Legal Studies and Politics (MA)

Year 1: Compulsory Courses

Academic Writing for Social Sciences (AW1006)

This compulsory evaluation is designed to find out if your academic writing is of a sufficient standard to enable you to succeed at university and, if you need it, to provide support to improve. It is completed on-line via MyAberdeen with clear instructions to guide you through it. If you pass the evaluation at the first assessment it will not take much of your time. If you do not, you will be provided with resources to help you improve. This evaluation does not carry credits but if you do not complete it this will be recorded on your degree transcript.

Detailed course information

Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)

This course, which is prescribed for level 1 undergraduate students and articulating students who are in their first year at the University, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.

Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

Detailed course information

Scottish Legal System and Method (LS1019)

15 Credit Points

This course introduces the fundamentals of Scottish legal system and Scottish legal method. Lectures, tutorials and a workshop will cover topics such as the Scottish legal tradition, formal sources of Scots law, the legislative process, organisation of the courts, judicial precedent, civil procedure, alternative dispute resolution and legal services. Students will be introduced to reading statute, precedent and the Institutional Writers in light of the fundamentals of Scottish legal method.

Detailed course information

Foundations of Private Law (LS1022)

15 Credit Points

The course provides firstly a map of private law as drawn from the institutional scheme of classical Roman law as still followed today in Scotland. It then progresses to an equivalent of the medical student’s study of anatomy in the sense that, concentrating on the law of property and obligations, it examines the main concepts of private law and how they interact and operate together so as to provide a sophisticated body of legal principles which can be used to resolve real-life disputes within private law.

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Politics & International Relations 1: Democracy and Governance (PI1018)

15 Credit Points

Politics and International Relations impacts on all parts of our lives, with more specifically it being the study of ideas, events, institutions and choice. Studying these provides us with both knowledge of the world and also how it operates and functions. It also changes our perception of our surroundings and makes us aware of an ever changing global context. This course will introduce students to concepts and ideas that form the basis for the study of these disciplines while simultaneously also helping us understand our own place within a global context.

Detailed course information

Politics & International Relations 2: Power and Conflict (PI1518)

15 Credit Points

Politics is the study of multiple forms of power that impacts our lives and the world we live in. It shapes how people and groups cooperate or clash with each other. In this course, we will explore the ideas, institutions, complex histories, global dynamics, and systems that shape politics and international relations. Students will learn key concepts and theories of the discipline, and develop their skills in understanding and analysing global politics.

Detailed course information

Year 1: Optional Courses

Plus 30 credit points from non-LS courses of choice.

Plus 30 credit points from the following courses:

Criminal Law (LS1020)

15 Credit Points

This course is a compulsory course on the LLB degree introducing students to Scottish criminal law including its sources and current law. It examines various aspects of substantive law including crimes against the person, crimes of dishonesty, crimes against property, and criminal defences enabling students to understand and apply the law in these areas. The course also develops students’ written, verbal and analytical skills utilising written coursework and problem-solving exercises in tutorial groups and a workshop.

Detailed course information

Contract (LS1520)

15 Credit Points

Contract is one of the central subjects of private law and is one of the main branches of the law of obligations, the other being Delict and Unjustified Enrichment. Contract Law covers obligations which are voluntary in nature. Every day we make contracts from buying a newspaper to buying a house. Contract Law is an area where Scots law and English law are very similar, and this course will cover Scots contract law but also highlight where English law differs with the aim of giving students a working knowledge of contract in both countries.

Detailed course information

UK Constitutional Law (LS1537)

15 Credit Points

This course is an introduction to the laws and rules of the UK Constitution. Major topics include the institutions of state, parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law, the separation of powers, and devolution. This area of law is fast-moving, and an effort is made to address current issues.

Detailed course information

Delict and Unjustified Enrichment (LS1536)

15 Credit Points

This course introduces students to two of the key branches of the Scots law of obligations, namely delict (which governs legal liability for situations such as the negligent infliction of harm upon others and defamation) and unjustified enrichment (which is concerned with questions such as, if I pay you money in error, am I entitled to demand that you return it?).

Detailed course information

A World Full of Law: Legal Cultures Before the Age of Exploration (LS1030)

15 Credit Points

This course presents legal history over several millennia and from many different original cultures. This course carries the student through a legal adventure, exploring a wide range of legal systems around the globe and throughout human history.

The course covers the origins of law from Africa, South Asia, East Asia and beyond. From those beginnings, it traces how legal cultures emerged, evolved, or transformed. The course will explore the interplay of law and religion over the centuries. The goal of the course is to enable students to become aware of the wonderful diversity of legal systems before the Era of Exploration.

Detailed course information

Foundations of Common Law with English Criminal Law (LS1533)

15 Credit Points

The common law tradition is one of the major legal traditions of the world. This course briefly introduces students to the conceptual and institutional structures of the common law tradition. This, in turn, introduces the fundamentals of the modern English legal system and its practical operation. A large section of the course then turns to the practical operation of English law through study of English Criminal Law.

Detailed course information

Year 2: Compulsory Courses

Ideas and Ideologies in Politics and International Relations (PI2009)

30 Credit Points

Ideas and ideologies are core to teaching, learning and research in Politics and International Relations. Theoretical developments are at the forefront of academic debates within the discipline, demonstrated by the appearance of a number of new approaches as more traditional theories have struggled to account for an ever changing world. This course will introduce students to these with profound questions and struggles over identity, belonging, justice and rights underpinning these theoretical debates.

Detailed course information

Global Politics: Equality and Inequality (PI2508)

30 Credit Points

Equality and inequality are at the forefront of many debates within contemporary Politics and International Relations. This course will examine the historical context, theoretical underpinnings, and also key concepts which continue to uphold equality and inequality on a global scale.

Detailed course information

Year 2: Optional Courses

Plus 60 credit points from the following courses:

Criminal Law (LS1020)

15 Credit Points

This course is a compulsory course on the LLB degree introducing students to Scottish criminal law including its sources and current law. It examines various aspects of substantive law including crimes against the person, crimes of dishonesty, crimes against property, and criminal defences enabling students to understand and apply the law in these areas. The course also develops students’ written, verbal and analytical skills utilising written coursework and problem-solving exercises in tutorial groups and a workshop.

Detailed course information

Eu Institutions and Law (LS2026)

15 Credit Points

This course examines the law of the European Union and its evolving relationship with the legal systems of the United Kingdom. Students will explore the composition and function of the EU institutions, the sources and effects of EU law, state liability, and judicial review, alongside key substantive areas such as human rights, the fundamental freedoms, and competition law. Throughout, particular attention is paid to how the relationship between the UK and EU legal systems continues to develop in the wake of Brexit.

Detailed course information

The Law of Property (LS2031)

15 Credit Points

This compulsory LLB course is all about things. What items can you own? How do you become owner of property? What can you do as an owner of property? What can you do with the property of other people? And so on. An understanding of Scots property law is crucial to markets, commerce and domestic life. This course will give students a broad overview of the regulation of land, moveable items and incorporeal rights like intellectual property in Scotland.

Detailed course information

Public International Law (LS2032)

15 Credit Points

The course aims to systematically and critically introduce the foundations of Public International Law (PIL). The history, nature, legal personality, statehood and recognition, sources, the law of treaties and how PIL interacts with domestic law are considered in-depth. These are followed by topics such as jurisdiction, sovereignty, the role of the United Nations, the law of state responsibility and peaceful settlement of disputes between states. The contents of the course are designed to enable students to understand why and how international law regulates the behaviour of its actors with respect to some specific subject areas.

Detailed course information

Administrative Law and Civil Liberties (LS2033)

15 Credit Points

This course will examine in detail both administrative law and civil liberties under the constitution of the United Kingdom. Major topics include judicial review (scope, standing and grounds), administrative justice, the European Convention on Human Rights, the Human Rights Act 1998, common law rights, and equality law. This area is fast-moving, and an effort is made to address current issues.

Detailed course information

Contract (LS1520)

15 Credit Points

Contract is one of the central subjects of private law and is one of the main branches of the law of obligations, the other being Delict and Unjustified Enrichment. Contract Law covers obligations which are voluntary in nature. Every day we make contracts from buying a newspaper to buying a house. Contract Law is an area where Scots law and English law are very similar, and this course will cover Scots contract law but also highlight where English law differs with the aim of giving students a working knowledge of contract in both countries.

Detailed course information

Delict and Unjustified Enrichment (LS1536)

15 Credit Points

This course introduces students to two of the key branches of the Scots law of obligations, namely delict (which governs legal liability for situations such as the negligent infliction of harm upon others and defamation) and unjustified enrichment (which is concerned with questions such as, if I pay you money in error, am I entitled to demand that you return it?).

Detailed course information

UK Constitutional Law (LS1537)

15 Credit Points

This course is an introduction to the laws and rules of the UK Constitution. Major topics include the institutions of state, parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law, the separation of powers, and devolution. This area of law is fast-moving, and an effort is made to address current issues.

Detailed course information

Commercial Organisations and Insolvency (LS2525)

15 Credit Points

This course is compulsory for LLB students. It consists of various elements split broadly into three parts: (1) the law of agency and the law of partnership; (2) company law; and (3) debt and insolvency law. The lectures will focus on the creation of agency, partnership and companies of different types; the rules that enable these commercial organisations to function; and the law concerning the termination of these commercial organisations, particularly due to insolvency.

Detailed course information

Family Law (LS2526)

15 Credit Points

Family Law is a compulsory course for LLB students. During this course, students will be introduced to the key facets of the law governing the formation of adult relationships, including the constitution of marriage and civil partnership, legal rights and duties of spouses and civil partners, same sex marriage, the grounds for divorce and the financial aspects of breakdown of marriage and relationships of cohabitation. This course also focuses on the relationship between children and adults and the legal rights of children, including parental rights and responsibilities, court orders relating to children and the welfare principle.

Detailed course information

Introduction to Legal Theory (LS2527)

7.5 Credit Points

This course is an introduction to some of the basic themes and skills linked to learning and doing legal theory. It aims to introduce students to some philosophical tools, concepts, and methods to be able to understand theoretical analysis of the law and legal issues more generally. The course presents these themes and skills, shows some central discussions in the law and legal literature that apply those skills and themes, and then ask students to try using the skills in their tutorial work.

Detailed course information

Succession and Trusts (LS2528)

7.5 Credit Points

Students studying for the Aberdeen LLB are required to take this course if they wish to use their degree to enter the Scottish legal profession. The course will examine both testate and intestate succession, in the context of the general principles of the law of succession, including legal rights. Furthermore, it will introduce the functions of trusts, the rights of beneficiaries and the powers and duties of trustees. The course is available only to LLB students in Programme year 2 or above and graduates on the 2 year degree.

Detailed course information

Private International Law (LS2532)

15 Credit Points

This course introduces the student to the three core questions of Private International Law:

1. Jurisdiction: when do the Scottish courts have jurisdiction over a dispute that has one or more cross-border elements?
2. Applicable law: which country’s law is applicable to cross-border legal relations and disputes?
3. Recognition and enforcement of judgments: what are the effects of foreign judgments in Scotland?

Throughout the course, students will develop an understanding of how Scots Private International Law addresses legal relations that extend beyond Scotland’s borders. It equips students with the analytical tools needed to resolve complex legal questions arising from cross-border disputes.Students will explore the vital role Private International Law plays in a diverse range of contexts, including – but not limited to - litigation involving the civil liability of Scottish corporations for wrongdoings committed overseas (such as labour rights violations), consumer protection cases, international child abduction, and cross-border inheritance matters.

This is an exempting course for the Faculty of Advocates exam on Private International Law.

Detailed course information

Business Law (LS2533)

15 Credit Points

This course is designed to provide non-LLB students with an understanding of the main issues in business law. Topics will cover elements of the Scottish law and legal system concerning Company Law, Partnership, Employment Law, Agency, Contract Law, Delict, Intellectual Property Law and Regulatory Provisions against Fraud, Bribery, and Corruption.

Detailed course information

Introduction to Comparative Law (LS2536)

7.5 Credit Points

This foundational course introduces students to the basic ideas, themes and insights of comparative law. The first part of the course focuses on the various concepts and methods that legal and other scholars have used to analyse differences and similarities between legal rules across nations and cultures. It also introduces students to various efforts to map and explain legal diversity across the globe (legal families and traditions, including the civil, common, mixed and other traditions). The second half of the course includes a range of case studies to showcase how the comparative method can be used in different areas of the law and across nations and regions.

Detailed course information

Tort in A Comparative Context (LS2537)

7.5 Credit Points

The aim of this course, open to students who have already studied the Scots law of delict (and compulsory for those on the ‘Law with English Law’ programme), is to extend their knowledge of the law governing civil liability. More particularly, it aims to provide knowledge and understanding of the conceptual structure of the English law of torts in comparison with the corresponding branch of Scots law, and deals in detail with a few specific areas of tort liability, such as trespass, occupiers’ liability and nuisance.

Detailed course information

Foundations of Common Law with English Criminal Law (LS1533)

15 Credit Points

The common law tradition is one of the major legal traditions of the world. This course briefly introduces students to the conceptual and institutional structures of the common law tradition. This, in turn, introduces the fundamentals of the modern English legal system and its practical operation. A large section of the course then turns to the practical operation of English law through study of English Criminal Law.

Detailed course information

A World Full of Law: Legal Cultures Before the Age of Exploration (LS1030)

15 Credit Points

This course presents legal history over several millennia and from many different original cultures. This course carries the student through a legal adventure, exploring a wide range of legal systems around the globe and throughout human history.

The course covers the origins of law from Africa, South Asia, East Asia and beyond. From those beginnings, it traces how legal cultures emerged, evolved, or transformed. The course will explore the interplay of law and religion over the centuries. The goal of the course is to enable students to become aware of the wonderful diversity of legal systems before the Era of Exploration.

Detailed course information

Year 3: Compulsory Courses

Research Methods in Politics and International Relations (PI3084)

30 Credit Points

This course provides you with an understanding of the research process, research design, and a variety of popular research methods to enable you to systematically conduct scientific research on the phenomena concerning Politics and/or International Relations (PIR). You will gain practical skills to apply these methods independently, especially looking forward to your final undergraduate dissertation.

Detailed course information

Year 3: Optional Courses

Plus 60 credit points from Legal Studies LX Honours courses:

Contemporary Issues in Energy Law (LX403Q)

Law and Medical Ethics (LX4553)

Administrative Law (Honours) (LX4557)

Media Law (Honours) (LX4561)

The Use of Force in International Law (LX4584)

Law of Sales Honours (LX4011)

30 Credit Points

This course examines the law of sales in both a Scottish and an international context. Seminar topics will give students a good working knowledge of issues that occur when a difficulty arises (e.g., non-conformity of goods, passing of risk, damages, exemption, avoidance) and the role of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (1980). The precise focus of the course varies from year to year and, depending on the teaching staff involved, there may be a greater or lesser focus on Scots law; in some instances, students will be asked to analyse and compare the legal solutions in English law as well.

Detailed course information

Criminal Justice (LX4019)

30 Credit Points

This course looks in depth at the main aspects of the Scottish criminal justice process, focussing upon its mainly adversarial nature. Topics addressed include: prosecution systems; the position of the accused; the status of 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.

Detailed course information

Gender, Law and Society (LX401E)

30 Credit Points

The issue of how gender impacts upon and interrelates with law and legal processes is topical and socially important, with questions relating to gender equality and gender-based violence currently attracting a high degree of academic, media and government attention. Through examining topics connected to the themes of criminal justice and family law, this course will introduce students to current legal dilemmas and legal responses in the area of gender and the law, in addition to sociolegal and feminist approaches to law.

Detailed course information

Intellectual Property Law (LX401L)

30 Credit Points

The course explores patents (right to control an invention) and trade marks (right to control the use of a sign, commonly, but not necessarily, a logo). We will consider theoretical arguments for and against them, thresholds which must be met for them to exist and be infringed, the relevant international, regional and UK frameworks and limits on the rights conferred. Particular attention will be paid to contemporary controversies. We will also consider the various avenues by which these registered rights can be obtained and the relevance of other legal fields to the power conferred. Assessment is by essay and MCT exam. The course has a strong focus on advanced preparation and enjoyable, supportive and interactive discussion.

Detailed course information

International Human Rights (LX401P)

30 Credit Points

The course is intended to offer insights into the dynamics of the development of international human rights law. It provides advanced instruction in several key aspects of international human rights law (freedom from torture, freedom of religion, social rights, right to self-determination, etc.) in order to develop a critical understanding of the protection of human rights at the global level. It also seeks to shed light on the way the forces of globalisation and global civil society activism shape the conditions under which human rights law can be created and maintained.

Detailed course information

Company Law (Honours) (LX402F)

30 Credit Points

This course seeks to guide students through the core aspects of company law and corporate governance including, inter alia, corporate legal personality, directors’ duties, the protection of minority shareholders, and the basics of corporate finance. The legal study will be combined with commercial and strategic scenarios such as private equity deals, initial public offerings (IPOs), and corporate control battles. Major policy debates will also be engaged.

Detailed course information

Civil Law Honours (LX402G)

30 Credit Points

This course offers an introduction to study of the civil law tradition and may be taken by students with no prior knowledge of the subject. The two seminars in the first part of the course examine the sources and literature through which the tradition has taken shape. The two seminars in the second part examine selected topics from the law of property, and the two seminars in the third part selected topics from the law of obligations. In each part some attention is paid to the relationship between Scots law and the civil law tradition.

Detailed course information

Delict (LX402X)

30 Credit Points

This course builds upon the introduction to Delict provided in LS2025 and LS1536 examines a number of aspects of the law of delict in greater detail. Topics will be discussed in a comparative, historical and/or theoretical context. The specific topics covered will vary on a year-by-year basis as the course aims to examine issues of topical interest. Some of the topics covered in previous years include: causation; product liability; liability for breach of privacy; liability for pure economic loss; psychiatric injury; advocates' immunity and the liability of the police for negligently-conducted investigations.

Detailed course information

Criminal Law (LX4035)

30 Credit Points

The course builds upon the basic understanding of criminal law acquired in LS1020 although it is very important to understand that the topics are approached from a much more theoretical perspective. The course examines in detail selected principles of criminal liability, including the role and limits of the criminal law, , murder, rape, the limits of excusability, and sentencing theory, law and practice. Comparative material from a variety of jurisdictions is included.

Detailed course information

Animal Welfare Law (LX4039)

30 Credit Points

This course examines the way in which the law regulates the treatment of animals in Britain. Topics include: historical development; legal and moral status of animals; the basis and nature of regulation; the legal and political framework, including the impact of the WTO and the EU; the legal meaning of unnecessary suffering; the scientific concept of animal welfare; enforcement; and legislation relating to animals in specific contexts. Consideration is also given to relevant political, scientific, ethical and commercial issues which influence the substantive law. Students are expected to undertake significant personal research under the guidance of the course coordinator.

While self-evident from the Course Description, students should be aware that this course includes consideration of the ill-treatment of animals.

Detailed course information

International Criminal Law (LX403C)

30 Credit Points

This course offers students the opportunity to engage with the history and nature of international criminal law, to develop their understanding of the core crimes, how these offences have evolved, and the road to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Through traditional seminar discussions, students can discuss their informed views on issues as varied as the role of international cooperation to suppress international crimes, how this has worked (and where it has failed) and to research their ideas on contemporary problems in the area, from a critical perspective.

Detailed course information

International Law of the Sea (LX403D)

30 Credit Points

The ocean covers over 70% of the planet and provides food, oxygen, freshwater, and supports the material conditions necessary for the enjoyment of many human rights. However, it is under increasing pressure from climate change and the overexploitation of both its living resources (such as fisheries) and non-living resources (such as hydrocarbons and deep-sea minerals). Developing an effective governance and regulatory regime for the world’s oceans and seas remains—perhaps now more than ever—one of the greatest challenges for states and the international community.

This course examines how the ocean has been regulated under international law through a range of legal instruments, with particular emphasis on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Detailed course information

The Legal Architecture of Global Commerce (LX403N)

30 Credit Points

This course examines the legal dimensions of sustainable and equitable global commerce. The course introduces students to varying conceptions of development, ranging from economic development to sustainable and human development, while situating development within the legacy of colonialism and the ensuing barriers to development. Students then focus in on the role of trade in promoting development and legal drivers of sustainable and equitable trade, including responsible business conduct, mandatory human rights diligence, model contract clauses, and business and human rights litigation.

Detailed course information

Copyright and Allied Rights (LX451K)

30 Credit Points

This course considers various aspects of copyright law including subject matter, the term of protection, criteria for protection, infringement and defences, and the moral rights of authors. Copyright is of importance given the value of the digital economy and the significance of the cultural industries. In terms of career opportunities, students may practice in large intellectual property firms or provide advice to large entertainment companies etc.

Detailed course information

Voluntary Scotland, Scottish Charities, Clubs, Community Organisations (LX451P)

30 Credit Points

Many students will be members of clubs and societies and will go on to become board members for clubs and charities, or community organisation chairpersons and secretaries.

The aim of this course is to ensure that potential future practising lawyers can develop a good grounding in a commercially and socially important field of law. In this respect it worth noting that the Third Sector is a growing area of specialism in law firms.

Detailed course information

International Family Law (Honours) (LX451T)

30 Credit Points

This course examines the private international law issues arising in cross-border family relationships, with particular emphasis on the protection of children and families across national borders. It provides students with a thorough grounding in the principal Hague Conventions in the field of international family law: the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, the 1993 Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention and the 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention.

Students will develop an understanding of the operation of these instruments in practice, including their relationship with relevant European Union law, particularly the Brussels IIb Regulation in matters of parental responsibility and international child abduction. The course also considers contemporary and emerging challenges, including international surrogacy, legal parentage, and the cross-border recognition and regulation of family agreements.

Alongside the substantive legal framework, the course introduces the role and working methods of the Hague Conference on Private International Law in the negotiation, implementation, review and promotion of the uniform interpretation of international family law instruments.

Detailed course information

Criminal Evidence (Honours) (LX451V)

30 Credit Points

Scots Law in the area of criminal evidence and procedure is in many respects unique and distinct from that in neighbouring jurisdictions. It has undergone significant review and change in recent years. This Level 4 Course will engage directly in critically examining and evaluating the impact of those reviews and procedural changes to some of the key conceptual foundations underpinning the admissibility and use of evidence in criminal proof in Scotland.

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Corporate Governance (LX452C)

30 Credit Points

This course will introduce students to the concept of corporate governance and consider how it has evolved over recent decades, noting the role played by economic theory as well as by law. Topics discussed may include: Corporate Form and the Agency Problem, Directors and Shareholders, UK Corporate Governance Code, Comparative Corporate Governance, Emerging issues: CSR and ESG, Emerging issues: Parent Company Duty of Care. The precise range of topics considered may be adapted to reflect developments in the field as well as recent or current events.

Detailed course information

Children, Young People and Crime Honours (LX452K)

30 Credit Points

The course examines topical legal issues, themes and debates relating to children, young people and crime, within a legal, social and political context. This includes the recent incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Scots law. Topics will be chosen annually to reflect contemporary debates but might include: the age of criminal responsibility; children’s participation in the justice system as offenders or witnesses; sexual offences committed by and against children; domestic abuse and children; sentencing; the impact of childhood offending later in life; and case-studies on youth justice issues in other legal systems.

Detailed course information

International Cybersecurity Law (LX452L)

30 Credit Points

The course addresses international legal issues raised by the increasing need to secure information and communications 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.

Detailed course information

Regulation of Biometric Data and Profiling (LX452M)

30 Credit Points

This course explores the regulation of biometric data and profiling in the European Union and the United Kingdom, examining how the law seeks to balance technological innovation with the regulation and protection of fundamental rights. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the regulation of biometrics and profiling, with a particular focus on the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU Artificial Intelligence Act, and the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018. The course will then examine some of the most common and innovative uses of these technologies and their ethical, social, and human rights implications, encouraging students to develop innovative legal approaches to address the challenges of the evolving digital landscape.

Detailed course information

Shipping Law (LX453F)

30 Credit Points

The majority of commercial goods are carried by sea. This course examines the law concerning the carriage of those goods by sea in terms of: a) the operation of ships by charterparty; b) the allocation of liabilities between the shipper, carrier, charterer /shipowner for goods carried under a bill of lading (or similar document); and c) the practical operation of a marine cargo claim under the main international carriage of goods by sea conventions.

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Fundamental Issues in Environmental Law (LX453H)

30 Credit Points

The impact of human activity on the environment is indisputable, prompting governments to adopt measures aimed at halting and reversing environmental degradation. This course explores the causes of environmental degradation and how the law is responding to these problems. It introduces the principles of environmental law and their application and effectiveness in protecting the environment. It also considers some of the legal regimes established to address issues such as biodiversity loss, air pollution, land degradation, chemical and plastic pollution, and climate change.

Detailed course information

Property Law (Honours) (LX453K)

30 Credit Points

This course examines some key aspects of the Scots law of property. We shall build on many of the topics covered at pre-honours level. This subject draws upon a diverse range of sources and a long history. Topics will vary from one year to the next but may include original and derivative acquisition, real securities, title conditions, co-ownership and tenements, land reform and human rights issues in the law of property.

Detailed course information

Year 4: Optional Courses

Select one of the following dissertation options:

• Dissertation in Legal Studies (LX4025)
• Dissertation (Politics) (PI4071)

Plus further credit points from courses in Legal Studies and Politics & International Relations to gain a total of 60 credit points in each discipline.

Dissertation (LX4025)

30 Credit Points

This course allows you to write a 10,000-word piece on an aspect of law that you choose. You will be assigned a member of staff who is an expert in your chosen subject area and who will provide guidance on your topic, research plan, and writing progress.

The course runs over both half sessions and is available only to final-year Honours students. Once your topic and plan are approved by the Law School, you will work independently and submit your dissertation shortly before the Easter break.

Detailed course information

Dissertation (PI4071)

30 Credit Points

This course affords students the opportunity to apply their knowledge and research skills in the broad field of Politics & International Relations to an individual piece of research, focusing on a topic selected by the student and approved by the Dissertation supervisor. Over the course of the project, with guidance from a supervising member of staff, the student will conduct a literature review of relevant material, select appropriate research methods, gather data where necessary, analyse data, and write a final analysis in the form of the Dissertation. Particular emphasis will be given to helping students develop their own skills.

Detailed course information