MODULE SPECIFICATION COVER SHEET
1.
Title of the module
Public Law I (LW588)
2.
School or partner institution which will be responsible for management of the module
Kent Law School
3.
The level of the module (e.g. Level 4, Level 5, Level 6 or Level 7)
Level 5
4.
The number of credits and the ECTS value which the module represents
30 credits (15 ECTS Credits)
5.
Which term(s) the module is to be taught in (or other teaching pattern)
Autumn and Spring
6.
Prerequisite and co-requisite modules
None
7.
The programmes of study to which the module contributes
All single and joint honours law programmes.
8.
The intended subject specific learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will have:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Knowledge and understanding, including an introduction to a range of critical and theoretical
perspectives, of the structure and distribution of public power
A knowledge and understanding of the legal and conventional constraints on government
An introduction to and understanding of Human Rights protection
A knowledge and understanding of judicial review and other administrative law remedies
An ability to identify the source of legal authority for government action
An ability to identify controlling institutional structures and identify their causal power in determining the
way in which individuals can respond within the public law sphere
An ability to evaluate the impact of a range of political texts on the emergence and development of:
British constitutionalism
Other examples of constitutionalism
Human Rights
An ability to read and evaluate legal texts and cases and understand their relevance to the British
Constitution and to the development of administrative law and human rights law
The intended generic learning outcomes.
On successfully completing the module students will have/be able:
1.
2.
3.
4.
An understanding of the role of constitutional principles and how they impact on normative claims as to
how government does or should work
An initial understanding of some of the philosophical arguments that lie behind constitutional and human
rights discourses
A sense of the existence of competing ways of describing the nature of governmental power and its
constraints
An ability to conduct basic research by using legal databases and library sources
MODULE SPECIFICATION
5.
An ability to construct an argument based on authoritative sources and convey it in both oral and written
form, with appropriate and accurate use of language, referencing and citation
6. To analyse case law, identify the key concepts, the inter-relation between the facts and the legal
arguments, and provide a coherent account of the judgement
7. To advance coherent legal and political arguments in both verbal and written form
8. An ability to provide a sustained analysis properly researched and thought through in essay form
9. To make proper use of web based material and to distinguish good sources from inadequate ones
10. To make proper use of the library resources by way of law reports, articles and monographs and
textbooks
10. A synopsis of the curriculum
TERM 1
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
Constitutionalism: history, theories, principles and contemporary significance
Models of Government at national, local and supra-national levels
TERM 2
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

Human Rights – history and contemporary significance and deployment
The scope of governmental authority and its limits
Judicial review and other forms of citizen redress
11. Reading List (Indicative list, current at time of publication. Reading lists will be published annually)
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Allen, Michael and Thompson Brian (2005) Cases and Materials on Constitutional and Administrative
Law 8th Edition, (Oxford University Press).
Bradley A.W and Ewing K.D (2014) Constitutional and Administrative Law 16th Edition, (Longman).
Held, David (2006) Models of Democracy 3rd Edition, (Policy Press).
Jeffery Jowell, Dawn Oliver and Colm O’Cinneide (eds.) (2015), The Changing Constitution (8th edition)
(Oxford University Press).
Le Sueur, Sunkin and Murkens (2013), Public Law Text, Cases and Materials, 2nd edition (Oxford
University Press).
Loveland, Ian (2015) Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and Human Rights: A Critical Introduction
7th Edition, (Oxford University Press).
Partington, Martin (2008) English Legal System, (Oxford University Press).
Sunkin, Maurice and Payne Sebastian (1999) The Nature of The Crown, (Oxford University Press).
Tomkins, Adam (2005) Our Republican Constitution, (Hart Publishing).
Turpin, Colin and Tomkins Adam (2011) British Government and the Constitution 7th Edition,
(Cambridge University Press).
References to academic journals such as Public Law and The Modern Law Review and online
sources.
12. Learning and Teaching methods
The module has 300 study hours. There will be two 1 hour lectures weekly over the duration of the module
excluding reading and writing weeks (40 hours). Seminars will be one hour weekly (20 hours). The remaining
240 hours will be dedicated to private study, including private reading groups, personal reading, writing,
revision, seminar preparation and revision. Students will be expected to organise themselves into private
reading groups to tackle the materials. They will use Held’s Models of Democracy as a key text.
13. Assessment methods.
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Module Specification Template (September 2015)
MODULE SPECIFICATION
The module will be assessed by examination 50% and coursework 50%. The assessment strategy is both
formative and summative and is set out in summary form in the table below.
Assessment Type
Week
%
Purpose
A writing task of no
more than 2000
words to develop and
assess skills
necessary in
academic writing for
instance, citation
skills and formal
academic writing
skills and skills
necessary for
structuring argument
10
20
The writing task promotes the ability to construct
argument based on authoritative sources and convey it
in written form, using authoritative sources with
appropriate and accurate use of language, referencing
and citation; it allows the students to demonstrate their
knowledge and understanding of a range of critical and
theoretical perspectives on the structure and
distribution of public power, and requires the
evaluation of the impact of a range of political texts on
the emergence and development of British and other
examples of constitutionalism. It provides valuable
feedback to the student prior to them undertaking the
essay.
An essay of no more
than 2500 words to
assess in particular
students’ abilities in
argument,
conducting
independent
research and using
multiple sources
20
30
The essay requires the student to demonstrate (i)
knowledge and understanding of the structure and
distribution of public power, including the ability to
identify the source of legal authority for government
action. (ii) An ability to identify controlling institutional
structures and identify their causal power in
determining the way in which individuals can respond
within the public law sphere.
(iii) knowledge and understanding of the legal and
conventional constraints on government including
Human Rights, (iv) the ability to read and evaluate
legal texts and cases and understand their relevance
to the British Constitution and to the development of
administrative law and human rights law (v) an ability
to evaluate the impact of a range of political texts on
the emergence and development of British
constitutionalism, other examples of constitutionalism,
and Human Rights (vi) skills of research and
evaluation and identification and deployment of
sources and the key skill of developing written
argument based on authoritative sources with an
appropriate and accurate use of language referencing
and citation. It will build upon the earlier writing task
and provide feedback on the student’s knowledge and
understanding prior to the examination.
An examination of 3
hours
50
The exam helps to identify the level of knowledge and
understanding of the constitutional significance of the
English legal system and the general constitutional
principles underpinning the British and other
constitutions, and the philosophical arguments that lie
behind constitutional and human rights discourses. It
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Module Specification Template (September 2015)
MODULE SPECIFICATION
requires the ability to write clearly and master complex
issues and read and evaluate legal and political texts
and cases and understand their relevance to the
operation of the British Constitution and to the
development of administrative law and human rights
law. The exam questions will cover the complete
course encouraging a consolidation of learning and
providing a sound foundation for further study of public
law in both core and optional subjects.
14. Map of Module Learning Outcomes (sections 8 & 9) to Learning and Teaching Methods (section 12)
and methods of Assessment (section 13)
Module learning outcome
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.7
8.8
Learning /
teaching
method
Hours
allocated
Lectures
40
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Seminars
20
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Private Study
240
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Assessment
method
Specify word
length, duration,
individual or group
work (as
appropriate)
Writing Task
2000 words
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Essay
2500 words
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Exam
3 hours
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.7
9.8
9.9
X
X
X
X
Module learning outcome
Learning /
teaching
method
Hours
allocated
Lectures
40
Seminars
20
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Private
Study
240
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Assessment
method
Specify word
length, duration,
individual or
group work (as
appropriate)
Writing Task
2000 words
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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Module Specification Template (September 2015)
9.10
X
X
MODULE SPECIFICATION
Essay
2500 words
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Exam
3 hours
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
15. The School recognises and has embedded the expectations of current disability equality legislation, and
supports students with a declared disability or special educational need in its teaching. Within this
module we will make reasonable adjustments wherever necessary, including additional or substitute
materials, teaching modes or assessment methods for students who have declared and discussed their
learning support needs. Arrangements for students with declared disabilities will be made on an
individual basis, in consultation with the University’s disability/dyslexia student support service, and
specialist support will be provided where needed.
16. Campus(es) or Centre(s) where module will be delivered:
Canterbury
FACULTIES SUPPORT OFFICE USE ONLY
Revision record – all revisions must be recorded in the grid and full details of the change retained in the
appropriate committee records.
Date approved
Major/minor
revision
Start date of the
delivery of revised
version
Section revised
Impacts PLOs
(Q6 & 7 cover sheet)
02/12/15
Minor
Sep-16
10,11,12,13,14
No
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Module Specification Template (September 2015)