Module Information
Course Delivery
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Exam | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Essay 2000 Words | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours Exam | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
Understand the fundamental principles that have shaped and continue to guide national and international environmental law and policies
Appreciate the role of international and supranational law and their impact of domestic UK law.
Comprehend the various ways of regulating environmental issues.
Identify the public institutions and private entities that are involved in environmental law and policy.
Appreciate the specific issues concerning corporate entities and their environmental impact.
Understand the role of private and criminal law in the overall system of environmental regulation and protection.
Describe and comprehend the specific origins and challenges of climate change, biodiversity protection and pollution prevention and control.
Brief description
Environmental challenges – a warming planet, oceans full of plastic, accelerating extinction rates of animal and plant species due to the destruction of habitats, and increasing pollution of air, land and water – are amongst the most complex problems faced by today’s societies. These problems also pose multiple challenges for legal control and regulation. The Earth’s ecosystems are highly complex, and our understanding despite all the advances of science still subject to significant uncertainty. Environmental impacts also cross jurisdictional and disciplinary boundaries, involving problems of collective action often seemingly at odds with private interests and the generally human focused approach of legal responses. This module explores this vital area of law and addresses the struggle to achieve control of environmental problems against a backdrop of global politics and economics, and the role of a range of actors - from corporations to lawyers, activists, and even ourselves - in seeking solutions to these problems.
Content
The course looks at the protection of the environment at national, supranational and international level and explores some topical issues at the heart of this dynamic field. Students will gain a critical understanding of the foundational principles and concepts which guide environmental law. The course will then introduce international and UK systems of environmental governance, policy making and enforcement. The issue of accountability of multinational corporations will be looked at, followed by the roles that private and criminal law play in addition to public law.
The module will then examine a range of highly contemporary environmental issues in detail, including climate change, nature conservation/biodiversity protection, and pollution control.
Module Skills
| Skills Type | Skills details |
|---|---|
| Application of Number | n/a |
| Communication | Seminar discussions and the negotiation exercise will develop individual and group oral argument. |
| Improving own Learning and Performance | Seminar participation, negotiation exercise and exam preparation will develop different aspects of personal academic development, from understanding and referencing sources through to the dissemination of ideas to others orally, and via written communication skills. |
| Information Technology | Library and research skills are fundamental to preparation for seminars and exam. |
| Personal Development and Career planning | Recommended topic for the legal profession. |
| Problem solving | Preparation for seminars, negotiation exercise and exam will involve problem scenarios for students to tackle. |
| Research skills | These skills will be developed through preparation for seminars, negotiation exercise and the exam. |
| Subject Specific Skills | Reading and understanding relevant materials in the field of Environmental Law. |
| Team work | Group activities and discussion in seminars. |
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6