module specification

Civil Liberties and Human Rights introduces students to the key principles of the law relating to civil liberties and human rights.

The module gives a clear, coherent and up to date account of the law of human rights and civil liberties, concentrating on the position of civil liberties and human rights protection in the light of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the standards of human rights protection laid down in the European Convention on Human Rights

It introduces and builds up critical understanding of the legal concepts which govern individual and collective rights and responsibilities, including the constraints the state may place on the citizen’s exercise of his or her human rights.

The module aims to develop several key transferable skills including independent research, critical analysis, legal drafting and academic writing in the context of the law of civil liberties and human rights, emphasising the use of primary and secondary sources of law. It will encourage and enable students to develop a sophisticated understanding of the relationship that exists - in terms of specific individual rights and freedoms - between the State and the citizen in the UK today and how the legal, social and political conflicts and tensions which are intrinsic to that relationship influence policy, decision-making and legislation.

Student employability will be enhanced by the development both of these skills and by
the practising of written and oral communication skills and group participation skills.

LL5001 Public Law

1. Introduction                    LO 1 and 2

The scope of civil liberties and human rights
The machinery to redress breaches of those rights
The relationship between the individual and the state in terms of specific individual rights and freedoms.

2. Enforcement of Human Rights and Civil Liberties         LO 1 and 2
Definition of civil liberties,
The protection of civil liberties in both domestic and international law, The  European Convention on Human Rights

3. Areas of Civil Liberties           LO 1 and 2
Freedom of expression
Freedom of assembly
Police powers
Terrorism

Learning & Teaching Strategy

Weekly two-hour lecture and one-hour seminar. 

The lecture will be used for:

Dissemination of knowledge through an overview of each topic with detailed guidance on appropriate aspects;
An introduction to relevant academic literature;
Guidance on learning strategies;
Use of blackboard and IT resources;
Whole group questions and discussion.

The seminar will be used for:

Development of skills necessary to attain the module learning outcomes through:
Written and oral questions/answers designed to reinforce fundamental rules/principles/cases;
A range of step by step writing exercises;
IT tasks such as research of cases and statutes
Problem-solving
Critical analysis
Legal writing

Blended Learning

All learning materials, previous examination questions and sample Q/A’s will be on blackboard for use in directed private study.

Student engagement will be encouraged in both lectures and seminars through weekly use of Weblearn for access to all of the above materials.

There will be required use of the professional legal databases, especially Westlaw and Lexis Library, for legal research

Opportunities for reflective learning/pdp

Each weekly seminar will contain space for students to reflect on what they have learnt in relation to the overall syllabus. There will be frequent feedback opportunities structured into the timetable and a range of sample answers posted onto Weblearn.

Employability

Employability strategy will aim to acquaint students with a range of employment avenues both in the legal profession and in those professions into which legal qualifications and skills are transferable.

Student’s Study Responsibilities

The need for attendance, punctuality, preparation and engagement will be emphasised with particular reference to written and IT research, problem-solving, team-work, discussion, debate and critical awareness of the subject.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

(1) Independently research and critically evaluate the development of UK civil liberties law and human rights culture.

(2) Synthesise diverse points of view by using appropriate techniques of interpretation and argumentation, and apply this analysis of civil liberties and human rights principles to specific scenarios.

1. Written Coursework (2,500 – 3,000 words)

Independent research based essay involving critical analysis and appraisal of fundamental principles civil liberties and human rights.

2. Online exam:  3 days to submit paper  via Turnitin. Max 1,500 words per question

Core Text:

Costigan, R & Stone, R, Civil Liberties and Human Rights, 11th ed., 2017 (OUP)

Other Texts:

Davis, H, Human Rights Law Directions, 4th ed., 2016, (OUP).
Harris, O’Boyle and Warbrick Law of the European Convention on Human Rights, 4th ed., 2016, (OUP)
Hoffman, D & Rowe, J, Human Rights in the UK: An Introduction to the Human Rights Act 1998, 4th ed., 2013, Pearson/Longman.
Jacobs, White & Ovey, The European Convention on Human Rights, 7th ed., 2017, (OUP).
Blackstone's Statutes on Public Law and Human Rights (OUP)

Journals:

Human Rights Law Review
Human Rights Law Reports

Websites:

The Institute of Advanced Legal Studies – http://ials.sas.ac.uk/eagle-i.htm
Daily law reports  http://iclr.co.uk/
British and Irish Legal Information Index allows access to many significant decisions: http://www.bailii.org/databases.html
The European Court of Human Rights http://www.echr.coe.int/eng/Judgments.htm
The United Kingdom Parliament (Hansard) www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/pahansard.htm

Electronic Databases:

Westlaw
Lexis Library
HUDOC