LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology

Public law is multifaceted and students will engage with a range of issues to include the relationship between the individual and the state, the effect of membership of the EU, devolution within the United Kingdom and the significance of judicial review. Students will be able assess the significance of human rights in constitutional and administrative law, with due reference to the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Students will examine the principles, policies and practical applications of contract law from a variety of perspectives. They will develop a thorough understanding of how contractual obligations are formed and regulated, how legal principles and concepts are used to identify and resolve legal problems, and the function of contracts in society and the economy. The module also addresses the dimensions of contract law that are shaped by the impact of EU law.

This module will introduce students to key approaches and perspectives within the discipline of psychology and provide an understanding of how human behaviour is influenced by biological, behavioural, cognitive and psychoanalytical processes. The module will explore some of the basic principles and debates within psychology and will outline key concepts, theories and research studies that have informed psychology as a whole as well as those of the different approaches, perspectives and branches of psychology covered within the module. The focus of the module is on providing students with a grounding in the fundamentals of psychology in order to complement their understanding of criminology and offending behaviour; to highlight a number of areas in which psychology has contributed to criminological knowledge; and to elucidate the links between psychology and criminology by discussing the implications and applications of different approaches within criminology and in explanations of, and responses to, criminal and deviant behaviour.  

Students will develop insights into how legal research is conducted to address substantive, procedural and contextual legal issues and how to apply techniques from related subjects in the social sciences and humanities. Since legal problems are often multifaceted, legal research methods require effective integration of doctrinal, theoretical and empirical research techniques.  An important feature of this module is the application of legal research skills to solving legal problems and to the analysis of legal issues.

Students will develop a solid understanding of the principles and concepts used in the law of trusts in England and Wales, covering the main forms of trust property. The module examines the development and current application of the fundamental maxims in equity, using both primary legal sources and academic discourses. The module also contextualises equity and trusts by facilitating understanding of the historical, social, political and economic functions of this area of law.

The purpose of this module is to allow students to engage with selected contemporary issues, debates and perspectives in criminology. Based primarily on weekly seminar discussion of an identified journal article, book chapter, or report, the module will focus on critical analysis, appreciation and discussion of each issue and facilitate engagement with broader subject areas of criminology.  Students will develop a critical overview of the discipline as it stands and the extent to which it is equipped or willing to engage with certain types of crime. Some topics will allow introductory insights into emerging, specialist fields of enquiry. Students are encouraged to critically evaluate the limitations of criminological theories and evidence as appropriate, as well as explore and critique the influence of current social, economic, political and cultural context on particular policies and practices in criminal justice. To reflect the dynamic, contemporary nature of this module, students are encouraged to appreciate and use various forms of representation through which criminological issues may be channeled and discussed. 

European Union law (EU law) governs the relations among member states of the European Union and the means by which economic, social and political integration are designed and enforced. This module examines the laws and principles that comprise EU law and determine implementation in member states.

Students will engage with the origins, sources and application of international law in public matters. The module examines the law that governs international organisations such the United Nations and the role of international courts and tribunals in the interpretation of international treaties. This module engages with the application of international law in areas such as border disputes, the law of the sea, foreign direct investment, environmental protection (including developments in relation to climate change), armed conflict, refugees, human rights violations and international criminal law.

This module examines the law of criminal evidence in England and Wales. As well as providing a comprehensive introduction to key evidential rules, the module will explore the rationale and policies for these rules and encourage a critical evaluation of them. Statutory provisions will be examined in detail together with key cases that interpret them and develop the law in this area.

This module considers both custodial and non-custodial punishment and a range of issues and dilemmas that might derive from these two key strategies of penal intervention. An exploration of the role and emergence of the modern prison and its internal culture, relationships and organisation will constitute an important element of the programme. Issues such as the ‘Americanisation’ of the penal system and the impact of prison privatisation will be raised when discussing the nature of imprisonment in the future.

Intellectual property (IP) is a rapidly expanding area of private practice that is closely connected to the knowledge-based economy which is shaping the current economic and political order both domestically and globally. The subject concerns an area of law of detailed and structured study that requires specialist knowledge. The aim of this module is to provide students with a sound knowledge and understanding of the law of intellectual property.

The module explores key issues, themes and debates from the field of drugs, crime and society. Students explore established and more recent academic and policy debates surrounding drug use, regulation and criminalisation. It is expected that students will come to the module with a 'taken-for-granted' perspective on the nature of drugs, their links with crime, and their wider social consequences and the module aims to challenge some of these.