LLB Law & Additional Year - LLB (Hons)

Kingston University

This module studies the general principles of criminal liability, definitions of what constitutes particular crimes and offences, and how that law affects particular circumstances. This involves not only a critical examination of the law, but also, using hypothetical factual situations, an understanding its detailed application. 

The European Union's (EU) development has had a significant impact in Europe and globally. Although the UK has left the EU, its law is still relevant not only because it remains part of the applicable law of the UK, but also to understand how the UK now interacts with the EU. You will develop detailed knowledge and in-depth understanding of the core areas of EU law, and the relationship between the EU and its member states and the respective role of the Court of Justice of the European Union and national courts in applying EU law. This module also has a strong focus on developing your employability skills. You will take part in personal development activities designed to strengthen your professional identity and global citizenship, while expanding your knowledge of legal practice in different professional contexts.

Land law studies the nature of land, the history of the current legislative structure and third party interests in, on and over private land in England and Wales. It introduces the concepts behind ownership and use of private land, considering also how the law operates in the context of freehold and leasehold title, rights of way and squatters' rights.

This module explores international law and comparative legal systems through real case studies, guest lectures, and research-led teaching. The first part introduces public international law, examining sovereignty, statehood, the use of force, self-determination, territorial disputes, state responsibility for wrongdoing, international organisations, and environmental protection. Learning is case-based and interactive, supported by multimedia resources and workshops that also form part of the assessment. Guest speakers, practitioners and world-renowned scholars, bring real-world insight into pressing legal debates. The second part turns to comparative law, focusing on France, Germany, and the United States. By exploring their constitutions, court structures, and legal histories, students discover how different traditions address common challenges.

This module has a focus on the sale and supply of goods, considering the legal framework within which such transactions occur. It also considers the law relating to consumer credit and the protections provided to the consumer by the law. It takes a critical approach to these matters and enables you to research particular areas, which forms a part of the assessment for the module.

This module examines the idea of conscience in English law. It looks at how, historically, equity developed from the authority of the King in order to ameliorate the problems caused by an increasingly inflexible common law, at a time when Parliament met infrequently. The concept of the trust, where ownership is divided between legal and beneficial owners, is examined including the conscience-inspired constructive trust, and the use of the trust in many contexts, including charity law. The administration of trusts is also considered.

This module gives you a dedicated opportunity to develop your Future Skills Graduate Attributes. At the start of the module, you will be supported to self-assess your current skills profile. You will determine which attributes and skills you need to develop to support your career ambitions. In this process, you will be supported by a dedicated career coach, helping you explore a range of options that includes self-employment/freelancing, starting your own business, higher level study, and other professional graduate-level opportunities. Throughout the module, you will be given opportunities to engage with external mentors, to support reflection and to develop a professional network.

International trade would be of interest to students wishing to be employed in the commercial field in both the UK and overseas. This module covers the international legal and institutional framework for regulating international trade. The module helps you to understand different aspects of international law, and to be able to apply them to business and management problems arising in a global economy. The module examines the legal, economic, political and institutional underpinnings of the world trade regime, and the core principles and legal rules governing international trade in goods, and services. A key focus is the World Trade Organization (WTO), which began to work in 1995 as a general umbrella organisation coordinating laws affecting trade, but which has a much wider impact on the regulation of international business activities. The module also examines the various contracts that are essential components of international trade transactions, such as international sales contracts, the contract of carriage and the insurance contract. In addition, legal issues arising from international trade dispute settlement will be explored.

The dispute resolution module makes extensive use of role-play in order to develop a deeper understanding of the dynamics that underlie conflicts, and of the process of dispute resolution. Comparisons are made with litigation and with other adversarial and quasi-judicial mechanisms to place mediation and negotiation in context. Themes are identified and discussed, often using role-plays, and the social and psychological aspects considered. The module also covers theories of conflict and conflict management, and the general landscape of dispute resolution.

Jurisprudence causes you to take an analytical step back to address issues that may have been presupposed, or simply left unspoken, during your degree. Jurisprudence builds upon the black-letter subjects you have studied and places them in a theoretical and social context: it is a meta-analysis of law, which pulls together themes from all of the areas you will have studied until now.

The Law Reform Project enables you to apply your intellectual skills and knowledge to identifying a legal or policy problem and developing a clear reform agenda. You will also enhance your employment-related skills, including project management, innovative and strategic visioning, effective report writing, and cost/benefit analysis of your ideas. You'll learn how to address the risks and challenges involved in driving change, while gaining a broader understanding of the role of law in society and how legal solutions can be formulated to tackle real-world issues.

This module examines the most common juristic person, the company (limited by shares or guarantee and both public and private limited companies). The cornerstones of the module include critical evaluation of the role of the company as a separate legal juristic person; directors and their duties; shareholders and their rights and legal remedies; employees and their position under the Companies Act 2006. Close examination is undertaken of the policy and reform process leading up to the enactment of the Companies Act 2006. Primary sources (statute and case law) and secondary sources (academic comment, reform discussion) are used at length during the module. This module is relevant for anyone interested in working in the commercial world.

This module tackles some of the most urgent questions of justice in the modern world. The international criminal law component examines how law seeks to end impunity for the gravest crimes. From Nuremberg to today’s International Criminal Court, students explore how those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression can be brought before justice. The human rights component takes a problem-based approach to contemporary challenges. We look at pressing issues such as how artificial intelligence shapes our rights and freedoms, alongside more traditional concerns like the prohibition of torture. Special attention is given to the protection of specific groups, including women, migrants, and minorities, and to rights linked to health and socio-economic status.

This module explores the role of law in responding to and shaping technological innovation. It also covers the legal protection offered by intellectual property laws and considers particular types of such property (e.g. copyright and patents). The module is designed to give you the competitive edge in evolving legal and non-legal fields that embrace technological development. Particular focus is given to standards and regulations of artificial intelligence, cyberspace and cybercrime, e-commerce, employment, environment, healthcare, intellectual property rights, and outer space. These areas are of particular importance in the current global market. The module implements an international and interdisciplinary approach, covering different jurisdictions, technologies, and industries.

This module will be of interest to students who wish to study how the law regulates family life and how effective it is in doing so. The module covers the formation and termination of marriage and civil partnership; how occupation and ownership of the family home is regulated, and how effective these remedies are in cases of domestic violence; the law's approach to finance and property division on divorce, as well as maintenance for children, comparing this approach with the regulation of cohabitation.