Postgraduate Law 2025-2026

The course deals with the regulation of international activities regarding energy and the environment. The course will consider the international legal framework regarding energy sources, and it will look at the various legal instruments at the global and regional level as well as the key actors that are involved in regulation. It will also examine environmental issues that correspond to the generation and use of energy in the international context and the responses relating to environmental protection of soil, water, air, atmosphere and species.

With only limited exceptions hydrocarbons lie in the ownership or control of states but are frequently explored for and produced by commercial actors. This course considers the means by which the state controls exploitation of its oil and gas reserves. Following a number of introductory online lectures, students will participate in interactive seminars considering topics such as: from energy security to energy trilemma; national oil companies; licensing and production sharing agreements; resource curse and transparency; health, safety and environmental regulation; and decommissioning. This course is available to students registering for the LLM Oil and Gas Law programmes (Dissertation or Professional Skills).

This is an optional course at postgraduate level and offers a selective and critical examination of company laws in the UK and other systems. It is an appropriate course for students with an interest in working in the corporate sector or who wish to learn more about how company law operates in different countries. Key issues in comparative company law shall be examined and a range of topics will be covered, dealing with corporate entities, their ownership, management and activities.

This course provides students from diverse legal and educational backgrounds with a common understanding of the core research, analytical, and writing skills which will be required for LLM-Taught courses. The course is delivered as a series of five interactive lectures with two individual assessments designed to encourage critical thinking and provide opportunities for early feedback. It also incorporates a library workshop to provide students with hands-on experience with the resources available for course and dissertation work.

The course analyses recent developments in international law. It first considers the sources of international law. The question is then asked whether traditional international law can regulate pressing issues on the international plane. Examples of these problems are international terrorism, nuclear weapons proliferation, ethnic conflicts, and climate change. The course encourages the student to think creatively as an international lawyer to resolve contemporary international challenges. Teaching will be principally delivered through discussion-based seminars. 

This course provides a detailed overview of the international and domestic legal regulatory framework pertaining to the decommissioning of offshore oil and gas installations. Teaching and instruction will be by a variety of methods including podcasts, directed reading, and interactive discussion. Topics covered are: International law of the sea; global legal regime for offshore decommissioning; dumping – the UNCLOS, London and Oslo Conventions; Implementing international law in the UK and the Brent Spar Case; Legal and regulatory consequences of Brent Spar; the ongoing evolution of UK decommissioning law; the comparative dimension; waste. This course is available to students registering for the Online LLM Oil and Gas Law programmes (Dissertation or Professional Skills) and MSC Decommissioning.

Students will explore the diverse elements of law which constitute international intellectual property law. We will consider the historical development of international intellectual property rights, framework of international treaties and organisation, copyright (with a particular focus on new developments in the digital age), geographical indications, patents and designs. Throughout the course, the challenge is to identify conflicts and synergies, and areas for future development, through regard to cases, scholarship, and the activities of policy makers and activists. Assessment is by an essay; and an individual research project and oral presentation. Description: The course considers key issues relating to international intellectual property law which may vary from year to year consistent with the legal and social evolution of the fields; the course will explore copyright, geographical indications, patents, designs, and their relationship with regional and international treaties and international organisation; key themes will be drawn together in a practical presentation session.

The course explores the history and nature of ICL, allowing students to develop their understanding of the core crimes, their evolution, and the path to the creation of the International Criminal Court. Through seminar discussions, students are encouraged to contribute their informed, evidenced perspectives on contemporary problems in international criminal law. These include the attempts to suppress international crimes through international cooperation, international initiatives to prosecute those accused of serious violations of international criminal law, and the limitations of the International Criminal Court, as well as its successes.

This course is a substantive and critical analysis of two key areas of intellectual property law, copyright and patents, with a UK and European focus, and their impact on innovation and creativity. This course complements other innovation law LLM courses which focus on commercial, policy and sector matters.     

This course introduces international commercial litigation, the major means of commercial dispute resolution for many sectors of industry and the default means of dispute resolution against which international arbitration is positioned. The course demonstrates the relevance of a venue’s Private International Law (PIL) to its attractiveness for dispute resolution and provides advanced instruction in the relevant post-Brexit aspects of PIL to parties engaged in litigating international commercial disputes.

The course introduces students to the basics of International Law. It will describe the international legal system, the sources of International Law and the law of treaties.

The course will examine the law and principles of cross-border taxation. It will cover core subjects on international tax law, including the concepts of source and residence taxation, double tax conventions, allocation of taxing rights, transfer pricing and thin capitalisation rules, and international tax avoidance (schemes and prevention).

Attention will be paid to topical issues around international taxation and the efforts being made to modernise the international tax system. This includes an examination of the tax challenges of the digital economy and the solutions introduced by the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting. The progress and challenges associated with the recent resolution to establish a new UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation will also be examined.

The course content fulfils the core requirements of Module 1 of the ADIT (Advanced Diploma in International Tax) qualification offered by the Chartered Institute of Taxation. The course is also essential for those aiming to practise tax in an international context, either as academics, government officials, or general tax advisors.

The course will be taught from a legal and policy perspective. No prior knowledge of tax is required, but students should be willing to engage with the tax literature and tax affairs.

This course introduces students to one of the most highly discussed areas of law in modern societies. Competition law and policy offer a solution to the abuses of power that firms may perpetrate against consumers and the market. Yet, competition law enforcement is limited in many respects.

This course explores the spread of competition law around the world analysing its core provisions from a comparative perspective. The course thus focuses on the core aspects of competition law: anticompetitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and merger regulation. It then offers insights on the analysis of competition law in digital markets and on the international enforcement of its core provisions.

The course examines the complex and dynamic relationship between law and development and traces the impact of international development discourse on lower- and middle-income countries’ legal systems. The course focuses on domestic law reforms aiming to promote sustainable development and achieve the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda. It focuses on the role of law in promoting SDG 16 on peace, justice, and inclusive institutions, SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth, and SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production.

This course will explore issues within the law of corporate finance, with reference to different legal systems. It will provide students with a wider and deeper understanding of various debt and equity finance issues that are crucial to the law of corporate finance.

 A transition from reliance on fossil fuels to low-carbon renewable energy is essential for mitigating climate change and for making energy supplies more sustainable. This course examines the legal frameworks governing authorisation of renewable energy projects, as well as health, safety & environmental regulation. With a focus on the UK and Scotland, the course also considers European Union and other jurisdictions to draw comparison and analysis.

This is a unique, premium in-person course designed to make you a better arbitrator, litigator, and arbitral advocate, wherever you are in the world. The teaching, by leading arbitrators and arbitration lawyers, is built around a case scenario which allows you to explore, discuss and learn about the key current practical issues in international arbitration.

Assessment is based on participation in class and on a written reflective piece, prepared within one month of the end of the course.

The course is designed to offer in-depth theoretical insights and practical knowledge essential for navigating the field of international commercial arbitration.

The seminar topics have been selected to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of international commercial arbitration law. The topics include:

1. Arbitration Agreement and Arbitral Jurisdiction
2. The Role of the Seat
3. Applicable Substantive Law
4. The Arbitral Tribunal
5. Arbitral Procedure and Evidence
6. The Arbitral Award

Additionally, the course features a podcast introducing the fundamentals of international commercial arbitration.

This course considers issues relating to international trade and finance law and addresses the legal and commercial aspects of export-import transactions. It covers trade risks and risk assessment, the law and practice relating to international sale of goods, carriage of goods and insurance matters, international trade finance, digitalisation of international trade and international commercial dispute resolution.

This course is comparative in nature and examines in depth certain aspects of the criminal justice process, focussing upon differences between the adversarial and inquisitorial models. Examples are mainly drawn from Scotland, England and continental Europe. Topics addressed include: prosecution systems; the position of the accused; the status granted to the victim; plea-bargaining; the trial process; and appeals. The emphasis is not so much on ‘black-letter law’ but on the principles and policies, often clashing, which underlie the detailed legal rules and regulations governing the relevant institutions and processes.

The course will cover: registration of title system in general and specific aspects of registration of title in particular; the steps involved in selected types of conveyancing transaction; particular issues raised by specific types of conveyancing transaction; selected aspects of leases and related matters including tax, ethical, practice management and client care aspects of conveyancing. Key conveyancing skills will also be covered such as communication with clients, drafting, negotiation, and transaction based research.

The course will cover: taking instructions for a will; drafting testamentary documentation; practical issues concerning intestacy; executry administration; trusts; incapacity; investment and tax planning advice; and related matters including tax, ethical, practice management and client care aspects of Private Client. Key Private Client skills will also be covered such as communication with clients, drafting and transaction based research.

The course will introduce both Criminal and Civil Litigation and will cover: the Criminal Legal Aid scheme, the rules of criminal procedure and appeal routes, the conducts of pleas in mitigation, intermediate diets and trials, the funding of civil procedure, the ocncepts of specification and relevance in civil procedure, Court of Session procedure and processes, actions competent in the sheriff court and appeal routes, client interviews, drafting pleadings, the conduct of an options hearing and a proof, settlement issues and related matters including client care aspects of litigation. Key litigation skills will also be covered such as communication with clients, drafting, advocacy, and transaction-based research. 

The course is divided into two parts. Part 1 will cover: business structures and investment; a group exercise involves the set-up of a virtual law firm and construction of key business and practice policies; management of time and risk capability; company accounts analysis; loan finance; financial advice and tax implications; financial services.  An Investment Game runs throughout the first part of the course where each student manages a share portfolio. Part 2 will cover ethical issues in the client relationship; confidentiality and conflict; and duties and discipline. Key skills such as communication with clients, team working, drafting are covered.

The course explores the history, nature and salient features of the principles of  ‘the laws and customs of war’, also called IHL; they are enshrined, inter alia, in the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977. The principles of distinction, humanity, necessity and proportionality as applied to contemporary armed conflicts are examined.  The course emphasises the rules and challenges pertaining to civilian immunity, occupation, legal controls on weapons and how IHL is implemented and enforced. It also clarifies the differences/similarities between IHL and international human rights law and the law on the use of force.  

This course is comparative in nature and examines in-depth various key evidentiary doctrines, focussing upon the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and differences in the approaches adopted by national jurisdictions. The emphasis is not so much on ‘black-letter law’ but on the principles and policies, often clashing, which underlie the detailed legal rules and regulations governing the relevant types of evidence.

This course provides students from diverse legal and educational backgrounds with a common understanding of the core research, analytical, and writing skills which will be required for LLM-Taught courses. The course is delivered as a series of five interactive lectures with two individual assessments designed to encourage critical thinking and provide opportunities for early feedback. It also incorporates a library workshop to provide students with hands-on experience with the resources available for course and dissertation work.

The course provides students with a comprehensive overview of the commercial issues which arise when decommissioning offshore installations.  The course will focus in particular upon the UK example.  It will consider standardised documentation including LOGIC and BIMCO contracts,  key contractual clauses, innovative contracting models and the legal (including tax) issues which arise as a result of decommissioning costs.

This course is designed for law as well as non-law students who are interested in public communication via mass media – some may be interested in pursuing a career in journalism, marketing, or politics, others may nevertheless be interested in gaining insights into the legal mechanisms which regulate public communication through mass media in these fields. The course aims to develop an in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of the relevant legal mechanisms.

There are at least 264 transboundary watercourses in the world.  40 percent of the world’s population depends on them for freshwater needs.  Population growth, unfair share and lack of conservation measures, amongst other factors, have led to fierce competition over such resources among states and their communities. The Course explores the normative and policy issues relating to shared transboundary watercourses among states from the perspectives of international watercourses law (IWL), water politics and policies, and to some extent, geosciences. Focusing on the legal aspects of the subject, the course explores relevant theories, the key principles of IWL as enshrined in the UN Watercourses Convention 1997, contemporary issues such as ‘benefit sharing’, ‘the water-energy-food nexus’ and the ‘SDGs’, in light of specific case studies of transboundary watercourses such as the Nile and the Mekong.

The course aims to provide a thorough and critical understanding of fundamental concepts, principles and institutions of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with emphasis on trade in goods (GATT).  The main topics covered include relevant historical and institutional developments, WTO dispute resolution, core principles such as the most-favour-nation (MFN), National Treatment and the prohibition of quantitative restrictions on international trade.  The security, environment, human rights, subsidies, economic emergencies and free trade areas and customs unions based exceptions and their challenges are also analytically explored.  These are studied in light of relevant WTO panel and Appellate Body cases and recommendations.

The course introduces students to the basics of International Law. It will describe the international legal system, the sources of International Law and the law of treaties.

The course aims to develop an in-depth and critical appreciation of current issues in the area of the use of armed force in International Law. The course is of interest to students who want to understand the legal considerations which frame contemporary conflicts.

The course will first analyse the fundamental principle of the prohibition on the use of force between States. It will then examine the current exceptions to this principle (e.g., right to self-defence, authorisation to use force given by the United Nations Security Council); further, what types of arguments States tend to use to justify the resort to force. Consequently, the course will study the most recent military interventions on the international plane (e.g., in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Libya, Palestine, Syria, Ukraine, Gaza and Iran). Teaching will be principally delivered through discussion-based seminars.

The course addresses international legal issues raised by the increasing need to secure information and communication technology. It gives a comprehensive map of the international cybersecurity governance; explores the modalities of international cyberattacks; discusses data protection in the EU and UK; questions the role of States in international cybersecurity, examines what cyberoperations violate international law and how States could react to them; also studies the role of private companies, including online platforms, in securing cyberspace. Teaching will be principally delivered through discussion-based seminars.

The course will explore the international legal framework that surrounds the uses of outer space. Within this context, the course will cover the history, development, and current status of the Unites Nations Space Treaties as well as other binding and soft law international legal instruments that govern the uses of outer space. The course will also explore selected national space frameworks, such as that of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The course content will be contextualized on the basis of current developments in the field of space activities.

We look at the issues arising from the use of a ship to transport goods from buyer to seller when each is based in a separate legal system. We examine the contract of affreightment; the relevance of charter parties; the possibilities offered by Bills of Lading and analogous ‘documents’ (whether electronic or not). We consider the law concerning a cargo claim as it may involve the Hague Rules, the Hague-Visby Rules, the Hamburg Rules. We also evaluate the Rotterdam Rules. We consider international commercial dispute resolution of cargo claims by arbitration and litigation.

Climate change is the biggest environmental challenge of our time and addressing it requires a range of regulatory tools and strategies for mitigating emissions. These include placing limits on greenhouse gas emissions at international and national levels, adapting to the current and projected impacts of climate change, and opening international green finance markets to support regional decarbonisation. This course immerses students in the cutting-edge field of climate law and sustainability, where they will critically explore the role of law in mitigating the climate crisis.

A good knowledge and understanding of the commercial purpose and key features of the principal contracts used in the oil and gas industry is essential for an oil and gas lawyer.  This course will examine the contracts entered into between involved in the exploration for and production of oil and gas. These include and the investment contracts entered into between the oil companies themselves in the form of Joint Operating Agreements, and those between oil and gas companies operators and the contractors making up the service and supply chain. The course will be taught by means of a mix of lectures, seminars and interactive workshops.

The course aims to introduce students to the core aspects of privacy and data protection law, exploring its international, European, and national dimension.

The course aims to introduce students to the core aspects of privacy and data protection law, exploring its international, European, and national dimension.

The course addresses, in particular, the role of data privacy regulation in the digital environment, critically discussing key global challenges, such as: international data transfers; artificial intelligence and its impact on data subject’s rights; the balance between the right to data protection and other fundamental freedoms (e.g. freedom of expression).

This course is aimed to help commercial lawyers working in transnational settings to understand how different legal traditions offer different viewpoints on key contractual challenges that emerge in all commercial contracts: how agreements are formed, interpreted and enforced; what remedies are available to aggrieved parties; under what circumstances can parties avoid liability. Thus, national contract laws will be seen as variations on a theme. The course will cover the main rules and doctrines of a range of legal systems, as well as transnational contract law mechanisms

The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines and international investment protection framework, are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century and how best to avoid disputes and manage them.

This course will discuss the trajectory of the development of corporate governance over the past three decades, especially in the UK and the US, with a view to understanding the extent to which underlying theoretical assumptions and policy decisions impact legislative, regulatory and self-regulatory arrangements as well as reform options. Students will gain an understanding of why the company as a legal entity has the shape and form that it does; why certain actors are regarded as internal to corporate governance arrangements and others external; and why ongoing (and sometimes apparently futile) reform efforts take the form that they do.

This course tracks the ongoing interactions between trade mark and related laws on the one hand and the social and commercial practices of branding on the other.  Through the use of cases and contemporary examples throughout, the course examines trade mark and related laws within their historical, current, and developing social and commercial contexts.  It offers a critical view of developments in the laws, their roles in and responses to the evolving practices of branding.  It provides students with both an analytical and a practical view on the protection of trade mark and related rights.

The course was designed to help students build competence in dealing with the doctrinal issues about international human rights. It involves understanding the place of human rights in public international law, finding one’s way around the foundational human rights documents and the jurisprudence of human rights bodies. The course delivery puts heavy emphasis on classroom discussion on the controversial issues on contemporary human rights law that shape doctrinal development in this field: the justifiability of torture, the limits of freedom of religion, the justiciability of social rights, etc.

The transport and supply of hydrocarbons (oil and gas) and electricity is essential for modern civilisation. If energy cannot get to the consumer, then energy security is threatened and economic development may be restricted.

These challenges are important in the context of the liberalisation of these sectors, especially the restructuring of these industries from monopolies to competitive markets. This course explores the law and policy framework governing the movement and distribution of energy, particularly within a liberalised market, in an era of climate change. Topics covered include market liberalisation, energy security, gas sales and transport, and market regulation.

Students will explore the diversity of laws and practices relevant to commercialising innovation. We will consider patents, trade secrets, copyright and database rights, new business models, competition, natural resources and activities in developing areas. Visiting speakers from practice and industry are regularly invited. In the first session, students develop an innovative idea, as a base for discussion in each session. Seminars involve individual and group work, and the preparation of posters.

The course will build on the knowledge and experience students gained from the core Litigation course. The course will cover: the conduct of 2 case scenarios which will involve preparation and conduct of both a debate and a proof; client interviews; precognition taking; preparation of different types of civil pleadings; students will practice by role play the skills required to prepare and conduct civil cases in the sheriff court; summary cause and small claims procedures.

The course will cover: contractual drafting; contracts of sale; consumer contracts; Heads of Terms and offers; common law and implied terms; Share Purchase Agreement and Boilerplate clauses: Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006; intellectual property; warranties and indemnities; Bribery Act 2010; assignation, assignment, novation and variations; exiting commercial contracts. Key skills will also be covered such as communication with clients, analysing key risk areas in relation to technical and legal matters, drafting, negotiation, and transaction based research.

The course will cover: a role play scenario where students will work in groups acting for the purchaser and seller throughout the key stages of an acquisition transaction; drafting preliminary documentation; creation of a company as an acquisition vehicle; financial aspects of the deal; diligence and disclosure; the Share Purchase Agreement; the completion process including a mock completion meeting and post completion matters. Key skills will also be covered such as communication with clients, drafting, negotiation, and transaction based research.

The course will cover: taking part in role play scenarios relating to disputes involving divorce, cohabitation and parental rights; taking instructions in a family law dispute; writing positional letters; drafting appropriate court documentation; negotiations which involve the parties and solicitors; interim interdict hearing; and child welfare hearing. Key skills will also be covered such as communication with clients, client care, drafting, negotiation, and transaction based research.

The course will cover: the oil and gas licensing regime; the broader context within which the oil and gas industry operates; Joint Operating Agreements; exclusivity agreements; Joint Bidding Agreements; exclusion/indemnity clauses and risk allocation; access to infrastructure; renewable and planning issues; servitudes; health & safety and the environment qualifying disclosures and protected disclosures; the legal framework concerning decommissioning; the role of the media with particular reference to the Brent Spar incident; regulatory issues and responsibilities in the event of an oil rig disaster. Key skills will also be covered such as communication with clients, drafting, negotiation, and transaction based research.

Employment Law: Tribunal Practice and Procedure

The course will cover preparing and representing clients at Employment tribunals, and to develop advocacy and communication skills in dealing with and representing clients involved in employment disputes. Key skills will also be covered such as communication with clients; client and witness interviews; advocacy skills; drafting, negotiation, and transaction based research.

The course will cover an overview of the institutions of Public Law; an examination of planning law; issues dealing with education, housing and social work; an examination of Equality and Human Rights law. The course will include a themed case study (e.g. Gypsy Travellers) which will be reviewed throughout the duration of the course. Key skills will also be covered such as communication with clients, drafting, negotiation, advocacy skills and transaction based research.

The course will develop knowledge and skills in both theory and practice on aspects of negotiation and mediation. The course will cover preparation for both a negotiation and a mediation and students will have the opportunity to conduct formative negotiations and mediations during the course.

Taught by museum expert and law academics, this course will examine cultural property issues  such as treasure trove, looting and repatriation, forgery, sacred and street art, the derogatory treatment of art, and the commercialisation of artworks.  Objects from the University Museum and collections worldwide will be drawn on to illustrate aspects of the course. Museum practice and operational experience will also inform the discussions in class.  Students will be encouraged to explore and develop their own ideas. Facilitating this, the course will include a programme of case studies and/or issue papers to be presented by students for class discussion.      

Between May and mid-August students prepare a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic of their choice related to their specialist LLM programme. Students are instructed through the delivery of a preparatory lecture, two supervisory meetings and a two hour dissertation planning workshop in a small group setting. Students are expected to spend considerable time on independent research throughout the course of the dissertation module, including; preparation of dissertation plan, amendment of plan in accordance with supervisory comments, preparation for the dissertation workshop, and, of course, in the final 10,000 word dissertation itself.

This course is taught over three weeks at the end of May and beginning of June each year. It is highly practical and interactive, involving group discussion and debate, drafting, role play and presentations. Students are taken through the international arbitration process from drafting the arbitration clause, to jurisdiction, preliminary proceedings, the hearing, the award (judgement) and enforcing and challenging the award.  Practitioners in international arbitration deliver majority of the tuition. There is no exam, assessment is by presentation, preparing written arguments and award (arbitral judgement) writing. Successful completion of the course can lead to exemption from the Membership examinations of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

This course enables students to develop professional and practical skills in intellectual property law. This course will take the place of a dissertation. 

This course allows students to deploy the knowledge gained in the taught courses on the Oil and Gas/Energy Transition LLMs in intensive exercises designed to develop their professional skills. This course provides students with insights into the context and roles of the different parties involved in the building of a business case, and approaches to decision-making used by organisations in the energy sector. It also introduces students to important elements in negotiations.

This course is a year-long (two semesters) course that provides a broad range substantive, methodological, and professional training for first year PGR students. The teaching goal of the course is to provide first-year PGR students with a range of educational materials and training experiences to better enable successful outcomes in their PGR program.

This course is a year-long (two semesters) course that provides a broad range substantive, methodological, and professional training for second year PGR students. The teaching goal of the course is to provide second-year PGR students with a range of educational materials and training experiences to better enable successful outcomes in their PGR program. In particular, this course build on the prerequisite course by expanding into the skills necessary for presenting at Research Conferences, for large hall presentations, and for public testimony at legislative or ministerial events.

This course is a year-long (two semesters) course that provides a broad range substantive, methodological, and professional training for third year PGR students. The teaching goal of the course is to provide third-year PGR students with a range of educational materials and training experiences to better enable successful outcomes in their PGR program. In particular, this course builds on the first two year’s worth of training to focus on intensive viva skills, interview skills, and job search skills.