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LS2527: INTRODUCTION TO LEGAL THEORY (2014-2015)

Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27


Course Overview

This course aims to provide student with an accessible introduction to some of the central themes of legal theory. The material will be organised around broad themes that will enable students to understand the basic concepts of legal theory. The themes include: the authority of law (including the obligation to obey the law, civil disobedience, the limits of law); the structure and function of rights; the fundamental values of law (justice, rule of law); the theoretical foundations of legal reasoning (including deductive reasoning, the limits of rule-based decision-making, the institutional aspects of legal reasoning and the explanation of judicial decisions).

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 2
Session Second Sub Session Credit Points 7.5 credits (3.75 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Tamas Gyorfi

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

None.

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

The normativity of law and the obligation to obey the law; Law and morality; The theoretical foundations of legal reasoning; Theories of legal rights; Fundamental values of law (justice, rule of law, efficiency); Economic analysis of law.

Further Information & Notes

This course is compulsory for the LLB degree.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 31 August 2023 for 1st half-session courses and 22 December 2023 for 2nd half-session courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 1 one-hour examination (60%) and in-course-assessment (40%, carried forward in the event of an overall fail).

Resit: 1 one-hour examination (60%) and in-course-assessment (40% carried forward in the event of an overall fail).

Formative Assessment

Online self-test module to be completed by the students by the sixth week of the course. A lecture and a tutorial will be devoted to the topic of critical analysis in order to provide preparation for the summative essay.

Feedback

There will be a session dedicated to discussing the questions from the online module, and the students will get written feedback for their essays (in-course assessment).

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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