A Legal Foundation for Environmental Protection
| Module title | A Legal Foundation for Environmental Protection |
|---|---|
| Module code | LAW1016C |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Caroline Keenan (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 80 |
|---|
Module description
In this module you will be introduced to law in the context of the environment and how important the legal process is in its protection. The module seeks to provide you with an overview of all the different ways in which law can be used to protect the environment and give you the tools to choose which types of law are most suitable in different environmental contexts.
You will develop empathy for the different stakeholders in environmental issues. We will consider pathways to reconcile competing interests in an attempt to strike a balance between developmental or industrial progress and the need to protect our environment.
You are not expected to have any legal knowledge or experience and the module is therefore ideal for students on an interdisciplinary pathway, as well as being a compulsory element of the Environmental Science degree.
The module is designed as an essential foundation for those seeking employment following graduation in an environmental field where a working knowledge of law and policy will be assumed. It also provides an excellent foundation for further legal study.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The aim of this module is to introduce you to the challenges that we face in environmental law and the difficulties associated with balancing different values and interests that people, businesses and nations have in decisions that affect their environment. Planning decisions permit development that can impact our ecosystems, and they limit development to prevent harm. Businesses, industry, the economy, our ecosystems and ultimately our planet are all impacted by decisions that are made on a local, national and global basis to permit or prevent development, and this module will introduce you to the systems and procedures that facilitate these controls.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. describe the principles and foundations that underpin environmental law and policy
- 2. compare different legal mechanisms in environmental protection
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. relate law and policy to environmental problems
- 4. develop an argument at a foundational level
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. make oral presentations on a selected topic and defend an argument orally
- 6. write in a manner appropriate to the context of the assessment.
Syllabus plan
The module begins by considering the development of environmental concern over the last 60 years and how the law has responded. The module looks at the scope of environmental law and its relevance to your studies. The module will then build on this introduction and will include the following topics:-
- The challenges we face in Environmental Law – reflecting on our history and the role of law in navigating environmental crises.
- Foundational principles in environmental law – taking precaution, preventing harm from happening in the first place and the principle that where there is pollution, that the polluter should be held accountable.
- Reconciling conflicting attitudes and interests with a view to protecting the environment.
- Navigating the planning system and the role of planning in sustainable development
- Legal mechanics for the non-lawyer – the role of different types of law (both national and international) in environmental protection.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | 118 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 20 | Interactive lectures: Core content will be delivered and explored during interactive lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 4 | Mock Public hearing |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 8 | Workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Individual acquisition and widening learning on topics |
| Guided Independent Study | 28 | Deepening task based activities conducted independently and as part of a peer-led group |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Consolidation task-based activities including preparation of formative and summative work |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshops will provide students with opportunities for formative feedback throughout the module | 4 x 2 hour workshops | 1-6 | Peer and lecturer feedback and guidance |
| Draft paragraph | 300 words | 1-4, 6 | Written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual presentation (students will role-play and represent the position of a stakeholder at a public hearing.) | 30 | 3 minute presentation with accompanying slides (and 10 minutes of asking and answering questions) | 3-5 | Written feedback |
| Learning Portfolio | 70 | 2,250 words | 1-4, 6 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Slides and written presentation (1000 words) | 3-5 | August/September reassessment period |
| Learning Portfolio | 2,250 words | 1-4, 6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Bell and McGillivray, Pedersen, Lees, Stokes, Environmental Law (9th edn, OUP 2017)
- Elizabeth Fisher, Bettina Lange, and Eloise Scotford, Environmental Law: Text, Cases & Materials (2nd Edition, OUP 2019)
- Wolf and Stanley on Environmental Law, Wolf, F and Stanley, N (6th edition, 2013) Routledge Taylor and Francis
- Finch and Fafinski, Legal Skills, OUP (7th Edition, 2019).
- Kramer, EC Environmental Law, Sweet and Maxwell (8th Edition, 2016)
- Connie, Bradney and Burton, English Legal System in Context (5th Edition, 2010), OUP, Oxford
- Partington, M, Introduction to the English Legal System (2019) OUP Oxford
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 05/03/2012 |
| Last revision date | 04/11/2022 |
