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Public Law

  • Module code: LL4303
  • Year: 2018/9
  • Level: 4
  • Credits: 30
  • Pre-requisites: None
  • Co-requisites: None

Summary

This module is a core module on the LLB degree and is one of the foundations of legal knowledge subjects which lead to the award of a qualifying law degree.

The module introduces students to the constitutional and administrative law of the United Kingdom through a study of the core constitutional principles present within the UK system and the control of executive action by the courts. Lectures will introduce the students to the core elements of the subject while tutorials will be used to explore these ideas in greater depth based on assigned reading (and the lecture material itself). The module provides an essential introduction to the study of law since the validity of any particular law is a function of a constitutional rule which establishes manner, form and necessary pedigree for what is to qualify as a valid particular or occasional law.

Aims

  • To introduce students to the definition (or concept) of a constitution
  • To provide students with an understanding of the main foundational constitutional principles in the United Kingdom
  • To introduce students to the powers of executive bodies in the UK and the nature of parliamentary and/or judicial control of executive action

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

  • Describe the structure and organisation of the UK constitution
  • Describe the academic and legal debates which exist in the topics they have studied
  • Write essays in fluent English on relevant questions pertaining to the subject matter of the module
  • Write an assessment which demonstrates understanding of core ideas on the module and that they have understood the OSCOLA citation protocols and the rules relating to academic referencing

Curriculum content

  • The concept of a constitution: what do constitutions do?
  • The main principles of the UK constitution (separation of powers, rule of law, parliamentary sovereignty, responsible government)
  • Judicial control of executive action (judicial review)
  • Police powers pre-charge (stop and search, arrest, entry to premises, detention for questioning)

Teaching and learning strategy

This module is delivered through a variety of feedback/feedforward sessions and workshops. The feedback/feedforward sessions are designed to introduce students to the key features of each topic and to lay the preparatory ground for the application of knowledge and expanded discussion via the workshops, where each student will be given the opportunity to work in small groups to discuss a topic as well as participate in the wider plenary sections of the session.

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.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Definitive UNISTATS Category Indicative Description Hours
Scheduled learning and teaching 22 one-hour feedback/feed forward sessions 22 two-hour workshops 22
Guided independent study 234
Total (number of credits x 10) 300

Assessment strategy

Students will be required to submit an annotated bibliography and an essay which will allow them to demonstrate that they can describe the lineaments of the structure of the UK constitution and the academic and legal debates that exist in the relevant topics that make up the subject matter of the module. The annotated bibliography will, in addition, be particularly geared towards information gathering and referencing. The answers will be assessed according to their informational content and according to the requirement that appropriate levels of communication are used to express the information. The workshops and formative class tests  will be used as opportunities to develop the knowledge and communicative skills required for the summative assessment. The students will also have the opportunity to receive feedback (and feedforward) on the level and depth of knowledge and communication skills required to succeed in the module.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Learning Outcome Assessment Strategy
1) Describe the structure and organisation of the UK constitution Summative: Annotated bibliography/Essay Formative: tutorials/class tests
2) Describe the academic and legal debates which exist in the topics they have studied Summative: Annotated bibliography/Essay Formative: tutorials/class tests
3) Write essays on relevant questions pertaining to the subject matter of the module in fluent English Summative: Annotated bibliography/Essay Formative: tutorials/class tests
4) Write an assessment which demonstrates understanding of core ideas on the module and that they have understood the OSCOLA citation protocols and the rules relating to academic referencing Summative: Annotated bibliography/Essay Formative: class practice session

Elements of Assessment

Description of Assessment Definitive UNISTATS Categories Percentage
CWK Annotated Bibliography 40
CWK Essay 60
Total (to equal 100%) 100%

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

A W Bradley and K D Ewing, Constitutional and Administrative Law (Longman)

Bibliography recommended reading

M Allen and B Thompson, Cases and Materials on Constitutional and Administrative Law (Oxford University Press)

G Broadbent, Public Law Directions (Oxford University Press)

J Jowell and D Oliver, The Changing Constitution (Oxford University Press)

C Munro, Studies in Constitutional Law (Oxford University Press)

D Oliver, Constitutional Reform in the UK (Oxford University Press)

C Turpin and A Tomkins, British Government and the Constitution (Cambridge University Press)

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