LC2S214 - Law and the State 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 2
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | LC2S214 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Law and the State | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Business and Creative Industries | ||
| Faculty Group: | Law | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Law | ||
| Module Leader: | Hannah Coburn, Clare Lewis | ||
| Module Team: | Hannah Menard | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2022 | Final Year of Intake: | 2027 |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 20 | Credit Level: | 5 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | |||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | |||
Document Version Information
| Version | 2 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2022 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2028 |
Module Aims
The module will introduce students to constitutional and administrative law and the law of the European Union.
The module will provide students with a basis to;
1. Evidence knowledge and understanding of the history, nature and operation of constitutional principles, sources of law and practice and institutions within the United Kingdom;
2. Evidence knowledge, understanding and application of sources of administrative law to determine whether public bodies have taken administrative decisions lawfully, rationally, proportionately and fairly;
3. Understand, explain and assert their own rights as individuals and to be able to articulate and defend their responses to questions and problems encountered across the range of subject matter encountered.
4. Understand and articulate the nature of EU law and its relationship with UK law within the context of the UK’s constitutional framework.
Content Summary
The module will cover the following indicative content in the form of study units:
- Unit 1 - The UK Constitution: Organisation and Power
In this unit, students will consider some of the fundamental legal principles and political ideas underlying the UK constitution, developing their understanding of these principles and ideas by examining key constitutional statutes and decided cases whilst also undertaking some comparative analysis of other constitutions. They will also examine in detail the changing nature of the UK Constitution and roles of Parliament, the Government and the Judiciary, and the legal and political dynamics of the relationship between them. A consideration of the changing constitutional order in the UK will be made given Devolution and, for example, cessation of membership of the European Union. The aim is that by the end of the unit, students should be able to form and articulate their own coherent views upon the extant constitutional order and to understand how they can assert those views through, for example, laws relevant to legal and democratic rights.
- Unit 2 - Judicial Review: Power and Legitimacy
Students will examine the key interface between the institutions of the UK Constitution - Parliament, the Government and the Judiciary. Students will set this study against Unit 1 and explore how and why the courts have developed a set of legal principles, including those required by Parliament, to review and regulate public bodies’ actions, and assess the circumstances in which individuals may seek judicial remedy against public bodies for illegality and other vitiating conditions.
- Unit 3 – UK and EU Law: Power and Sovereignty
In Unit 3, students will explore the consequences of the UK’s exit from the European Union and, building upon Units 1 & 2, consider the nature and status of retained EU law, the UK’s relationship with the EU. Further, to provide some context to both the status of retained law and the relationship with the EU as expressed in the Withdrawal and the Trade Cooperation Agreements, students will gain an understanding of aspects of the EU itself including, sources of EU law and enforcement and concepts of supremacy in light of withdrawal.
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 20 |
| Seminar | 20 |
| Independent Study | 60 |
| Directed Study | 60 |
| Formative Assessment - Scheduled | 2 |
| Formative Assessment - Independent | 20 |
| Groupwork | 9 |
| Problem / challenge based learning | 9 |
| Total Hours Selected | 200 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Evidence detailed knowledge, understanding and application of the key rules and principles within the UK constitution, including consideration of the roles and relationships of Parliament, Government and the Judiciary. |
| LO2 | Evidence detailed knowledge, understanding and analysis of the position and relationship of derived and retained EU law within constitutional organs, principles and laws of the EU and the United Kingdom. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synchronous Online Assessment | Time-constrained assessment (Online) 1 | Provide written answers to set questions requiring address of both UK laws and retained EU law. 48 hours duration | 0 | N/A | 50 | No | 40 |
| Synchronous Onsite Oral Assessment | Oral Assessment (Internally assessed, Onsite) 1 | Present an oral argument as a legal advocate, addressing a set constitutional and administrative problem and to provide a concise written synopsis of this. | 15 | N/A | 50 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Time-constrained assessment (Online) 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Oral Assessment (Internally assessed, Onsite) 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |