This module introduces you to the main features of the English legal system and the procedures and processes that are followed. It provides a foundation for understanding how law is created, interpreted and applied in practice, and how legal institutions operate. The module also develops core legal skills, including legal research, case analysis, statutory interpretation and the use of appropriate legal terminology. You’ll begin to apply these skills to straightforward legal problems and to engage with primary and secondary legal sources. The module acts as an essential foundation for all further legal study. 

This module introduces you to the core principles of criminal law, including the elements of criminal liability, the structure of criminal offences and the operation of defences. You’ll examine how criminal responsibility is established, how offences are defined and interpreted, and how criminal law operates in practice within the wider legal and social context.

This module introduces students to the core principles of contract law, including the formation, content and regulation of contracts and the remedies available for breach. You’ll examine how contractual obligations arise, how contractual principles operate in practice, and the circumstances in which contracts may be avoided or enforced. 

This module introduces you to the study of criminology, including key theories, perspectives and methods used to understand crime, deviance and social control. You’ll explore different explanations of criminal behaviour, consider how crime is measured and represented, and examine the relationship between crime, law and society. The module provides a foundation for further study of criminology at higher levels.

This module examines the general principles of tortious liability in English law. You will study the main areas of tort, including negligence, occupiers’ liability, trespass and nuisance. The module will also consider the remedies that are available in tort, in addition to looking at contemporary issues and policy debates relating to the development of tort law.

This module introduces you to the legal framework governing rights and interests in land, including their creation, transfer and protection. It examines the distinction between legal and equitable interests and the operation of registered and unregistered land, including the rules governing priority and enforceability of rights. A problem-based approach is adopted throughout, requiring you to apply legal principles to realistic scenarios and to analyse the rights and obligations of parties in land transactions. 

This module examines the relationship between crime, power and society. You’ll explore how crime and criminal justice are shaped by social, political and economic factors, and will consider how issues such as inequality, identity and authority influence patterns of crime and responses to it. The module introduces critical perspectives on crime and social control and prepares you for more specialised study in your third year. 

This module introduces you to the constitutional framework of the United Kingdom, including the roles of Parliament, the executive and the courts. It examines the principles underpinning the UK constitution and the legal mechanisms through which the exercise of state power may be controlled, including the roles of judicial review and the Human Rights Act 1998.

This module is concerned with the management of property (real and personal) and in particular, with the management of personal property through the technical requirements of the trust relationship. It examines the fiduciary nature of the relationship between trustees and beneficiaries and the consequences of any breach of a trustee's fiduciary duties.  

In the second block of your final year, you will choose a specialist module from one of the below.

Miscarriages of Justice

This module examines the causes, investigation and legal consequences of miscarriages of justice within the criminal justice system. It considers the procedural and evidential rules governing criminal trials and appeals, and the role of the Criminal Cases Review Commission in reviewing alleged wrongful convictions. In this module, you’ll explore the legal framework governing criminal appeals, disclosure of evidence, expert testimony and the review of unsafe convictions, and evaluate the effectiveness of existing safeguards designed to prevent and correct miscarriages of justice. You will analyse selected case studies in order to consider the legal, procedural and policy issues that arise when wrongful convictions occur. 

Police Powers and Public Order

This module focuses on some of the more important powers available to the police for dealing with suspected crime, including the powers of stop and search, arrest, and entry, search and seizure. These powers authorise actions which would otherwise interfere with individual rights and freedoms, and the module examines the legal framework governing their use and the limits placed upon them. In this module, you’ll also consider the powers available to the police for dealing with public order problems, including the regulation of public processions and assemblies and the law relating to breach of the peace. Throughout, attention is given to the legitimacy of police powers, the role of the courts, and the importance of human rights and the rule of law in controlling the exercise of those powers. 

Law, Technology and Legal Practice

This module examines the relationship between law, technology and modern legal practice, with particular focus on the skills, knowledge and professional awareness required of graduates entering contemporary legal and regulatory environments. It considers the increasing use of digital technologies within legal work, including artificial intelligence, document automation and data-driven decision-making, and explores the legal, ethical and professional issues that arise from their use. You’ll analyse the regulatory frameworks governing technology in legal contexts, including data protection, professional responsibility and emerging approaches to the governance of artificial intelligence. The module places these developments within the practical realities of legal practice, including litigation support, compliance, in-house legal work, and court and tribunal processes, and requires you to evaluate both the opportunities and risks created by technological change in the legal profession. 

In the third block of your final year, you will choose a specialist module from one of the below.

Victimology

This module examines the theoretical, social and legal dimensions of victimhood. You will explore the role of victims within the criminal justice system, the development of victim policy, and the contested nature of victimhood, including debates about vulnerability, responsibility and social power. The module also considers contemporary issues and case studies in victimisation and responses to crime. 

Crime and Punishment

This module examines the theories, practices and social contexts of punishment. You will explore the philosophical and sociological justifications for punishment, the development of sentencing policy, and the operation of prisons and other forms of penal control. The module considers contemporary debates about the effectiveness and legitimacy of punishment and encourages critical evaluation of the role of punishment in modern criminal justice systems. 

Cybercrime

This module examines the nature of crime in digital and technological environments. You will explore different forms of cybercrime and online harm, the theoretical perspectives used to explain offending in digital contexts, and the legal and criminological challenges involved in regulating behaviour in online spaces. The module considers issues relating to policing, jurisdiction and enforcement, as well as debates about surveillance, privacy and social control. Contemporary developments in cybercrime and responses to it will also be examined.

In your final block, you will choose from either completing a Project or Criminal Justice in Practice.

Project

This module provides an opportunity for you to develop advanced research, analytical and written communication skills through the detailed evaluation of legal principles, policy considerations and contemporary debates in a chosen area of law. Subject to approval by the module leader, you will be required to identify an appropriate research question or issue and undertake independent investigation using relevant primary and secondary legal sources. You’ll produce a sustained and critical analysis of the chosen topic and will work with an allocated supervisor, who will provide academic guidance throughout the research process. 

Criminal Justice in Practice

This module examines the operation of the criminal justice system in practice, including the roles of the police, prosecution, courts and other criminal justice agencies. You will explore how criminal cases are investigated, prosecuted and resolved, and will consider the legal, procedural and human rights framework governing the exercise of criminal justice powers. 

The module emphasises the practical operation of the criminal justice system and the interaction between legal rules, professional decision-making and policy considerations. It also explores the roles of different criminal justice professionals and the skills required for careers in this field.