| Unit name | Legal History |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD30106 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Seabourne |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit examines aspects of the history of the common law in England and Wales, dealing with the institutions of the common law and with substantive development in selected areas of law. Topics to be covered will include: courts and lawyers, crime and punishment, compensation for wrongs and marriage and divorce. Students will learn from textbooks, academic writings and original documents (in English).
An understanding of legal history is highly desirable for anyone wishing to work in the precedent-based common law world. In terms of providing a rounded legal education, it is arguably as important to view law in its historical context as to examine philosophical or sociological factors.
By the end of this unit a successful student will be able to:
10 x 2hr Seminars plus 10 lectures
Summative assessment: one three-hour closed book examination in May/June, in which students answer 3 questions.
Formative assessment: students are required to do one, and may do two pieces of formative work
The examination includes essay type questions, designed to assess both whether students have covered the syllabus and whether they are able to think critically about the material studied, and present their arguments in an academically respectable manner.
The assessments will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.
The core text is J.H. Baker, Introduction to English Legal History, latest edition, currently 4th edn (2002)
