You will study the foundations of legal knowledge; these seven subjects are Contract Law, Public Law, Tort, Land Law, Criminal Law, Equity and Trusts, and European Union Law. These subjects are needed to allow you to progress to further training to qualify as a solicitor or barrister. In addition to this you will study carefully selected modules aimed at providing a thorough grounding in criminology and criminal justice. Please note that module titles may be subject to change.
We are fully appraised of the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s (SRA) proposal for changes to legal education and training and mindful of the recent introduction of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). These developments will be accommodated in appropriate changes made to the course going forward. For further information on these changes consult the SRA website at www.sra.org.uk
Course structure
Year 1 core modules
Criminal Justice
This module explores various aspects of the Criminal Justice System, including a range of agencies and institutions that operate within it. Initial focus is placed upon introducing students to the historical foundations of criminal justice in the 19th century and the material/ideological conditions of Victorian Penality. Whilst plotting this historical trajectory towards a contemporary understanding of the Criminal Justice System, a number of facets will be explored including the era of penal-welfarism, the dislocations of neoliberalism, criminal justice under New Labour and the Coalition Government. The aim is to locate our understanding of criminal justice within a broader historical, political, social, and economic context. The module will also explore a number of specific themes, for example, probation, prisons, restorative justice, race and gender and links are made to theory where appropriate.
Law of Contract
Contract law is one of the most fundamental aspects of law. All contracts are agreements but not all agreements are contracts. This module explores the differences between informal agreements and those enforceable in law. It also covers issues that can arise within a contract including when someone is misled, when a party changes its mind about a contract, when one party does not perform a contract in whole or in part, and when property delivered as part of a contract is defective. In all of these cases you study the established principles for allocating responsibility.
At the end of the module you can look at a problem scenario, identify the legal contractual issues involved and propose a solution or offer advice to the parties involved. This module is very relevant to the business environment.
Legal Foundations
This module begins the skills development which forms the basis not only for successful legal study but also for success in legal practice or indeed any other career. Initially the focus is on the basic skills for legal study and the fundamental processes of legal reasoning followed by consideration of the key skills of the lawyer in practice and an appreciation of the transferability of those skills.
Principles of Criminology
The module seeks to provide an introduction to criminological theories and the way in which we understand crime and deviance in contemporary society. The module is designed to serve as a foundation to further criminological theory modules in levels 5 and 6. The intention is to provide a sound basis on which to explore debates about who commits crime, why crime is committed and why crime is seen as a social problem. Students will be introduced to a range of classic and traditional theoretical perspectives which will provide the foundations for more complex and contemporary theoretical perspectives later in the programme.
The Citizen and the State – Civil Liberties and Human Rights
This module provides an opportunity to consider the relationship between the state and individuals, it examines the Human Rights Act 1998 and the growing significance of European Convention rights for the UK citizen. This is a crucial area of legal study which provides important foundations for subsequent study.
The Citizen and the State - The Constitution
The subject matter of this module concentrates on the structure and functions of the state and is concerned with the interaction between the organs of state. In particular the way in which power is exercised by parliament and the government is considered.
Year 2 core modules
Contemporary Issues and Legal Research
This is an opportunity for you to engage with and be inspired by research topics being pursued by members of academic staff in law and related disciplines, and to be introduced to issues currently exercising legal professionals by visitors who are in practice or engaged in related activities in and around Tees Valley. The module will continue the process of developing research skills in preparation for your dissertation.
Criminal Law
As perhaps the best known aspect of the legal system, criminal law presents an interesting and challenging area of study.
You are introduced to the English legal system and gain an understanding of the nature and purpose of criminal law, the principles of criminalisation and the basic elements of a crime. You examine some controversial aspects of criminal law, including, for example, particularly problematic criminal offences and defences and the way the criminal law responds to social problems.
Employability and Work Experience
Gain academic credit for participating in work experience related to criminology, criminal justice and sociology. You may find your own work experience (subject to approval from your module tutor) or you can take advantage of work experience opportunities offered as part of the module.
Work experience must be performed to an agreed job description and person specification for a minimum of 60 working hours. To take part you must complete a DBS check, along with any other security checks required by your work experience provider. You must also agree to and sign a legal agreement outlining the obligations of yourself, the University and the work experience provider. Alongside your work experience you explore employability issues and skills through a number of interactive workshops led by professionals from within and outside the University.
This module has limited places and participation is subject to a selection process involving an application, shortlisting and interview.
Law of Tort
You encounter a range of civil actions associated with tort and are introduced to tort as a compensation system. Module content draws on the issues of claiming compensation after an accident. Unlike criminal law, which determines guilt, you come to understand the way that tort seeks to apportion liability and award damages to compensate the injured party.
The most prominent area of tortious liability is negligence. You examine the elements required to establish liability in detail. The importance of understanding the components of negligence and how to minimise the risk of liability is relevant to all businesses. Other forms of tortious liability include trespass (to land and to the person), defamation and nuisance - you consider a range of these torts.
We emphasise developing your critical awareness of the issues underpinning the legal process of tort and enhancing your analytical abilities and written presentation skills. You consider how our society has adopted a litigation culture and the potential drivers.
The Law of Equity and Trusts
You consider how equity has developed alongside the common law to provide justice in cases where the law provides no remedy or where the remedy is inadequate. You come to understand that the common law only provides the remedy of damages whereas equity provides additional remedies. These can include specific performance and injunctions - both are often the desired outcome of civil action.
You explore the legal ownership of property and its history. You are introduced to the law’s most important contemporary uses in relation to family provision, pension funds and the operation of charities.
Understanding Domestic and Sexual Violence
Critically examine the nature, extent and impact of sexual and domestic violence from a range of academic, theoretical, research, policy and practitioner perspectives. Explore the links between the various aspects of domestic and sexual violence, including rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, honour based violence and sexual exploitation.
You engage with the conceptual, methodological and ethical issues which characterise historically hidden problems – and we focus on the continued need for sensitivity in exploring and addressing these issues. The module traces the emergence of sexual and domestic violence as criminological problems, and critically examines the changing legal, policing, criminal justice and community responses.
and one optional module
Employability and Work Experience
Gain academic credit for participating in work experience related to criminology, criminal justice and sociology. You may find your own work experience (subject to approval from your module tutor) or you can take advantage of work experience opportunities offered as part of the module.
Work experience must be performed to an agreed job description and person specification for a minimum of 60 working hours. To take part you must complete a DBS check, along with any other security checks required by your work experience provider. You must also agree to and sign a legal agreement outlining the obligations of yourself, the University and the work experience provider. Alongside your work experience you explore employability issues and skills through a number of interactive workshops led by professionals from within and outside the University.
This module has limited places and participation is subject to a selection process involving an application, shortlisting and interview.
Police and Policing
The module will help students explore the development, organisation and practice of policing in modern society. Students will be introduced to key concepts, theories and debates in the sociology of the police. The module situates policing within the wider institutional configuration of security and social control and facilitates an understanding of how economic, political and ideological factors shape these institutions. It examines a range of historical and comparative issues in police organisation, deployment and practice from a British and comparative perspective. The module also encourages students to reflect on the implications of these dimensions of policing for democratic government, civil liberties and human rights.
Victims, Rights and Restorative Justice
Examine the history of victim studies and the development of victimology as a discipline in criminology.
The role of the victim in criminal justice is key to debate in this field and you examine the growing trend by policy makers to establish a victim orientated system. The growth of agencies supporting victims is also discussed.
Key developments in the academic study of victims, policy implications and the issue of counting victims is explored. The module also examines the debates surrounding the balance of victim and offer rights and we discuss the concept of restorative justice and human rights issues from the perspective of victims.
Final-year core modules
Dissertation
This module begins with formal lectures and seminars covering topics like how to conduct a dissertation and the research process – timetabling, supervision, structure and guidelines will be covered. You will be provided with a supervisor to support and guide you through the dissertation process. Personal development is embedded within the process as you are expected to complete a reflective diary.
Land Law
Law relating to the transfer of land affects us all. No piece of land is the same as another and the law has developed in the last 900 years to reflect this. Historically, land law was about large interests and traditional estates. This changed during the 20th century as more people aspired to be owner-occupiers and the individual home owner replaced the landlord as the dominant figure. In the latter part of the 20th century the owner-occupier couple replaced the single, predominately male owner.
Today, the process of compulsory land registration is completing the transformation of this subject. The focus of this module is co-owned, registered land as land law is taught in its modern, social context.
Law of the European Union
You study European Union (EU) with particular emphasis on the institutions involved in making and interpreting law. You explore how EU law works and how it impacts on the UK’s legal system.
You consider the free movement provisions of the EU, particularly of people and goods. You also consider some of the EU’s policies which have a significant impact on its 500 million people. Knowledge of EU law and the law making process is vital for businesses operating in and with the EU.
and two optional modules
Race, Crime and Social Exclusion
An exploration of the ways the categories of race, ethnicity and social class are constructed and represented by the various forms and institutions that constitute the criminal justice system and wider systems of social control.
You examine the ideological, historical, economic and socio-political context of how race and class came to be associated with crime and criminal justice. We discuss how this association has been generated in part through early criminological discourse and through contemporary academic assessment of evidence and explanations about whether, and to what extent, minority ethnic criminality and victimisation is constructed through racism.
Case studies of criminality and victimisation, policing, stop and search, the courts, penality, genocide, and racial violence are used. You are asked to acquaint yourself with relevant theoretical and policy perspectives and debates about minority ethnic groups in relation to the criminal justice system, and to ask yourself whether theories of racism can enhance a criminological understanding of this area.
Understanding Drugs in Society
The study of drugs and drug use is at an important stage and views of drug use are changing. This module introduces key issues and debates in the field of drug use and misuse. It critically examines the changing status of drug use and the way drug use is conceived as problematic for individuals and societies. The module also highlights how changing attitudes and policy towards drug use reflect broader socio-economic and cultural changes.
You examine how drug policies have attempted to control and regulate intoxication in society by different health and crime prevention strategies. You consider: changing patterns of drug use and the implications of this change for drug users; the representation of drugs and drug use in popular culture; the nature of care provision for ‘problem’ drug users; the conflicting nature of drugs education and the dichotomy between harm reduction and ‘just say no’ strategies and crime prevention strategy as it relates to the ‘war on drugs’.
You also explore possible future policy alternatives such as legalisation and de-criminalisation and examine nations that have taken a more lenient approach to drug use. The module draws on current local, national and international research into social aspects of drug use. You are encouraged to draw on numerous resources including the media and popular culture, the internet, social networking and your own experiences.
Violence and Society
This level 6 module adopts a comprehensive approach to the study of violence, exploring violent behaviour on a number of levels. The module will interrogate definitions of violence, explanations of violence and differing forms and manifestations of violence. For instance, the module will address violence as subjective and interpersonal, analysing a range of explanations and the social and situational characteristics of violence from the perspective of both perpetrators and victims. With this in mind, the module will explore different forms of subjective violence such as violence against women, football violence, violence and the night-time economy. The module will also take a wider approach to address structural and symbolic violence in the form of state violence and the harms which derive from political and economic systems. The module also aims to assess the place of violence within culture and the consequences for the individual and society of profligate cultural violence. Taken as whole, the module aims to offer students a clear sense of how violence links to a range of contemporary cultural and structural conditions.
Youth Justice
The module explores the historical background to the youth justice system and critically debates how changes in social policy and legislation have influenced our approach to young people who have offended. The module examines how the construction of young people within society has led to increased surveillance and regulation in their everyday life. In addition, the module analyses how a range of socio-economic factors increase the likelihood that young people will engage in anti-social and offending behaviour. The module explores the relationship between theory, research and practice to understand the experiences of young people when they come into contact with the youth justice system.
