LAW-20038 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

LAW-10039 (Legal Essentials)

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2023/24

Cynics may suggest that the words ¿ethics¿ and ¿lawyers¿ are not commonly seen together. This module will ask you to cast aside this misunderstanding, and to recognise and examine the important role of ethics within the law. This examination will include both abstract consideration of ethics and ethical argumentation from a strict philosophical viewpoint, and also how ethical theories and principles can inform critical assessments of the law and proposals for legal reform.
You will acquire a basic grounding in ethical theory and concepts and consider the relationship between ethics and the law. You will also learn how to critically reflect on your experience of engaging in the challenging topics covered in the module. The knowledge and skills acquired in these sessions will provide a foundation for ethical reflection on, and critical examination of, particular areas of law and policy in the subsequent weeks.

To introduce students to the major ethical frameworks required to understand and reflect on the relationship of ethics and law.
To encourage students to reflect critically on ethical arguments with reference to challenging ethico-legal issues.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Recognise and evaluate the major philosophical traditions underlying the structure of ethical thinking.: 1
Understand and critically appraise those ethical principles and their development and offer a reasoned analysis of the nature of their application to the law and the legal system in Britain.: 1
Critically reflect on the intellectual and personal issues raised by a range of challenging ethico-legal questions.: 2
Understand and assess the new challenges that are being offered to the major philosophical traditions in the twenty-first century.: 1

Study hours

Seminar attendance 24 hours
Seminar preparation 60 hours
Independent study 26 hours
Assessment preparation 40 hours
Total = 150 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment