LLB Law and Criminology

Level One

Contract Law

The aim of this module is to introduce students to general principles of contract law. The module will develop an understanding of enforceable civil law obligations based on agreements and, in doing so, will complement civil law obligations in respect of tortious wrongs covered by the Tort Law module. A sound grounding in the general principles of contract law will equip students to deal with those legal subjects which are based on contract and which are subsequently encountered in their legal studies. 

Constitutional Law

The aim of this module is to examine the principles and operation of the UK constitution and system of government. In particular, it is concerned with "the law about government", and the relationship between the institutions of government and between government and the citizen. The module is designed to introduce key legal and political concepts (some of which will be developed further in The Citizen and the State module) and to foster critical appraisal of legal rules and of the institutions and processes of government.

Legal Skills

The overall aim of this module is to introduce the student to basic legal skills and how to use those skills effectively. Specifically, the objectives of this module are to teach the sources of law - how to find the law and to use legal materials to present reasoned arguments orally or in writing and to instil an ability to communicate effectively in a variety of forms.

Citizen and the State

The aim of the module is to provide a critical understanding of the extent of judicial control on governmental bodies through an examination of the law of judicial review and the protection of human rights. The module will use case studies and the application of problem-solving techniques to enable a practical application of the subject matter. The central themes of public law including accountability, the rule of law and the separation of powers will be critically developed.

Images of Crime and Social Control

The aim of this module is to facilitate a critical engagement with the dominant ideological depictions of crime and criminality. It seeks to challenge the way in which these interpretations inform commonsense explanations of, and responses to, crime and criminality. It explores recurring claims found in popular, media and political discourses and compares these with more criminological and academic insights in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of these issues/problems.

Level Two

Criminal Law

This module will introduce students to the general principles of English Criminal Law, with particular emphasis on the essential elements of a crime, namely 'actus reus' and 'mens rea', strict, vicarious and corporate liability and the defences. But also to the nature of liability in relation to offences against the person and offences in relation to property will be analysed. This will enable understanding of the relationship between criminal and civil law and introduces the criminal justice system.

EU Law

The aim is to develop students’ understanding of the Constitution and Institutions of the European Union and, in particular, the constitutional principles, the administrative and procedural law, and substantive policies of the European Union. Students will be expected to understand the relationship between European Union law and national law, and to appraise the principles of supremacy and direct effect, and the principles of interpretation and Member State liability. The role and jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice will be examined, while students will also acquire an understanding of substantive European Union law.

Land Law

The aim of this module is to develop an in-depth knowledge of the complex subject of land law. Students will explore the property rights which can exist with respect to land law and the relationships that individuals and organisations have with each other and with the state. There will be consideration of freehold and leasehold estates, and registration of land. The nature of legal and equitable rights will be identified with the concept of a trust.

Applying Criminology

The aim of this module is to develop the rudimentary and student-centred grasp of 'crime' developed through the more general approach to 'law, crime and order' fostered at foundation level and to subject it to more sustained theoretical, political and practical interrogation. The focus upon crime is a dual one; in that it is at once a subject accessible via direct and indirect experience and one that has the potential to display the interplay between theory and practice. Above all, the module aims to explore the way in which the emergence of Criminology as a discipline is of theoretical, practical and political importance.

Level Three

Equity and Trusts

The aim of this is, in part, to build on skills already acquired in the previous two levels through other subjects such as legal reasoning and problem solving. Students will be introduced to the doctrine, maxims and remedies of Equity, with the main emphasis on the nature of a trust which has always been the principal concern of Equity. The classification, nature and creation of various types of express and implied trusts will be considered together with the appointment, powers and duties of trustees. 

Law of Tort

The module aims to introduce students to the general principles of civil liability for tortious wrongs. It complements the Contract Law module. The module examines the different forms of liability attaching to the main torts and the principles upon which liability is based by adopting a contemporary approach to the study of this subject. The relationship between common law, legislation and judicial policy will be highlighted and the module will contribute to the development of skills in legal analysis, problem-solving, research and reasoning.

Penology and Penal Policy

This module aims to locate the theory, practice and history of punishment and penal policy in the context of social control in general. As well as addressing the philosophy of punishment, it seeks to examine the way in which social control is a fundamental aspect of social relations. Thus it examines legal and non-legal forms of social control and examines the complex interrelationships between the two, together with the historical and practical dynamic of each.

Harm, Agency and Regulation

The competing claims of 'individual/organisational' agency feature strongly in this module as do the variety of frameworks and the feasibility of imposing 'realistic' sanctions. The module makes substantial use of the literature in reflecting upon the consequences for justice. It examines the deployment of different frameworks of regulation/criminalisation and the impact these may have upon the nature and scope of Criminology as a discipline and upon the comparative standing of different forms of victimisation.

War, Crimes and Genocide

This module is constructed as an attempt to understand the 'anatomy' of war crimes and genocide – their origins, ideological basis, socio-political contexts, the techniques and technologies used - and whether there are precedented and unprecedented aspects to such phenomena. It is organised as a set of thoughts, springboards for further consideration on the historical, philosophical, political and sociological aspects of war crimes and genocide and for this reason it is particularly appealing to students who wish to develop a wider understanding of academic disciplines such as criminology, sociology, anthropology, international relation studies, politics, psychology, law and modern and contemporary history. 

The Law School’s primary mission for teaching and learning is for the teaching staff to support and facilitate independent learning by students. 

This perhaps supports the view that law is learnt more than it is taught.

The Law School recognises that the most important part of the study of law is the effort and work the law student makes themselves and so a large part of the study of law is the student studying on their own. The role of the tutor is to assist students to be independent learners and the main way this role is fulfilled is by the delivery of the lecture/seminar course.

Students are provided with module documents (available on Blackboard) that give details of the lecture programme and seminar activities for the module along with information on required reading.

The Law School, as part of its learning and teaching strategy, aims to ensure that research within the programme team actively informs the teaching and curriculum development of the various modules.

Lectures

Lectures provide a guide to a topic, highlighting important areas and providing information on matters that may not be readily available from other sources. The lecturer will also point out areas of difficulty where the law may be in some way problematic, contentious, unsettled or unclear.

Seminars

Seminars are normally held once a week for each module. The seminars are an opportunity for students to consolidate their learning. Seminars are a forum for discussion and debate and are usually based on the preparation of an answer to a problem or a discussion topic. This approach encourages students not only to acquire legal knowledge but also to develop their understanding of problem solving, analysis and evaluation. The importance of careful preparation for seminars and, in particular, the reviewing and analysis of primary and secondary sources of information is stressed to students throughout. From the outset of the course, students start to develop their research skills, particularly in the Legal Skills module and through use of the Study Skills Handbook.

E-seminars

The course approach to teaching and learning will be enhanced through the use of E-seminars. E-seminars are currently used in the Contract Law level one module. The E-seminars take place in an IT lab. Students work in small groups and they are given the task to construct and present a legal argument based on the topic discussed the previous week in the lecture. The students must construct their arguments using a variety of materials, both primary and secondary sources, to be found electronically under a time constraint. One of the aims of E-seminars is to make the learning process more 'alive' and to allow group members to share thoughts and ideas through the process of researching and constructing a legal argument together. Because of the time constraint, students are encouraged to work efficiently, quickly and effectively and to become proficient researchers.

Workshops

The use of workshops as a teaching and learning strategy are used in all Level One modules. The workshops are scheduled into the student’s timetable and so they will know in advance when the various workshops will take place. There will be around three workshops per semester for each module, whereby students come together in groups of around 50 students to undertake a variety of activities with emphasis on the student developing their problem solving skills, their reasoning and research skills as well as detailed knowledge and understanding of the topic or area of law in question.

A variety of assessment methods are used to test subject knowledge and understanding.

Overall, about 60% of the course is assessed by examination of one form or another and the rationale for the percentage of examinations is driven by the professional bodies' requirements. Examinations include traditional unseen papers, pre-released problem questions and examinations where lecture hand-outs may be used by students.

In addition to examinations, students are assessed by coursework which takes the form of assignments, mooting, individual and group presentations and workbooks. Written assignments may be in the form of an in-depth case study, an essay or writing a review. Coursework provides students with an important opportunity to gauge how they are coping with various subject areas and levels of study before having to sit an examination.

These methods of assessment allow students to show how they have acquired both legal knowledge and the ability to think critically about the subject. But also, they allow the student to reflect on the feedback given for an assessed piece of work and to think of ways to improve the quality of their work before they sit an examination at the end of the academic year or attempt another piece of coursework.

The assessment regime also allows students to demonstrate the acquisition of key skills. Written assignments allow students to demonstrate their ability to select, interpret and summarise legal sources. In addition, students' written assignments, as well as examinations, allow them to show that they have developed their literacy and proficiency in the use of technical legal language as well as having developed their ability to produce a sound argument based on coherence and logic. The development of oral skills and the ability to be persuasive are assessed through presentations and mooting.

The assessment strategy adopted within Criminology encompasses a variety of modes of assessment which are employed at each Level, and are designed to test and enhance students’ knowledge, skills and abilities as well as to prepare them for the demands of work. The assessment methods deployed at different Levels of the degree course are specifically designed to reflect the learning outcomes appropriate to that Level, and to encourage progression in the acquisition of both the knowledge base and skills appropriate to a student’s undergraduate career.

More specifically, in terms of knowledge, it is expected that students will progress from a preliminary deconstruction of commonsense themes and political issues at Level One to pursue more theoretically applied unit at Levels Two and a more theoretically aware and critical stance at Level Three. In terms of skills, it is expected that students will progress from developing essential basic academic research and study skills in Level One to the development of problem-solving, critical evaluation, analytical and argumentative skills at Level Two with their further refinement enhanced by greater degree of reflection at Level Three.

The individual module assessments are geared to the particular module’s learning outcomes. However, the Criminology modules as a whole aim to produce a balance between different types of assessment and to ensure that students will be exposed to as diverse range of assessments as possible. 

Lincoln Law School is based in the David Chiddick building alongside Lincoln Business School.

The building was completely refurbished in 2010 and provides students with teaching and learning space including lecture theatres, workshop rooms, an IT/language lab and a mooting chamber, along with places to meet and eat with friends and staff.

The building provides high quality spaces for teaching and group learning and is the perfect setting for successful Law School students to learn and develop.

The aim of all courses in the Law School is to produce independent, enquiring and knowledgeable graduates. They should enjoy learning, be enterprising, employable, self-aware, be able to take career and other opportunities in life and to make a positive contribution to society.

All students on the course will be given the opportunity to develop their legal skills through activities in seminars such as presentations and mooting (a mock appeal where points of law are argued in an appeal court).

There will be opportunities outside of seminars to participate in mooting and negotiation competitions either in the University or nationally through the student Law Society. There is also a Legal Clinic when students have the opportunity to give advice to fellow-students on legal problems under supervision.

The LL.B (Hons) in Law and Criminology course is a three year qualifying degree accredited by the JASB (Joint Academic Standards Board) on behalf of the Solicitor’s Regulatory Authority and the Bar Standards Board.

A qualifying degree means that on successful completion of the programme students will have professional exemption from the Academic Stage of Legal Education and gain direct entry to the Vocational Stages. 

This course is suitable for students of all ages provided that they have a definite interest in studying law and criminology that they are fully committed towards devoting three years towards the attainment of this degree.

It may provide students with opportunities for further development of a legal career as a qualifying law degree or in other areas depending on their choice of career path. An important focus of the course is to enable the personal development of each individual student.

Students will gain a sound grasp of the principles of law through the study of subjects such as Law of Contract, Law of Tort, Constitutional Law, European Union Law, Criminal Law, Land Law and Equity and Trusts and Legal Skills.

Students will also be able to study core Criminology modules such as Images of Crime and Social Control, Applying Criminology, Harm, Agency and Regulation, Penology and Penal Policy and War, Crimes and Genocide. 

This course is recognised as a qualifying law degree by the professional bodies. This means that graduates can proceed directly to the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) or the Legal Practice Course (LPC).

Graduates go into legal practice and legally related careers. Others use their degrees as the basis for starting management careers or securing commissions in the services.

Curiosity, energy, interest and enthusiasm for the subject of law and commitment to successful completion of the three year course. The study of law at A Level is useful but not essential.

No specific skills are required but an interest and curiosity about the subject of law is important.

The course is contemporary and practical in the sense it does require a great deal of participation in seminars and workshops and problem-based learning. Excellent communication skills will be vital for the successful student.

Students need 300 UCAS points to gain entry onto this course (2012 entry). These should be from at least two full A Levels, preferably three (or equivalent). They will also need at least five GCSE’s Grade A-C which must include English Language and Maths.

We encourage applications from mature students and we will give special individual consideration to those who are in this category and do not have the standard entry requirements.

Students whose first language is not English will also need British Council IELTS band 6.0 or above or equivalent.

For further information and funding your study please see our Fees & Funding pages.

Fees and Funding