Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

n/a

Co Requisite Comment

n/a

Aims

The central aims of the module are:

1. To provide a basic understanding of key legal concepts and of the nature of legal materials.

2. To provide a general introduction to the legal framework for land use.

3. To provide insight into the circumstances where those concerned with various aspects of land use may encounter legal problems or have occasion to call on legal expertise.

4. To provide a foundation for non Law students wishing to take more advanced modules in Environmental Law. .

Outline Of Syllabus

The module will address the following topics:

The role of law in regulating land use

Public rights in land and public control

The structure of private land law

Subsidiary rights over other people's land

Landlord and Tenant

Responsibility for harm arising from the use of land d

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

At the end of the module, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

1. The English Court Structure and the range of legal materials applied in English courts, including EU sources and the Human Rights Act 1998

2. The different concepts of Legal Responsibility encountered in criminal law and the law of obligations.

3. The role of the law of Tort with particular reference to occupiers' liability, trespass to land, nuisance and strict liability.

4. The nature of public rights in land and of legal machinery for public control

5. The structure of private Land Law: Tenure, Estates; Methods of sharing control over and benefit from land.

6. Subsidiary rights over other peoples' land: natural rights, Easements, Profits, Public Rights

7. An introduction to the law of Landlord & Tenant.

Intended Skill Outcomes

At the end of the module, students will be able to:

Legal problem solving. Ability to identify relevant issues, apply relevant concepts, principles and rules, including ethical principles, identify evidence needed, make judgements and reach supported conclusions on the basis of sound and informed reasoning.

Ability to write and speak with care and precision in the analysis and synthesis of the law.

Ability to identify issues for research and to retrieve accurate and relevant legal and other sources in primary and secondary form, both in paper and digital formats.

Cognitive Skills

Analysis: Identifying and ordering issues by relevance and importance

Synthesis of materials from diverse sources

Critical judgement. Discernment between the merits or otherwise of particular arguments

Evaluation: Making a reasoned choice between competing solutions or arguments.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures: There will be 16 hours of lectures seeking to provide an overview of the substantive elements of the course. This number of lecture hours is needed due to the specific nature of the module, which is for non-law students only. The extra lecturing scaffolding is thus necessary in order to appropriately support them. These will be supported with structured online guidance and activities.

Seminars: There will be three synchronous one-hour classes for students that correspond to the content of the course, providing opportunities for knowledge and skills development. These provide an opportunity to develop oral, analytical and critical skills as well as knowledge development in relation to the aspects of the law covered. The seminars will be structured, with students expected to prepare responses to questions in advance of attending. These will provide a mixture of problem and essay style questions.

Lecture Materials: The feedforward lectures for coursework and the exam will be recorded and uploaded to Canvas. This is to enable students to easily access this at a time that suits them.

Module Talk: Module Introduction: This synchronous online session will provide students with an overview of the course. It is one hour long.

Module Talk: Feedback and Q&A: These synchronous sessions will represent two hours of scheduled online contact time. These sessions are opportunities for students to hear general feedback on the coursework and also to ask broader questions about the module.

Drop-In/Surgery Feedback: These reflect the Law School policy that markers will offer the opportunity for one-to-one oral feedback on students’ assessed work.

Module Talk: Revision: These synchronous online sessions will provide an opportunity for students to revisit and discuss key areas of the course prior to the exam.

Online Discussion: There will be 4 dedicated opportunities for students to engage in online discussion board activities in peer learning groups, or to undertake quizzes as individuals. This will help to consolidate student learning and develop their knowledge and skills. Tasks and quizzes will help bridge the gap between lecture content and preparing for seminars/assessment, addressing elements of problem-style and/or essay style questions.

Independent Study: There will be 67 hours of independent study associated with this module, to be divided as needed between preparation, consolidation, the research and writing of coursework, and revision.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The summative assessment is comprised of an unseen examination and written essay. Both provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of different topics within the syllabus.

The summative essay takes the form of a case comment. The final examination requires students to answer one compulsory problem question, and one essay style question from a choice of three. These assessments engage critical, analytical and evaluative skills, as well as the ability to write with care and precision.

A take-home exam is preferred, so that it is open book and submitted online. 48 hours provides students with additional time to build their responses in a subject area that they are unfamiliar with, when they only have one term to learn the content and style required, to allow for time to draft and edit their work so that they feel confident their submission is a proper reflection of their ability.

Students are not required to undertake a formative assessment. Structured online learning activities and seminars have been designed to focus on the skills development necessary for the summative assessments.

General Notes

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