Technology and Cyber Law
Assessment brief
LW3532
2021-22
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Assessment Brief
Module:
2021-22
Year
LW3532
Module
Tutor(s)
Malcolm Dowden, Solicitor
Contact
E-mail
Malcolm.dowden@Winchester.ac.uk
Assessment
Task
Written assignment
Assessment
Weighting
Submission
Deadline
Tuesday 17th May 2022 by 15:30 (UK Time)
100%
15 Working Days after
Feedback Date submission deadline
Assessment Formal Requirements
The word count:
The total word count for this assignment is: 3,500
What’s included in the word count?

Included in the word count: Every word from the introduction to the conclusion, including
headings and in-text quotations.

Excluded from the word count: The title/assessment question. The bibliography. Footnotes (as
per OSCOLA referencing).

Significant amounts of text should not appear in the footnotes.
Word count declarations:

You must declare the word count for each assignment you submit.

Students are advised to ensure that they make the most of the word count. This includes not being
significantly under the word count, nor exceeding it. Part of the challenge of any given
assessment is the need to adhere to the word count which has been set.
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Tip: Take care when using the word count feature in Word! When you click on the number of words
you’ve written, it will give you the option to ‘include footnotes and endnotes’ – for an accurate count,
you will want to make sure that this is ‘unticked’!
Identification Requirements:

You must NOT put your name anywhere on work which you submit through Canvas.

You must include your individual student ID number on every page.
The University requests work to be formatted as follows:
(a) Calibri font, size 11, black type (no colours);
(b) 1.5 line spacing;
(c) Page numbered throughout.
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Assessment Task
Written Assignment
Please answer ONE of the following FOUR questions:
“No single government or national regulatory authority can protect citizens from cybercrime and
online harms because internet technologies do not recognise national or jurisdictional boundaries.
International cooperation offers the only viable way to combat malicious use of the internet”.
Critically analyse and evaluate this statement.
OR
“The Computer Misuse Act was created in 1990, when only 0.5% of the UK population had internet
access. At the time, it was a landmark piece of legislation; 30 years later, it is in desperate need of
reform as part of a general overhaul of the laws relating to cybercrime and online harms” (Lord
Holmes of Richmond).
Critically analyse and evaluate this statement.
OR
“UK legislation relating to personal data protection and investigatory powers strikes a fair and
workable balance between privacy and surveillance and provides individual data subjects with
meaningful legal protection”.
Critically analyse and evaluate this statement.
OR
“Liability for harm caused by autonomous vehicles or by systems employing artificial intelligence is
adequately dealt with by the law relating to product safety, contract and tort”.
Critically analyse and evaluate this statement.
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Assessment Learning Outcomes
(a) Understand and critically evaluate the way that the law has responded to the use of computers,
the Internet and other electronic technologies;
(b) Apply the principles of intellectual property, contract and criminal law in the analysis of
complex issues raised by the use of information technology and e-commerce;
(c) Investigate, analyse and evaluate current legal issues arising from developments in
information technology.
Submission Instructions
E-submission:

Please submit an electronic copy of your work through Canvas. We cannot accept any
submission sent to us via email under any circumstances.

Instructions will be available on the module Canvas page.

You must submit your assessment in a suitable format, e.g. Word. It is your responsibility
to make sure that the assessment can be opened via Speedgrader. If it cannot be opened,
you will be deemed to have not submitted. Once you have submitted, please check that
your document has uploaded correctly.

If you submit multiple times up until the deadline, your last submission prior to the
deadline is the version which will be marked. If you submit a version after the deadline
your work may be flagged as late by the system – it would be a good idea to make your
module tutor aware of this.

Where your assignment requires to submit more than one element (for example: a bundle
and a skeleton) then, if one of those assessments is submitted late, then the entirety of your
assessment will be deemed to be submitted late (thus affecting the overall grade you will
receive).

You MUST submit a bibliography. Please ensure your bibliography is at the end of the
assessment (i.e. that it forms part of the same document).
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Please note that by submitting your work you are agreeing that you have read the Academic
Misconduct Policy and that you have understood the penalties regarding plagiarism and
cheating, and that this piece of work complies with the requirements of those regulations.
Late Submissions:
In line with the University’s Assessment Regulations any work that is submitted up to 5 working
days after the deadline (i.e. 1 week late) shall be accepted as a first attempt but the substantive
mark shall be capped at the minimum pass mark, which is 40%.
Submission of second attempts:
As per Section B8 of the Assessment Regulations: “Second attempts submitted after the deadline,
without extenuating circumstances, shall be deemed a fail and given a mark of 1% only, to indicate
submission”.
Therefore, the usual 5-working-day rule (for capped marks) does NOT apply to submissions of
second attempts. Any late submissions of second attempts will result in a mark of 1%.
Extenuating Circumstances:
‘Circumstances, normally exceptional and outside the control of the student, which prevent
him/her from performing an assessment at the expected or required level.’
It is possible to apply for extension or deferral of an assessment if you are unable to submit on the
due date. These are applied for through the Extenuating Circumstances procedure. Extenuating
Circumstances are normally Circumstances relating to the health and/or personal life of a student
which are of a sufficiently serious nature to result in them being unable to attend, complete or
submit an assessment on time.
These circumstances are also expected to be either:
a) unforeseeable - in that the student could have no prior knowledge of the event concerned;
and/or
b) unavoidable - in that the student could have done nothing reasonably in their power to prevent
or avoid such an event
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Details of the Extenuating Circumstances policy, and the relevant application form, can be
accessed here:
https://www.winchester.ac.uk/about-us/leadership-and-governance/policies-andprocedures/?download=true&id=112
To apply, you must complete the application form and submit this with the relevant independent
third-party evidence of your circumstances to the Law Administrator. For further guidance on
what will be accepted as evidence, please refer to the Extenuating Circumstances Policy.
Applications must be made before the assessment deadline. However, if the extenuating
Circumstances takes place on date of assessment deadline, then applications may be made up to 5
days after this date.
Please email Law.Admin@Winchester.ac.uk
for more information about the ECs process.
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Assessment Criteria

The University-wide ‘Assessment Criteria’ can be found on the Module Canvas page, as
well as the Law 21/22 Homepage.

The table below explains to you how the University Assessment Criteria applies to this module.
Technology and Cyber Law
Learning Outcome
Relevant
Assessment Criteria
Understand and critically evaluate the way
that the law has responded to the use of
computers, the Internet and other electronic
technologies;
Apply the principles of intellectual property,
contract and criminal law in the analysis of
complex issues raised by the use of
information technology and e-commerce;
Investigate, analyse and evaluate current legal
issues arising from developments in
information technology.
•
•
Research and Enquiry
Subject Knowledge and
Understanding
Applied and Practical Skills
Applied and Practical Skills
Academic Skills
•
•
•
•
•
Research and Enquiry
Subject Knowledge and
Understanding
Applied and Practical Skills
Values, Qualities and Attributes
•
•
Categorical marking:
The table below explains the potential range of grades which may be given to you for an assessment (also
known as ‘categorical marking’).
Please note that where an assessment has multiple components (i.e. questions/requirements) you will be
given a categorical mark for each component, but your final grade for that assessment will not necessarily
correspond to a categorical mark, as listed below.
Assessment
Criteria:
A*
80-100%
A
70-79
B
60-69
C
50-59
D
40-49
F
30-39
F
1-29
Law
Department
Categorical
marking:
82
85
92
100
72
75
78
62
65
68
52
55
58
40
42
45
48
32
35
38
5
10
20
25
Pass Mark
In order to complete this module, you need to achieve a mark of 40% overall.
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Referencing & Bibliography

You must ensure that you accurately cite and acknowledge any work taken from another
source by including a footnote to the authority.

You must use the OSCOLA referencing system for your footnotes and bibliography.
Please refer to the Winchester Law guide to OSCOLA. This will be made available on
Canvas.

Failure to cite third party work included in your assignment may lead to issues of
Academic Misconduct.
The University’s Assessment Regulations is available on the University’s web pages at:
https://www.winchester.ac.uk/about-us/leadership-and-governance/policies-andprocedures/?download=true&id=106
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