Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW1016C: A Legal Foundation for Environmental Protection

This module descriptor refers to the 2024/5 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The module begins by considering the development of environmental concern over the last 60 years and how the law has responded.  The module looks at the scope of environmental law and its relevance to your studies. The module will then build on this introduction and will include the following topics:-

  • The challenges we face in Environmental Law – reflecting on our history and the role of law in navigating environmental crises.
  • Foundational principles in environmental law – taking precaution, preventing harm from happening in the first place and the principle that where there is pollution, that the polluter should be held accountable.
  • Reconciling conflicting attitudes and interests with a view to protecting the environment.
  • Navigating the planning system and the role of planning in sustainable development
  • Legal mechanics for the non-lawyer – the role of different types of law (both national and international) in environmental protection.

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
321180

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching 20Interactive lectures: Core content will be delivered and explored during interactive lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching4Mock Public hearing
Scheduled Learning and Teaching 8Workshops
Guided Independent Study40 Individual acquisition and widening learning on topics
Guided Independent Study28Deepening task based activities conducted independently and as part of a peer-led group
Guided Independent Study50Consolidation task-based activities including preparation of formative and summative work

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).