Law (Study Abroad) LLB Hons - 2019 Entry

Course Overview

This qualifying Law degree is taught by the world-leading, research-active academics based in our prestigious Law School. They will introduce you to technical legal topics and help you to understand the ways that law shapes our society. Spending your third year of four with one of our highly-regarded partner universities in the US, Europe, Canada, and Australia, you will continue to study Law or Law-related subjects, providing you with insight into the way law impacts on societies around the world.

You will benefit from our strong links to Chambers, Law firms and related professions from across the UK, including magic circle firms from London. We host a judicial lecture series, alumni visits and lectures, and a Law Fair, which is your chance to meet lawyers (including trainees, associates and partners) and members of their recruitment teams. All of this helps you to make professional connections, learn more about their firms, and get a head start on your career in Law.

Our student-run Law Society provides you with a wide range of extracurricular activities including mooting and negotiation competitions (judged by barristers and members of the judiciary), a Law Ball, sporting fixtures, and a careers dinner. Each event is designed to help you build your peer and employer networks.

Practical experience is integral to this degree and you can take part in initiatives such as our newly-launched Law Clinic which gives you real-world experience providing free legal advice to members of the local community. Our Miscarriages of Justice Project gives you the chance to work on real criminal cases alongside practising lawyers as they support prisoners who maintain their innocence and have exhausted their appeal rights. Through the Street Law project you can gain experience in schools and organisations, advising and supporting them on specific areas of law. Volunteering opportunities with the Citizens Advice Bureau or Lancashire Constabulary's Special Constables are available via Lancaster University’s Student Union.

Your Law degree can be the first step towards a career as a solicitor or barrister but Law graduates are also in demand beyond the legal profession. Roles you may consider include: legal recruitment consultant, chartered company secretary, compliance officer, investment banker, and many more. At Lancaster, you will develop the skills required to negotiate competently, work effectively in a team, speak in public and be confident when presenting information in variety of formats - all are highly prized by employers. Many of our graduates choose further study (Legal Practice Course, Bar Professional Training Course, LLM and MSc programmes) or enrol in graduate training schemes with HMRC, the Civil Service, and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Entry Requirements

Grade Requirements

A Level AAB

IELTS 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in each component. For other English language qualifications we accept, please see our English language requirements webpages.

Other Qualifications

International Baccalaureate 35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects

BTEC Distinction, Distinction, Distinction

We welcome applications from students with a range of alternative UK and international qualifications, including combinations of qualification. Further guidance on admission to the University, including other qualifications that we accept, frequently asked questions and information on applying, can be found on our general admissions webpages.

Contact Admissions Team + 44 (0) 1524 592028 or via ugadmissions@lancaster.ac.uk

Course Structure

Many of Lancaster's degree programmes are flexible, offering students the opportunity to cover a wide selection of subject areas to complement their main specialism. You will be able to study a range of modules, some examples of which are listed below.

Year 1

Core

• Criminal Law

  This engaging module immerses you in a broad investigation of criminal law, including legal rules, substantive crimes, the conditions of criminal responsibility, and law in practice. We will explore the scope of law and its enforcement in a political, economic, moral and social context.

  You will develop an understanding of the principles of criminal liability, and the elements of major offences from homicide to theft, fraud to sexual offences, and offences against the person. You will also explore complicity, inchoate offences and defences.

  We encourage lively discourse and debate through a combination of workshops and seminars, both of which are linked to a lecture programme. This helps you to consolidate knowledge, analyse and argue about criminal law.

  Our teaching is research-led and you will be encouraged to read as widely as possible on the subject. Not only does this module provide the foundation for further study in Part Two, but it also establishes key skills in presentation, critical analysis, and intelligent debate.

• English Legal System and Methods

  This year-long compulsory module introduces you to the central tenants of the English Legal System and supports the development of the legal skills that will see you through your degree.

  The module is your initiation into legal reasoning and the process of legal research. Within it we will also cover substantive topics including:

  • the structure of the courts and tribunals

  • legal precedent

  • international sources of law

  • the legal professions

  • the judiciary

  • lay justice

  • the criminal trial process and civil litigation

  • legal aid

  A combination of lectures, workshops and seminars provides you with a sustained opportunity to: deepen your knowledge of the English Legal System; learn how to read legal cases and journal articles and critically analyse legal materials; write law essays; and problem solve.

  Assessment starts with a bibliography ‘bootcamp’ in which you are taught how to reference and create a bibliography, as well as group debates, case notes, and (finally) an MCQ examination.

  The module is taught by Dr Siobhan Weare who co-authors one of the leading textbooks in this area of Law.

• Law of Contracts

  Contract Law at Lancaster is studied from an interesting perspective – we begin by looking at resolution for breach of contract. This includes monetary compensation, injunctions and orders compelling parties to carry out their promises.

  By starting at the end, you are constantly reminded of the purpose of Contract Law (to provide a remedy to an aggrieved party when the other party has broken its contractual obligations). It also means that you get to practise applying the law while studying this important but difficult topic, and, you will be able to competently address the main concern of clients when you begin practising law: resolution.

  Of course, we also study the formation of contract, terms of contract, and their interpretation and enforceability. But heavy emphasis remains on remedy.

  The course involves self-study of the historical and theoretical aspects of contracts and contract law. For this you will use ‘Contract in Context’ co-authored by Dr Richard Austen-Baker, the module convenor. The book includes cutting-edge research that is presented in wholly accessible way – ideal as you take your first steps in the study of Law.

• Public Law

  Public Law is an engaging, compulsory module that will introduce you to constitutional law, administrative law and human rights law.

  You will journey through:

  • key constitutional principles (separation of powers, the rule of law, parliamentary sovereignty, constitutional conventions)
  • the legal framework underpinning the UK judiciary, executive and Parliament
  • judicial review, inquiries, tribunals and ombudsmen
  • The Human Rights Act 1998 and the question of a British Bill of Rights

  We begin with an introductory workshop, which familiarises you with the political and legal structures that make up the UK’s constitutional framework. Then we venture into an innovative mix of traditional lectures, problem-based workshops, and small-group seminars, all of which cement the connections between key legal theories and their practical, real-world application.

  You will engage with a series of short legal problems for group discussion, critically analyse arguments in legal journals and read cases for your coursework, prepare group presentations to consolidate learning in seminars, and explore jigsaw and round-robin reading techniques as you broaden the scope of your understanding.

  You will be taught by research-active academics who have an interest in constitutional theory, constitutional conventions, and human rights law. All of them will support you as you develop understanding, deepen your legal knowledge, and hone your critical evaluation skills.

Year 2

Core

• EU Law

  This course is compulsory for second year students who have not taken Law 105 in their first year. The EU as a legal system operates differently to English law, as such; this module will give you a basic understanding of the European Union (EU). The institutions of the EU, the way law is created and developed, the principles governing relations between the EU and its Member States, and the substantive law of the EU will introduce you to new concepts. The course as a whole focuses most greatly on the constitutional aspects of the EU; however you will also be introduced to substantive law relating to the free movement of goods and persons.

• Land Law

  How does the law relate to land and property? And is the current law still fit for the 21st Century?

  Our Land Law module immerses you in real life scenarios to promote an understanding of how the law actually works. You are given the opportunity to work through legal problems as though you are advising a client, and we discuss some of the documentation and protocols that are used by property lawyers.

  We encourage lively debate and discussion - by the end of the module you will be able to think and reason logically and creatively, to challenge convention and to understand how land law has shaped our environment and society. You will also have a greater appreciation of the ways in which land law has developed and changed.

  Topics covered include:

  • co-ownership of family homes and division of property between cohabitees

  • mortgage law, including undue influence and the rights of lenders and borrowers

  • landlord and tenant law, including the law on tenants’ rights and ‘sham licences’

  • adverse possession and squatters’ rights

  • rights of airspace and the three dimensions of land ownership

  • the law of easements and restrictive covenants

  You will be taught by lecturers who are specialists in their field and active researchers. Current, cutting-edge research within the teaching team addresses the system of land registration for the protection of title or ownership of land, and, the history of property law and how well it works – with a focus on access to land and the different ways in which property can be valued.

• Law of Torts

  This core module introduces students to torts. Students critically explore the key torts and tort principles including, trespass to the person, negligence, torts of strict liability and vicarious liability. Students also consider defences to torts and remedies for aggrevied parties.

Optional

• Contemporary Crime Problems

  This course introduces students to a range of contemporary crime ‘problems’ through a study of academic debates, paradigms and perspectives surrounding such. The historical, socio-economic and cultural contexts will be explored whereby students will be encouraged to critically analyse the process of criminalisation, criminal justice responses, and how these criminal or ‘deviant’ activities have come to be considered problematic. Specialist areas of criminological debate will be addressed, such as cultural criminology, the criminology of everyday life and the relationship between crime, pleasure and transgression.

• Courts, Law and Politics in Comparative Perspective

  How do political forces and legal practices intersect in industrial nations? How do courts function in North America as compared to Russia? How are legal systems and politics connected through the adjudication of criminal justice?

  Courts, Law and Politics in Comparative Perspective compares and contrasts the intersections between courts, law and politics in several countries and offers an engaging insight into the different jurisdictions.

  We pursue contemporary themes and begin by addressing developments in North America. We also study Soviet Law, post-dictatorial, and post-conflict states.

  The teaching of each of these topic is informed by the cutting-edge research of the lecturers whose interests focus on the areas of maladministration of justice and transitional criminal justice.

  The ability to evaluate legal frameworks in a comparative perspective is an invaluable skill. This course will strengthen your understanding of laws and their role in the construction and shaping of societies.

• Crime-related extended essay option

  This option can be taken alongside half-unit modules in Criminology taught in the second year. Students can therefore take one of the Criminology option modules and be assessed in the usual way (one essay plus exam) for a half-unit, and can also undertake this half-unit extended essay on a topic related to that particular module. However, the topic does not have to relate directly to a taught module and students can talk to staff about a small piece of documentary or other research in relevant areas of Criminology.

  Before enrolling for this option, students should think in broad terms about the topic they might like to address. Look on the web or ask administrative staff for a copy of the staff list which shows the research interests of teaching staff, and a copy of the enrolment form for this option. The next step is to identify the most appropriate member(s) of staff, talk to them and have the enrolment form completed and signed. There are no formal tutorials for this option but once a supervisor has been agreed, individual supervision sessions should be arranged.

• Criminal Investigation

  This module focuses on criminal investigation as it relates to the criminal justice system. Topics include the history of investigation as well as an overview of crime investigation which will involve gaining an understanding of the principles of crime investigations, the according acquisitive, sexual and violent crimes and the distinction between national and international investigations. A study of crime scene analysis will also be conducted before substantive characteristics of an investigation are explored, notably in a discussion of ‘the witness’. Characteristics and dealing with an offender are also covered in this module before modes of gaining intelligence are examined, in topics discussing intelligence led policing and the nature of covert investigation. The psychology of decision making is analysed before students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their learning by way of a ‘crime scene’ case study.

• Criminological thought

  Criminological theory and philosophy is a key theme of this course. The module aims to introduce to the main theoretical approaches in criminology from its origins to the present day. The module introduces and examines the main types of theory that have sought to explain crime, criminality and social control. The critical philosophical approach adopted in this module encourages students to see social order and crime as theoretical problems rather than social facts available for straightforward empirical investigation.

• Family Law

  How does the law define familial relationships? And how do the law and family justice systems regulate those relationships – between adults, and between parents and children?

  Our Family Law module focuses on these key questions, and more. We will delve into family life and intimate relationships, exploring issues such as marriage, divorce and custody. You will critically evaluate legal issues relating to family, and develop a sound legal understanding of how the law affects family relationships and resolves familial conflicts.

  Topics covered in this module include:

  Forming Legal Relationships

  Cohabitation

  Ending Legal Relationships

  Parents and Children

  Responsibility

  Child Arrangements Orders (Residence)

  Child Arrangements Orders (Contact)

  Abuse within the Family (Adults)

  Abuse within the Family (Children)

  Teaching is via weekly lectures and workshops. You will undertake group work in the workshops and engage in debates that are pertinent to the body of Family Law. Written feedback is given at the end of each workshop cycle.

  The module is assessed via MCQ and written exam.

• Introduction to Business Law

  This is a half module that introduces year two undergraduates to a wide range of commercial law issues and thereby enables them to specialise further in the third year. The course is foundational and seeks to enable students to place discrete commercial law options in the appropriate context. There will be an introduction to the substantive topics of commercial law such as the structures of companies and the law in relation to the Sale of Goods as well as a discussion of modern commerce.

• Introduction to comparative law I

  The course provides an introduction to comparative law, and explores whether the traditional comparisons between the common law and civil law systems – and the traditional approaches to the study of comparative law – need to be re-thought and if so, how this could be approached. Students will be introduced to common law and civil law traditions, in order to assist the comparison, students will examine key features of a civil law system and its legal culture. Students should ensure that they possess a prior basic understanding of the English legal system. In addition, students will be encouraged to think about the reasons of policy and principle that lie behind specific legal institutions and practices.

• Lawyers and Society

  What are the challenges facing the legal profession? What place did, and do, lawyers hold in society? And how are they represented in fiction?

  Lawyers and Society tackles key questions around the organisational and institutional structures of the legal profession, taking a close look at the contemporary challenges that it now faces.

  While the module primarily focuses on the Anglo-Welsh system, we will also address other systems through literature on law in the USA, Australia and other commonwealth jurisdictions.

  Topics covered in the module include:

  • an appreciation of the current status of the legal profession, including its globalised context

  • ‘Tesco Law’ and law in an information/digital age

  • business, economic and ethical considerations in the legal profession, lawyering and access to justice

  • implications of key statues such as the Legal Services Act

  • issues of diversity within the legal profession

  Throughout the module, you will develop a solid understanding of issues relating to lawyer/client interactions, such as ethics, confidentiality, legal professional privilege, conflict of interest. And, unique to this module, you will study representations of lawyers and lawyering in fictional settings, such as TV, film, literature and plays.

  This module exposes you to a range of debates and encourages you to think creatively and critically, as well as from a socio-legal perspective.

• Measuring Crime: Understanding Crime Data and Trends

  Our Measuring Crime module will help you to develop highly valuable skills in data-handling and analysis. It is a course about crime data, particularly data from sources that influence criminal justice policy and practice. The data we use also informs government and the general public about the nature (and the extent) of crime.

  Focusing on the Crime Survey for England and Wales, Police Recorded Crime, and criminal justice statistics from the courts, our lectures explore issues around data generation, reliability, validity and the ways it can be presented.

  In the accompanying computer-based workshops, you will learn how to analyse and present data using Excel and SPSS. In these workshops we also consider data that has been used in previously published research, this data is based on the official criminal histories of offenders.

  Our learning approach gives you an extremely well-rounded understanding of some of the most influential information about crime. You will be taught by research-active academics who have published material on crime trends, predictions of future offending, and the evaluation of crime reduction programmes.

• Understanding Criminological Fieldwork

  The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the theoretical foundations and processes of different forms of social research used within criminology focusing in particular on criminological fieldwork. Social research is at the heart of social science perspectives on criminology; as such research provides an important means of producing evidence within criminology and in the planning and evaluation of policies and provision within the criminal justice system.

• Youth Justice

  Our Youth Justice module is an opportunity to consider the tension between perceptions of children as ‘troubled’ and ‘troublesome’. We will also explore the criminal justice response to children who are in conflict with the law.

  The competing themes of welfare and justice are closely examined, along with the recent history of youth justice policy. Following these thematic explorations, we take a more in-depth look into specific topics, including:

  • female offenders

  • youth imprisonment

  • comparative youth justice

  • children in care

  This module is led by a research-active lecturer with an interest in children in the care and criminal justice systems; the lecture on children in care draws specifically on their cutting-edge research. The combination of lectures and small group teaching helps you to develop your understanding, deepen your criminological knowledge, and develop your critical evaluation skills.

Year 3

Core

• Year Abroad

  Information for this module is currently unavailable.

Year 4

Core

• Equity and Trusts Law

  This course covers the major types of trust and the key elements required for their validity and operation as well as relevant aspects of equitable remedies. The overarching imposition of Equity will be interwoven with the discussion of the substantive types of trust. As well as an in-depth exploration of the workings of each mode of trust, the emergence of each will also be examined before modern uses and policies are considered. Key current developments in relation to the law of trusts will also be drawn upon.

Optional

• Company Law

  The company law course covers the key areas of company law from incorporation to insolvency including corporate personality and piercing the corporate veil, the company’s constitution, contracts and companies, directors’ duties and minority shareholder protection. These practical, substantive areas of company law are discussed in accordance with relevant theories relating to the corporation and its role in society generally.

• Competition Law

  The Competition Law module is designed to give students a good grounding in contemporary competition law and the economics and policy which underlie it. The main focus will be on EU and UK competition law, but reference will also be made to US and Australian law where it provides a useful counterpoint. The course will examine the way in which antitrust and behavioural economics interact and inform the development of competition law and policy. Substantive areas such as the main EU antitrust provisions, their UK counterparts, and the merger control regimes in the EU and UK will be covered. The module will cover the basic provisions but special focus will be given to areas of controversy or recent reform. The enforcement of the law will also be given special consideration.

• Crime and Criminal Justice

  The Criminal Justice System has been constantly discussed in recent years by politicians, journalists and academics and the subject is vast and constantly shifting. This course seeks to explore selected issues in the area of Crime and Criminal Justice using a large number of sources to reflect the depth and variety of ways in which the subject can be approached. Students will be asked to consider whether, despite the interdependency of many of the Criminal Justice Agencies and some central themes, there is any real system at all. Students will be encouraged, wherever possible, to create their own understanding of the Criminal Justice System through their own experiences. Even brief visits to courts, police stations, barristers’ chambers etc. can often open students’ eyes and provoke a more analytical and critical response to the subject than detailed study alone. The outline Syllabus includes key themes in Crime and Criminal Justice, women in the Criminal Justice System, sentencing policy and procedure and prisoners and the law.

• Crime-related Research-based Dissertation

  This full-unit option aims to offer students the opportunity of developing and using research skills by undertaking a piece of documentary or field research in some area of criminology. The project aims to give students the opportunity to develop their research skills through the preparation of a dissertation based on empirical research on a topic within the field of criminology agreed with an identified supervisor. The dissertation will be individually tutored and the availability of this option will be subject to the department’s ability to provide appropriate supervisors.

• Crimes of Power

  This course focuses on the crimes that power makes possible. Criminological theory and research has traditionally prioritized the crimes of the powerless over and against the crimes of those that make laws, wield influence and capital or authorize State violence. As such, this course will introduce students to theory, research, and case-studies on corporate and white-collar crimes, as well as state crimes like genocide and torture, in order to provide an analysis of the commission and punishment of such crimes.

• Criminal Careers

  Is there a criminal justice preoccupation with risk and prediction? If so, how helpful has this been to date?

  This engaging module will tackle these fundamental questions and deepen your understanding of why some criminals appear to choose a life of crime: ‘criminal careers’ being the criminological term.

  You will be taught by research-active academics who are experts in the field and you will explore some of the key contributions of research in this area, including work published by our teaching staff. For instance, staff research will inform your lectures on the criminalisation of children in care and the issue of ‘onset’ in criminal careers. Departmental research will also feed into your study of perceptions of ‘risk’ and ‘risky’ populations. A co-authored book (Soothill, Fitzpatrick & Francis, 2009 – ‘Understanding Criminal Careers’) is also used to support this course.

  Topics covered include onset, persistence and desistance. You will also critically analyse some of the unintended consequences of research into this area – as well as considering the future implications on criminology of those consequential findings.

• Dissertation

  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 chosen 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

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

  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.

  Please note: This module is reserved for those who are interested in developing more sophisticated research and writing skills, and you are expected to arrange your own supervision.

• Evidence

  This course introduces students to the principles of the law of evidence in criminal cases. It also introduces students to the nature and theory of proof. These general issues are developed through the study of particular topics such as the burden and standard of proof; confessions and illegally obtained evidence; disputed identification evidence and other warnings to the jury; hearsay; the credibility of witnesses and bad character evidence.

• Final Year Crime-Related Extended Essay

  This extended essay will be individually tutored and the availability of the option is subject to the department's ability to provide a suitable supervisor. This option can be taken alongside third year taught half-unit modules in the Criminology. Students can therefore take one of the third year Criminology option modules and be assessed in the usual way (one essay plus exam) for a half-unit, and can also undertake this half-unit extended essay on a topic related to that particular module. However, the topic does not have to relate directly to a taught module and students can talk to staff about a small piece of documentary or other research in relevant areas of Criminology. Before enrolling for this option, students should think in broad terms about the topic they might like to address. Look on the web or ask administrative staff for a copy of the staff list which shows the research interests of teaching staff, and a copy of the enrolment form for this option. The next step is to identify the most appropriate member(s) of staff, talk to them and have the enrolment form completed and signed. There are no formal tutorials for this option but once a supervisor has been agreed, individual supervision sessions should be arranged.

• Human Rights and Civil Liberties

  What are human rights? How are they implemented or contravened? What is the relationship between complex human rights issues and society today?

  This module uses the context of the European human rights regime to investigate civil liberties and human rights protection. You will adopt a critical and comparative approach as you gain a comprehensive grounding in the law of human rights.

  We will tackle some of the most complex and relevant issues such as the right to life, freedom from torture, freedom of expression, and capital punishment. Specific case studies allow you to engage with issues and questions regarding whistle-blowing and enforced disappearances.

  Our teaching is research-led and combines seminars, tutorials and lectures. You will be encouraged to read as widely as possible on the subject and we will help you to develop your skills in critical analysis, discourse and debate.

  This module can be taken in Years 2 or 3 and is taught in the Michaelmas term.

• Immigration and Asylum Law

  This course introduces students to the principles of UK immigration and asylum law. Asylum is a subject seldom out of the press and it has received unprecedented political attention in the last decade. Given that immigration is now such a wide subject, with seven major new statutes in the last decade, students will only be introduced to selected highlights and the course will focus mainly on the asylum process. Consideration of the general issues is developed through the study of particular topics such as the nature of an asylum claim and the link between human rights and asylum. Immigration detention and the foreign prisoner crisis and deportation issues will also be discussed. Students will be required independently to visit the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal prior to or in the first two weeks of the course and that the coursework essay is based on a title of the students own choosing.

• Intellectual Property Law and Policy

  The Intellectual Property Law and Policy module at Lancaster is at the forefront of teaching in this field.

  Focusing on new technologies, it addresses the changes in the law that are necessary to accommodate the impact of the internet, developments in 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and advancements in bio-technology.

  You will examine intellectual property law and the protection of intangible property, particularly copyright and patent law. And you will explore the theories that justify the legal protection of human creativity, whilst also studying its practical application.

  You will consider copyright protection and its basic tenants alongside the defences and exceptions that allow society to benefit. Following this, you will look at the impact of the Internet and the ability to infringe upon copyright at an unprecedented level.

  We will also cover the basics of patent law protection, along with issues relating to the ownership of patents by employers. And you will undertake an in-depth study of the current UK and international policies relating to bio-technology patents.

  Intellectual Property Law is led by Dr Catherine Easton who is at the forefront of the field, having published and spoken on areas such as artificial intelligence, internet addresses and bio-technology. Dr Easton’s knowledge and expertise will ensure that you develop your own robust perspective on this fascinating legal area.

• Law and Religion

  To what extent does English law accommodate religious belief and practice? How has the law interacted with religion historically? What is the current interplay between law and religion? And how does the UK model of religious accommodation compare with those adopted in European jurisdictions?

  Religion in the 21st century continues to attract and engage the attention of the government, parliament and the courts - as it has done throughout English legal history. Law and Religion, an engaging, policy-significant and popular module, will tackle the central questions outlines above and introduce you to the laws that regulate religion and belief in the UK.

  The module covers the following topics:

  • history of relationship between religion and English law

  • legal definition of religion

  • legal status of established and non-established religious groups

  • religious freedom

  • religious discrimination

  • religious offences

  • religion in schools

  • religious law

  • religious tribunals

  Our module is unique in its particular focus on two very pertinent topics in the area of religion and law: the application of Islamic law in the UK, and religious tribunals in the UK. The lead lecturer feeds cutting-edge research regarding the phenomenon of Shariah tribunals in the UK into this module, ensuring that your studies link to issues that are high on the agenda of policy makers and are part of current media discussion.

• Prisons, Punishment and Society

  How should we understand the role of punishment under democracy? How do the historical, cultural and ideological relationships that underpin and, to a certain extent, determine punishment inform our conceptions of Justice, Fairness, and Equality? This course examines both the historical and philosophical dimensions of modern democratic punishment. We will probe the punitive landscape charted by theorists like Michel Foucault, Norbert Elias, and Emile Durkheim. This module will also consider the “new punitiveness” and the “old” in search of an explanation for the rise of the incapacitative approach to punishment, its permanence and its implications for the legitimacy of the democratic project.

• Research-based Dissertation

  Pre-requisites CRIM102, CRIM 204 and CRIM 205. The Police Service is able to provide only 8 placements for students, so we need to be selective, out of all the students who register for the module we will select the ten who have the highest average 2nd year marks, and they will be the students who undertake the placements. You will be quite intensively vetted before being accepted as suitable to be a volunteer with the police. The vetting will include a Criminal Records check, checks on your address and who else lives there, and a drugs test. The 8 students who are selected will be on placement in the Police Service. Utilising live data provided by the various Departments within Headquarters, students will undertake a piece of analysis/research. Students will be working alongside (and will receive training and supervision from) serving officers. They will also receive supervision from an academic member of staff.

  Students who register for the module but are not in the 'top eight' will take the taught part of the module along with the others and then work on a research dissertation, but without the practical placement. All students will have the benefit of contact with serving police officers, since some of the teaching will be delivered by them.

• Responses to Massive Human Rights Violations

  This course will assess the legal and practical issues surrounding responses to massive violations of human rights, before the political and moral issues involved in using national and international courts will be discussed. The imposition of truth commissions as well as other techniques of ‘transitional justice’ to respond to massive human rights violations will be critically analysed in order to deduce the success of such responses.

• The Police and Policing

  The module focuses on the Police and encompasses the wider concept of Policing, which includes how other organisations and society in general play a part in the role of community safety. The module follows two main themes, the first of these being the exploration of why the ‘new’ Police was initiated in the UK, and how it evolved as an organisation. Students will be provided with knowledge and understanding surrounding the role of the Police, which will be explored from a national and international perspective. Issues of consent, discretion, ethics and accountability are encompassed before students will explore how this evolution has affected the perception of the public, stakeholders, and the Police organisation. This foundation will set the conditions for understanding the second part of the module which will look at how the Police deliver their service in contemporary society. Substantive controversial topics will be discussed including, policing disorder, minority communities, legal and illegal drugs, as well as policing sexual activity. This exploration will allow students to understand the legal and cultural environment in which Policing takes place and will illuminate how one distorts the other. It will also discuss how individual values and political intervention also affects this process.

Lancaster University offers a range of programmes, some of which follow a structured study programme, and others which offer the chance for you to devise a more flexible programme. We divide academic study into two sections - Part 1 (Year 1) and Part 2 (Year 2, 3 and sometimes 4). For most programmes Part 1 requires you to study 120 credits spread over at least three modules which, depending upon your programme, will be drawn from one, two or three different academic subjects. A higher degree of specialisation then develops in subsequent years. For more information about our teaching methods at Lancaster visit our Teaching and Learning section.

Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.

Careers

Your law degree can open doors to a wide range of careers within, and beyond, the legal sector. We carefully devise, structure and support our degree programmes to ensure that you are prepared for the next step towards a career of your choosing.

Throughout your time at Lancaster University Law School you will:

• Develop excellent subject-specific knowledge
• Enhance your range of transferable skills
• Secure practical legal experience (through our Street Law, Miscarriages of Justice and Law Clinic projects)
• Learn to quickly digest and analyse large amounts of information
• Improve your ability to listen, read and write carefully, manage your time and work in a team
• Improve your ability to speak in public, present confidently, and think on your feet.
• Have the option to extend your range of experience through a Placement Year in business, or, on certain degrees, a Study Abroad year with a partner university overseas
• Access a range of extra-curricular activities with the Law Society (including mooting competitions, a careers dinner and a Law Ball)
• Build a network of peers and employers
• Gain insight into future options through voluntary roles with the Citizens Advice Bureau or Lancashire Constabulary's Special Constables, will provide invaluable insight into your future career options.
• Be guided by a dedicated Careers Officer

All of this ensures that you have the best chance to stand out in a crowded employment marketplace.

Your Law degree can lead to a wide choice of rewarding jobs in the public, private and third sectors.

Roles in the legal profession include: Solicitor, Barrister, Paralegal, Legal Executive, Trademark or Patent Attorney, Legal Secretary.

Wider roles with an appreciation of, and a need for, legal understanding include: Legal Recruitment Consultant, Chartered Company Secretary, Compliance Officer, Investment Banker, and many more.

Many of our graduates also go on to Graduate Training Schemes or pursue opportunities with: Civil Service, Ministry of Justice, Probation Service, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, HMRC, Local Government and Trading Standards.

An undergraduate degree can also lead on to further study or academia.

Fees and Funding

Fees

We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2019/20 entry fees have not yet been set.

As a guide, our fees in 2018 were:

Channel Islands and the Isle of Man

Some science and medicine courses have higher fees for students from the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. You can find more details here: Island Students.

Funding

For full details of the University's financial support packages including eligibility criteria, please visit our fees and funding page

Students also need to consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, photocopying, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits. Following graduation it may be necessary to take out subscriptions to professional bodies and to buy business attire for job interviews.