Constitutional Law Course Descriptor

Course Overview

This course studies the “unwritten” constitution of the United Kingdom, addressing all major features of the constitutional framework from the legal point of view. It will address a blend of contemporary and classic topics regarding the role of the legal system in the control of government action and in safeguarding the rule of law. It will also address legislative processes and the manner in which policy, legislation, and the courts interact. For those seeking a qualifying law degree, it fulfils the key elements and general principles of Constitutional Law as required by the SRA/BSB Academic Stage Handbook for a Qualifying Law Degree.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding

Subject Specific Skills

Transferable and Employability Skills

Teaching and Learning

This course has a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) page with a syllabus and range of additional resources (e.g. readings, question prompts, tasks, assignment briefs, discussion boards) to orientate and engage students in their studies.

The scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course are:

Interactive lectures/seminars

40 scheduled hours – typically including induction, consolidation or revision, and assessment activity hours.

• Version 1:all sessions in the same sized group

OR

• Version 2: most of the sessions in larger groups; some of the sessions in smaller groups

Faculty hold regular ‘office hours’, which are opportunities for students to drop in or sign up to explore ideas, raise questions, or seek targeted guidance or feedback, individually or in small groups. 

Students are to attend and participate in all the scheduled teaching and learning activities for this course and to manage their directed learning and independent study.

Indicative total learning hours for this course: 150

Assessment

Both formative and summative assessment are used as part of this course, with purely formative opportunities typically embedded within interactive teaching sessions, office hours, and/or the VLE.

Summative Assessments

A partially multiple-choice examination may be used at the course leader’s discretion.

Further information about the assessments can be found in the Course Syllabus.

Feedback

Students will receive formative and summative feedback in a variety of ways, written (e.g. marked up on assignments, through email or the VLE) or oral (e.g. as part of interactive teaching sessions or in office hours).

Indicative Reading

Note: Comprehensive and current reading lists are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative reading list provided below is for a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

• Bradley, Ewing & Knight, Constitutional and Administrative Law (Pearson, 17^th ed. 2018).
• Journals: Modern Law Review, Cambridge Law Review, Quarterly Review; sometimes, continental, Commonwealth and U.S. journals are referred to, guided by the needs of the topic.
• Westlaw, Lexis, and Bailii provide access to the main cases.

Indicative Topics

Note: Comprehensive and current topics for courses are produced annually in the Course Syllabus or other documentation provided to students; the indicative topics provided below are used as a general guide and part of the approval/modification process only.

• An introduction to constitutional law: core institutions; parliamentary supremacy; limited government; constitutional conventions; prerogative powers; the separation of powers.
• The Rule of Law
• Legislation and the legislative process
• Judicial Review