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Study information

Law, Politics and Justice

Module titleLaw, Politics and Justice
Module codeLAWM160
Academic year2024/5
Credits15
Module staff

Professor Stephen Skinner (Convenor)

Duration: Term123
Duration: Weeks

11

Number students taking module (anticipated)

10

Module description

This module gives you the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of various theoretical perspectives on law by exploring them in applied and dynamic ways through a series of in-depth discussions about some of the most fundamental assumptions of modern law and legal systems. You will consider foundational questions such as, for example, how the concept of justice can be defined and analysed in relation to law; how the concept of personhood can be imagined philosophically and how it contributes to the formation of a political community; how we can understand law’s role in achieving social order and law’s relationship with violence; why people obey the law and how disobedience might be justified; how individual responsibility can be understood and questioned in theoretical terms; and how law might be critically examined as text, narrative and discourse by crossing disciplinary boundaries into the humanities.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to enable you to build a detailed understanding of legal and political theories by applying them to specific questions and problems. The module is research enriched, and it is oriented towards developing your abstract reasoning and critical thinking skills, as well as your ability to apply abstract theories to practical issues. The module aims to enable you to develop your own critical perspectives on the theories and topics studied, and to grasp the relevance of theoretical analysis to everyday issues of law and politics.

 

This module will be especially relevant for you if you are considering further postgraduate research with a theoretical dimension. It is also important to note that increasingly, employers across the legal and business sectors value applicants’ ability to demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and this module will give you the opportunity to sharpen your abilities in these areas.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 1. Demonstrate specialised knowledge and understanding of the legal and political theories studied on the module, including their origins and key dimensions
  • 2. Demonstrate a professional level of competence in interpreting, applying and critically evaluating legal and political theories in relation to specific questions and problems

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 3. Demonstrate enhanced knowledge and understanding of the significance of theoretical discussion in the academic analysis of legal and political issues
  • 4. Demonstrate flexible and innovative ability to analyse abstract theoretical argumentation, identify the relative significance of applicable concepts, and select appropriate methods for critically evaluating them

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

  • 5. Independently identify, gather, interpret and analyse relevant academic materials including original theoretical works and related secondary commentary
  • 6. Demonstrate independent thinking and ability to construct critical argument effectively, confidently and autonomously
  • 7. Work independently and manage time efficiently in preparing for module activities and assessments

Syllabus plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following, including an introduction to working with legal and political theories, and to critical thinking, before focusing on four of the following topics:

 

Law and justice

  • Positive and negative approaches to defining justice
  • A concept of justice and conceptions of justice
  • Legal and political theories of individual and social justice

 

Personhood and political community

  • Liberal theories of the autonomous individual, political community and law
  • Critiques of the liberal conception of personhood and law, such as feminist and critical race theory

 

Law, order and violence

  • Theoretical perspectives on law’s role in achieving social order
  • Ideas of law’s violence, foundational violence, violence as a justification for law, and the contingent distinction between lawful force and unlawful violence

 

Obeying the law

  • Legal and political theories of obedience to law
  • Theoretical justifications of civil disobedience

 

Responsibility

  • Understanding and questioning autonomy and responsibility
  • Responsibility and approaches to justice

 

Law as text, narrative and discourse

  • Questioning law’s textual dimensions
  • Law and legal reasoning as narrative and discourse
  • Beyond law’s boundaries: law and humanities

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
201300

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching2010 x 2-hour weekly seminars – this will consist of one seminar as an introduction; two seminars on four topics from the syllabus list; and one seminar as a conclusion
Guided Independent Study60Reading and preparation for seminars
Guided Independent Study70Reading and preparation for the formative and summative exercises

Formative assessment

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay1000 words1-7Individual written feedback from the module convenor (with oral feedback upon request)

Summative assessment (% of credit)

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay1002000 words1-7Individual written feedback from the module convenor (with oral feedback upon request)

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Essay (2000 words)Essay (2000 words)1-7Referral/Deferral period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

  • Raymond Wacks, Understanding Jurisprudence (OUP)
  • Jonathan Wolff, An Introduction to Political Philosophy (OUP)
  • Roger Cotterrell, The Politics of Jurisprudence (LexisNexis)
  • Costas Douzinas & Adam Gearey, Critical Jurisprudence (Hart)
  • Gary Minda, Postmodern Legal Movements (NYUP)

Indicative learning resources - Other resources

  • Specific required and further readings will be indicated for each seminar during the module.

Key words search

Law, politics, theory, violence, justice, order

Credit value15
Module ECTS

7.5

Module pre-requisites

None

Module co-requisites

None

NQF level (module)

7

Available as distance learning?

No

Origin date

28/03/2023

Last revision date

26/03/2024