LLM / PgDip / PgCert Law

This class is compulsory for LLM/PgDip students. It's offered by online distance learning across both semesters.

The aim of the module is to help you enhance your research abilities and skills with a view to improving your performance in course. 

This class will provide you with advanced instruction in the law of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).   You'll explore the core rules of non-discrimination and most-favoured nation treatment which underpin many of the legal agreements comprising the WTO. You’ll also look in detail at the operation of the WTO dispute settlement system.  The analysis will then move on to certain of the more specialised WTO agreements as well as the operation of numerous regional trade agreements.

This class will introduce students to the concepts, sources and principle of international investment law. It will also consider the balance between the rights and duties of investors, residents and the host states as well as dispute resolution in international investment.

This class seeks to examine a variety of difficulties and subject matters in the area of financial crime, such as money laundering, insider trading, and fraud.

This class will focus on developing an understanding of the rationale for EU competition law and policy, the substantive rules and the processes of enforcement.

It will familiarise you with the structure, processes, procedures, and all the many professionals that are involved in the Construction Industry, like project managers, architects, designers, planners, civil engineers, building services and quantity surveyors.

The European Convention on Human Rights is the most influential regional human rights treaty. This class looks at the case law of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and evaluates the substantive guarantees of the ECHR in areas such as fair trial, privacy and freedom of expression.

In this course, students will explore the unique features and complexities of the making, implementation and enforcement of the environmental law of the European Union.

This course will examine select topics in capital markets regulation and economic theories underpinning them, including the law and economics of disclosure, regulation of market abuse (insider dealing and market manipulation), and the function and regulation of the market for corporate control.

This course will explore the evolving nature and distinctive components of the international legal framework on climate change.

This class will introduce you to the foundations of international environmental law, including its subjects, sources, principles and measures of implementation.   It will also provide you with a basic understanding of how compliance and dispute settlement operate in international environmental law, with special focus on the environmental case law of the International Court of Justice.

Human rights protection is a global concern. This class examines civil and political rights along with economic, social and cultural rights, and assesses the range of international monitoring and supervision regimes. Topics covered include the major international treaties and bodies. It also looks at the challenges to human rights in transitional societies as well as the right to self-determination.

This class, which is offered to students without a background in law, offers a basic introduction to the laws of contract and delict. It will help to establish the foundation of a more advanced and detailed knowledge and understanding of delict and contract within construction law in particular.

You'll develop an ethical and self-critical approach to mediation practice that takes account of the current range of models.

In this module we examine the moral and empirical bases of decision-making around the globe. How are traditional theories of justice being challenged, and what are the alternatives?  In the light of the international evidence, is it time for a re-think?  Illustrative topics include: legitimacy; discretion; rehabilitation & desistance; restorative justice; public attitudes to and knowledge of criminal justice; the trial; access to justice; prosecution & defence; sentencing; parole; release from prison; community sentences; human dignity; participation rights; therapeutic jurisprudence; criminal procedure; predictive justice; equality reform & democratization.

The aim of the module is for you to develop a critical awareness of the theoretical and disciplinary sources of conflict resolution.

This class will introduce students to the concepts underpinning the regulation of businesses. It will explain the different types of business entities and introduce students to company and corporate law concepts.

This class will provide you with a detailed knowledge and understanding of the principal features and structure of construction and engineering contracts, and the rights and duties of employers, contractors, professionals and others.

This class teaches negotiation in a variety of settings. It provides an overview of theories and models, establishing key principles for effective negotiation. It also uses practical negotiation exercises to build your knowledge and skills, covering such topics as business contracts, the public sector and personal injury.

This course will explore the main legal regimes related the oceans and seas, with an in-depth focus on recent developments in marine governance in the context of sustainable development.

This class will provide students with a detailed knowledge and critical understanding of important aspects of domestic and international arbitrations, particularly in the context of the construction industry.

This class will examine the relationship between business and human rights and will include an introduction to the international human rights framework; the role of business entities as global actors and the identification of the legal challenges that business presents for the international legal system.

Issues covered include:

Sources & principals of Arbitration Law - international and domestic

Adjudication - an in-depth examination of case law and practice flowing from the 1996 Construction Act; alternative dispute resolution techniques; expert witness; enforcement & diligence and advocacy.

This module considers the law governing all forms of online commercial activity.  It focuses on two areas of particular importance:  electronic contracts and intermediary liability.  The constraints on contracting in an online environment are central to most e-commerce activities and are therefore of great importance to the growth of e-commerce.

You'll engage in the cutting-edge debate on global environmental law as an approach to understanding the interactions and mutual influences between international, EU, regional, national and sub-national law (including the customary laws of indigenous peoples and local communities and law-making by other non-state actors).  This class also lends itself to explore the relevance of the comparative legal method for a variety of international and transnational environmental legal scholars and practitioners, by discussing the relevance, methods and challenges of comparative environmental law in a global perspective.

This module examines the legal, historical and social science perspectives on homicide. As well as legal-philosophical scrutiny of key issues in criminal law and procedure, technology and homicide, you'll also gain the latest evidence on homicide.

The Human Rights Act 1998 is a major constitutional development in the UK. This class examines the on-going transformation in legal culture, the expansion in judicial power and the value of human rights litigation in achieving social change.

Cybercrime is a highly topical area within the broad theme of internet law and policy. The Cybercrime module is intended to enable students to learn about the laws and legal framework that address transnational cybercrime with a specific focus on internet content crimes such as illegal pornography as well as online contact offences. By studying the module, students should be able to develop a detailed understanding and knowledge of the relevant areas of cybercrimes and analyse the various social, legal, criminological and policy aspects and responses to cybercrime. The class will also examine the wider human rights implications of existing regulation and consider the various socio-legal discourses in this area.

You'll develop knowledge and skills in the use of mediation in employment disputes.

This class familiarises you with telecommunications law in its national, European and international contexts. The course begins with an overview of the technical and historical development of telecommunications infrastructure, as well as expanding upon the principles of deregulation, market liberalisation and economic policy that led to the current market structure.

International migration is a global phenomenon that raises multiple complex issues. This module examines the international legal framework governing international migration. Topics include protection of migrant workers, international refugee protection, the EU asylum policy, and internal displacement.

This module introduces you to the core ideas and legal regimes governing privacy and data protection online, as well as looking at the global issues concerning transnational data flows. 

It covers regulation of spam, cookies and spyware; targeted advertising; and other venues for commercial collection of data.

Youth justice attracts interest across society, politically, socially and legally. Some issues – from the murder of two year old James Bulger in 1993 by two 10 year old children to the riots in 2011 in England – spark moral panic and demonstrate the extent to which such matters cut across disciplinary boundaries and influence legal and societal responses to children who offend.

Youth justice generates its own philosophical approaches eg in the welfare / justice debate. It also provides a context within which to examine broader issues affecting criminal justice as a whole such as the need to balance the rights of the accused against the public interest.

This class will provide an opportunity for you to critically examine some key aspects of youth justice law, policy and philosophy from a number of perspectives. Your learning will be supplemented by visits to custodial and innovative community settings, as well as a visit to and a simulation of Scotland’s unique system of ‘Children’s Hearings’ (a decision-making system based on the best needs of the child).

Restorative justice as applied to criminal harms, has grown and spread rapidly across the world in the last twenty years or so. Research indicates that in comparison with formal or retributive justice there can be more positive outcomes for both offender and victims. Yet the adoption of restorative justice within or alongside criminal justice systems has been patchy.

Experience has shown that restorative justice is a popular topic and this module provides an opportunity for advanced learning. Your learning will be accompanied by practical exercises, such as simulations led by leading practitioners.