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Curricular information is subject to change
Students should be able to relate the specific legal topics examined to their political and social context and be able to analyse those elements of the law studied in terms of the influence of that context. Students should be able to describe how the role which lawyers play as politicians and other types of public servant is influenced by their particular profession formation and to express well-grounded opinions as to the appropriate relationship between legal, political and other types of argument, as they bear on questions of public policy. Students should also be able to analyse critically the role of the media, NGOs, members of the legal profession and other groups who contribute to debates on public policy and to identify some of the typical rhetorical strategies used in defending or attacking policy proposals or decisions by reference to supposedly objective legal criteria. Finally, students should be able to reflect and express a considered judgement on how well lawyers generally communicate an understanding of the law and the legal system to the wider community.
Indicative Module Content:Not all of the following topics will be covered in any single year, and others of a similar nature may be added. Students have input at the beginning of the trimester in relation to what topics they would like to cover.
Media coverage of crime and the criminal justice system
Gender parity in the legal system
Judicial appointments, ethics and accountability
The role of law in EU policy and governance
Regulatory cultures in areas such as environmental protection, climate change, health and safety and public health
Lawyers as campaigners, lobbyists and public affairs consultants
The political dimension of lawyers' ethos, ethics, business practices and regulation and of legal education
Student Effort Type | Hours |
---|---|
Seminar (or Webinar) | 24 |
Specified Learning Activities | 40 |
Autonomous Student Learning | 66 |
Total | 130 |
Students must have passed Constitutional Frameworks (LAW 10050) and Constitutional Rights (LAW 10060)
Learning Recommendations:This module is compulsory for BCL Law with Politics students and assigned to Stage 4 of their degree. It is recommended that other students who take it as an option do so in the final year of their degree.
Description | Timing | Component Scale | % of Final Grade | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Group Project: Students will work in groups of 3-4 on a presentation made in class on a topic chosen by the group which relates to the issues discussed in seminars. A group grade will be given for this component. | Varies over the Trimester | n/a | Graded | No | 20 |
Continuous Assessment: Class participation | Throughout the Trimester | n/a | Graded | No | 10 |
Essay: 2500 word essay | Week 12 | n/a | Graded | No | 70 |
Resit In | Terminal Exam |
---|---|
Summer | No |
• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
Students will be given individual feedback on their essays. Each group of students will be given feedback on their presentation to class. The class discussions will be structured in such a way as to enable students to receive feedback from each other and from the instructor in each weekly class.