Law (General) LLM

This module consists of preparing a dissertation which is researched and written during the Summer. The dissertation is on an approved topic, in the field of the relevant specialism in case of students opting for a specialised LLM (as opposed to the general LLM). The module is worth 60 credits (a third of the entire LLM programme) and is a prerequisite for the award of an LLM. The process of preparing the dissertation is supported by legal research and library training in semester 1, by a dissertation workshop in semester 2, and by individual supervision during the Summer.

In today’s technologically astute society, the way in which crime is conducted is evolving at an ever-increasing rate. Dark Web crime is the latest, most evolved, strain of cybercrime. It involves criminals accessing a hidden part of the internet, the Dark Web, in order to facilitate and commit a range of illegal activities including drug trafficking, the sale of firearms and personal information, terrorist financing, and money laundering. In so doing. Dark Web criminals utilise a range of privacy enhancing software (Tor, VPNs, and cryptocurrencies) with the aim of evading law enforcement detection. In this module, students will learn about the fundamental characteristics of the Dark Web, the challenges it presents to the law and law enforcement across a range of different criminal offences, and recent legal attempts to intervene in this space.

Contemporary societies, including civil and criminal judging are increasingly relying on digital technologies. The use of these technologies and gradual turn to digital justice will only increase over time. New technologies range from basic video-conferencing tools to complex big data profiling and surveillance. Implementation of technical solutions does not only improve the ability of legal systems to achieve their aims but can also lead to significant challenges in various areas of law. This module will look at how new technologies and digital justice are implemented in law and what consequences they might have. Students will benefit from deeper understanding of the cutting-edge digital technologies applied in law and learn the limits of such application.

​Human rights law became a part of public international law after WW2. The internationalisation of human rights is an ongoing process with numerous consequences that affect both human rights and international law. The principal aim of this module is to provide students with a sound knowledge and understanding of the basic principles and logic of international human rights law. The module will discuss the evolution of human rights in international law, the constitutional dimension and function of human rights, but also their impact on the system of international law and how the latter gradually adjusted to accommodate human rights protection rules. Particular attention will be given to human rights protection within the UN system, but also to the rights of selected social groups, such as refugees and children. The module will also consider the future of human rights law and the idea that international law should not only protect individuals and non-state actors, such as multinational corporations, but also establish human rights obligations for such legal persons.

International Law and Foreign Investment explores investment treaty law and investment arbitration practice. During the course of the module, students will be able to develop a range of fundamental and advanced legal and transferable skills, embedded in the knowledge of international legal rules on the protection of foreign business actors. The module will be delivered via weekly two-hour seminars. The module will be of interest to students wishing to specialise in international business and international economic law as well as to those who would like to deepen their knowledge of international law in general.

The module provides students with an in-depth specialist knowledge of the principles and structure of international law, with special emphasis on law-making processes. It offers a selected introduction to the field by placing the issues covered into the political and historical context of international relations. The module features discussions of some of today’s most debated theoretical and practical international legal issues against the backdrop of multiple international, regional and domestic legal and policy frameworks. They include the evolving role of international law in international affairs, the forms of law-making, the ever increasing number of actors involved, the expansion of international adjudication, the creation of states, the various manifestations of sovereignty, and the impact of international law on domestic systems.

International Peace and Security explores the rules and norms governing the use of force by states in international law as well as the role of peacekeeping and regional organisations in the maintenance of peace and security. During the course of the module, students will be able to develop a range of core legal and transferable skills, such as independent research, group work, and written and oral presentation skills. The module will be delivered via a two-hour seminar per week.

​Medical Malpractice Litigation is designed to provide a detailed understanding of the ways that patients injured during the course of their medical care can seek appropriate remedies from their doctor or treatment provider.

Primarily focusing upon the tort of negligence, the module examines how each of the elements of this cause of action – duty of care, breach and causation – applies in the medical setting and the special problems that occur in this context. The latter part of the module will then consider law reform options and the effects of litigation on healthcare practice.

Through the use of a full outline, recommended reading and class discussions this module will provide a basic enough introduction to the subject for those who have not studied law before, while also allowing those with some acquaintance with healthcare law to enhance their knowledge and understanding.

The module will explore the institutional aspects of WTO, its dispute settlement mechanism, and rules on goods, services, subsidies and dumping, intellectual property, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, safeguards, and dispute settlement. It will also examine the societal and political implications of the WTO trade regime (trade and human rights, development, environment, and sovereignty).

This module offers an analysis of the ethical, legal and socio-legal aspects of the doctor-patient relationship in the context of health care decision-making. The course is designed to encourage students to critically interrogate and apply the ethical principles which underpin health law and health care decision-making in practice. It will examine the dominant 4 principles approach but consider alternatives to principlism. The course is divided into two parts, the first will open with a consideration of what makes an ethical dilemma in healthcare decision-making before going on to analyse bioethical theory. The second part of the course considers prominent specific decision-making issues, such as beginning and end of life decisions, mental health decisions, sex and gender assignment decisions and global health decisions. Students will be encouraged to develop an essay question using the course content for the main part of the assessment. To support this, students will submit a graded essay plan with feedback from the module lead. This module is a core module for those on the health LLM pathway but open to all LLM students who are keen to develop there ethical reasoning skills whilst engaging with contemporary issues in healthcare.

Medico-Legal Problems offers an introduction and foundation to the study of healthcare law. It is designed to provide a sufficiently basic introduction to the subject for students with no previous familiarity with healthcare law, while by way of recommended reading and further study, allowing students who have already been introduced to the relevant areas of law, to enhance their knowledge and understanding.

This module consists of preparing a dissertation which is researched and written during the Summer. The dissertation is on an approved topic, in the field of the relevant specialism in case of students opting for a specialised LLM (as opposed to the general LLM). The module is worth 60 credits (a third of the entire LLM programme) and is a prerequisite for the award of an LLM. The process of preparing the dissertation is supported by legal research and library training in semester 1, by a dissertation workshop in semester 2, and by individual supervision during the Summer.

Financial crime is a trillion dollar industry. Its methods, like its effects, are many and varied, ranging from relatively simple frauds, to sophisticated criminal operations traversing national boundaries and taking advantage of emerging and established technologies and professionals. This module introduces students to some of the key issues in legal and regulatory fight against financial crime drawing on examples from a range of case studies, including anti-money laundering, terrorist financing, bribery and corruption and fraud. The module is internationally focused addressing the relevant law from international, European, and domestic perspectives

This module deals with human rights action planning from theoretical, doctrinal, empirical and practical perspectives.   At the theoretical level, it will focus on different theories of human rights planning including contextual, substantive, procedural and analytical theories. It will also explore current debates on the right to development and the human rights-based approach to development.   At the doctrinal level, this module will examine all the core human rights treaties and relevant general comments and concluding observations in order to reveal the nature and scope of the states’ obligation to adopt action plans (of different types) to implement human rights.   At the empirical level, it will look into human rights action plans of different countries from across the globe in order to explore various problems of such plans in different phases of planning. Methodologically, this includes both within-case study and cross-case study.   At the practical level, both national and supra-national human rights governance will be discussed. It will examine different phases of human rights planning exploring various practical strategies and methodological techniques for effective human rights action planning in practice.

This module will introduce students to t echnological developments in bioscience and reproduction which poseethical and/or regulatory challenges. Such developments include, for example, the development of abortion drugs ormitochondrial donation.

In addition, the module will explore social changes which alter legal understanding of parenthood such as the parental provision under the Human Fertilisaiton and Embryolgy Acts.

The module will examine these legislative structures and the regulatory bodies which govern reproductive technologies. In addition to examining the ethical, regulatory, social and legislative developments, the module will explore theoretical approaches which underpin the provision of reproductivemedical care and services – amongst them, reproductive liberty, relational autonomy and social justice.

As well as legal developments within the UK, this module also focuses on t he impact of European law and rulings by supra-national courts on UK law.

This module will introduce you to the area of law known as Transitional Justice and to provide an overview of the prevailing themes, issues and challenges faced within the field. The module will allow you to examine and critically assess the development and efficacy of various institutions and processes designed to deal with grave & systematic human rights violations in countries which are in transition from conflict or repression to peace. We will study the fundamental concepts which underpin the idea of TJ, concepts such as truth, justice, peace and reconciliation as well as examining various transitional justice mechanisms such as international criminal law trials and tribunals, truth commissions, amnesties, reparations and local forms of justice. We will also investigate various contemporary challenges for the field in terms of theory and practice including, alternative conceptions of justice e.g. redistributive justice; economic, social and cultural rights; gender and overlaps with peacebuilding and development. We also explore the wider contextual factors within international relations that effect the choices made with regard to transitional justice – what actors are involved and why? Who controls the transitional justice agenda? Due to the nature of transitional justice in the international community, it is necessary to approach this topic from an interdisciplinary perspective, and not only look at the law, but to discuss the way in which these rules operate in various contexts and societies.

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are increasingly popular technological constructs that are discussed widely in popular and traditional media due to their fundamental implications on the operation of financial markets and monetary policies. In reality, these constructs offer potential implications for the operation of the law that goes beyond the limited areas of finance and monetary policy. In turn, it is a particular challenge to effectively regulate these fluid concepts due to their abstract nature. In this module, students will learn about the fundamental characteristics of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, their relationship with the law and the most recent international attempts to regulate them.

Competition law is an increasingly popular and exciting area of law whose aim is to make free markets work to consumers’ benefit. As markets develop and change rapidly, the implementation of competition law raises challenging questions that are vital for the effective functioning of markets and the protection of citizen welfare. These questions include: how can competition law be implemented in fast changing technology markets without stifling innovation? How can competition and intellectual property rules coexist without reducing the effectiveness of either? Can individuals working in gig economy organise to protect their interests without triggering competition rules?
These are some of the questions we will tackle in this module. In terms of the substantive content, the module will focus on, among others, the main rules of competition in the UK and the EU legal systems, including rules against anti-competitive agreements, monopolisation/abuse of dominance, anticompetitive mergers and public and private enforcement of competition rules. The module will be taught through discursive seminars leading to an extensive understanding of the operation of competition rules. The module will be assessed by coursework.

This module provides an introduction to the mechanisms and methods of international dispute settlement. It examines the nature of international disputes and the law, techniques and institutions of dispute settlement. The module also explores comparatively the key procedural issues that have been addressed before different international courts and tribunals. In addition, the module examines the major challenges and controversies in international adjudication, stemming from the multiplication of international adjudicative bodies, the so-called fragmentation of international law, from judicial law-making, and from the impact of politics on the functioning of international courts and tribunals. Finally, as the focus is on disputes in which at least one party is a state entity, the module discusses litigation by non-state actors, especially foreign investors against states and the role of international dispute settlement in economic governance.

This module will introduce you to the field of ‘global health law’. The module will provide you with an opportunity to consider the legal, social, political, economic and ethical issues that arise within the area of global health. We will look at different theoretical approaches to global health governance including the concept of public health and human rights and the role of law in regulating health, protecting and promoting health and remedying health failures. The module will also investigate the relevant global and regional institutions involved in health governance such as the World Health Organisation (WHO). You will also gain knowledge and understanding of a number of substantive challenges to global health such as pandemics, air pollution and climate change, non-communicable diseases, humanitarian disasters and the impact of conflict. These will be studied through the study of a selection of substantive topics (that vary each year), for example; Ebola; AIDS and HIV; the right to health and the right to a healthy environment; health hazards such as tobacco and the drugs trade; healthcare systems; inequality, poverty and health; migration and healthcare (health tourism); commodification of tissues and global health and sustainable development.

International Arbitration is a 20 credit, Level 7, second semester module. The module has been designed for students who wish to further develop their knowledge of dispute settlement in international investment law, and improve both, their written and oral advocacy skills in this area of law. The module is structured around the most important stages of investor-state arbitration proceedings. It tackles important procedural issues such as jurisdiction of arbitral tribunals, selection and challenge of arbitrators, conduct of arbitral proceedings, and advocacy in investment arbitration. This practical component of the module will be accompanied by additional theoretical analysis of the legitimacy of the investment arbitration regime.

A growing number of controversial legal questions about health care focus on the treatment of children. The [in]famous House of Lords judgment in the Gillick case touched on the rights of older children to make their own decisions about their bodies and their health.   Today the courts face dilemmas concerning children of all ages, from before birth right up to the age of majority. This course examines how the law responds to difficult ethical and practical questions about how society treats children, what rights (if any) children enjoy, and what rights and responsibilities we assume as parents. The course will begin by considering the ways in which the law does and should regulate the treatment of the unborn and its relationship with the outside world, examining the broad range of issues relating to the treatment of children after birth.  

This module looks at areas of law where health care law, criminal law and family law meet. It will embrace not just disputes between professionals and parents, but between parents and their children, and between warring currents. Each session will be based on a full outline and reading list and plenty of opportunity of class discussion will be offered.

This module explores research methods in socio-legal studies. It is structured around empirical methodologies and theoretical perspectives that are often found in socio-legal studies. The module will demonstrate to students how a socio-legal perspective may help inform their own research. The aim is to show what socio-legal projects look like from the inside? How do socio-legal researchers conduct their work? What are some of the challenges they face? You will be encouraged to think critically about and analyse socio-legal work, as well as apply it to think about law and legal issues for yourself.

This module will consider the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of socio-legal research, including the classical sociological thinkers and theories that influenced the development of socio-legal research such as Marxism, Foucault Bourdieu and Feminist Theory. The aim of the course is to enable students to describe and evaluate a range of different approaches to the study of law within social theory. Students will think critically about the implications of each theory for law as well as enabling them to select the most appropriate theoretical and methodological approaches for their own future research.

This module provides students with the opportunity to engage on a critical level with children’s rights norms, research, theories and practices in relation to contemporary children’s rights issues. It will cover the legal foundations of children’s rights, including, at international level, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as its implementation in England and Wales, and relevant European instruments. Critical issues around the content and realisation of children’s rights will then be considered via 3-4 case-studies (chosen from, e.g., children’s rights in healthcare settings, children’s rights and migration, children and the right to vote, tackling violence against children, children’s rights and poverty, children’s rights in education settings). This module will be of interest to students who would like to learn about the rights of children in a range of practical contexts (such as healthcare and migration), as well as to those studying international law. This module will be assessed via single piece of coursework.

This LLM module aims to give substantive consideration to the developments and operation of the protection of Human Rights in Europe. It focuses on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), while references are also made to the protection of human rights at the national level. Consideration is given to both the theory and practice of human rights law in a specific regional context. The module examines the challenges and achievement of the Strasbourg system of human rights protection. This module also reviews the approach of the European Court of Human Rights to key human rights such as right to life, prohibition of torture and right to privacy.

Regulating Medicine, Health and Social Care is an optional module available on the LLM in Law, Medicine and Healthcare (LWMH) only. It offers a detailed insight into the study of medicine, health and social care regulation. It is designed to provide an introduction to the subject for students with no previous familiarity with health and social care regulation, whilst by way of recommended reading, further study and elaboration in class, allowing students who have already been introduced to the relevant areas of law, to enhance their knowledge and understanding.

The scale and escalation of climate change have made it a matter of human survival. The main aim of this module is to provide students with an in-depth knowledge of key issues around climate justice at the theoretical and doctrinal levels and necessary skills to apply it into real-world scenarios:

a) Taking climatic change as a symptom of deep structural challenges, this module will examine different concepts, elements and theories of climate justice.

b) Looking into real-world cases, the module will explore how and why the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights have been felt differently by different groups in different areas.

c) Drawing upon case law and a diverse range of legal provisions, it will explore the ways in which law, in particular human rights law, at the national, regional and international levels, have been and can be used to reduce the impacts of climate change and to protect those who are most vulnerable as well as its limitations.

This module consists of preparing a dissertation which is researched and written during the Summer. The dissertation is on an approved topic, in the field of the relevant specialism in case of students opting for a specialised LLM (as opposed to the general LLM). The module is worth 60 credits (a third of the entire LLM programme) and is a prerequisite for the award of an LLM. The process of preparing the dissertation is supported by legal research and library training in semester 1, by a dissertation workshop in semester 2, and by individual supervision during the Summer.