Legal System and Method

Course Description
This is a foundational module (course) which provides some essential building blocks for the study of law.
Learning about law and legal systems is endlessly fascinating and the material in this module provides a basis for your understanding of the other modules of the University of London programme. This module deals with the special vocabulary of the law, introduces the essential skills of the lawyer – such as how to read legal cases and statutes (Acts of Parliament) and provides an overview of some of the key institutions and processes that make up what we understand as the legal ‘system’.

Course Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students should be able to:
LEARNING OUTCOMES: KNOWLEDGE

• Understand the structure and operation of the central institutions and processes of the English legal system;
• Explain the purpose and basic structure of the civil justice system and the place and value of alternative methods of dispute resolution;
• Explain the purpose and basic structure of the criminal justice system and the tension between the objectives of crime control and protection of civil liberties and human rights;
• Describe the role and constitutional position of judges and in particular the Law Lords and the Supreme Court;
• Understand judicial approaches to statutory interpretation and the influence of European law on those approaches;
• Understand the essential ingredients of the rule of law, and the importance to fairness and justice in social and legal systems;
• Understand the role of due Process and the importance of Article 6 (ECHR) in Civil and Criminal Justice
• Explain the key concepts of Legal Aid.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: SKILLS
Students completing this module should be able to:

• Understand and apply the techniques of legal reasoning and interpretation, including precedent and statutory interpretation;
• Identify key issues in a case and summarise points clearly and accurately;
• Conduct basic legal research tasks using primary and secondary sources;
• Respond coherently to straightforward questions about the law using legal referencing appropriately;
• Locate legal sources;
• Demonstrate understanding of legal terminology;
• Understand the principles of good academic practice.