LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology

Year 2 Core Modules

You must study and pass all five core modules

Brief description

The law and practice of succession and trusts.

Module content: 

• Intestate succession: Succession in moveables and heritage; prior rights; legal rights; collation; order of succession re spouses, children, cohabitants, civil partners law reform.
• Testate succession: Capacity and diminished capacity; execution and amendment of wills; uncertainty; revocation; subsequent births; transfer of heritage; classification of legacies; accretion; election; residue, division per capita and per stirpes; destinations-over; the unworthy heir; missing persons; common calamity; public policy considerations; and forfeiture.
• Will substitutes: Nominations; special destinations; liferent and fee; and survivorship.
• Trusts: Constitution; public and private; charitable trusts; uncertainty; revocability; liferents; vesting; variation; termination of trust; law reform.
• Trustees: Appointment; assumption and resignation; administration; duties; powers; breach of trust and remedies; investment powers; liability to creditors; discharge; law reform.
• Drafting and interpretation of wills: Words of severance and conjunction; terms; public policy considerations; prohibitions of accumulations and successive liferents; conditional institution and substitution.
• Inheritance tax: An overview of the structure and charging of inheritance tax.
• Adults with incapacity: Recognition of the issues relating to elderly and other adults who are incapable of managing their affairs; Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000; continuing financial and welfare attorneys; financial and welfare guardianship; intervention orders; power to intromit with accounts; The Office of the Public Guardian in Scotland; human rights concerns; and law reform.

Brief description

Introduction to the legal principles governing family relationships and their breakdown, children and parenthood in Scotland.

Module content: 

• Parent and child: Parental responsibilities and rights; adoption; local authority intervention; human rights of family members.
• Marriage and civil partnership: Regular and irregular marriage; Same sex marriage; validity of civil and religious marriages; prohibitions and legal impediments to marriage; void and voidable marriages. Civil Partnerships and Gender Recognition.
• Rights arising out of marriage and civil partnership: Aliment, separate property rights.
• Family homes and family protection: Occupancy rights of spouses, civil partners and cohabitants, exclusion orders.
• Relationship breakdown: Grounds in divorce and dissolution actions. Division of property on relationship breakdown including financial provision, property transfer orders and decrees regulating occupancy rights.

Brief description

The constitutional and legal framework of the European Union and its key institutions. The law relating to the single market within the EU and the principles of free movement and EU citizenship. The constitutional implications and procedures of Brexit.

Module content: 

• History: History, objective and evolution of the treaties and legislation.
• Institutions: Principal institutions of the EU, including Commission, Council, Courts, Parliament, ECB, Court of Auditors; other important bodies such as the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.
• Judicial role: References, review, principles of supremacy, direct and indirect effects, state liability, general principles. The procedures of the Court of Justice.
• Law of the EU internal market: Free movement of Goods, Services, Persons and Capital; Right of Establishment in another member state.
• EU equality law: Sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religious or other belief.
• Brexit: The UK and the EU, Article 50, withdrawal agreement.

Brief description

The principles of Scots commercial law, consumer law and finance as they relate to business and consumer transactions.

Module content:

• Sale and supply of goods and services to businesses: Contract of sale and related contracts to businesses: implied terms, transfer of property and risk, breach and remedies, operation of the Sale of Goods Act 1979, Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 and the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.
• Sale and supply of goods and services to consumers: Consumer Rights Act 2015, Consumer Protection Act 1987, Consumer contracts regulations.
• Rights in security: Rights in security over moveables, lien, pledge, hypothec, standard securities, floating charges, guarantees and cautionary obligations.
• Debt recovery and personal insolvency: Diligence: attachment inhibition, arrestment, adjudication and money attachment. Personal insolvency and the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 2016.
• Insurance: The common law of insurance: operation of the Third Parties (Rights against Insurers) Act 2010, the Consumer Insurance (Disclosures and Representations) Act 2010, the Insurance Act 2015.
• Consumer credit and consumer finance: Consumer Credit Act 1974, hire purchase, loans, banking practice, mortgages, personal savings and investments, pensions, stocks and shares, basic rules of taxation and money laundering.
• Arbitration and ADR: ADR forms such as negotiation, mediation and arbitration. Arbitration in Scotland: Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010.

Brief description

Introduction to the key doctrines and legal principles of administrative law in the United Kingdom with particular reference to Scotland.

Module content: 

• Administrative Law: Basic concepts, ultra vires, standing in administrative proceedings. Redressing grievances in the public sector.
• Judicial Review: Tripartite relationships, excess and abuse of power, the ultra vires doctrine, Wednesbury reasonableness, natural justice and other grounds of judicial review.
• Ombudsmen: Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsmen, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
• Liability of the Crown and Public Authorities: Crown Proceedings Act 1947, Liability in Delict and Contract, Remedies, Crown Privilege and Public Interest Immunity.
• Citizen and the State: Citizenship, Nationality, Immigration, Asylum, Deportation, Extradition, European Arrest Warrants, freedom of information.
• Human Rights and Civil Liberties: ECHR, Human Rights Act 1998, Commission for Equality and Human Rights, Police powers, Public order, State security and Official Secrets, Anti-terrorism measures. Privacy and data protection.

Brief description

This module introduces students to key issues and debates in the history and development of contemporary policing in the UK.

Indicative content

• History of the Police: 'Policing before the police'; from 'Peelers' to 'crime fighters' to 'risk managers' to 'knowledge workers'; models of policing.
• Policing structures and systems: What do policing structures look like? How is the service organised? Hierarchies; police powers, police cultures; policing and the media, myth and reality.
• Police operations: Introducing, analysing and investigating crime; policing styles revisited; crime reduction and/or community safety; responding to terrorism; organised crime.
• Key debates in contemporary policing: Governance; accountability; ethics; performance management; policing 'futures'; surveillance.

Year 2 Microcredentials

If you are a Direct Entrant (new student) to this year of study and have not previously taken module ABE101, then you MUST take ABE201 as part of your Microcredential selection. If you have previously taken ABE101 then you are NOT permitted to take ABE201.

Please choose a total of TWENTY credits of microcredential (ABE) modules.

Brief description

Throughout the microcredential you will become familiar with university systems (including the virtual learning environment), consider what attributes make a successful student and develop key successful student habits.

Indicative content

• Navigating Abertay Systems: Be introduced to and understand how to engage with Abertay systems and tools such as MyLearningSpace, MS Teams, OASIS, MyAbertay etc.
• Expectations of University and You: Explore your own and the universities expectations of you and of the university; Consider the code of conduct; independent learning; blended learning; how university is structured; health and safety; and the Abertay attributes.
• Understanding and Searching Information: How scholarly information is generated and disseminated, key characteristics of different information types. Planning, using, and refining appropriate search strategies; online search tools; using a range of web and database search functionality. 
• Successful Student Behaviours: Develop strategies to key successful student behaviours including Defeating Procrastination, Time Management, Notetaking and preparing for classes, Growth Mindset, Accessing student support and opportunities.
• Referencing: Understand what is meant by academic integrity, plagiarism, and the need for appropriate referencing; creating reference lists and in-text citations; use of referencing tools to manage information.
• Sounding Academic: Explore what lecturers mean by “academic style” and “the right language”; Understand what is meant by and how to learn the rules of academic writing characteristics. Consider how this differs between college and university; Learn how to paraphrase. Explore how assessments, marking and feedback works at university.
• Evaluating Information: Using appropriate quality criteria to critically evaluate information from any source to determine authority and bias.

Brief description

This microcredential provides you with the space and time to develop your skills in designing, planning, delivering, and showcasing an artefact responding to the societal issue. The microcredential is flexible and you will have a choice of what and how you create your response.

Indicative content

• The Big Issue: You will be introduced to the big society issue that will be the focus of your artefact response. Learning materials available will help you consider your response to the challenge.
• Developing Ideas: You will think creatively as to how you will respond to the big issue. You will consider your intended artefact aims, outcomes and target audience. 
• Responding to the Challenge: Resources and guidance will be available as you respond to the challenge and create your artefact.
• Preparing for the Showcase: Guidance will be available on how best to showcase your artefact for the assessment. You will develop your presentation skills to support you in showcasing the artefact. 
• Showcase Event: You will attend a showcase event and present your artefact.

Brief description

You will discuss a range of anti-racist approaches and how they apply within the context of professional communications. You will examine case studies and scenarios to identify the nature of bias in society explore ways to be anti-racist especially in professional communications.

Indicative content

• Racial Bias in Society: Using case studies and scenarios to discuss various forms of racism in society, you will explore the need for anti-racist practice in professional communications. 
• Classification of Anti-Racist Practice: This section compares different anti-racists approaches applied across several contexts. You will discuss the challenges and benefits of each approach. You will identify barriers to implementation of anti-racist practice.
• Discuss Anti-Racist Approaches for Successful Professional Communications: You will be introduced to various communications frameworks (e.g. the humanity-centric framework) and will explore scenarios for the application of these frameworks in a range of professional contexts.
• Embedding Anti-Racism in Digital and Social Media Communications: How can you discuss matters of race and anti-racism on digital and social media while maintaining a professional persona. We will examine cases for best practices and explore ways to avoid bigoted language in digital communications.

Brief description

In this module you will study two ways of analysing language: (i) a basic introduction to conversation analysis and discourse analysis as applied to ordinary talk/texting, and (ii) and introduction text mining, based on identifying patterns and developing insights from text-based data available on the Internet (e.g., social media data, online texts, online reviews etc).

Indicative content

• Conversation Analysis and Talk and Text as Action: A brief overview of the CA focus on language as action; an examination of how people talk in terms of questions, answers, invitations, excuses, justifications etc.; an examination of texting, emojis, misunderstandings.
• Text Mining: Introduction to text mining and its uses in a social sciences and business context; Online data sources; The text mining process: data collection, pre-processing and analysis; effectively communicating and visualising insights from textual data.

Brief description

By the end of this microcredential, you will be able to evaluate and select machine learning algorithms and AWS services to be appropriately applied to different business problems.

Indicative content

• Introduction to Machine Learning: What is ML? ML process, business problem solved with ML, ML tools, Amazon SageMaker, ML challenges, supervised learning (regression, classification), unsupervised learning (clustering, dimensionality reduction), reinforcement learning, etc.
• Implementing a ML pipeline using Amazon Sage Maker: Formulating ML problems, collecting and securing data, extracting, transferring and loading data, evaluating your data, finding corelation, feature engineering, data cleaning, dealing with outliers, training, deployment, performance evaluation, hyperparameters and model tuning.
• Forecasting: Time series analysis, Amazon Forecast, Implementing a forecast model, Stock Predictions.
• Computer Vision: Facial Recognition, Image and Video Analysis, Dataset Preparation.
• Natural Language Processing: Amazon Comprehend, Polly, Translate, and Lex, Creating a chatbot, Alexa, etc.

Brief description

This online module will support you to get familiar with sustainability and introduce you to tools that can help you to understand and reduce your climate impact. By increasing your sustainability self-awareness, you will be able to make a positive difference in your own life, and in the organisations and communities around you.

Indicative content

• What is sustainability and how is it linked to Climate Change?: We define sustainability, enhancing understanding of the links between society, economy, and environment. Climate change is explained and linked to sustainability. We provide clear accessible information about the reliable science of climate change. We describe the need efforts towards limiting human-induced global warming (limiting cumulative CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions). 
• Global Sustainability: We introduce the United Nations Sustainability Goals (SDGs). The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. 
• Personal Sustainability: The WWF environmental footprint tool is a great way to start your personal sustainability journey. The planet is in crisis - from climate change to the pollution in our oceans and devastation of our forests. It's up to all of us to fix it. Take your first step with our environmental footprint calculator. 
• Community Sustainability and Climate Resilience: Community climate resilience comes in many forms. In this topic we introduce ideas which can provide multiple benefits of people, planet, and prosperity. We showcase inspiring examples whereby working with natural processes (Biophilic design, blue and green infrastructure) we can connect people with nature to improve their well-being and quality of life, whilst simultaneously tackling climate change and storing carbon.
• Global Solutions: What is the world doing about it? What impact do Global Climate and Biodiversity agreements (COP26 etc) really have? What’s happening here? Where are the challenges and the good news stories? We showcase positive initiatives focussed on progress.

Brief description

By the end of the module, you will know more about key aspects of nutrition and health and be better equipped to identify and tackle the barriers that prevent you from eating well.

Indicative content

• Healthy eating on a budget: This topic will show you that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive! You will be given basic nutritional knowledge, as well as skills and practical tips to be able to eat a healthy diet on a budget. You will then be able to develop your own menu and share it with your peers, so you learn from us as well as from each other.
• Prebiotics, probiotics and health: You will learn about the importance of our microbiota on health, and how what we eat can modulate it. You will be provided with cooking tips and will be able to develop your own fermented foods for better gut health.
• Fat or sugar, which is worse?: You may have heard that fats are bad for our health, or perhaps you have heard it is all about the sugars? You will learn about the role of both sugars and fats in our diet; what makes them good or bad for health and the science behind it. You will be given the tools to assess your own sugar and fat intake as well as tips to implement the changes you need to eat better. 
• The British diet vs Mediterranean diet: What is a Mediterranean diet and what are its real benefits? Is it just a diet or a pattern? Can we get the same benefits as those living in Mediterranean countries? In this topic, you will explore how feasible it is for us to adopt the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, considering the seasonality of ingredients as well as sustainability. 
• What drives our food choices?: How healthy do you think your diet is? Do you find it easy to eat well? With this topic you will become more aware of our obesogenic environment, of how the food industry talks to us, and how the media report nutritional claims. You will learn to look more closely and more critically at your environment, so you can make healthier decisions.

Brief description

This microcredential will help you to refine your current writing skills through the analysis and discussion of a range of texts and exercises, enabling you to then apply these techniques to assignments for your other modules.

Indicative content

• Speaking the language: How to develop your academic and professional vocabulary: understanding the genre; understanding your reader’s expectations.
• Meeting expectations: Why different assignments have different requirements: decoding instructions; selecting appropriate writing techniques.
• Tightening up the nuts and bolts: How to improve your writing accuracy: reviewing key grammar and punctuation issues; improving your editing and proofreading.
• Standing on the shoulders of giants: How to borrow from the greats: reviewing the principles of citing sources; using writing techniques to incorporate research into writing.

Brief description

This module will help you develop a better understanding of the difference between media reporting and scientific evaluation. It will equip you with the skills to look beyond sensational stories related to human behaviour and dig deeper into a topic area to validate the evidence.

Indicative content

• Paranormal Beliefs and Experiences: Is Extrasensory Perception Real? Is there really evidence that we can predict the future?
• Myths about the Brain: Can repressed memories be recovered in therapy? How easily are false memories created? What are the implications for the justice system? 
• Myths about our Mind and Body: Is the key to success in everyday life simply a case of posing like a powerful superhero? 
• Myths about Language: Does being bilingual make you smarter and keep your brain younger? Are bilingual people less likely to get dementia as a result of this lifelong brain training?

Brief description

Through this microcredential you will gain an insight into what the world of work may look like in the (near) future. This includes developing a knowledge of how the economy and labour market evolves and why individual skills-sets and employability are so important and intrinsically linked to this process.

Indicative content

• The future of work: What will the future of work look like? What is used to predict how the world or work will change? Can the future of the economy and of work be accurately predicted? 
• Key factors that influence change: Identifying some of the key factors that influence how the world of work and our economy evolves and changes.
• The key role of skills and personal employability: The emergence and decline of skills: skills are fundamental to the economy (and graduate employers). What skills will be most in demand and/or be most valuable to our economy in future and why? Understand the importance of skills to the economy (and to graduate employers) at both the macro and micro level. Know what specific new skills are emerging and becoming more valuable and sought after, (as others are in decline) for our modern economy and graduate labour market. 
• Labour market information - what is it for?: Labour market Information is hugely important to our understanding of our economy at any given time: and also, in looking at the present and past to help predict future growth, opportunities, shortages and skills gaps. Recognise the importance of key Labour Market Information (LMI). Have the ability to source and use key Labour Market Information (LMI). Understand how to use accurate Labour Market Information as a tool to help their own personal development and future career planning. 
• What now?: Some help and steer – suggestions to you may wish to use your new knowledge and insight to help with your own career aspirations, planning and personal/professional development while at university.

Brief description

Some businesses have the sole focus of making money whereas others exist to also make a difference. Social enterprises are becoming more popular, and recognisable, and are making an impact across the world. From supporting the homeless, to giving waste products a second life, social enterprises are fighting for various causes. 

Indicative content

• What is a social enterprise and how does it function?: What the definition of a social enterprise is with examples from different sectors.
• How do social enterprises identify problems to tackle?: How social enterprises decide on what they will tackle and how they will do it. 
• How do you gather evidence that there is a problem requiring a solution?: Way in which you can gather evidence and data to validate the idea for a social enterprise. Determining needs and wants within a category. 
• How to identify skills and knowledge gaps: Understanding the skillsets within a founding team to fulfil the tasks required to start a social enterprise. 
• How to understand the problem you are trying to solve: Knowing the problem, you are trying to solve and how this effects the target customers the social enterprise is aimed at. Looking at the issues in a customer-focussed way. 
• How to develop a social impact plan: What is involved in a social impact plan and how to put one together. 

Brief description

This module will introduce you to the study of AI and Society. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies and concepts and can be understood as using computers and software to denote problem-solving capacities and knowledge acquisition (intelligence) which otherwise we believe only belongs to natural beings such as humans.

Indicative content

• Introduction to the core concepts: A brief introduction to the concepts of “artificial”, “intelligence” and “society”. 
• Introduction to the problem of AI and Society: A discussion of where the problem of the impact of AI on Society comes from, presentation of some of the original debates and examples.
• Contemporary debates: A discussion of the contemporary debates about the impact of AI on Society, with examples.

Brief description

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how has it shaped our past and present? These are questions we will explore on a guided tour of AI from the past to the present and the future. You will develop a better understanding of what AI is and isn’t.

Indicative content

• Historical AI: Tracing the historical development of “traditional” AI systems including aircraft autopilots, expert systems, and accounting/financial software.
• Current AI: Covering the contemporary generation of AI technologies in areas such as speech recognition (e.g., Alexa, Siri) and recommendation systems (e.g., Amazon, YouTube). Examples will be drawn from Health, Sport, Games, Engineering, Business, Law and Computing. 
• Future AI: Exploring the limitations of today’s AI when it comes to general intelligence and contextual adaptation. Examples will be drawn from Health, Sport, Games, Engineering, Business, Law and Computing.
• My AI: How AI will impact your future, and how you can use AI to help you achieve your career goals.  Reflection on how AI may inform your subject area going forward.

Brief description

This microcredential is aimed at you, if you have an interest in technology but are not experts. The microcredential will develop your digital safety and how to stay safe online.

Indicative content

• Threat Landscape: Cyberattacks and online threats. System vulnerabilities. Social Engineering. Rights and computer laws.
• Authentication: Password security. Biometrics. MFA and Password managers. Good practices for authentication.
• Secure Communication: Web browser security. Certificates and trust. Effective encryption. Secure communication methods.
• Personal Information Privacy: Information leakage. Personal information privacy and open-source intelligence. Device encryption and security. Security mindfulness.
• Malware: Types of malware. Identifying malicious software. Malware propagation techniques. Malware removal and preventative measures.

Brief description

This microcredential will help you to develop and build your own confidence in applying numeracy skills in real world situations.

Indicative content

• What is my GPA and how likely am I to get a First? (BASIC NUMERACY): Calculation and manipulation of data using Percentages, Indices (Powers), Roots, Probability, and simple equations. 
• The power of prediction (GRAPHS): Straight line graphs, Gradients, Equations of a straight line, Intercepts. Drawing graphs - Linear equations, Distances between points. Simultaneous linear equations.  
• Love a good puzzle (ALGEBRA): Changing subject of formulae. Factorisation - common factors, Difference of two squares, Trinomials. Solving simultaneous equations by Substitution and Elimination.
• Advanced power of prediction (FUNCTIONS): Introduction to functions – Linear and Quadratic and solving quadratic equations. Factorising Quadratic equations.
• Love a good triangle (TRIGONOMETRY): Trignometric functions - Sine, cosine and tangent. Trignometric formulae.

Brief description

In this microcredential, you will learn more about how digital media production professionals in the UK and China are working together to reduce barriers and identify new opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Indicative content

• History and future of videogames in China: Focussing on the videogame sector as a case study of Chinese digital creative industries, how has the videogames market and industry developed in China, how is the Chinese videogames economy currently constituted, and what does the future hold?
• Consumer trends and audience preferences: What is popular with audiences in China? What can we note about preferences in terms of narrative content, aesthetics, play styles etc. when compared with other markets?
• Policy and regulation: What unique regulations or limitations are imposed on digital media within China, and what similarities are there with other national and transnational regulations? How is creative content development and publishing shaped by policy in China? What social and ethical challenges are presented by regulation, in China as well as in the UK?
• Transnational working and co-production: How is digital creative content conceived, developed, and released by professionals working across borders? What are the challenges for small and independent creative studios, compared with multi-nationals with studios based in and outside China?
• Publishing in China: How do digital media content like videogames make it to market in China? What processes and requirements must creative businesses be aware of, and how do developers find, connect to, and work with Chinese publishers? How to consumers in China access content, including on grey markets?
• Challenges and success: Hear from UK and Chinese professionals on the China market, co-operation, the hurdles they cleared, and how they found success.

Brief description

Increasingly, the role of creativity in supporting and maintaining wellbeing is being researched and celebrated. This module will introduce you to the current theory in this area, as well as a range of creative resources shown to be helpful for both self-care and the support of others.

Indicative content

• Why does creativity matter?: An introduction to why creativity matters when it comes to mental health.
• Your brain on words: The place of stories in their various forms as a resource for wellbeing.
• Engaging the senses: The potential of tools such as music and art for self-care.

Year 3 Core Modules

You must study and pass all four core modules

Brief description

The theories and concepts which underpin law, with further detailed consideration of human rights law.

Indicative content

• Fundamental Legal Concepts: Law, the State and the individual; law and other disciplines; the role of lawyers, rule of law, the interests of justice arguments v consumerism; concepts of rights and justice.
• Development of the Western Legal Tradition: Global legal systems; the Western Legal Tradition; natural law theories the Utilitarians; Kant; Marx.
• Legal Theories of the 20th Century: Legal theories of the 20th century: American realism; legal positivism; liberalism; neo-Marxism; legal sociology; critical legal theory, feminism and race; post-modernism.
• Human Rights: UN Human Rights instruments; The European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; The Scotland Act 1998; The Human Rights Act 1998; the impact of human rights law in Scotland and the UK.

Brief description

The principal concepts of property, particularly in relation to rights and duties to land, in Scots law.

Indicative content

• The nature of property and ownership: Classifications of property. The nature of property and ownership; real and personal rights. Corporeal and incorporeal rights, such as intellectual property. Acquisition of title; rights in security. Hohfeld and the nature of rights. The feudal system of land ownership and its abolition; real rights in land. Separate tenements in the land; Regalia; water rights; mineral rights. Fixtures.
• Real burdens and title conditions: Real burdens and servitudes, title and interest to enforce. The Title Conditions (S) Act 2003. Variation, discharge and extinction.
• Law of the Tenement: Common law; Tenements (S) Act.
• Registration of Title: The processes and effects of Land Registration. e-conveyancing. The form of the registers and the purposes and processes of searching. Inhibitions and Land Attachment.
• Contracts for Sale and purchase of Heritage: Common law requirements and typical clauses found in modern missives and their effects. The Scottish Standard Clauses.
• Dispositions and standard securities: The form and content of the disposition and the standard security and the significance and effect of the clauses therein, including implied clauses.
• Leases: Real rights in a lease; constitution of lease, obligations of parties; rent; Termination: irritancy, removing, ejection, recovery of possession. Commercial leases. Statutory tenancies.

Brief description

The legal rules governing the relevance, admissibility and sufficiency of evidence in civil and criminal proceedings in the courts of law in Scotland.

Indicative content

• Basic concepts: Purpose, Relevance, admissibility, weight and sufficiency of evidence. Burdens and standards of proof, human rights issues.
• Requirements for proof: Presumptions, judicial knowledge, judicial admissions.
• Types of evidence: Oral, documentary, real evidence, direct and circumstantial, primary and secondary evidence, the best evidence rule.
• Corroboration: The common law in civil and criminal proceedings, The Moorov doctrine; admissions and confessions, corroboration by distress, dock and other identification, the Civil Evidence (Scotland) Act 1988.
• Privilege and immunity: Self-incrimination, Professional privilege; public interest immunity; confidentiality; without prejudice letters; witnesses and communications.
• Competence and compellability of witnesses, character: Parties, accused, spouses, co-accused, children, vulnerable witnesses; persons of diminished physical/mental capacity. Accused persons, witnesses; similar fact evidence; Previous convictions, prior history and character.
• Recovery and Preservation of Evidence: Improperly obtained evidence, warrants, urgency, searches, covert operations. Ss 13-20A Criminal Procedure (S) Act 1995 - police powers.
• The Hearsay rule and exceptions: Civil and criminal rules, the Civil Evidence (Scotland) Act 1988, ss 259-262 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995; res gestae and de recenti statements.
• Opinion + Expert Evidence/Evidence at the Trial or Proof: Expert and Opinion evidence Conduct of inquiry (examination in chief, cross-examination and re- examination), children and vulnerable witnesses.

Brief description

The legal framework business organisations operate within and the principles of Scots commercial and corporate law.

Indicative content

• The Law of Partnership: Definition, relationship between partners and between partners and third parties, limited partners, limited liability partnerships.
• Incorporation: Organisation of business in the UK, registration, promoters, separate legal personality, piercing the veil, minority protection.
• Company Officers: Directors, role, and duties; auditors, role and duties; company secretary, role and duties.
• Shares and share capital: Allotment and transfer of shares; maintenance of capital; repurchase and reduction of shares, dividends.
• Unfair prejudice and derivative proceedings: Shareholders’ rights in the face of unfairly prejudicial conduct; shareholders’ rights against directors.
• Insider dealing, meetings: Insider dealing and its prevention; market abuse. Shareholder democracy and decision-making.
• Corporate insolvency: Receiverships, administration orders, liquidation and company voluntary arrangements.

Brief description

The prison system, the experience of imprisonment and penal policy and practice in the UK. Learn about developments in penal policy and practice, the lived experience of imprisonment and consider alternatives to imprisonment.

Indicative content

• Contemporary developments in penal theory, policy and practice: Penal institutions in contemporary society. The crises of legitimacy in penal institutions. Reorganisation and reform. Privatisation of the prison system.
• Prison life the reality: ‘Doing time’ the actuality of prison life, the ‘total institution’? Strategies for survival, regime activities, ‘banged up’ prisoners, prison staff and civilian staff. Dealing with social exclusion. The diversity of the prison population. Stratification and power within prisons.
• Alternatives to imprisonment the way forward?: Reducing risk or protecting the public? Reducing fear of crime? Human or humane containment and warehousing. Therapeutic prisons. Electronic tagging, community service orders, mediation/reparation.
• Attitudes to imprisonment: Why do we have prisons? Why are they at the centre of penal policy? Are they culturally ‘acceptable’? Abolitionism.
• Foreign nationals: Detention centres; foreign national prisoners and race relations in prisons; are immigration detention centres new types of penal establishments; critical issues surrounding foreign national prisoners in the UK.

Brief description

This module addresses the emergence and development of key criminological perspectives of continuing relevance for the understanding of crime and processes of criminalization.

Indicative content

• Modernity and socio-cultural formation: Functionalism and strain, the Chicago School and subcultural theory, theories of social disorganization.
• Interaction and structure: Labelling and interactionism, Marxist and radical perspectives, left realism.
• Criminological pessimism and pragmatism: Right realism, rational actor perspectives and situational crime prevention.
• Late modernity and reflexivity: Cultural criminology and green criminology.

Year 3 Option Modules

Please choose TWO option modules in term 1, with a MAXIMUM of ONE NON-LAW OPTION.

Brief description

Undertake a piece of independent legal research into an appropriate area, chosen by you and approved by your supervisors. Develop your skills in communication, problem solving, research, ICT, planning and professionalism that helps prepare you for your honours dissertation in fourth year.

Indicative content

• Research led study: This module enables students to develop research skills and to acquire a deep understanding of an area of law chosen in conjunction with the module tutor.
• Method of support and guidance: Students will build on previous research skills developed as part of coursework writing in the first and second year of study. Supervision of the project will take place through regular face-to-face meetings.
• Critical thinking and evaluation: Students will be expected to form a thorough understanding of the area of research and to demonstrate further progress in higher level skills of analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

Brief description

Public International Law is the body of rules and principles which are binding upon states (and certain other entities) in their relations with one another. Public International Law is sometimes called the "law of nations" or just simply International Law.

Indicative content

• Introduction: Public international law as a discipline in the context of the relationship between states and other entities. The underpinnings of public international law as a discipline distinct from municipal (national) law and private international law.
• Substantive Issues: Issues that are included are the historical development and theory of international law; the relationship between municipal law and international law; sources of pubic international law; states as subjects of international law; territory; the use of force in international law; state responsibility; self-contained legal regimes; the settlement of international disputes.

Brief description

The individual contract of employment at common law and under statute and the regulation which applies to that contract.

Indicative content

• Formation of the contract of employment: Definition; form; jurisdiction and choice of law, continuous employment; fixed-term, retiring age.
• Administration of employment law: The Tribunals system; the Department for Business Innovation and Skills and other agencies active in this field e.g. ACAS, Equality and Human Rights Commission.
• Terms of the contract: Minimum statutory requirements; express, implied, custom, collective agreements. Terms imposed by the common law and modified by statute. Employment protection provided by statute: e.g. suspension from work; family friendly working rights; pay; insolvency of employer.
• Discrimination in employment: General; Equality Act 2010 and protected characteristics of gender reassignment, race, disability, age, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, and marriage and civil partnership; equal pay.
• Discipline and grievance: Works’ rules and procedures; ACAS recommended practice.
• Transfer of a business: UK implementation of EU Directives; rights of transferred employees.
• Termination of the contract of employment: Notice; dismissal: wrongful, unfair; redundancy; remedies.

Brief description

The societal and political pressures organisations face to rapidly reach achieve zero carbon emissions. Develop the skills needed to evaluate an organisation's current environmental impact and create and implement a new strategy to reduce this impact. 

Indicative content

• Environmental stewardship: Examine why environmental stewardship is important for any business to pursue, and why that importance will likely grow stronger in the future.
• Evaluating impact: Methods for evaluating an organisations current environmental impact
• Implementing your vision: Defining initiatives that fill gaps between the current state and the future vision and constructing a roadmap for achieving the vision.
• Managing change: To introduce and explain business process transformation methodologies, with supporting technology and tools, that focus on increasing operational efficiency and reducing waste. E.g. IBM’s Green Sigma methodology.
• Frameworks for going green: Frameworks for developing and implementing a green strategy, and illustrate the benefits many organisations have realised in each strategic area.

Brief description

This module will examine the history of race and racism in 19th, 20th and 21st century Britain, from the 'Scramble for Africa' through the postwar/post-colonial period to the present. It will examine the various forces, processes and discourses through which race, ethnicity and the racialised subject have been constructed, shaped and changed. It will also examine theoretical approaches to and debates about race and ethnicity, racism, race relations and anti-racism, and how these have developed in response to both historical developments and social-political activism.

Indicative content

• The Concept and Construction of Race and Ethnicity: This section will look at the concept and construction of race and ethnicity, and the production of racial knowledge from the colonial period to the present.
• Race, Ethnicity and Nation: This section will examine the (re)construction and relationship between race, ethnicity and nation in Britain in light of postwar/ post-colonial immigration and the end of empire.
• Race, Ethnicity and Identity: This section will examine the the politics, construction and expression of racial and ethnic identities in post-colonial Britain in response to colonialism, migration, discrimination and racism.
• Race and Class: This section will examine the relationship between race and class as sites of social-political identification, power, inequality, political struggle and analysis, as well as debates over which is the most effective framework for analysis and activism.
• Race and Gender: This section will examine the relationship between race and gender as sites of social-political identification, power, inequality, political struggle and analysis, as well as debates over which is the most effective framework for analysis and activism.
• Race, Crime, Civil Unrest and Political Protest: This section will examine the relationship (within analysis and representation) between race, the law, crime, civil unrest and political protest against socioeconomic conditions, policing and state policy.
• Anti-Racism, Race Relations and Multiculturalism: This section will examine the history and development of anti-racist and race relations discourses, activism, strategies and legislation, how they have attempted to combat forms of racism, discrimination and inequality, and debates surrounding them.
• Race, Ethnicity and the Politics of Popular Culture: This section will examine popular culture (e.g. music, film or television) in terms of postcolonial cultural politics, multiculturalism, representation, identity and political activism.

Year 4 Core Modules

Brief description

Undertake a substantial written piece of in-depth legal research (10,000 words). Demonstrate good research skills in law and presentation skills, analysis and synthesis of ideas.

Indicative content

• Research led study: The project is a major piece of research in which you use their prior learning in law, supplemented with project-related studies, to analyse an appropriate legal problem and produce a written dissertation. The final dissertation is approximately 10,000 words in length.
• Knowledge and skills: The preparation of the dissertation involves in the first instance, the demonstration of existing knowledge and skills.
• Critical thinking and evaluation: It also requires the higher order skills of analysis, evaluation and critical judgement. An important part of the project is the requirement for you to demonstrate your ability to locate and interpret sources of law.

Year 4 Option Modules

Please choose TWO option modules in term 1 and TWO option modules in term 2.

Brief description

This module examines the principles of Intellectual Property law, looking at key substantive domains such as copyright, patents and trademarks in a critical way.

Indicative content

• Introduction: The origin and rationales of IP law in the UK.
• Copyright: Origins. The statutory framework of Copyright in the UK. The legislative and judicial rationales. The impact of the EU and International Treaties. Copyright in the context of IT applications. Competing paradigms of regulation of copyright. Potential futures. The critical commentaries.
• Patents: Origins. The statutory framework in the UK. Patents in the context of IT applications. The judicial experience. The EU patent. The European Patent Convention. Challenges to the current patent regime.
• Trade Marks: Origins. The statutory framework in the UK and the impact of EU law. Trade marks in the context of IT applications. The relationship between trade marks and the law of passing off.
• Design Law: Origins, rationale in the UK and EU. The statutory framework. The relationship between design law and copyright.
• Misuse of Private Information;Confidential Information: Origins, rationale in the UK .The impact of the Humans Rights Act 1998 and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Development of the common law protection in the UK. Proposal for a Directive on trade secrets and confidential business information 2013/0402 (COD).

Brief description

This module looks at the EU policy areas of Security & Justice and Home Affairs, as it affects EU states and its external relations with third states. Assessment is by way of a coursework and an exam.

Indicative content

• Introduction: The Treaty on European Union, The Lisbon Treaty, relevant EU Programmes, EU security & JHA institutional structure and legal tools.
• The EU's ability to act externally: The EU's bi-lateral and multi-lateral policy legal framework.
• EU Security Policy: Case law, European Security and Defence Identity, NATO, Petersburg Tasks.
• EU JHA networks and agencies: Europol, Eurojust, Schengen.
• Analysis of JHA policy areas: Drug trafficking & manufacture, trafficking in human beings, counter terrorism.

Brief description

Key issues and debates in policing and criminal justice matters for the 21st century. Emerging police issues, contemporary research in tackling gangs and violence, both in US and UK, eco-crime, policing borders and immigration and state crime.

Module content:

• Gang research: What are the issues regarding contemporary research into gangs and violence both in US and UK?
• Policing gangs: What are the key and emerging tactics that have been developed to deal with gangs and violence over time?
• Eco crime: Emerging trends in criminology, including eco-crime or environmental crime.
• Policing borders: How do we deal with cross border issues in policing in a modern and cultural world?
• Policing immigration: How do we deal with immigration? Is it a crime or a humanitarian problem?
• State crime: How do we tackle state and corporate crime?

Brief description

This module provides you with a vehicle for understanding the language of crime through conversation analysis, discourse analysis and Wittgensteinian arguments about the public nature of language use, for example, with respect to the understanding of insults and bullying. The module therefore considers, philosophical issues, contemporary studies, debates and critiques in relation to crime and other issues.

Indicative content

• Conversation Analysis: This aspect of the module considers the roots of conversation analysis in ethnomethodology and the study of social order at the local level. The nature of the conversation analytic approach is examined alongside in terms of classic and contemporary studies. Studies examined include topics such as police interrogations, counsel and witness courtroom interaction, sexual consent and refusals.
• Discourse Analysis: This aspect of the module considers the different approaches to discourse analysis: from conversation analytic to critical approaches. The nature of these are explored through contemporary studies including topics such as: criminal speech acts such as conspiracy, threats, solicitation, swearing and offensive language; police talk about trauma; youth crime in the media; constructing the legitimacy of whistleblowers; phishing emails; the reporting of intimate partner violence.
• Wittgenstein and Ordinary Language Philosophy: This aspect of the module considers the resurgence of interest in Wittgenstein's approach to language use. The focus here is on the his reference to language games and includes consideration of topics such as the law and vagueness; the problem of abusive language, the conceptual instability of consent.

Brief description

This module provides you with a critical analysis of the socio-ideological discourses contained in popular cultural narratives that deal with crime, justice, punishment and morality.

Indicative content

• Morbid Fascination: The social world, crime and culture.
• Popular Culture and Ideologies of Crime: The criminal body to the social body in accounts of crime.
• The emergence of the detective: Modernity and the rise of the detective, from the science of deduction to the hard-boiled tradition and beyond.
• Crime and the City: The construction of the city as criminogenic; surveillance and danger.
• Punishment, Order and Justice: Law versus order, retribution and justice.
• Moral Orders: The criminal as an ambivalent figure, serial killers and modernity.

Brief description

You will examine the main concepts, approaches and tools of strategic management in the contemporary business environment.

Indicative content

• Introduction to strategic management: What is strategy; strategic analysis; classical and emergent schools; strategic thinking; levels of strategy.
• Strategy context - Competitive advantage of a firm: Defining the business environment. Industry analysis: turbulences and dynamics. Porter's five forces; new dynamics in the 21st century.
• Business level strategy: Sources of competitive advantage: Competitive stance, business level strategy, corporate level strategy; generic strategies; hybrid strategy; value chains.
• Beyond competition: The nature of competition; co-operation; co-opetition; strategic alliances and joint ventures; mergers and acquisitions.
• Strategy in the public sector: Public-private partnership as strategic tool of public sector management.

Brief description

You will gain practical experience of work in a legal or quasi-legal environment. Students who undertook a work placement in stage 3 (LAW340) are not eligible to take this module.

Indicative content

• Preparation for Placement: You will meet the placement tutors to be briefed on the requirements of and arrangements for placement, including expectations, university and placement provider; discussion of key professional conduct issues for example, Confidentiality and Data Protection. Personal Development Planning. You will require to prepare a CV and attend an interview to secure a placement. You will complete a SWOT analysis before attending the placement as part of your personal development planning.
• Placement Learning: You will undertake a supervised work placement on one day each week for 10 weeks in implementation of an agreed work plan.
• Monitoring of Placement: One scheduled visit or virtual meeting between the parties will take place during the placement to ensure satisfactory progress is being made. Non-scheduled contact will also be maintained with you by email, drop in sessions. Formative feedback will be given by the tutor on three draft workbook submissions.
• Placement Debriefing: A structured debriefing session will be attended to share, reflect on and discuss your xperience during the work placement. You will update your CV and SWOT analysis as part of your reflection.
• Mock Competence Based Interview: You will evidence skills, competences and behaviours gained by undertaking a placement via a mock competence based interview.