Law with a Year Abroad LLB (Hons)

In this module you will be introduced to the fundamental concepts and techniques of legal study and legal reasoning as well as the skills and attributes that you will be expected to develop as a law student. To enable this, the module will support you to actively engage in your personal and professional development and, in keeping with the identity and mission of the School, will set the scene for exploring key legal systems, processes and concepts through an explicit social justice perspective. You will develop your understanding of how the English legal system operates as well as exploring fundamental questions including ‘What is Law?’, ‘Why is Law the way it is?’, and ‘How does Law evolve?’. You will be introduced to a range of theoretical perspectives of law and explore how they help us understand, apply, and critique the application of the law in ways that promote social justice values such as equality, inclusion, fairness and access to justice.

This module introduces students to the criminal law of England and Wales. It considers: the scope of criminal liability (principles of criminalisation and principles of criminal liability); the components of criminal liability (the need for both a ‘guilty’ act and a ‘guilty’ mind in an offence); substantive offences such as homicide and rape; participation (i.e., complicity) in an offence; criminal conduct short of committing a full offence (i.e., ‘inchoate’ liability); and various types of defence.

The module is a foundation subject required by the legal professional bodies for professional practice. The aim is that students should acquire a solid knowledge of the legal principles and rules applied by the courts in Contract Law, whilst also developing fundamental legal skills of case analysis, synthesis and problem-solving. Students will undertake the study of Contract Law in its social, political and commercial context.

Public Law concerns the law creating and relating to the UK’s system of government. The module covers key issues in constitutional and administrative law, exploring legal questions and principles in the wider context of the practice of political actors and institutions. The module’s programme of lectures and seminars will support students in developing a range of core legal and transferable skills, and becoming effective independent learners.

This is a 30 credit, FHEQ Level 5 module. It covers the important concepts of trusts, equitable remedies and concepts of property.  It is one of the Foundations of Legal Knowledge, necessary for progression to training for the Bar.
Module delivery concentrates on inculcating legal and transferable skills.

This 15-credit module is one of the seven core foundations of legal knowledge studies on the Bachelor of Laws degree. All LL.B. students are required to take this fascinating and complex module. The land law module examines the estates and interests in land in English and Welsh law. Students will examine both freehold and leasehold estates, as well as interests in land such as easements, restrictive covenants and mortgages. The module places a heavy emphasis on case law and statute use. These sources are used to put the various land rights into context and to demonstrate how estates and interests can be protected using the legislative regime.

In Law and Social Justice in Action, students will enhance a range of core legal and transferable skills, engage in group work, and critically evaluate the impact of the law with reference to a specific case study. After initial introductory lectures, students will select and follow a ‘research pathway’ in the module, in the context of which they will seek to explore the relationship between law and some aspect(s) of social justice.

This module introduces students to civil wrongs which are actionable at common law. These actionable wrongs, or ‘torts’, include negligence, trespass to the person, nuisance, and defamation. In addition to learning about the legal principles which govern the application of each tort, the Law of Tort module offers students an insight into the wider policy landscape by examining the law’s role in compensating injury, loss, or damage. The Law of Tort is one of the seven Foundation Subjects of relevance to students who intend to practise law in England and Wales.

This module introduces students to the constitutional and institutional law of the European Union before moving to consider some areas of substantive Union law. The module encourages a critical understanding of how the EU came to be and how it has developed, which lays the foundations for analysis of the Union’s institutions including their composition, their accountability and democratic legitimacy, and how they formulate EU legislation. Areas of substantive Union Law addressed are: the development of EU law relating to the free movement of goods, free movement of workers and free movement of economically inactive citizens (such as students and retired persons). Throughout the module, students are encouraged to think critically about the European integration process.

Company Law aims to give students an understanding of certain fundamental aspects of Company Law, including the regulation of companies, the effect of separate legal entity, duties of directors and the remedies available to minority shareholders. At the same time the module will introduce students to some of the more essential, topical, and developing areas of Company Law which have a national/international impact, including the reforms under the Companies Act 2006.

This module seeks to introduce students to the law governing rules of evidence in criminal cases. The course briefly examines the development of the law on criminal evidence, including an assessment of the judge and jury’s functions, before focus switches to more substantive matters relating to the operation and admissibility of criminal evidence. Such matters comprise consideration of burden and standard of proof, both of fundamental procedural and human rights significance for the parties in a criminal case. Other topics addressed include examination of witnesses, specifically examination-in-chief, cross-examination, competence/compellability and corroboration/identification. Later in the module selected types of evidence are investigated, in particular character evidence, hearsay evidence and confessions. The module is taught by use of two one-hour lectures per week and five seminars in fortnightly cycles.

In this module we examine fundamental components of the law’s regulation of the doctor:patient relationship, in particular ‘medical negligence’ claims – a specialist application of the tort of negligence in cases where medical error occurs,’ usually in the course of diagnosis, treatment or advice/information, and causes a recognised ‘harm’. We also explore legal limits to medical treatment decisions, such as the extent to which patients have the right to make their own treatment decisions, and, in cases where a patient may lack the ability to make these decisions for themselves, the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Who decides in these cases whether the patient should be given life-saving surgery or when life sustaining ventilation should stop? – doctors, the family or the Court of Protection? And how are the patient’s rights and interests safeguarded when decisions are taken ‘for’ them? The patient, whose treatment must be determined, is recognised as being vulnerable – a vulnerability rooted in the imbalance of power in doctor-patient relationships, but also in the patient being unwell or anxious about their health. As we survey the legal frameworks which regulate treatment decisions we observe shifts in medical law jurisprudence, from forms of paternalism (or ‘doctor knows best’) to increased emphasis of ‘rights based’ and social justice informed models. Medical Law and Ethics is a 15 credit module for Level 6 students only.

This module will introduce you to the field of international human rights law. The course will provide you with an overview of the historical and philosophical foundations of human rights, various substantive rights that are protected through universal and regional instruments, as well as providing a general introduction to the international mechanisms for human rights protection and promotion. The course aims to provide the student with both substantive and procedural knowledge of human rights protection, as well as knowledge and understanding of some of the key contemporary challenges in international human rights law.

Further Tort broadens and deepens students’ knowledge and understanding of tort law. Assuming prior knowledge of the foundational aspects of this subject, Further Tort advances student learning in three ways. First, the module offers an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of tort law, introducing students to the concepts of corrective and distributive justice, tort theory, utilitarianism, and feminist and critical approaches to tort law. Second, the module builds on students’ existing knowledge by examining special liability regimes, such as those governed by the Animals Act 1971 and Consumer Protection Act 1987, as well as the rules that govern the tortious liability of public bodies and employers. Thirdly, Further Tort expands on the LAW209 syllabus by introducing students to other civil ‘wrongs’, such as the ‘economic torts’, misfeasance in public office and trespass to land and goods. This module will be of interest to students who enjoyed the LAW209 module and would like to further their knowledge and understanding of tort law, perhaps as a prelude to a career in common law practice or advanced academic study.

This module explores fundamental issues in Commercial Law with a particular focus upon Sale of Goods and the Law of Agency. Students will be introduced to certain key areas of importance, including legal issues stemming from the passing of property and title in sale transactions; implied terms within sale contracts and the role of agents in Commercial Law. Teaching and learning uses a ‘blended learning’ approach – the module utilises lectures, seminars, workshop sessions and e-learning strategies to guide the student through a complex area of law. Lectures focus on the delivery of key information and fundamental principles. Building on this acquired knowledge, seminars will focus upon the application of those fundamental principles to complex factual scenarios and advanced legal problems. Post-seminar podcasts and follow-up exercises will serve to offer feedback on the performance of the cohort as a whole, nurture advanced understanding and also guide further work. Commercial Law is a very lucrative and popular area of legal practice, and this is a useful specialty option for students interesting in corporate and commercial careers.

Clinical Legal Skills is a final year optional module based in the Liverpool Law Clinic, an in house legal practice within the School of Law and Social Justice. Learning on the module is experiential: Students will work in small groups or “firms” of 6 students throughout the term and there is an emphasis on collaborative learning and problem solving throughout the module.   The bulk of the student learning takes place through working in the Liverpool Law Clinic with student firms assisting in-house and external solicitors and barristers to provide an advice service to member of the general public. Casework includes working to strict deadlines. The Law Clinic operates during office hours 8 am to 5.30pm and for reasons of client confidentiality, students are only permitted to work on their client case in the Law Clinic. Remote working on case files is prohibited.   There are weekly practical workshops which will cover skills and legal content. Students will give presentations about the cases that they are working on, so that they whole group can learn from the legal and professional issues encountered and the legal advice provided. Workshops will cover areas including researching legal problems, letter drafting, client interviewing, access to justice, reflective practice and law and procedure relevant to client cases.   In addition to weekly workshops each firm has a weekly 1 hour case supervision meeting to receive feedback on practical case work.  

This module will provide an introduction one of the main areas of intellectual property law – copyright law. It will cover the various requirements to obtain copyright protection and will deal with the expansion of rights available to copyright holders. The module will study the complexities in relation to the copyright infringement due to the emergence of digital technologies and examine whether the private rights granted through copyright law is adequately balanced with the protection of public interests.

The module provides students with in-depth specialist knowledge of the principles and structure of international law, with a 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 faces of sovereignty, and the impact of international law on domestic systems.

Each lecture addresses selected elements of these debates and the basic principles underpinning them. Examples of basic questions include: What is international law? Is international law really law? How did it develop as a body of rules separate from domestic law? What types of norms define the international legal order? What are the main international decision making processes and who are the actors involved? What are the manifestations of state sovereignty and how do states exercise sovereignty from the perspective of international law and relations? How does international law affect domestic law? What is the status of international law within domestic legal orders? How is international law enforced? Or when can states be held liable for their wrongful conduct?

This module is intended to introduce students to the law of the European Convention on Human Rights. Students should develop an understanding of the basic doctrinal concepts adopted by the European Court of Human Rights.

This module is an opportunity for you to gain an understanding and insight into issues relating to access to justice and public interest law. You will undertake a placement in a public sector or non profit organisation, develop skills and undertake tasks within a practical context, apply academic knowledge from your degree, and develop your personal and employability skills within a working environment. This experience will develop understanding of access to justice policy and public interest law in a practical setting.

This module introduces students to the fundamental principles of international arbitration as reflected in national laws, international law, arbitral rules, and arbitral and national court decisions. It concerns theoretical and practical aspects of international commercial, as well as investment arbitration. It is particularly appropriate for students aiming at obtaining expert knowledge in international arbitration, which they can apply as practicing lawyers, policy makers or in pursuing further, postgraduate studies in the field. Teaching and learning are largely based on case studies and problem questions based on actual case law both from UK courts and international arbitral awards of major arbitration institutions, such as the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce.

This is a project-based module that requires students to work in teams using a specific ‘artificial intelligence’ (AI) technology to solve a challenging legal problem. Students will use their experience of working on their project to inform their individual analysis of the appropriate role of AI in the justice system. The module has been designed in collaboration with key partners from the legal and technology sectors and it builds on contemporary debates about the future of law and the future of the legal professions. Using our project as a point of reference we will discover how AI can be developed to tackle problems that involve legal reasoning, and we will debate competing ethical, economic, regulatory and other arguments concerning whether AI should be used in the justice system, and if so, how it should be used. As a project-based module, LAW383 will require sustained commitment by students both to their respective team-mates and to the project itself. This module will be more suitable for students who are not solely interested in the conventional approach to learning and applying the law, but who have a strong desire to expand their technical skill set and project-management skills to meet the growing demand in the legal sector for lawyers who are also capable ‘legal designers’, ‘legal engineers’, and ‘innovation leads’.

This module introduces students to key ethical principles as they relate to the legal regulation of medical practice. This module will look at autonomy in greater detail, examining adolescent autonomy and children’s decision making, autonomy in relation to non-therapeutic and contentious surgeries such as cosmetic surgery, reproductive autonomy (encompassing the right not to reproduce e.g. sterilisation and abortion) as well as the right to reproduce (examining regulation of human reproduction and assisted reproductive technologies). This module will also look at the latest developments in this area and how the fundamental principles of medical law and ethics are developed and re-shaped in light of novel technological and medical developments. At a formal level, the module encourages students to develop reasoned ethical perspectives on autonomy as applied in various contexts .

This module provides students with an introduction to key aspects of family law in England and Wales in the context of both public and private proceedings. Students will begin by critically exploring the legal regulation of various family relationships (notably marriage, civil partnerships and cohabitation) in the light of human rights norms and recent reforms. This will involve consideration of the legal requirements for entering into regulated family relationships as well as the legal consequences when such relationships come to an end, both financially and in terms of the arrangements made for children. The module then moves on to explore the conditions under which the state can legitimately intervene in family life and the various orders at its disposal to protect children from abuse and neglect. All of this will be grounded in a detailed review of the statutory framework, the relevant case law and academic commentary.

The Banking Law module’s overall focus is on risk and threat’s (both traditional and emerging) to the banking system. Specifically we will focus on the role law plays in addressing these challenges. Initially, we will look at how the Bank works with the HM Treasury to safeguard the banking sector from emerging and evolving risks, specific focus will be placed on its role as Lender of Last Resort. We will then go on to examine banking regulation, bank failures and resolution of banks, considering the cyclical nature of crisis and the impact on regulation. This will then followed by an examination of the banker and customer relationship, and the role the legal duties owed between the parties plays in reducing risk and uncertainty in terms of the everyday course of dealings between the bank and its customer. The module will then focus on the bank’s Anti-Money Laundering obligations, we will consider the importance of the framework in reducing a bank’s exposure to risk, but will also note the heavy burden on complying with it. Finally, we conclude the module with a look at crypto-banking, with a focus on the potential benefits and risks it presents to consumers, and how it may challenge the traditional banking system.

Clinical Legal Skills is a final year optional module based in the Liverpool Law Clinic, an in-house legal practice within the School of Law and Social Justice. Learning on the module is experiential:     Students will work in small groups or “firms” of 6 students throughout the term and there is an emphasis on collaborative learning and problem solving throughout the module. The bulk of the student learning takes place through working in the Liverpool Law Clinic with student firms assisting in-house and external solicitors and barristers to provide an advice service to member of the general public.   Casework includes working to strict deadlines.    The Law Clinic operates during office hours 8 am to 5.30pm and for reasons of client confidentiality, students are only permitted to work on their client case in the Law Clinic.   Remote working on case files is prohibited. There are weekly practical workshops which will cover skills and legal content.   Students will give presentations about the cases that they are working on, so that they whole group can learn from the legal and professional issues encountered and the legal advice provided.   Workshops will cover areas including researching legal problems, letter drafting, client interviewing, access to justice, reflective practice and law and procedure relevant to client cases. In addition to weekly workshops each firm has a weekly 1 hour case supervision meeting to receive feedback on practical case work.

Jurisprudence aims to give students an understanding of the basic problems of legal theory: what is law? Why do we obey it? How is law related to morality? Is an unjust law really a law? How should judges decide cases? At the same time the module will introduce students to the work of some of the most important modern legal theorists, in particular H.L.A. Hart, Lon Fuller and Ronald Dworkin. Students will also consider some of the crucial concerns of contemporary legal philosophy, such as the relationship between the rule of law, rights and democracy. Jurisprudence is taught in weekly lectures and longer fortnightly seminars. This maximises the time available for discussion and evaluation of each week’s reading assignment, in both smaller sub-groups and the class as whole, which is the most interesting and effective way of gaining an appreciation of legal philosophy. Students will produce a group presentation on a topic of their choice in the second half of the module. The module is assessed through one piece of coursework (3,000 words).
Jurisprudence provides an opportunity for reflection on the philosophical foundations of law, and should appeal to students who are interested in understanding more about the essential nature of legal systems and legal practice.

This module will be of interest to students who wish to learn about the way in which borders operate within the UK and in Europe, as well as how asylum seekers, refugees and migrants living in the UK and the EU are treated under the law. The course will also be of interest to students who wish to study topics related to human rights issues. The course focuses broadly on the area of asylum and immigration, and is also intended to be responsive to current developments in the area. Examples of topics that will be covered include, international refugee law and the UK asylum system, the enforcement of immigration rules through detention and deportation, and rights to family reunification and family life.

This module provides an introduction to trade mark and patent law. The first half of the module will examine the rationale, requirements and enforcement of patent rights that protect technological innovations. It will also cover the main aspects of exclusions and exceptions that limit the subject matter of patentability. The second half of the module will look into the system for registered marks (including the process of registration, revocation, invalidity and infringement).

This module takes as its starting point the challenges faced by individuals in determining how their personal data is collected and processed in a digital environment comprising global technology corporations and online service providers. Students will be introduced to the rationale, concepts, themes, and body of law associated with data protection law and electronic communication relations. The learning and teaching activities are designed to provide students with an opportunity to explore the rights, duties and remedies associated with the generation of personal information through interaction with digital devices and online services. The module equips students with the knowledge, skills and confidence in reflecting critically on the role and significance of data protection rules for regulating the social media environment, and encouraged to communicate their knowledge to peers in the module. More specifically, the mode of instruction and delivery is designed to foster in students an agile and solution focused mindset through an exploration of the connection between data protection theory and practice of resolving governance disputes in the social medial environment. Students will undertake their study in a learning environment which will enable them to develop their problem-solving, research and communication skills when addressing issues such as what types of processing activities are regulated, the contexts in which rights and duties materialise and measures for managing risks in the evolving social media landscape. The use of case studies and examples will provide students with opportunities to assess their relevance for addressing compliance questions and likely impact on individuals and business processing strategies in the networked social media landscape.

This course will provide students with an in-depth understanding of the complex international legal
questions that make the headlines. Students will learn to demonstrate and critically evaluate how law and politics interrelate and how issues of globalisation are incorporated into the international legal language. The course will also encourage students to take a step back and critically analyse why it is that international law seems to be focussed on crises that make headlines. Through the means of recognising and ranking complex issues, a further site of enquiry will be the question of whether there is also an every-day international law that is not discussed in the news?
The course will provide students with a strong understanding of the complex and specialist concepts, principles, institutions and debates that define international law today. By unravelling these concepts with the help of current affairs and various legal sources students will be able to contextualise succinctly international law as it relates to politics, the media, social phenomena, and historical settings. Focusing on a number of key issue-areas, the course will enable students to understand how international legal norms emerge, the way they shape subjectivities, competences and responsibilities, and their impact with regard to contemporary issues/problems of global scale.
Overall, the aim is to lay the foundations for an informed and critical assessment of the contribution and limits of international law as a force in world affairs.

Transnational crime is regarded as a major threat to contemporary political and economic regimes. Concerns about the cross border activities of criminal organisations, in particular, has become a key feature of the global political agenda in recent years. This had led to the creation of a number of international agreements, institutions, and legislative proposals to encourage inter-state cooperation against transnational crimes. Yet, concerns and responses to transnational crimes differ across diverse regions, and with regard to different forms of crime. Taking an interdisciplinary perspective, this module will explore the emerging field of transnational criminal law, examining the challenges of transnational law enforcement. The module will begin by introducing students to key theoretical concepts, political debates, and principles of transnational criminal law. We will then explore some of the more substantive transnational crimes, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking and migrant smuggling. In addition to examining the nature and extent of these crimes, we will consider the strengths and limitations of current legal and policy responses.

This module is an opportunity for you to gain an understanding and insight into issues relating to access to justice and public interest law. You will undertake a placement in a public sector or non profit organisation, develop skills and undertake tasks within a practical context, apply academic knowledge from your degree, and develop your personal and employability skills within a working environment. This experience will develop understanding of access to justice policy and public interest law in a practical setting.

This module is an opportunity for you to undertake further study of charity law. The team-taught module will offer interactive workshops covering a different current topic in charity law each week e.g. charities and campaigning, charities and independent schools. You will be expected to prepare and contribute to the debate. You will enhance your understanding of a complex topic of law, and have the opportunity to gain practical skills. The module will be assessed via MCQs, participation in the debates sessions, as well as coursework.

The module will explore international rules and practice on the protection of business actors investing abroad. How does international law protect corporations and private business actors when they invest into projects in other countries? Are businesses entitled to any protection of contracts they sign with foreign governments? What remedies does international law offer in cases where businesses are unfavourably affected by legislative and regulatory changes in the host state? The module will be delivered through lectures, seminars and online exercises. The module will be of interest to students wishing to specialise in commercial law, international economic law, dispute resolution as well as those who would like to deepen their knowledge of international law in general.

This module is intended to further develop the students’ understanding of the law of the European Convention on Human Rights building on concepts and material covered in LAW362. Students should be able to understand and analyse complex concepts used by the European Court of Human Rights and critically analyse reform of the European Court.

​ This module offers you the opportunity to delve deeper into the law as it affects the strategies and operations of corporations, both internationally and domestically. Existing legal frameworks surrounding businesses are complicated, limited and at times contradictory, especially with respect to the operation of multinational corporations. The module will focus on various areas of business law, each of particular modern-day relevance, e.g. corporate social responsibility; corporate human rights violations; corruption and bribery; LIBOR/PPI scandals. 

This module investigates the following questions: How does law affect gender and how does gender affect law? As a result of taking part in this module, students will develop the necessary critical thinking skills to recognise how law and state structures in general influence and are influenced by gender. Using critical analysis skills and feminist theories we will investigate how individuals from disadvantaged groups in terms of their gender and sexuality as well as some other characteristics, such as race, disability, or immigration status, could be disenfranchised by law.
Teaching of this module will begin with a set of introductory lectures on schools of feminism. These will be followed by subject specific lectures applying feminist theory to a specific context. These will be taught by a team of lecturers with expertise in that particular area. Specific fields offered might change from one academic year to another depending on staff availability.
Assessment will be based on group presentation and an essay.
As a result of taking part in this module, students will become aware of covert ways in which law, even when it is seemingly impartial, could result in or exacerbate inequalities. The module will also help students to develop research, presentation, group work, communication and critical argumentation skills due to the teaching, learning and assessment methods used in the module.