LAW2264 : Introduction to Global Private Law
LAW2264 : Introduction to Global Private Law
- Offered for Year: 2026/27
- Module Leader(s): Dr Yang Guo
- Lecturer: Mr Isaac Juma, Dr Jiarong Zhang, Dr Myriam Gicquello, Dr Neha Vyas, Dr Christine Beuermann
- Owning School: Newcastle Law School
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Pre-requisite
Modules you must have done previously to study this module
| Code | Title |
|---|---|
| LAW1221 | Contract Law |
| LAW2222 | Land Law |
| LAW2261 | General Principles of Tort |
| LAW1222 | Introduction to Global Law |
Pre Requisite Comment
N/A
Co-Requisite
Modules you need to take at the same time
Co Requisite Comment
N/A
Aims
The aim of the Introduction to Global Private Law module is to provide students with a broad understanding of the mechanics, context and operation of private law through a global lens. Drawing on private international law, transnational law and comparative private law, the module equips students with the conceptual and methodological tools to analyse the relationship between national, international and global law, the role of choice of law and “foreign law”, and different approaches to comparison. By applying these tools in workshops to contemporary cross-border and global problems, the module enables students to move beyond a single-jurisdiction perspective, identify alternative solutions from other legal systems and international instruments, and critically reflect on how global challenges shape private law, legal practice and society.
Outline Of Syllabus
(Part One) Foundation of Global Private Law
* Introduction to Comparative Private Law
* Introduction to International Private Law
* Introduction to Transnational Law
(Part Two) Application of the foundations of global private law to contemporary challenges in cross-border context in areas such as law and new technologies, global competition, regulatory theory and governance, global environmental protection and social inequality.
Learning Outcomes
Intended Knowledge Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of:
- The meaning, scope and context of global private law and its relationship to domestic private law.
- The main conceptual frameworks of global private law, including private international law and comparative private law perspectives.
- Conflict-of-laws techniques and comparative methods to contemporary cross-border case studies (e.g. surrogacy, AI, environmental liability, labour markets).
- Approaches to locating and interpreting foreign legal materials, and distinguishing key features of civil law and common law systems.
Intended Skill Outcomes
• Critically evaluate how global private law structures and regulates cross-border relationships, and how legal culture and institutional design shape legal and policy outcomes.
• Analyse and compare doctrinal solutions and reasoning across different jurisdictions, and relate these differences to broader social, economic and institutional contexts.
• Construct coherent, well-supported legal and policy arguments in written and/or oral form, drawing on appropriate comparative and transnational sources.
• Research, problem-solving and communication skills through engagement with foreign law searching, case analysis, individual presentations and collaborative discussions.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 58 | 1:00 | 58:00 | Time to prepare for their two summative assessments. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | N/A |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | 1 hour seminar group. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 5 | 2:00 | 10:00 | 2-hour face-to-face workshops to focus on legal skills development |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 9 | 1:00 | 9:00 | The drop-in/ surgery will not be timetabled. These sessions will be consultation hours. Students can discuss any questions/ issues arising following teaching |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 100 | 1:00 | 100:00 | Lecture materials or structured research and reading activities (e.g. guided case-study reading, pre-workshop tasks). |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Lectures provide the theoretical foundations, core concepts and legal tools needed to understand the meaning, scope and context of global private law and the problems it addresses. Workshops give students structured opportunities to apply these tools to global and transnational problem scenarios, analysing similarities and differences across jurisdictions and debating possible solutions in a collaborative setting. These sessions create space to discuss complex issues in global private law and to develop advocacy, critical and analytical skills that are essential for legal practice. Three seminars focus specifically on researching foreign law, how to write a policy paper and delivering a summative research proposal presentation, thereby developing students’ research and presentation skills and enabling them to locate and interpret foreign legal materials and communicate coherent legal and policy arguments in appropriate formats.
Reading Lists
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oral Presentation | 2 | M | 25 | Students deliver a short summative oral presentation on their research proposal for the policy paper and receive feedback prior to the final summative assessment. |
| Written exercise | 2 | M | 75 | Students produce a written policy paper addressing a contemporary issue they choose in the context of global private law. The word limit is 2000 words. |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Following dedicated skills-development activities in lectures, workshops and seminars, students are required to put their knowledge of global private law into practice. The mid-term oral research proposal presentation (25%) enables students to identify and frame a concrete global private law problem, apply relevant private international law, domestic private law or comparative frameworks, and communicate their analysis clearly and concisely through an oral presentation on research proposal. The end-of-module policy paper (75%) allows students to undertake research-led analysis on a chosen topic within the syllabus, locate and evaluate foreign and transnational legal materials, and formulate balanced and well-justified policy paper.
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- LAW2264's Timetable
Past Exam Papers
- Exam Papers Online : www.ncl.ac.uk/exam.papers/
- LAW2264's past Exam Papers
General Notes
N/A
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The information contained within the Module Catalogue relates to the 2026 academic year.
In accordance with University Terms and Conditions, the University makes all reasonable efforts to deliver the modules as described.
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