Business Law for Accountants
| Module title | Business Law for Accountants |
|---|---|
| Module code | BEA1003 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Iva Guterres (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 320 |
|---|
Module description
Summary:
This module considers the law that affects business in the UK, focusing on the law as it applies in England & Wales. You will gain an appreciation and understanding of the workings of the legal system, the law of tort, contract law, the law of agency, employment law and other areas of law that effect businesses.
Additional Information:
Internationalisation
Many legal systems in the world are based on the UK system (Hong Kong, ex-Commonwealth countries, Australia, USA) and so, although this module is UK-based, it has relevance to countries that have adapted the UK law system. As part of the business law, you will also be taught European Law.
Employability
This module will increase your knowledge of legal principles and help you understand the role of law in regulating businesses. It will develop your oral and written communication skills and you will learn to use appropriate legal language, identify and analyse legal problems, produce reasoned arguments and conclusions and recommend a course of action based on legal principles either working independently or as part of a team. Knowledge of the law and the skills developed in this module will provide you with a solid foundation which can be applied to all employment situations.
External Engagement
The module has input from the following external accreditation bodies:
- ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accounts in England and Wales)
- ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
- CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)
Sustainability
Law is relevant to every issue on sustainability and knowledge of the law is required in order to practice any kind of sustainability related activity.
All of the resources for this course are accessible through ELE (Exeter Learning Environment).
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to enable you to understand and demonstrate knowledge of the legal systems in the UK and the principle features of business law. By the end of the module, you will be able to identify and assess legal issues and apply knowledge to legal problems affecting business and reach appropriate conclusions.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. describe and explain the English legal system.
- 2. explain and discuss the principal features of the law of tort and contract law.
- 3. apply this knowledge to legal problems, reach appropriate conclusions and recommend a course of action using appropriate legal language.
- 4. explain the main principles of the law of agency.
- 5. outline the legal implications of information technology for business.
- 6. outline the basic principles of employment law.
- 7. identify issues arising in areas of business law and identify and apply relevant legal rules.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. explain the role of law in regulating businesses
- 9. use appropriate legal in discussing issues and problems.
- 10. identify and analyse legal problems in the context of a business environment
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 11. produce reasoned arguments and conclusions to issues and problems
- 12. work independently to gather and organise information
- 13. demonstrate basic problem solving skills
- 14. demonstrate written communication skills
- 15. demonstrate oral communication skills
Syllabus plan
The English Legal System:
- Classification of law
- The Courts and Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Legal Personnel
- The Doctrine of Judicial Precedent
- Statutory Interpretation
Types of Business Enterprise:
- The main types of business enterprise
- Partnerships
- Companies
- Key distinctions between a sole trader, an ordinary partnership and a company
Contact:
- Formation of a contract
- Terms of a contract
- Vitiating factors
- Discharge of contract
- Remedies
Agency:
- Definition and creation of agency
- Authority and liability of an agent
- Rights and duties of an agent Duties of a principal
- Termination of agency
- An introduction to employment law:
- Contracts of employment
- The Fixed - term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002
- The Working Time Regulations 1998
- Termination of employment
- Wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal and redundancy
- Discrimination in employment
Tort:
- The nature of tort
- Vicarious liability
- Negligence
- General defences
- Remedies
Miscellaneous matters:
- The Computer Misuse Act 1990
- The Data Protection Act 2018
- Revision.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 117 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 22 | Lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 11 | Tutorials |
| Guided Independent Study | 117 | Reading and preparation for tutorials, workshops and assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly tutorial questions for discussions | 1 hour in class discussions (plus 3 hours preparation by students) | 1-14 | Tutor comments and suggested solutions on ELE |
| Mock exam | 2 hours | 1-14 | Suggested solutions on ELE |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 100 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-class test | 20 | 1 hour | 1-14 | Suggested solutions on ELE |
| Examination | 80 | 2 hours | 1-14 | General feedback provided on ELE. Individual meetings with students if required. |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In class test (20%) | In class test (20%) (1 hour) | 1-14 | August reassessment period |
| Examination (80%) | Examination (80%) (2 hours) | 1-14 | August reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
Only students who fail the whole module will be re-assessed with an in-class test and/or summer examination, whichever is relevant as above.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Suggested reading:
- MacIntyre, E. (2018). Business Law (9th ed.). Pearson
- Adams, A., Caplan, S., & Lockwood, G. (2020). Law for Business Students (11th ed.). Pearson Education.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Web-based and electronic resources: lecture notes, tutorial questions and solutions will be posted on ELE:
http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=124
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
Lecture handouts and tutorial questions will be provided.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | This module is for Accounting students only |
| Module co-requisites | BEA1008 |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/09/1999 |
| Last revision date | 26/01/2022 |
