ENVIRONMENTAL LAW - 2020/1

Module code: ENGM061

Module Overview

The module provides study of the law relevant to environmental pollution.

Module provider

Centre for Environment & Sustainability

Module Leader

MALCOLM Rosalind (Schl of Law)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Overall student workload

Workshop Hours: 16

Independent Learning Hours: 115

Lecture Hours: 19

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:


  • Regulatory frameworks for environmental law at UK, EU and international level.

  • The civil courts: actions for damages

  • Criminal procedures and actions (roles of evidence, expert evidence, prosecuting and defending environmental claims, court-room scenario)

  • Enforcement and compliance (Environmental Liability Directive, water and waste laws)

  • Substantive pollution laws in outline at EU level e.g. water law, waste law, atmospheric pollution, biodiversity law, land use planning and environmental impact assessment.

  • Planning inquiries: practice and procedure, participative exercise.


Assessment pattern

Assessment type Unit of assessment Weighting
Coursework ASSIGNMENT AT END OF MODULE 100

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate, in accordance with the Learning Outcomes, their acquired knowledge, critical awareness of the key principles and policies studied in this Module, their ability to evaluate and also to apply their acquired knowledge and critical awareness to the resolution of hypothetical legal problems.

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the way in which the legal system operates and how it deals with environmental pollution. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of a selection of case study critiques of legal problems and analysis of legal principle.Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of coursework which will require the students to answer set questions.  They will have choice within the coursework as to which questions to select.

 

Formative assessment and feedback

The module takes place over an intensive week with extensive opportunity for feedback during the week.  Advance reading is set and discussion takes place before and after the intensive week via Surrey Learn and individual email contact.  During the week small exercises are set for group discussion and feedback as preparation for the summative assessment

Module aims

  • To provide an understanding and critical awareness of the foundational principles of the legal system related to the protection of the environment in context
  • To identify and critically assess the framework of environmental law at UK, EU and international level
  • To critically assess the law relating to protection of land, air, waste, water and wildlife and biodiversity
  • To critically assess the role of law in solving problems of environmental pollution and in achieving compliance and enforcement.

Learning outcomes

Attributes Developed
1 Understand the key characteristics of environmental law. KC
2 Be able to handle complex problems of pollution of the environment involving corporate and private interests. KCPT
3 Have critical awareness of the policy context for environmental law CPT
4 Have critical understanding of the role of EU and international law in the operation of environmental law KCPT
5 Demonstrate an ability to analyse and discuss in a reasoned and cogent manner the principles of environmental law CT
6 Apply the principles of environmental law so as to be able to propose and evaluate alternative solutions to practical fact based problems CPT
7 Be able to present legal information effectively, according to accepted practice and convention CPT

Attributes Developed

C - Cognitive/analytical

K - Subject knowledge

T - Transferable skills

P - Professional/Practical skills

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to provide through lectures (19 hours), court-room scenario exercises (3 hours), use of videos and films (2.5 hours), discussion seminars (4.5 hours), a debate (1 hour) and a mock planning inquiry (5 hours) an understanding of the way in which the legal system operates and how it deals with environmental pollution.

 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENGM061

Programmes this module appears in

Programme Semester Classification Qualifying conditions
Public Affairs MSc 2 Optional A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Corporate Environmental Management MSc 2 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Environmental Strategy MSc 2 Compulsory A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module
Sustainable Development MSc 2 Optional A weighted aggregate mark of 50% is required to pass the module

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.