Public Law - Module Descriptor

Module
Descriptor
GENERAL INFORMATION
Module title Public law
Module code LA1020
Module level 4
Contact email The Undergraduate Laws Programme courses are run in collaboration
with the University of London International Programmes. Enquiries
may be made via the Student Advice Centre at:
www.enquiries.londoninternational.ac.uk
Credit value 30
Courses on which this CertHE, LLB, EMFSS
module is offered
Module pre-requisite None
Notional study time 300 hours
MODULE PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW
Public law is one of the seven foundation modules required for a qualifying law degree in England and
Wales and is a core requirement of the University of London LLB and CertHE Common Law courses.
This module is concerned with the core features of the UK constitution and examines the impact of
both EU membership and Council of Europe membership. Emphasis is placed throughout on the
changing nature of the UK constitution – in particular the move from a political to a more legal
constitution – as well as the case for further change.
MODULE AIM
This module introduces students to the role of the main institutional actors (the legislature, the
executive, and the judiciary) within the UK constitution and the processes of constitutional change.
Students will be able to analyse key issues governing the relation between citizens and the state,
including sovereignty and the division of powers between legislature, executive and administration.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: KNOWLEDGE

Students are expected to have knowledge and understanding of the main concepts and principles of
Public law. In particular they should be able to:
1. Explain the nature and purpose of constitutions including the ways in which governmental
powers are generally allocated among the institutions of the state, and the way in which
courts operate to review administrative action and protect basic rights;
2. Describe the main institutions and legal characteristics of the EU and analyse the implications
for the UK constitution;
3. Assess the constitutional implications for the UK of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the role
of the European Court of Human Rights;
4. Understand the social and political context in which Public law is situated;
5. Evaluate suggestions for constitutional reform in the United Kingdom and the European
Union.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: SKILLS
Students completing this module should be able to:
6. Conduct straightforward legal research, retrieving information from a range of data sources
and including interpretation of textual and numerical data;
7. Distinguish relevant facts and issues presented in a range of legal material;
8. Interpret primary and secondary legal sources, including case law and statutes, to answer
questions;
9. Construct a coherent argument in response to oral or written stimuli.
BENCHMARK FOR LEARNING OUTCOMES

Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) benchmark statement for Law (2015).
MODULE SYLLABUS
(a) The conceptual framework of public law. Introducing public law. The UK constitution and its core
institutions. Parliamentary supremacy. The rule of law.
(b) Executive and legislative functions. Limited Government and the separation of powers. Ministerial
accountability. Crown and prerogative powers. UK primary legislation. UK delegated legislation.
Constitutional conventions.
(c) Multi-layered governance. EU legal and governmental. Order EU law and UK constitutional law
devolution.
(d) Courts and the constitution. Judicial independence and accountability. Principles of judicial review
I: Illegality. Principles of JR II: procedural fairness. Principles of JR III: Irrationality and proportionality.
(e) Human rights. Human rights protection. HRA jurisprudence. HRA and terrorism.
LEARNING AND TEACHING

Module guide
Module guides are the student’s primary learning resource. The module guide covers the entire
syllabus and provides students with the grounding to complete the module successfully. It sets out the
learning outcomes that must be achieved as well as providing advice on how to study the module.
Each chapter of the guide includes essential and further reading and a series of activities designed to
test knowledge and develop relevant skills. A summary of the main points arising in each chapter of
the guide is also provided. It is supplemented each year with the pre-exam update, made available on
the VLE.
The Laws Virtual Learning Environment

The Laws VLE provides one centralised location where the following resources are provided:
 a module page with news and updates, provided by legal academics associated with the Laws
Programme;
 a complete version of the module guides;
 online audio presentations;
 pre-exam updates;
 past examination papers and reports;
 discussion forums where students can debate and interact with other students;
 Computer Marked Assessments – multiple choice questions with feedback are available for
some modules allowing students to test their knowledge and understanding of the key topics.
The Online Library
The Online Library provides access to:
 the professional legal databases LexisLibrary and Westlaw;
 cases and up-to-date statutes;
 key academic law journals;
 law reports;
 links to important websites.
Core reading
Students should refer to the following core text. Specific reading references are provided for this text
in each chapter of the module guide:
Le Sueur, A., M. Sunkin and J. Murkens Public law: text, cases and materials. (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 2016) third edition [ISBN 9780198735380].
ASSESSMENT
Learning is supported by means of a series of activities in the module guide. Generic feedback on each
of the activities is provided at the end of the guide. The activities are designed to test knowledge and
understanding and also assist students to develop skills listed in outcomes 6–8. There are additional
online activities in the form of multiple choice questions. The formative activities also prepare
students to achieve the module learning outcomes tested in the Summative Assessment.
Summative assessment is through a three hour and fifteen minute unseen examination. Students are
required to answer four questions out of eight. Summative assessment will demonstrate achievement
of outcomes 1–5 and 9.
Permitted materials
Students are permitted to bring into the examination room the following specified document:
Core statutes public law & civil liberties 2017-18 (Palgrave Macmillan).

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What are the main institutions and legal characteristics of the UK constitution?

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Module

LEARNING OUTCOMES: KNOWLEDGE

BENCHMARK FOR LEARNING OUTCOMES

LEARNING AND TEACHING

The Laws Virtual Learning Environment

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