Tort can be described as the area of civil law which provides a remedy for a party who has suffered the breach of a protected interest. The module focuses on the wide range of activity to which tort law applies and examines the remedies it provides for many different types of loss or harm. Tort is also one of the foundations of legal knowledge subjects required by the professional bodies as part of a qualifying law degree for those seeking entry to the legal profession.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
The module is delivered through a programme of feedback/feedforward sessions and workshops. The former will outline topics and refer students to cases, articles and the reading list contained in the handbook. The workshops provide a context in which the students can assess and evaluate the relevant legal concepts via the communal discussion of various problem scenarios and of specific legal issues. The workshop tasks will enable students to develop teamwork and presentation skills in researching and making presentations and engage with e-learning in legal problem solving.
Due to the experiential nature of the learning on this degree, and the importance of professional development enabling students to develop practical skills, learn from and interact with others, attendance is compulsory. Any students not attending a minimum of 80% of their timetabled sessions will be at risk of academic failure or termination from the course.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Feedback/feed forward sessions and workshops | 66 |
| Guided independent study | Seminar and independent study | 234 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
Assessment will be through a combination of examination and coursework. The examination will test basic understanding and knowledge of the relevant law, and an ability to construct effective legal arguments. The coursework will assess the student's ability to apply relevant legal principles to a given situation and to evaluate the current state of the law. The coursework will also require word processing skills and assess the student's abilities in written communication and literacy. The focus of the assessment is on development of the following employability skills: independent learning, problem solving and evaluation. Teamwork, communication and presentation skills will be developed through the tutorial activities.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Show evidence of a thorough understanding of the judicial and legislative development of the law of tort | Coursework/Examination |
| 2) Demonstrate a clear understanding of some of the major cases and an appreciation of the exceptions to the rules and principles of these cases | Coursework/Examination |
| 3) Apply relevant legal principles to the solution of factual problems and discuss the various solutions proposed | Coursework/Examination |
| 4) Construct relevant legal arguments which are presented effectively in writing at a standard appropriate to level 4 | Coursework/Examination-portfolio of written work |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| CWK | Coursework | 50 |
| EXWR | Exam | 50 |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
V Bermingham and C Brennan, Tort Law Directions (Oxford University Press)
K Horsey and E Rackley, Tort Law (Oxford University Press)
T Weir, An Introduction to Tort Law (Oxford University Press)
W V H Rogers, Winfield & Jolowicz on Tort (Sweet & Maxwell)
B Markesinis and A Deakin, Markesinis and Deakin's Tort Law (OUP)