Environmental Law
| Module title | Environmental Law |
|---|---|
| Module code | LAW3200 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Ben Hudson (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 100 |
|---|
Module description
The protection of the environment is becoming the pivotal policy concern of our age, and the manner in which law plays a vital role in influencing policies and addressing environmental disruption will be of integral importance. In this module you will be provided with both a theoretical and practical foundation in environmental law and policy, and you will also reach beyond and delve into the critical and substantive issues affecting its regulation today.
This is an optional module on the third year of the LLB and is suited to those interested in specialising in environmental law and policy, whether in research, practice or their professional work.
Module aims - intentions of the module
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate detailed, comprehensive knowledge of the law relating to environmental law and policy, including a substantial range of major concepts, values and principles relevant to its application;
- 2. demonstrate critical awareness of a wide range of social and contextual implications of the areas of environmental law studied;
- 3. compare, analyse and synthesise the principal rules and theories relating to environmental law and policy;
- 4. identify, explain and critically evaluate key issues in environmental law and policy, applying relevant rules and theories;
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. demonstrate detailed, comprehensive knowledge of legal concepts and their wider contextual, social and political implications;
- 6. select, integrate and present, coherently and reflectively, relevant law, social and environmental justice theory arguments;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. communicate and engage in debate effectively and accurately, in a manner appropriate to the discipline/different contexts;
- 8. identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of resources with minimum guidance; and
- 9. work independently and manage time efficiently in preparing for scheduled learning activities and assessments.
Syllabus plan
While the module’s precise content and syllabus may vary each year, it is anticipated that it will cover the following topics:
Foundations of Environmental Law
- Values, Principles and Concepts
- Sources and Institutions
- Regulation, Compliance and Enforcement
- Public Participation and the Aarhus Convention
Critical Perspectives in Environmental Law
- Biodiversity and Nature Conservation
- Environmental Rights
- Air and Water Pollution
- Climate Change
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 24.5 | 125.5 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 20 | 10 x 2 hour lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 4.5 | 3 x 1.5 hour workshops |
| Guided independent study | 54 | General reading for the module |
| Guided independent study | 27 | Workshop preparation |
| Guided independent study | 44.5 | Assessment preparation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 750 words | 1-9 | Individual written feedback; whole cohort oral feedback; individual oral feedback upon request |
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 | 2,500 words | 1-9 | Individual written feedback; oral feedback upon request |
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 (2,500 words) | Essay (2,500 words) (100%) | 1-9 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Stuart Bell, Donald McGillivray, Ole Pedersen, Emma Lees and Elen Stokes, Environmental Law (10th edn, OUP 2024)
R (Finch on behalf of the Weald Action Group) v Surrey County Council and others [2024] UKSC 20, [2024] PTSR 988
Manchester Ship Canal Company Ltd v United Utilities Water Ltd (No. 2) [2024] UKSC 22
Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC) and Center for Economic and Social Rights (CESR) / Nigeria, 155/96, 27 October 2001
Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v Switzerland [GC] Application No 53600/20 (ECtHR, 9 April 2024)
Environment Act 2021
Climate Change Act 2008
Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice 1998
Paris Agreement to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 12 December 2015, 3156 UNTS 54113
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 1973
Catherine Caine, 'Brexit and Environmental Law in England: Where are we now?' (2023) 41(4) Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law 529
Alexander Zahar, ‘Optimism and Pessimism about the Paris Agreement’ in Alexander Zahar (ed.), Research Handbook on the Law of the Paris Agreement (Edward Elgar 2024)
Gary Fuller, The Invisible Killer: The Rising Global Threat of Air Pollution – and How We Can Fight Back (Melville House UK 2018)
Laura Holden, Robert Lee, Luisa Orsini, Niamh Eastwood, Jiarui Zhou and Aleksandra ?avoški, ‘Biodiversity Management Challenges: A Policy Brief’ (2024) 26(2) Environmental Law Review 141
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 25/01/2021 |
| Last revision date | 16/02/2025 |
