Human Rights and the Environment

The dissertation is an independent, in-depth inquiry into a research topic of your choosing. The topic will relate to a key legal question or issue and may also directly relate to your professional/career interests.

You will:

• Identify and define a discrete research topic in Law
• Complete and submit a Dissertation Proposal Form, signed by your supervisor
• Carry out a literature review of the relevant field, incorporating a comprehensive range of relevant legal materials
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the selected legal issues through independent research
• Construct and sustain a cohesive argument within your writing
• Outline the implications of your findings and how they may inform further research, policy or practice

This is your opportunity to make a contribution to the legal and academic community with new and original research and writing on a legal issue.

The dissertation is a compulsory component with a 15,000-word limit.

Please note: topics can only be approved if the University has sufficient sources for the research and the necessary staff expertise for supervision.

How have the principles of environmental law developed? How effective is the environmental law of England and Wales?

Law students and students from Lancaster Environment Centre study side by side on this module. This presents you with a rare interdisciplinary opportunity to share ideas and perspectives between lawyers and scientists. Together, we will explore the sources, principles and effectiveness of environmental law in England and Wales.

Within your studies you will investigate the efficacy and effect of environmental law. Topics analysed include: water pollution, the history of environmental law, green criminology and the protection of the countryside. The module then builds upon this critical analysis to explain how the aqueous, atmospheric and terraneous environments are protected by law.

Environmental law is typically taught by research-active academics who will introduce you to their research into green criminology, access to the countryside, market mechanisms and environmental protection. This research often informs their teaching and you can choose an essay based on these topics or develop your own question with the support of our lecturers.

Our world is facing an ever-increasing number of global environmental challenges. This engaging module examines the international legal response to those challenges.

We will delve into the socio-economic, political and scientific implications of environmental problems. As we do so, we will assess the impact of those implications on law and policy-making.

The module focuses on a number of contemporary environmental problems: climate change, marine pollution, the protection of international watercourses, fisheries and biodiversity, and the relationship between trade and the environment. You will assess the strengths and inadequacies of the law in regulating each of these issues.

We also typically cover topics such as:

• fundamental concepts and principles of international environmental law
• sustainable development and the precautionary principle
• how international environmental law operates (law-making, environmental governance and institutional structure)
• compliance with environmental rules and standards

You will be taught by academics in the field many of whom are active researchers. Typically, research within the teaching team informs this module.

How do international laws protect, govern and shape your human rights?

This module provides an overview of the various rights that are protected through international instruments: civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.

You will also be given a general introduction to regional and universal systems for human rights protection and promotion. This will focus on the UN human rights system but you will be encouraged to take a comparative view of regional human rights protection systems.

You will have the opportunity to gain a substantive and procedural knowledge of human rights through the international system. And you’ll engage with some key debates in this legal arena, such as the development of human rights and the human rights obligations of non-state actors.

To get the most from this module, you will have some knowledge of general international law and have a law or social science background.

Our Law School is home to research-active academics, you will have the chance to benefit from some of their expertise as many teach on areas closely aligned with their own research interests.

The aim of this module is to provide students with a theoretical foundation for the study of development and the environment from a geographical perspective. Students will focus on understanding the ways in which scholars have brought together development theory alongside the analysis of nature-society relations in the developing world.

This module provides students with a critical understanding of the evolution of contemporary development discourses and new ways of thinking about the relationship between environment and development. Key topics of discussion include theories of development, indigenous knowledge and development, biotechnology and food security, and the political economy of natural resources.

Ultimately, this module will enhance student’s academic skills to develop reasoned arguments through the analysis, interpretation and critical appraisal of complex evidence, with a module designed to deepen student’s understanding between theory and practice.

This module is an essential element in developing skills and understanding of research and writing methods at an advanced level. You will have the opportunity to develop understanding and insights into how to carry out good academic work, what characterises ethical research, how to be conscientious about research methods, and how choices of methods will impact on their research and outcomes. You will also have the chance to address how to design research projects, approach research and writing in an analytical and critical manner, and how to reference correctly. The module will include sessions on critical writing, and how to get one’s own voice through in the text. Typically, the final part of the module will be devoted to preparing you for the dissertation planning and writing.

The relationship between business activities and human rights problems have been on the human rights agenda for several decades. This module will be addressing this debate, and you will be able to study the various initiatives that have been taken internationally to hold business enterprises accountable for human rights abuses. The module will in particular address the development of a treaty on business and human rights under the auspices of the United Nations. The module is usually based on seminar/workshops and you will analyse real situations where corporations have impacted upon the human rights of individuals around the world. You will also have the opportunity to carry out a case-study as a basis for your coursework in the module.

This module will give students a grounding in the scientific process behind chemical risk analysis. The effect of chemicals in the environment will be observed and explained. Concepts such as dose-response relationships and observed-effect levels, as well as modes of entry and routes of exposure to humans, biota and the ecosystem as a whole, will be examined.

A large part of the module will be dedicated to understanding quantitative exposure assessment, which will include the introduction of fate modelling and the prediction of chemical concentrations in different environmental compartments. Students will also be familiarised with current assessment procedures for chemical registration and will partake in group practicals/workshops to understand the steps in chemical risk analysis. They will perform their own chemical risk assessment procedures, learn to use simulation models to predict outcomes, and will understand the role of risk assessment in decision making.

Please note, this is a core module for the Pollution pathway.

This module aims to explore and reconfigure the ways in which climate change is understood through a focus on the social, rather than the scientific-environmental discourses that have dominated the policy and politics of climate change. This module give you a wide-ranging and intensive introduction to the politics, cultures and theories of climate change research in the social sciences and humanities. You will be able to critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives on a range of climate change debates and present alternative arguments.

This module will introduce students to concepts and legal issues related to upholding sustainable development in the context of corporate governance. In addition to elements related to established concepts regarding the consideration of wider environmental and social considerations in business, such as corporate social responsibility and socially responsible investing, the module will consider theories and legal concepts related to corporate governance, and the means by which they reflect on promoting the facilitation of sustainable development. This includes, among others, the UNs Sustainable Development Goals, the EUs pledge to ensuring the internal market's sustainable development, and the regulation of corporate governance on non-financial issues in the UK.

This module helps you to develop a coherent international perspective on business law as it relates to, and affects, corporations. We use our globalised economy as the context for an in-depth study of corporate law.

You will be asked to consider the view that a national corporate is merely a service which international business can access if it suits their needs. And you will critically assess and discuss the pros and cons of this perspective.

As we continue to interrogate this line of thought, you will have the opportunity to examine the strengths and weaknesses of UK corporate law - taking a comparative view when measuring UK corporate law against international standards. Strong links to practitioners will inform our insights.

This module critically examines environmental justice as an agenda and discourse in environmental politics, activism and policy. It considers how the practices of environmental management have equity and justice implications for different groups in society (as for example geographically, socioeconomically, racially, culturally, demographically defined) and examines the research, policy debates and political action that have focused on questions of distributive, procedural, recognition and epistemic justice. The module is international in scope, considering experience in various parts of the world and environmental issues that operate across local to global scales. For those concerned with environmental management and governance, this module addresses issues that are becoming increasingly important to how environmental policy and decision-making is carried out.

The focus is to understand the component parts and the interdisciplinary basis of the global food system. To this end, students will examine challenges facing global agricultural production as a result of climate change. They will also gain an understanding of the shortage of key resources for food production and the subsequent issues that affect people’s access to food.

In addition to this, the module will demonstrate how basic plant physiology can inform both plant breeding and agronomy to increase the sustainability of agriculture. The factors impacting food safety and food quality (especially nutritive value) will also be explored.

Ultimately, students will develop a familiarity with several current/impending crises in global food security.

The aim of this module is to introduce the concept of the Earth system and how the different components (atmosphere, ocean, ice and ecosystems) all interact with each other to shape the Earth's climate and control how the climate might change. The module will cover issues related to recent climate change, including natural and human drivers of the change. It will introduce the computer models and global observation networks that scientists use to understand the Earth system. It will also discuss the role of atmospheric chemistry and climate in the Earth system, including issues related to air quality, greenhouse gases and aerosols.

Overall, this module aims to provide an introduction to the physical processes which influence global climate change, leading to a better understanding of Earth system science.

This module will enable you to develop your independent research skills in preparation for your dissertation module. It also provides you with the opportunity to study an area of law that is currently unavailable within our optional modules.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Identify and define a discrete research topic in Law
• Carry out a literature review of the relevant field, incorporating a comprehensive range of relevant legal materials
• Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the selected legal issues through independent research
• Construct and sustain a cohesive argument within your writing
• Outline the implications of your findings and how they may inform further research, policy or practice

This is your chance to make a contribution to the legal and academic community with new and original research and writing on a legal issue.

Typically the module structure includes a seminar on Research, Methodology and Writing, workshop sessions and meetings with your supervisor to track your progress and help you to set work plans.

We live in a world where an increasing amount of business is conducted across international borders. International Business Law and Institutions (WTO) considers the role of law, institutions, law makers and regulators in the international business environment.

In this module we will look at the international legal and institutional framework that regulates transnational business and you will analyse the nature of legal and regulatory arrangements, such as:

• national laws affecting international investment (and their regulation)
• forms of international law affecting transnational business (bilateral and multilateral treaties, codes of conduct, decisions of international organisations)
• the basic principles of GATT
• the structure and role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
• the interplay between the WTO and other areas of global regulation (health and environmental protection)
• product standards
• international aspects of intellectual property rights
• regulatory aspects of the internationalisation of services (especially financial)

A combination of independent reading and seminars with our research-active lawyers and academics will provide you with the opportunity to gain a sound grasp of this legal area.

What are the merits of international criminal justice? And what are the main challenges that present themselves in this area of law?

This module provides you with an opportunity to consider these key questions as you benefit from an introduction to substantive international criminal law.

You will explore the central theme of international crimes, deepening your understanding of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Within your analysis, you will address the role of international courts and tribunals, mixed and hybrid courts and tribunals, as well as developments in national courts.

This is your chance to critically engage with stimulating examples of prosecution and punishment, which are central to the subject of international criminal law. Your studies will be informed by the convenor’s cutting-edge research on transitional criminal justice and retrospective justice.

A combination of independent reading and regular seminars will provide you with a sound grasp of this fascinating legal discipline.

The rules, laws and customs that govern inter-state relationships come into sharp focus in this module. It provides you with a base from which you can further your study of specific areas of international law.

As we explore the essential elements of international law, and the way that they are used to shape the world in which we live, you will have the chance to gain an in-depth understanding of both theory and practice. You will be given ‘real’ examples of international law to critically assess, allowing you to identify its shortcomings and challenges.

We will cover fundamental principles and concepts of international law and some topical issues such as:

• the nature and sources of international law
• the relationship between international and national law
• statehood and self-determination
• jurisdiction
• immunities
• state responsibility
• dispute settlement
• use of force

Our Law School is home to research-active academics, you will have the chance to benefit from some of their expertise as many teach on areas closely aligned with their own research interests.

Terrorism continues to be one of the greatest global challenges we face in the pursuit of international peace, stability and security.

This is a stimulating module that explores concepts from many areas of the law, including civil liberties, international law, criminal justice and human rights.

During the course of your studies you will look at the legal definitions of terrorism – from a regional, national, and international perspective. And you will have the opportunity to use counter-terrorism case studies to examine specific aspects of preventative justice measures.

This is a fast-moving and unpredictable area of law, so the material that we cover may change in order to track the prevailing issues and latest developments. However, typically you will consider civil liberties alongside some of the contemporary challenges facing domestic and international legal systems.

The examination of the topics is carried out through a vigorous interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach – offering you greater understanding and appreciation of the subject matter.

Our Law School is home to lawyers and research-active academics - you will benefit from their expertise as they teach on areas closely aligned with their own research interests.

The Clinical Legal Education module will allow you to provide legal advice in real-life cases. You will take instructions from a client, identify the relevant issues at hand, conduct research on an appropriate strategy to resolve this dispute legally and communicate advice to the client. By doing this, you will have the opportunity to develop your legal skills, particularly your research, fact-analysis and legal analysis. It will provide an insight into how law operates in practice and how those providing legal advice are bound by codes of ethics. In doing this, you will be under the supervision of a professionally-qualified solicitor or barrister.

To study this module, students are required to have a Qualifying Law Degree for England and Wales.

StreetLaw is an international network that promotes the teaching of law to schools and community groups. It allows you and others to put together a presentation on topical issues of the law that will be of interest to a selected audience (which may include primary school children, secondary school children, college students, university students, SureStart or other community groups including domestic violence refuges, homeless shelters etc). You will identify a relevant topic and research the practical aspects of that law, before putting together a presentation that is accessible to the audience, setting out the key issues they need to know about.

This module examines the United Nations in international law. The UN is the only truly global international institution and creates the framework in which much of international law is developed and applied.

The module will explore the UN’s structure, history, legal personality, membership and law-making. It will also look at how the organisation can be legally responsible for its acts, in particular the activities of UN peacekeepers. Lastly, it will investigate the functions of the International Court of Justice as the UN’s principal judicial organ.

The convenor of this module has recently contributed a chapter on International Organisations for the Oxford Handbook on Jurisdiction

National and ethnic tensions lie at the heart of many contemporary international conflicts. But what are the rights of peoples, national minorities and indigenous peoples under international law?

Our Rights of Peoples module takes an in-depth look at this key question and encourages you to critically explore the idea of a national identity and relations between groups within states.

Typically, you will examine:

• questions of statehood
• the borders of states
• their form of government
• the allocation of resources
• protection of the environment

A combination of independent reading and seminars with research-active lawyers and academics will provide you with the opportunity to gain a sound grasp of this legal area.