LLM Master of Laws

You’ll get to understand the fundamentals of international law in this key module. You’ll study the law and legal framework governing the international community, and examine the philosophical basis of international law. This will include:

• the nature, origins and basis of international law
• the main sources of international law – including the importance of customs, treaties, general legal principles and international case precedents
• the basic rights and obligations of international actors – such as state responsibility, governmental obligations not to interfere with others, immunities and jurisdictional powers.

You’ll also study the International Court of Justice and its role in settling international disputes. Throughout the module, we’ll use case studies and group exercises to enhance your learning experience.

You’ll hone the research and writing skills needed to carry out legal research at an advanced level. These include research design, searching for relevant sources and materials, legal referencing and citation skills. You’ll think about the process of writing, as well as the end product, including presenting findings to different audiences. You’ll consider the distinctive features of legal research and approaches and research methodologies you might use. The work you do in this module gives you excellent preparation for your dissertation.

Your LLM dissertation is an extended, supervised piece of work on a particular aspect of international law, which you’ll choose in consultation with your tutors. It’s your opportunity to gain knowledge and insight through sustained research, and to demonstrate your ability to explore and present legal arguments. You’ll develop transferable skills in research and information and project management.

We’ll encourage you to choose a topic of personal interest or professional interest. For September entry students your main work on the dissertation normally takes place from June to mid-August. For January entry students your main work on the dissertation takes place February-May.

You’ll learn about the foundations and principles that underpin the theory and practice of human rights. You’ll trace how human rights have evolved over time and explore their philosophical foundations. By examining current debates in domestic and international law, you’ll also understand their contemporary legal and political meaning and use. The module will include critical and non-western perspectives on contemporary human rights.

International Human Rights Law explores the history, philosophy and contemporary protection of human rights, asking whether today's international legal systems are fit for purpose.

Develop your legal research, critical analysis and evaluative skills as you examine how human rights are protected through international and regional legal frameworks. You'll explore contemporary debates alongside topics such as refugee law, international criminal law and landmark cases under the European Convention on Human Rights, including freedom of expression and the prohibition of torture.

By engaging with global legal challenges and competing perspectives, you'll deepen your understanding of one of the most significant and rapidly evolving areas of international law while strengthening your ability to analyse complex legal and ethical issues.

This module is compulsory for the Global Law pathway.

You will develop your critical awareness of a range of human rights issues. Including situations and case studies that are of contemporary significance.

You'll reflect on emerging issues as they happen. So you'll be up to date and informed with developments across the field of human rights. This will provide you with broader insights into human rights law. Helping you develop a deeper knowledge of International Human Rights Systems.

You'll have the opportunity to carry out an individual assignment. Based on a topic in conversation with your module teaching team. You can further develop a topic if you choose to take the Independent Study Module.

You’ll use wide-ranging case studies to examine international human rights law. The case studies could cover areas such as children’s rights, environmental rights, self-determination and human rights in wartime. Using primary documents, case law and academic commentary, you’ll examine each topic from a practical perspective, underpinned by theory and principles.

This module introduces you to law regulating business transactions in a global economy. You’ll learn about the basic transactions for the purchase and sale of goods, analyse various types of contracts, and look at the remedies available when contracts are breached. You’ll also encounter issues such as:

• special problems arising between buyer and seller where goods are carried in a container
• various types of contracts for the carriage of goods by sea
• banker's commercial credits
• contractual effects between buyer and seller, buyer and banker, and the seller and banker.

You’ll go on to examine more complicated distribution and licensing agreements, joint venture and foreign direct investment agreements. Giving you the understanding and legal knowledge of transactions.

International trade is regulated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and also through many free trade agreements that have been negotiated outside the WTO framework. These agreements between governments set out their powers to restrict the flow of goods and services between countries.

In this module, you’ll examine key aspects of the public international law of trade and finance. You’ll focus on the fundamental principles of international trade contained in GATT 1994 under the WTO Agreement.

Corporate governance means the way in which companies are governed – who has power and accountability, and who makes decisions. But what does good governance look like? and what legal mechanisms support it?

Through this module you’ll gain a stronger understanding of how international corporate governance works and the financial, economic and environmental forces that may shape corporate behaviour and operations. You’ll look at the role of corporations operating in the globalised world. You’ll also examine the importance of corporate governance in facilitating business transactions and banking.

Why do investors invest abroad, and why do host countries actively encourage foreign investment? You’ll explore these questions while examining the laws, policies and legal issues affecting foreign investment and foreign enterprises. You’ll think in particular about the developing world and emerging markets.

You’ll investigate the role of law in the investment process. This will include:

• the rules, principles and institutions of public international law that affect direct foreign investment
• host country laws that reward and regulate foreign investment
• the law of investment contracts
• the dispute settlement regime.

You will examine the institutions, content and impacts of international environmental law. You'll focus on its response to the demands and challenges of globalisation and development.

You will look at the ways in which environmental regulation is carried by the:

• United Nations
• European Union
• World Trade Organization
• and other international and regional institutions.

What can be done to resolve the demands of environmental protection and sustainable development within the context of an interconnected and global order? The systems undergo critical assessment for their effectiveness, responsiveness and legitimacy, taking into account issues such as:

• human rights
• energy and natural resources
• waste regulation
• foreign investment
• and protests against development projects and programmes.

In this introduction to international human rights law, you’ll learn about the institutions and mechanisms that protect human rights. Throughout the module, you’ll critically examine arguments and ideas about human rights. By examining the relevant law, contemporary debates and case studies, you’ll get to understand the philosophical underpinnings of human rights and their contemporary legal and political meaning.

You’ll learn about the foundations and principles that underpin the theory and practice of human rights. You’ll trace how human rights have evolved over time and explore their philosophical foundations. By examining current debates in domestic and international law, you’ll also understand their contemporary legal and political meaning and use. The module will include critical and non-western perspectives on contemporary human rights.

This module introduces you to law regulating business transactions in a global economy. You’ll learn about the basic transactions for the purchase and sale of goods, analyse various types of contracts, and look at the remedies available when contracts are breached. You’ll also encounter issues such as:

• special problems arising between buyer and seller where goods are carried in a container
• various types of contracts for the carriage of goods by sea
• banker's commercial credits
• contractual effects between buyer and seller, buyer and banker, and the seller and banker.

You’ll go on to examine more complicated distribution and licensing agreements, joint venture and foreign direct investment agreements. Giving you the understanding and legal knowledge of transactions.

This module offers you the opportunity to formulate a programme of study with assessment criteria that is based on work experience in the publishing or closely related industries. This enables you to devise, negotiate, organise and carry out reflective analysis of a period of work or a specific project according to a set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria in collaboration with the module leader and a supervisor. The programme of study is aimed at practical industry-based experiences and may include, for example, reporting on practical exploration of an issue of relevance to the publishing industry; or developing a practical project (eg website, newsletter, promotion materials). Critical reflection on your own work and on that of others is an integral aspect of the module.

Why do investors invest abroad, and why do host countries actively encourage foreign investment? You’ll explore these questions while examining the laws, policies and legal issues affecting foreign investment and foreign enterprises. You’ll think in particular about the developing world and emerging markets.

You’ll investigate the role of law in the investment process. This will include:

• the rules, principles and institutions of public international law that affect direct foreign investment
• host country laws that reward and regulate foreign investment
• the law of investment contracts
• the dispute settlement regime.

International trade is regulated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and also through many free trade agreements that have been negotiated outside the WTO framework. These agreements between governments set out their powers to restrict the flow of goods and services between countries.

In this module, you’ll examine key aspects of the public international law of trade and finance. You’ll focus on the fundamental principles of international trade contained in GATT 1994 under the WTO Agreement.

You will examine the institutions, content and impacts of international environmental law. You'll focus on its response to the demands and challenges of globalisation and development.

You will look at the ways in which environmental regulation is carried by the:

• United Nations
• European Union
• World Trade Organization
• and other international and regional institutions.

What can be done to resolve the demands of environmental protection and sustainable development within the context of an interconnected and global order? The systems undergo critical assessment for their effectiveness, responsiveness and legitimacy, taking into account issues such as:

• human rights
• energy and natural resources
• waste regulation
• foreign investment
• and protests against development projects and programmes.

You will develop your critical awareness of a range of human rights issues. Including situations and case studies that are of contemporary significance.

You'll reflect on emerging issues as they happen. So you'll be up to date and informed with developments across the field of human rights. This will provide you with broader insights into human rights law. Helping you develop a deeper knowledge of International Human Rights Systems.

You'll have the opportunity to carry out an individual assignment. Based on a topic in conversation with your module teaching team. You can further develop a topic if you choose to take the Independent Study Module.

You’ll use wide-ranging case studies to examine international human rights law. The case studies could cover areas such as children’s rights, environmental rights, self-determination and human rights in wartime. Using primary documents, case law and academic commentary, you’ll examine each topic from a practical perspective, underpinned by theory and principles.

Corporate governance means the way in which companies are governed – who has power and accountability, and who makes decisions. But what does good governance look like? And what legal mechanisms support it?

Through this module you’ll gain a stronger understanding of how international corporate governance works and the financial, economic and environmental forces that may shape corporate behaviour and operations. You’ll look at the role of corporations operating in the globalised world. You’ll also examine the importance of corporate governance in facilitating business transactions and banking.

You’ll get to understand the fundamentals of international law in this key module. You’ll study the law and legal framework governing the international community, and examine the philosophical basis of international law. This will include:

• the nature, origins and basis of international law
• the main sources of international law – including the importance of customs, treaties, general legal principles and international case precedents
• the basic rights and obligations of international actors – such as state responsibility, governmental obligations not to interfere with others, immunities and jurisdictional powers.

You’ll also study the International Court of Justice and its role in settling international disputes. Throughout the module, we’ll use case studies and group exercises to enhance your learning experience.