Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW1035: Constitutional and Administrative Law

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

Module Aims

This module aims to enable you to develop:

  • An understanding of the concepts, traditions and principles underpinning the constitution of the UK.
  • An understanding of the main recent constitutional reforms of the United Kingdom constitution, especially in relation to Europe, devolution, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Constitutional Reform Act 2005.
  • An understanding of the nature, basis and continuing development of judicial review in the United Kingdom.
  • An ability to analyse the links between public law and the exercise of political and judicial power.
  • An ability to begin to use, analyse and critique materials and texts.
  • An ability to articulate and discuss issues relating to public law.

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 knowledge and understanding of the law, institutions and procedures covered on the module, using appropriate concepts, interpretative techniques and terminology;
2. identify and analyse (with guidance) the general concepts and principles relating to constitutional and administrative law, together with related theories and academic commentary;
3. research a legal question and demonstrate competence in applying constitutional and administrative law in order to formulate and evaluate a response to it;
4. demonstrate competent understanding of some of the relevant legal practice, social, economic, political, historical, philosophical, ethical and cultural contexts within which constitutional and administrative law operate;
Discipline-Specific Skills5. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of a range of legal rules, concepts, values and principles, and the ability to explain and discuss the relationships among them;
6. make an informed judgement about the merits and relevance of particular information and make reasoned choices between alternative solutions or arguments;
7. communicate technical legal information and argument effectively and concisely, in a manner appropriate to the discipline;
Personal and Key Skills8. take responsibility for own learning (with support), and to work effectively with others within a group, meeting obligations to the other members of the group;
9. identify, retrieve and use efficiently a range of resources with some guidance;
10. manage time efficiently in preparing for learning activities, and to work independently within a limited time frame to complete a specified task.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

  • The nature of constitutions and the purposes of constitutionalism. 

  • The constitution of the United Kingdom: institutions; legal and non-legal rules; underlying  
    principles: parliamentary sovereignty, the rule of law and separation of powers.  

  • The impact of European law on parliamentary sovereignty and the constitution of the United Kingdom.  

  • The impact of devolution on parliamentary sovereignty and the constitution of the United Kingdom.  

  • The protection of individual liberties within the constitutional framework of the UK; the Human Rights Act 1998. 

  • Introduction to the theory, origins and nature of administrative law.

  • Functions and characteristics of administrative powers and controls.


 

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
582420

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2222 x 1 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities13.5 9 x 1.5 hour seminars
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities13.5 9 x 1.5 hour syndicate workshops
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities9 9 x 1 hour Q & A sessions
Guided Independent Study18Lecture preparation
Guided Independent Study18Syndicate meeting preparation
Guided Independent Study189 x 2 hour interactive syndicate meetings
Guided Independent Study51Seminar preparation
Guided Independent Study86Exam preparation
Guided Independent Study10Formative exam preparation
Guided Independent Study11ELE study materials
Guided Independent Study12Formative exercises
Guided Independent Study18Consolidation of learning

Online Resources

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