving the student transferable skills to use while undertaking the award and also in further vocational stages and research stages of education.

An international context is delivered by consideration of comparative legal systems and the European influence on the UK jurisdiction. The study of ethics is introduced and a specific workshop is delivered in which key areas are highlighted.

The module aims to explore these concepts in relation to the application of these to a variety of both fatal offences and non-fatal offences. The module also considers mechanisms of liability which deal with discrete areas of criminal liability and the application of these concepts in practice.

The assessment strategy is in place in order to enable students to gain academic understanding of the substantive law and how such law ‘works in practice’. The module has links with professional accreditation bodies such as ILEX (Institute of Legal Executives). It provides a foundation to further vocational study with ILEX, LPC (Legal Practice Course) or BPTC (Bar Professional Training Course). Students will gain employability skills and benefit from knowledge of the general workings of the criminal litigation process, coupled with property offences, in contemporary legal society. There is an international dimension in that the module considers the possibility of foreign nationals absconding in the Bail process.

However, European Union law cannot be seen as a stand-alone set of rules. Students will analyse the extent to which the law of the European Union creates rules to further the aims of the key treaties and the impact that this has had on the legal systems of the member states in diverse areas of law such as commercial law and employment law.

The module considers the impact in more depth, using principles of trade law to enable students to examine the effect and applicability of European law in a variety of real-World contexts. This will inevitably involve an understanding of the political and social context in which European Union law sits. Students will be required to both analyse, compare and apply principles of European Union law to ensure an understanding of the broad impact of this area of law. This holistic approach reflects the pervasive nature of European Union law in real-World settings.

Students will be taught through a mix of lectures and workshops which will guide and give context to the independent reading, research and preparation.

The modules address the broader aspects of legal practice and places the student in the role not only of a legal advisor but also as the person who will have to structure transactions, resolve issues, and overcome blockers. Students will also have to engage in collaborative team working as the process of engaging with these skills. Throughout the module reflective practice is consistently used as a process for learning and development.

Students will work holistically with their substantive modules and the module will facilitate the intersection between the application of substantive law and skills.

This module aims to provide you with the knowledge necessary to understand not only what the different methods of property transfer are, but which is the best, most effective method of property transfer to meet your client’s needs. You will study the legal requirements and ramifications of each method of transfer, before assessing which method should be adopted in a given set of circumstances.

If a trust is selected, what obligations is the trustee under? If the desire is to transfer property through a Will, how does one ensure that the will in question is legally binding

This module takes substantive legal knowledge and places it in a real world context of will drafting and estate distribution. Building on both the skill and knowledge gained in contract law at level 4, and developing alongside that gained in Land law, this module will require you to consider how the law does, and crucially should, apply to real world scenarios.

You will develop your understanding of the theoretical perspectives introduced at Level 4 that have emerged in an attempt to explain youth crime and will have the opportunity to apply these theories to the case studies of five young people that will be introduced to you during this module. The final block looks at current practice in youth justice and how the ‘what works’ movement has developed, you will also consider some of the frameworks that have been developed for judging the quality and reliability of research and the challenges this raises.

You can undertake this module alongside the sister module - Working with Young Offenders in the Spring Semester - to build towards the Youth Justice in Effective Practice Certificate, an industry recognised practitioner-based certificate, awarded by UNITAS and endorsed by Skills for Justice. Since it was introduced in 2012 the YJEPC has been used by over half of Youth Offending Teams to enhance their members’ skills and knowledge. It is also used by the secure estate, individuals seeking to advance a career in youth justice and volunteers looking to widen their knowledge.

You will also evaluate safeguarding issues and the diversity of young people in determining the most appropriate interventions. Having looked at the cycle of intervention, block two explores the significance of building and sustaining relationships with young people at all stages of the cycle in order to promote positive outcomes. You will have the opportunity to develop your understanding of communication strategies by young offenders as well as enhance your own applied skills with a practical focus.

You can undertake this module alongside the sister module - Youth Justice - in the Autumn Semester to build towards the Youth Justice in Effective Practice Certificate, an industry recognised practitioner based certificate, awarded by UNITAS and endorsed by Skills for Justice. Since it was introduced in 2012 the YJEPC has been used by over half of the Youth Offending Teams to enhance their members’ skills and knowledge. It is also used by the secure estate, individuals seeking to advance a career in youth justice and volunteers looking to widen their knowledge.

Further, the roles of directors, shareholders, the company secretary and auditors are explored. Analysis of reconstructions, mergers and acquisitions is undertaken as well as the implications and options available on insolvency. Module content includes topics applicable for the relevant ILEX (Institute of Legal Executives) module and serves to prepare students wishing to undertake the ILEX assessments for this area of study. Students are assessed by coursework and written examination.

The module explores the body of legal rules regulating the roles and input of the judge, jury and witnesses, and the court process. Rules relating to the level of proof and burden of proof required in court actions and the role and rights of the police in obtaining evidence are studied. Specific types of evidence are studied along with issues of their admissibility and their value and weight. It is assessed by coursework and by written examination.

The module will explore and analyse the theory and practice of sustainable development as well as analyse international business transaction as it relates to the sale of goods and the provision of services. In this capacity, the module will link these two strands and will engage students with live and contemporary development problems facing governments and then allow the students to implement functional and realistic business solutions to these problems.

The module places the student at the heart of sustainable international business and fosters problem-solving, creativity, enterprise, critical analysis and innovation for the purpose of direct impact. To bolster this, the module will engage and interact with the Government Department for International Development and, the British Council through guest speakers and projects offered by these institutions. The assessment is by coursework and will require students to analyse a series of case studies and implement a sustainable business transaction.

It also raises increasingly challenging issues in relation to the regulation of rapidly emerging potentials in the field of assisted reproduction technologies, organ transplantation and in the light of changing societal attitudes to the care of the terminally ill. Quite literally, it concerns life and death matters and consequently interfaces significantly with ethical and philosophical perspectives which will form an integral part of this course.

The role of the coroner in ascertaining the cause of death is considered as well as the role of the expert medical witness. The module explores the process and requirement for reporting a death to the coroner, as well the conduct of the inquest with consideration as to when a jury will be involved in this process. The module also considers the power of the coroner to report findings where the death was preventable. Additionally access to legal aid to assist at coroners court is considered along a consideration of possible action following the inquest.

A patient can be sectioned under the Mental Health Act 1983 if they are suspected to be suffering from a mental disorder. These provisions will be explored and their fairness will be called into question. The definition of treatment is also rather controversial, and students will get an opportunity to learn how medical treatment has developed over the generations. 

Anorexic patients are deemed to have a mental disorder under the Mental Health Act 1983, and many human rights complaints have arisen as a result of force-feeding these vulnerable patients. The notion of “food” being a “treatment” for a mental disorder will be examined in this module.

The role of the Mental Health Review Tribunal will be outlined, and their role in community care will be researched. Patients can, of course, admit themselves to hospital and care for themselves. The provisions to allow this will be highlighted towards the end of the module.

Finally, the healthcare of prisoners will be explored in this module. It is thought by some commentators that prisoners are suffering from significant mental health disorders and are not being treated appropriately in their prison environment.

The module will include the licensing of alcohol and entertainment, sexual entertainment venues and gambling.

Assessment will primarily be by way of examination to test knowledge and understanding but there will also be a practical element of coursework aimed at testing knowledge and application of the subject material. An administrative licensing process inevitably warrants applications to be made to licensing authorities and to the court and students will gain an understanding of Licensing Law in part through completing the necessary applications.

The first part of the module takes a more traditional and theoretical approach to the subject area which is, subsequently applied during the second half of the year using live cases. The rationale for this module is to identify common themes and causes of MOJ and to make recommendations for best practice and thus prevent and minimise the number of cases going to appeal.

Engagement with this module will develop both professional legal skills and transferrable skills. Furthermore, it will assist with employability.

This module provides the students with the opportunity to participate in the Centre’s provision of free legal and advice assistance to the community of Derby on a range of areas of law, which in itself will expose the students to social justice.

Specific areas of human rights concern such as the right to life, freedom of speech and other concerns such as transnational corporations and accountability for human rights violations would be considered. Through a series of case studies and role-play on hypothetical fact situations, this module will bring to light the current debates that surround the core principles of human rights and provide an opportunity for students to evaluate the efficacy of the current regime for the protection of human rights in the context of a global world.

The second part of the module is a more applied aspect which looks at the role of international law and the limitations it faces in dealing with specific issues that arise in world affairs. Contemporary issues considered are likely to include terrorism, the use of force, protection of refugees, global poverty and environmental concerns. The limitations of international law in dealing with these issue will be critically analysed. Overall, this module provides a basis for students to carry out an informed assessment of the contribution and limits of international law as a force in world affairs.

The module equips students, where necessary, to address ethical and professional research issues, but also scaffolds the development of pure normative research approaches. Students will develop advanced research skills through independent learning, online and collaborative sessions with limited guidance from academic staff.