Module Catalogue 2026/27

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

The module has four interrelated aims:


(i) To provide students with an understanding of the historical influences upon the development of the laws of England;


(ii) To study this relation with respect to various aspects of the legal system, and to challenge this distinction and division with particular reference to the historical role of law as an instrument of governance;


(iii) To develop in students an interdisciplinary understanding of the relation of law and history, and of legal and historical method;


(iv) To develop associated theoretical, critical, communicative and research-based skills appropriate to a Stage 3 study in law and similar disciplines.

Outline Of Syllabus

The module is structured around five substantive topics, united by a focus upon the overarching theme of ‘Law and Governance’, which progress through the history of English law in a chronological and thematic order. They will be preceded an “Introduction to Law and History”, which introduces students to key concepts, institutions, sources and debates in relation to the past of the law.

The four substantive topics will each be centred around a particular year, in order to give a focus for the topics to be studied. The four central years will be 1613, 1765, 1887, and 1919.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Students will be able to demonstrate a knowledge of historical and legal historical methodology and consonant critical intellectual skills

Students will acquire an appreciation of the historical development of the laws of England, and of juristic and popular thinking about the nature, role and significance of these laws

Students will acquire an advanced critical and inter-contextual understanding of the relation of law and governance in the closer context of English political and social history

Intended Skill Outcomes

Subject-specific skills:

(i)       Ability to identify principal arguments in English legal history and historical methodology
(ii)       Ability to engage in historical and inter-contextual legal study
(iii)       Ability to pursue research in particular aspects of English legal, political and social history

Cognitive skills:

(i)       Ability to enhance critical and communicative skills in advanced legal study
(ii)       Ability to synthesize texts and materials from different sources and disciplines
(iii)       Ability to discern relative critical merit in legal and historical argument

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Pre-recorded lectures will introduce students to the core material which they will be drawing on and developing for their group presentations and, ultimately, their coursework.

In-person lectures will be about application and about skills development. They will draw together overarching themes, and act as mini feed-forward sessions, explaining to students how these topics can be pulled together for their group presentations.

The first workshop is a substantial research training session. The purpose of workshops 2-4 is to bring students together in their presentation groups, to begin their research and to gain support in doing so from their lecturer. This also has the quality assurance benefit of enabling teaching staff to observe and oversee aspects of the group research process.

The first seminar is about familiarising students with the nature of legal history. Seminars 2-4 consist of a series of group research presentations, which students will receive written feedback on and which will feed directly into their final assessment. Students who are unable to participate in the group work will be required to attend the module leader's office hours with a replacement presentation which they can then receive equivalent written feedback on.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

It is the most appropriate means by which to assess the development of communication, written and research skills, whilst also permitting students to illustrate the development of necessary subject-specific knowledge bases.

Seminar questions and activities are designed to provide students with the opportunities for formative development and feedback and prepare students for the summative assessment.

Workshop and seminar 1 concern the nature of legal history generally, and the development of appropriate research skills.

In workshops 2-4, students will work together in a PC cluster on the planning and design of a group seminar presentation. Their lecturer will circulate around the room, observing their work and answering their questions. This will be followed by seminars 2-4, in which the group presentations will be delivered, and short written feedback will be provided to each group. Students who are unable to participate in the group work will be required to attend the module leader's office hours with a replacement presentation which they can then receive equivalent written feedback on.

Written exercise 1, sat during term time (1,000 words): Part A requires explanation as to how students have responded to written seminar feedback (200 words). Part B is a standard essay question, requiring engagement with topics covered in first seminar group presentation (800 words).

Written exercise 2, sat during assessment period (2,000 words): Part A requires explanation as to how students have responded to written seminar feedback, and feedback on essay 1 (400 words). Part B is a standard essay question, requiring engagement with topics covered in second and third seminar group presentations (800 words).

General Notes

N/A