CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN LAW - 2020/1

Module Overview

The module examines law in a social, ethical, political, historical and international context. Students will be introduced to the English Legal System and consider how laws in England and Wales are implemented. The focus will be on contemporary issues, considering recent cases which have been reported in the media. The module will examine how public opinion, politics and the media influence the law.

Module provider

School of Law

Module Leader

LILLYWHITE Claire (Schl of Law)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 3

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• An introduction to the English Legal System and Statutory interpretation Law Politics and Society


• Contemporary issues in Human Rights


• Contemporary issues Criminal law


• Contemporary issues in Tort Law


• Contemporary issues in Law and Technology


• Contemporary issues in Environmental law


• Contemporary issues in Medical Law


• Contemporary issues in Business Law


• Contemporary issues in Family Law

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

There are two elements to the assessment of this module which collectively address all the learning outcomes of the module.

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate they have understood how the law relates to real life issues and they are able to apply the law to a range of factual situations (1500-word case study and analysis and group presentation). It also evaluates the extent to which students have understood the factors that lead to change within the law, the way that change is implemented and also what obstacles prevent change to the law (case study and analysis).

In addition, the assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate:

• Identification of Issues - students should demonstrate the ability to identify legal issues


• Analysis of the law and application - students should demonstrate the ability to analyse the relevant law, recognising gaps and inconsistencies, and should be able to apply that law to the issues raised by the questions


• Evaluation and synthesis - the law should be subjected to critical analysis and, where appropriate, its wider context should be considered.

Conclusions - students should demonstrate the ability to draw appropriate conclusions, based upon their analysis of the issues raised by the questions . The assessment addresses all learning outcomes listed above.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

• A group presentation 40% of the assessment

• A 1500 word case study and analysis 60% of the assessment

Feedback

Students will receive formative feedback on all components of the assessment. Students are required to complete a practice group presentation during tutorial sessions and will obtain immediate feedback from the tutor and peers. Students will produce a written case study and receive written or verbal feedback from their module leader which will help inform their summative assessment.

Module aims

• Provide students with an understanding of the English Legal System
• Develop an awareness of core legal principles and facilitate their application to recent case law
• Provide a clear and comprehensive understanding of the function of Parliament, the judiciary and public opinion in shaping the law
• Identify deficiencies with the existing law and to evaluate proposals for reform

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy encourages students to engage with legal principles and to appreciate the real-world impact of the law.

Lectures will introduce the legal framework of each topic, setting out the key statutory provisions and case law and outlining key policy considerations. There will be emphasis on core legal skills during the lectures, with worked examples of problem-solving and the integration of current events to enforce the law-in-action approach of the module.

Each topic will be explored in greater depth in tutorials where students will engage in problem-solving activities and explore gaps in the law. There will be a strong emphasis on group work during the tutorials as well as opportunities to develop presentation skills. Preparation will be expected for tutorials but students will also be given questions to answer and activities to complete during lectures/seminars.

Students will develop higher-level skills including critical thinking and case analysis in order to facilitate independent learning. The practice of flipped learning will be introduced in order to enable some lecture time to be used as a vehicle for critical analysis around the topics explored.

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: LAW0001

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

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.