LAW10360

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this module, a student, who has attended lectures and engaged in detailed study of essential readings, will be able to:

(a) Outline the sources of law and the hierarchy of these sources in the Irish legal system, as a common law system, and the importance (or otherwise) of "the rule of law" in Ireland.
(b) Describe the respective first instance and appellate jurisdiction of Irish courts in criminal and civil matters.
(c) Explain the importance of legislation in the Irish legal system, evidencing an ability to read legislation (seen and unseen), and appraise the rationale for legislation.
(d) Identify the legislative and common-law statutory interpretation methods, as well as the doctrines of stare decisis and precedent.
(e) Critique the differing effects of international law and European Union law in the Irish legal system.
(f) Analyse the effect of the Irish administrative state on the Irish legal system.
(g) Assess how the Irish legal system operates within a societal context, exploring discrete topics such as the role of gender in Irish law and practice, and the emergence of new forms of lawyering.
(h) Utilise legal research and legal writing skills to engage in directed and/or independent legal research.

Indicative Module Content:

In the 2025/2026 academic year, it is envisaged that the following topics will be explored.

The concept of the rule of law in the Irish legal system and the sources and hierarchies of law.
Courts system and jurisdiction.
Legislation
Legislative (Statutory) Interpretation
Common law and the operation of a system of legal precedent in Ireland.
European Union and International Law in the Irish Legal System.
The Irish administrative state.
Women, feminism and the Irish legal system.
Lawyers in a digital age.

This is subject to change. A confirmed list of lecture topics will be shared with registered students in January 2026 via Brightspace.

Student Effort Hours:

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

Students have a number of supports to enable them to reach their potential in this module. In order to meet the learning outcomes for this module, you must spend 125 hours completing this module over the duration of the semester. Learning is a communal experience . Knowledge is shared, discussed and (respectfully) critiqued. It is important that all contributions within this module are valued and respected, even if we may disagree on a particular issue.

Lectures for this module constitute 20 hours of your learning. Your lectures provide a comprehensive introduction of a particular topic. Weekly reading lists provide a topic by topic identification of essential (must complete) reading, that nearly always includes reading from a text book, legal journal articles and required case-law reading. Some reading lists may include recommended and further reading. You should spend 105 hours over the course of the Trimester undertaking supported study, that will enable you to successfully complete the end of trimester, two-hour, examination.


Students will be supported through reading lists for each topic and (where appropriate) a PowerPoint presentation, as well as any other material that a particular lecture may make available to students (such as lecture outlines or lecture summaries).

Students may arrange to meet lecturer(s) during their office hours (Please note guest lecturers will not have office hours, so all questions to guest lecturers must be asked in the lecture hall only).

Please note, it is for each individual lecture to determine if they will or will not record their lectures in whole, in part, or not at all.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.

Module Requisites and Incompatibles

Incompatibles:
LAW10450 - Law and Courts


 

Assessment Strategy

 

Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Throughout the semester: Should students require feedback on their learning for this module, then students are encouraged to self-assess their learning, and seek clarification from the relevant lecturer who delivered that topic, by arranging to meet the lecturer during their office hours. See the module outline for contact details of lecturers. (Please note, guest lectures on this module do not have office hours. All questions on lecture content should be asked in the lecture). Class Feedback on the Examination: On the date of release of grades by UCD in June 2026, students will be provided with class feedback on the examination. Individual Feedback on Examination: Students will be informed of opportunities to receive individual feedback on their examination. Please note, this is a structured and time-limited opportunity to provide individual feedback on the grade achieved in the examination. Full details of this process will be available on the date of release of UCD grades in June 2026.

The core textbook for this module is:

Tanya Ní Mhuirthle, Catherine O’Sullivan and Liam Thornton, Fundamentals of the Irish Legal System: Law, Policy and Politics (2nd edn, Sweet & Maxwell/Roundhall 2025). Multiple copies available in UCD Library in General, Short-loan and Library Copy only https://library.ucd.ie/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3452527?lang=eng.

and

Students will be referred to relevant constitutional articles, legislation, case-law, other textbooks and journal articles in week to week reading lists.