Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW3205: Law, Testimony and Trauma

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

You will take part in developing knowledge in the field by conducting your research project on the legal responses to a traumatic event related to social oppression that you will choose to analyse. During lectures and workshops, you will receive tools that will support and guide you in conducting your research. These include: existing research in the area of law and trauma, theoretical perspectives, an introduction to interdisciplinary research and to creative research methods. You will also learn techniques from art therapy and mindfulness for grounding and self-care for research that can be triggering and/or emotionally taxing. You will be guided in creating your bibliography according to decolonising the curriculum principles. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate an in depth and critical understanding of the relationship between law, testimony and trauma in the context of social oppression.
2. Demonstrate a foundational understanding of the skills required for (1) listening to people who went through trauma and (2) creating an empowering and effective legal response to trauma.
Discipline-Specific Skills3. Analyse the interface between legal systems and political contexts.
4. Use the knowledge gained on legal responses in different jurisdictions around the world in your future legal education and practice.
5. Demonstrate the ability to co-produce original knowledge in a socio-legal field.
Personal and Key Skills6. Exhibit an independent and critical voice in academic research.
7. Conduct group presentations, provide feedback and critique to your peers, and grow as a consequence of the critique and feedback you yourself have received.
8. Employ a critical lens when examining the relationships between law, society and politics, which you can then use in future education and employment in the areas of law and/or politics.