1. Identify and explain the different sources of law and the main ways in which law or systems are categorised.

Knowledge and understanding,

2. Identify and explain the core concepts, personnel and processes of the English Legal System.

Knowledge and understanding

3. Analyse and evaluate key debates relating to an aspect of the English legal system.

Analysis and Enquiry

4. Effectively communicate verbally in a manner appropriate to the audience

Communication

The presentation will require students to analyse and evaluate, in depth, a key debate relating to an aspect of the English legal system, showing a solid understanding of the key concepts. (LO 1, 2, 3 and 4; week 14)

Categories of law – including common law and civil law; common law and statute; civil law and criminal law; etc;

Sources of law such as statute, common law, custom, international law;

Legal and lay personnel: the qualification, appointment and roles of solicitors, barristers, judges, juries and magistrates;

The structure and operation of both the criminal justice system and the civil justice system, including alternative dispute resolution and looking at: the Criminal Procedure Rules and the Civil Procedure Rules; the roles of different courts; and the normal process of litigation.

The English Legal System module will introduce students to the fundamental elements of the English legal system and help them understand where laws come from and how they are created; the people who work in the English legal system; and how both the civil and criminal justice systems operate.

The delivery of the module will be via weekly lectures and weekly workshops. Together these will compose 39 hours of direct contact with the tutor. Students will also be expected to engage in 161 hours of guided independent study.

Lectures will be designed to provide a focus and context for students. While they will be predominantly tutor led, they will also be in part interactive, with topics being explored by means of questions and answers. Attendance at lectures is compulsory and students will be expected to undertake any specified preparation beforehand. Where appropriate, a handout will be distributed at the start of the lecture will guide the student through the issues discussed in the lecture.

The workshops will enable students to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the topics introduced in the lectures. As with the lectures, attendance is compulsory and preparation beforehand essential. Preparation will take the form of directed reading and independent research thus allowing the student the ability to take increasing responsibility and ownership of their own learning. Students will be expected to communicate complex legal issues effectively. In this way, students will further develop their inter-personal skills, legal research skills, legal reasoning skills, problem solving and critical analysis skills.

The VLE will specify or contain the materials to be read prior to attending classes.

Embley J and others, Legal Systems & Skills: Learn, Develop, Apply (5th edn, OUP 2023)

Gillespie A and Weare S, The English Legal System (9th edn, OUP 2023)

Holland J and Webb J, Learning Legal Rules: A Students' Guide to Legal Method and Reasoning (11th edn, OUP 2022)

Partington M, Introduction to the English Legal System 2019-2020 (15th edn, OUP 2021)

Wilson S and others, English Legal System (4th edn, OUP 2020)

As well as relevant reference texts, students will have access to a number of resources via the Library, including:

Databases
LawTrove, Lexis and Westlaw

Journals
The Library also has access to a variety of relevant journal titles