Family Law: Child Law
| Module title | Family Law: Child Law |
|---|---|
| Module code | LAW3160 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Liz Trinder (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 10 |
|---|
Module description
Family law is an exciting and topical module which explores how the law and family justice system operate to regulate relationships between parents and children.
By analysing the legal and policy framework for family law in the context of the changing ways that people parent, you will engage in an assessment of the effectiveness of the current family justice system and consider and debate proposals for reform of the law and the relevance of international regulation to aspects of law in this field. You will also explore relevant socio- legal research in this area and consider its importance to the development of family law in the 21st century.
Within the module, you will consider the role of family law and the legal definition of family in the 21st century. You will consider the legal regulation of relationships between parents and children. Topical issues include parentage and artificial reproduction, the greater proposed use of post-separation shared parenting and its impact on children and the balance between the right to private and family life and the protection of children. You will explore recent radical changes in the Family Justice system, including withdrawal of legal aid from private family law court disputes, shifts towards alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as mediation and collaborative law.
Please note, students must also be on one of the following programmes:
- INBOUND Semester 1
- INBOUND Semester 2
- One Semester Flexible Combined Honours
- OAS Law (Dresden)
- One Semester Law
Module aims - intentions of the module
- This module aims to provide both research-enriched learning and teaching by academics actively engaged in research which has been used by family law policy makers and links to family law practice, where members of the teaching team practise as and/or engage regularly with family practitioners. Where possible the module includes judges as visiting speakers and judge shadowing opportunities.
- It aims to enable you to analyse critically the legal and policy framework for family law and to engage in an assessment of the effectiveness of the current family justice system.
- It aims to facilitate debate on proposals for reform of the law regarding the regulation of parenting at a time when the traditional family is in decline and out of court resolution of family law disputes is being invested in by government.
- It aims to encourage you to explore socio-legal research in this area, undertaken by family law specialist academics at Exeter and elsewhere.
- It aims to help you develop your oral and negotiation skills in workshops and to expose them to mediation and other styles of conflict resolution procedures
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. describe in detail and evaluate the legal framework and central principles governing adult couple/domestic relationships and parent/child relationships within English family law.
- 2. demonstrate knowledge of current developments in law, policy and human rights involved in family regulation within national and international legal frameworks and the impact of socio-legal research in this area
- 3. demonstrate comprehensive understanding of how the family law and family justice system operates both for adult family relationships and parent/child relationships.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. apply legal knowledge to a problem/ case study and to discuss it
- 5. demonstrate in-depth knowledge and understanding of a range of legal concepts, values, principles, institutions and procedures, and the ability to explain the relationships among them
- 6. select and present in a coherent way, orally and in writing, relevant law and legal/theoretical arguments
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. effectively use both written and oral communication skills in assessed work and workshops.
- 8. confidently tackle legal problems by means of a practical problem solving approach in role-play situations, demonstrating effective debating and negotiating skills.
- 9. demonstrate excellent library-based and internet-based research skills.
Syllabus plan
It is envisaged that the syllabus will include the following topics in the following order although precise content and order may vary. Lectures on the topics below are complemented by workshops on topics covered scheduled over the two weeks following the lecture:
Block 1: Parentage
Block 2: Parental Responsibility
Block 3: Private Law Children Disputes
Block 4: Public Law and Child Protection
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 26.5 | 123.5 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | 11x 2 hour Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 4.5 | 3 x 1.5 hour Workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | 60 | Individual reading and lecture preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 18 | Workshop preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 35.5 | Assessment preparation |
| Guided Independent Study | 10 | Preparation of formative assignment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| One essay/assignment to be handed in by week 8 | 1,000 words | 1-7, 9 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100 | 3,750 words | 1-7, 9 | Written and oral |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (3,750 words) | 1-7, 9 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Gilmore S and Glennon L, Hayes and Williams' Family Law (5th edn, OUP 2016).
Herring J Family Law (7th edn, Pearson 2015)
Harris-Short, S and Miles, J. Family Law - Text Cases and Materials (Oxford: Oxford, 2015)
Blackstone’s Statutes on Family Law.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | Students must be on one of the following programmes:
|
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 14/12/2016 |
| Last revision date | 22/03/2018 |
