LW4023 - English Legal System

This module will embrace a variety of teaching methods to enhance your overall experience. The module will be supported by two lectures and one small group session each week. In the lectures the module lecturer will present an outline of the main topics and the main issues that should be considered and debated. Lectures are followed by small group sessions where you will be expected, in smaller groups under the guidance of your tutor, to discuss the issues that were raised in the lecture. You will be required to apply legal knowledge to practical scenarios and you will obtain feedback on your knowledge and understanding. You will be expected to prepare in advance for both lectures and small group sessions by undertaking directed reading of textbooks, legal cases, academic articles and other materials – details of which are provided on the eLP.
Lectures last for one hour whilst small group sessions last for one hour. During the module you will have on average 36 contact hours.

The module will also be supported by a dedicated e-Learning (eLP) site which will include guided reading using electronic reading lists, webcasts of lectures, self-evaluative tasks as well as opportunities to engage with your tutor and fellow students.

You will be provided with detailed feedback on your formative and summative assignment for this module and, as part of your reflective development, such feedback can be utilised in the preparation of subsequent module assessments on the programme.

The University is well-placed to support you in learning and research with an excellent library and teaching facilities, access to on-line legal databases and resources and appropriate software.

This module is designed and will be managed by your designated Module Tutor who will be responsible for guiding you in your engagement and learning on the module. As well as contact with the Module Tutor, who delivers the large group sessions, you will also be taught by a seminar tutor, who delivers the small group sessions. Should you have queries you may approach the lecturer or your seminar tutor or e-mail your query to either member of staff, either to have your query answered on-line or to make an appointment for a face to face meeting.

All relevant materials and instructions will be accessible on-line through the module eLP site, maintained by your Module Tutor, who will also provide updates on issues of current legal significance. Large group sessions will be recorded on Panopto, meaning that you will be able to refer back to them on-line in order to consolidate your learning. Extensive use is therefore made of the eLP at module level to facilitate discussions between you and your Module Tutor, to provide materials such as PowerPoint slides used in large group sessions; the module handbook (which will contain exercises to be used in the small group sessions); advice on assessment, supported by sample questions and answers; and Panopto recordings of large group sessions and to make announcements and to highlight recent developments in the law.

Academic support is also available through summative and formative feedback on assignments and a module handbook detailing delivery structure and any University requirements. At programme level you will be supported by the Programme Leader who will provide pastoral support throughout the module and the programme as a whole.

The Programme Administration and Student Liaison teams are responsible for the non-academic administration of the module, such as receiving your completed assignment, returning your marked assignment and recording your marks. They will contact you throughout the duration of your module with details about the study day, assignment hand-in dates and other issues.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
At the end of the module you will have:

KU1 Developed knowledge and understanding of the structure and operation of the English and European Union legal systems, including the main principles, legal rules and values that form the basis of English Law and European Union law and how these legal systems interact with each other.


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

Have developed your skills
IPSA1Developed an ability to read and understand legal terminology and identify the legal principle or principles in judicial decisions;


IPSA2Developed an ability to organise and assimilate legal material and express a reasoned personal view about that material.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

PVA1 Gained a critical awareness of the ethical and social implications of acting as a practising lawyer or other professional person and that you are able to conform to the relevant codes of conduct.

PVA2 Show that you are willing to receive and act upon constructive feedback in order to improve your skills.

Assessment is integral to the student learning experience and the assessment strategy for this module enables you to demonstrate your ability to analyse, integrate and apply your learning to various contexts, through a range of tasks. This strategy will not only appropriately test the module aims but has also been designed to offer a challenging and stimulating learning experience. The assessment strategy has also been designed to ensure that you are given the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to communicate succinctly, to engage in analysis of legal issues and to use both written and oral modes of communication to present and defend your ideas.

Formative assessment will be achieved by self-test questions in module materials, group discussion, informal peer assessment and assessed and non-assessed exercises. Answers to self-test questions will be provided on the module eLP and your tutor will give oral and written feedback to you as required.


Summative Assessment will be undertaken on an individual basis by way of a multiple choice questionnaire (MCQ) worth 50% of the marks for this module and 1000-word coursework worth 50% of the marks.

The assessment will require you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of key principles of English law and the English legal system, (including knowledge and understanding that you have obtained via tutor directed independent learning and independent learning).

The MCQ questions will contribute to the assessment of KU1 and IPSA1. The coursework will contribute to the assessment of all module learning outcomes.

Summative feedback will be available in written form via the eLP as notes for guidance and orally from module/seminar tutors.

Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria will be made available to you to support you in completing assessments. Grade-Related Descriptors are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge and/or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured and placed within the overall set of marks.

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This module aims to provide you with a good knowledge and understanding of the nature of law and the English Legal System. The module also gives you an introduction to the basic legal skills that you will develop further in other modules throughout the degree. The focus is on specific exercises to support exploration and use of the library resources that are available, both in paper copy and electronically through the legal databases, and on understanding practices of legal citation. You will start to develop the skills necessary for pursuing legal studies at undergraduate level, as well as vocational skills. You will be introduced to the skills required for legal research on the English system, the basics of legal and academic research and writing and oral skills.