About
A total of 18 law modules are studied over the course of three years. These modules include the core law modules needed for Qualifying Law Degree status.
You will undertake six modules, 3 in each semester.
Year One
Semester One
Introduction to Law – The ability to appreciate the basis of fundamental legal principles and to understand the United Kingdom legal system, its structure and organisation is generally recognised as one of the prerequisites of the study of law. This module provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to acquire that ability.
Public Law – The ability to appreciate the basis of public law, the fundamental legal principles which underpin it, to understand how government operates and how public power is exercised is generally recognised as one of the prerequisites to the study of law. The module provides a basic grounding in core study skills, as applied to the subject of law. The course helps develop those skills, by providing practical opportunities for students to practice those skills and by introducing students to the concepts of reflective and independent learning.
Legal Theory – The aim of this module is to give students the theoretical and critical tools with which to better understand the nature of law. In assessing the merits of various theories of law, students will develop the critical and evaluative skills appropriate to the law degree as a whole.
Semester Two
Criminal Law – The criminal law is an important area of legal practice, a key means by which the law seeks to protect society from undesirable or harmful behaviours and, equally importantly from the student’s perspective, a useful vehicle for familiarising oneself with legal principles, study techniques and research methods. Virtually every area of law is affected to some extent by the criminal law. It is essential that students become familiar with the basic principles underlying criminal law and learn to appreciate the relationship between it and the civil law. Criminal law provides the ideal vehicle for students to study both common law and legislation, and to develop their understanding of the relationship between law in Northern Ireland and in England and Wales. In examining the principle and substance of criminal law students will also have the opportunity to develop their skills in legal reasoning and analysis.
Introduction to Property Law – Property rights in relation to land are central to the functioning of economic and political systems based on capitalism and free market economy. Consequently, it is important for the law student to understand property rights in land or real estate, their justifications, and the underlying legal principles and framework for their categorisation and regulation in Northern Ireland, and England & Wales. The study of fundamental property principles in respect of the acquisition, protection and disposition of land will directly prepare the law student for further detailed study of property law at level 2 (Land Law) and at level 3 (Equity and Trusts) as well as complementing the study of aspects of Tort, Contract and even Criminal Law.
Administrative Law - As a result of studying this module, students should have a good grasp of the basics of judicial review, of the effect and impact of the Human Rights Act 1998 and civil liberties, the role of statutory tribunals, the role of ombudsmen and the function of inquiries. Students should understand the constitutional principles which underpin these areas of law. Students should have an understanding of the various sources of law and should be able to locate cases and statutes. Students should acquire a number of other skills, including basic oral and written legal skills. They should develop basic research skills, enabling them to undertake further investigations into any aspect of law, an ability to apply the fundamental principles of UK public law to hypothetical problems and to obtain experience of presenting legal arguments both orally and in writing.
Year Two
Semester One
Law of Tort – The law of tort is concerned with those situations where the conduct of one or more parties threatens harm to the interests of others. It is the purpose of this branch of the law to define the obligations imposed on each member of society and to adjust those losses which must inevitably result from the ever increasing activities of those who live in a common society by providing compensation for the harm suffered by those whose interests have been invaded owing to the conduct of others. The principles which govern this part of the civil law have been developed over the past 600 years and today account for the majority of civil legal actions, thus forming an important cornerstone of the modern legal system. The relationship which this area of law bears to other areas (such as the law of contract and criminal law) is also vital to an understanding of basic legal principles and procedures. The professional legal bodies recognize the importance of this subject by requiring law school graduate entrants to have acquired a sound knowledge of the law of tort as part of their degree.
Contract Law – The law of contract occupies a central place in any comprehensive study of law. Over time a substantial body of case law and legislation has developed to cover a range of business, commercial and trading transactions. It is necessary to know clearly the elements of contract law in order to understand the difference in relevant cases between proceedings attracting contractual and tortious liability. As the production, marketing, distribution and consumption processes of goods and services are usually carried out by means of contract, this subject is central to all legal agreements. In addition, law graduates will increasingly find themselves involved in the tendering, negotiation and contracting processes which will increase in importance as new markets open up and as Eastern European countries increasingly adopt market economies. The professional legal bodies recognise the importance of this subject by requiring law school graduate entrants to have acquired a sound knowledge of contract law as part of their under graduate degree.
Intellectual Property Law – The main rationale for the intellectual property law module, is to teach students core principles and concepts of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, passing-off, and design rights in the United Kingdom, European Union, and selected international jurisdictions for comparative effects. The practical effects and implications of these rights, ranging from recent controversies on digital copyright management and file-sharing, to the wider issues of technology access, will form part of the discourse at lecture and seminar sessions.
Semester Two
European Law – An understanding of the relationship of European Union (EU) law and national law is important to the study of law and policy within the United Kingdom. The original objective of market integration within the European Economic Community (EEC) has taken European Law beyond its initial focus of free movement within an undistorted market into many areas of national law. Students therefore need to experience working with European Law in order to appreciate the ways in which it is distinctive from common law subjects and to understand the impact it has had on domestic law and governance.
Land Law – Land, or real property as it is frequently called, has traditionally been one of the most important sources of wealth in society. More recently many elements of Land law, especially the Law of Landlord and Tenant in the business sector, have gained particular practical importance in the commercial world. It is therefore essential that the law student has a suitable grounding in the rights and liabilities recognised under Land Law, which in turn underpins the law of conveyancing and the law of succession. The practical importance is recognised by professional bodies, which require law school graduate entrants to have studied Land Law at Degree Level. This module builds on the foundations laid in Introduction to Property Law and together the two modules satisfy the requirements (in respect of property law) of the legal professions in BOTH England and Wales and in Northern Ireland.
Public International Law - The module will introduce core aspects of international law including the nature of the international system, the role of the United Nations, sources of international law and the role of international organisations. Students will also be introduced to core substantive areas of international law such as the law regarding the use of force, the protection of human rights, and the regulation of armed conflict. Students will also be asked to consider how international law is relevant in the domestic jurisdiction. They will examine questions such as: where does the authority of international law derive from? Who interprets the requirements of international law? And what is the limit of its authority? In this way students are encouraged to think of international law as an integral part of law in the domestic jurisdiction and to be able to distinguish the different sources of legal authority that exist.
Year Three
Work Placement/Study Abroad
European Legal Studies
Diploma in International Academic Studies (DIAS)
Diploma in Professional Practice (DPP)
OR
Optional Modules: not all electives may run in all academic years. (Please note numbers may be capped on some final year electives).
Semester One
Equity and Trusts – This module will explore the history of equity and its maxims, the development of the trust and its various forms, uses and practical implications today. It will consider how trusts can be varied and set aside, the powers and duties of trustees and the remedies for breach of trust. It will also examine equitable doctrines such as conversion and election and survey the law relating to equitable remedies such as injunctions.
Human Rights Law - This module is designed to provide students with a sophisticated analysis of the legal structures governing human rights law and its enforcement at both domestic and international level. Increasingly, human rights standards play a role in shaping the form of international relations. At the international level, the principal documents are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948); the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR 1966) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR 1966) – collectively known as the ‘International Bill of Rights’. At a regional level, the Council of Europe’s European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (1950) now extends to 47 states. The provisions of the European Convention are strengthened by additional rights contained in additional protocols to this treaty. While the ECHR presents the most effective of regional mechanisms of human rights, other notable regional human rights treaties include the American Convention on Human Rights (1969) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (1981). However, in this module we will be focusing primarily on the ECHR.
Company Law - Change continues to take place with company law, at times, appearing to be in a permanent state of flux with new legislation and a constant stream of new cases. In this module students will be introduced to the body of rules and principles of law which regulate registered companies, both public and private. The module will deal with the main forms of business organisations within the UK, their management and contracting powers. This module introduces students to the body of rules and principles of law which regulate public and private companies. It is of practical significance to all those who wish to make a career in, or have dealings with, such companies.
Social Justice - An understanding of the relationship between the state and citizen, and the contractual and moral obligations of each, is the key to understanding the changing nature of the law as it relates to social justice issues. This module explores the way in which the law deals with social justice issues by providing insight into the effects of Government policies, legislation and case law on these issues. The module is centred around the theme of poverty and its relationship with other social justice themes like crime control, social control, conflict, health, and social exclusion, its impact on vulnerable groups and the treatment of these vulnerable groups, and its implications for citizenship and society.
Law, Film and Visual Culture - This module will examine the relationship of law to visual culture, and the influence that they have on each other. It will be based on critical evaluation of legal texts and provisions, and of filmic, dramatic and other visual material.
Legal Technology: Innovation and Informatics - Traditional law and technology courses have looked to the regulation of new technologies, and therefore the restrictive power of law on the use and development of new technologies (in terms of privacy, intellectual property, security). This module looks at the other side of the picture; the ways in which new technological developments will influence the future development of law, legal service provision and access to justice. For example: what are the possibilities for online dispute resolution to take on part of the burden that has traditionally devolved to either the courts or more recently tribunals? What are the implications of new informatic developments for particular levels of mundane legal work to be done by intelligent computer systems, and what will remain for human actors? What are the likely knock-on effects for the future of legal education, and for the legal professions? To what degree will future lawyers be required to be legal technologists, and what level of training will they need for this to be realised? How do new forms of technology address issues of access to justice? What does technology have to do with design thinking, and what is meant by the term ‘visual law’? In short, the module will elaborate the changing face of legal practice, give a grounding in basic concepts and technologies, investigate the opportunities and risks of the changing dynamics of law due to increasingly sophisticated informatic systems and look to the changing face of law as a result of these changes.
Semester Two
Law of Evidence – The Law of Evidence is important for anyone studying law with a view to practice. Similarly, those involved in any profession which may involve them in litigation will benefit from an understanding of how the legal system operates in examining and prioritising evidence. The module is required in Northern Ireland to attain a ‘qualifying’ law degree (that is, a degree recognised by the professional legal bodies within Northern Ireland). This module will complement other substantive law modules, particularly criminal law, both in the legal knowledge acquired and through the further development of skills of legal analysis, problem solving and critical thinking.
Dissertation – Dissertation research and writing skills are essential an integral part of legal training that would prepare law students for professional practice, which requires independent investigative research and brief writing. This module would prepare law students for this critical role.
Law and the Family - This module explores the ways in which the law deals with the family and with issues that arise with respect to families, including marital breakdown, domestic violence, and child abuse, as well as providing insights into the forces which share family law, thus making it less of a private area of activity than is sometimes thought.
Legal Practice - Clinical legal education is an excellent way of both training practitioners and achieving wider educational aims. This module is designed to allow UG Law students the opportunity to experience law in practice. Those who take the module will be given a unique opportunity to experience real life clients and to practice law in a fully operational legal office. They will gain the skills required to take a legal enquiry, interview a client, identify and research the legal issues, and advise the client on the potential outcomes available to them. Consequently, students on this module will leave with a highly relevant skill-set to their future legal careers, which will be very attractive to potential employers.
The School aims to provide a broadly ‘socio-legal’ education, with specialist teaching from academics in a variety of fields and those from previous professional practice who can provide the invaluable ‘taste’ of law-in-action. The School includes the award-winning Ulster Law Clinic, the Legal Innovation Centre and the globally recognised Transitional Justice Institute.
Associate awards
Diploma in Professional Practice DPP
Diploma in International Academic Studies DIAS
Attendance
Each module of study usually involves two hours of lectures plus a one hour seminar each week. In addition, students are required to undertake substantial directed independent learning. Generally, three modules are studied per semester on the full time programme.
