This module aims to:

Provide students with a strong foundation in legal method, including case analysis and statutory interpretation;
To develop legal and academic skills including library research, the organisation of legal sources, academic writing and legal reasoning, and the development and revision of the law within the context of academic critiques and the work of law reform agencies.

(LO1) Case analysis To understand the significance of case law in the English legal system, the definition and identification of the ratio decidendi in English cases, the organisation of the courts and the operation of the rule of stare decisis, the impact of international treaties and EU law on case analsysis and precedent, the system of law reporting and restrictions placed on the citation of authorities in English courts. To demonstrate a high level of competence in analysing individual cases and in ascertaining the significance of individual cases within the broader case law.

(LO2) Legislative interpretation To understand the significance and status of different types of legislation, the variety of methods used to analyse, interpret and apply legislation, the impact of styles of drafting relative to different legal systems (English and EU systems) on statutory interpretation. To demonstrate a high level of competence in analysing legislation, in ascertaining the rationale for different interpretations of legislation, and identifying the relevant sources which may be used to assist in this interpretation.

(LO3) Legal research  To be able to retrieve authoritative primary sources of law and to understand how to differentiate between the status of different primary sources, including relative authority of law reports and currency of cases and legislation. To understand how to use basis secondary indexing sources (both electronic and hard copy) to cross reference between primary legal sources and to verify their status.

(LO4) Legal writing, critiques and scholarship To understand the nature of critical academic inquiry in the sphere of law, the application of general academic writing principles in the context of legal work, the use of key legal citation and referencing tools, approaches to the organisation and planning of legal problem questions and legal essay questions, the process of peer review in scholarly journals and in undergraduate work. To demonstrate the ability to conduct rational self review and peer review of written work, including interpreting and applying departmental marking criteria.

(S1) Locating and evaluating the authority of law reports.

(S2) Case analysis

(S3) Locating and evaluating the status of legislation

(S4) Legislative interpretation

(S5) Critically assessing the political, social and ethical impact of law

(S6) Writing effectively on a legal topic, adhering to general academic standards and specific Law School requirements for written work

Case Law
Fundamentals of the common law system; sources of law; judicial reasoning techniques; precedent and the court structure; law reporting and using digital sources to locate current case law; reading a case and identifying the ratio decidendi.

Legislative Interpretation
Varieties of legislation, their origins and significance; the supremacy of legislation over case law; conventions, rules of language and ‘canons’ of interpretation; materials which can be used as ‘aids’ to legislative interpretation; using digital sources to locate, update and analyse legislation.

Supranational Influences on English Legal Method
The influence of supranational sources of law on common law and on judicial decisions about the meaning and application of domestic legislation; the effect of supranational law on judicial reasoning techniques and methods in the English legal system; identifying and applying the law in domestic cases where supranation al legal principles apply.

Legal Writing and Critiques of Law
Navigating and using academic journals, writing according to established academic standards, planning and executing academic writing.

Teaching Patterns

Learning and teaching on this module will be structured in accordance with the principles of Hybrid Active Learning with asynchronous materials and synchronous seminar sessions. Asynchronous recordings provide material previously addressed in physical lectures, suitably broken down (‘chunking’) and augmented (e.g. quizzes; online discussion boards etc) so as to enhance student engagement. Synchronous sessions will run on a fortnightly pattern across the semester (i.e. 6 in total) and will each have a duration of 2 hours.

Contact Hours
• Synchronous Seminars - 12 hours
• Workshops - 2 hours (1 hour for Westlaw and 1 hour for Lexis)
• Asynchronous recorded materials - 17 hours

Module Delivery

Hybrid Active Learning - a combination of asynchronous and synchronous sessions for all UG modules. The general pattern will be:

• Students engage with set reading and record ed lectures.
• On a weekly basis students will either engage in an online discussion board or attend a 2-hour seminar
• Short MCQ tests will be used to scaffold student engagement with the course, acting as pre-requisites for subsequent content.
• Students will be asked to independently complete certification training in Westlaw and Lexis by attending repeat workshop training sessions provided by the Library.