LLB (Hons) Business Law

This module aims to introduce the composition, operation and structure of the English Legal System. It includes an examination of key legal institutions and their constitutional role. Students will, for example, study the Court Structure and the roles of Parliament and the Courts in the creation and recognition of law through both Statutes and the Common Law. Students will also study some basic aspects of legal theory, in order to gain an appreciation of the purposes of law. This will enable students to consider the extent to which the English Legal System is fit for purpose. The module includes study methods of legal (judicial) reasoning in some detail, giving a solid grounding in theoretical concepts that will be relevant throughout the LLB. This will assist with understanding both how and why the substantive law students will study in other modules, such as Tort and Contract Law, is created and utilised in practice.

This module is designed to equip students with the skills required to study and practice law.  The majority of the module consists of developing the skills required to analyse a case and interpret a statute.  In addition students will be taught how to conduct legal research, write good English, avoid plagiarism, answer problem solving questions, and structure and reference essays.

This module introduces you to the law of obligations in the private sphere.

You will learn about:

• What is needed for a contract to come into existence and be enforced
• The content of contracts, including the relative importance of different types of terms and defence mechanisms built into contracts
• Vitiating factors which may undermine the validity of contracts
• What happens when things go wrong

Throughout the module, you will be introduced to the principles of contract law within the context of the socio-ethical and commercial world in which these principles are applied. In particular, the module will aim to develop a commercial awareness alongside knowledge of black letter law, for example the commercial imperatives behind exemption of liability and the concept of shared risk.

Our aim is to equip you with a sound knowledge and skills base, as well as an understanding of the underlying policy issues, to progress onto the professional stage of training and ultimately for practice as a commercial solicitor or barrister.

The syllabus typically includes:

• Introduction
• Offer and acceptance
• Intention to create legal relations
• Capacity
• Consideration
• Promissory estoppel
• Duress
• Terms
• Exemption clauses
• Misrepresentation
• Contracts against public policy
• Mistake
• Discharge
• Remedies

The syllabus will typically include:

• Introduction to Family Law
• Marriage and Cohabitation
• Domestic Violence
• The End of a Relationship
• Financial Consequences of Ending a Relationship
• Parental Responsibility and Children's Rights
• Abortion
• Adoption

From January 2013, IILS will introduce students to the study of comparative law by considering the principal characteristics of all four primary legal systems in the world today: common law, civil law, religious law and customary law. As students will have already studied English Legal System, only one week will be spent look at the common law jurisdictions, thinking about the defining characteristics and how common law is applied outside England and Wales. A significant part of the module will look at the civil law system, this being the most widely used system across the globe. Often referred to as the founder of the civil law system, we will look at the French legal system in detail. We will also consider religious law which has been growing in prominence with the growth in economic and political importance of middle-eastern countries. The module will conclude by considering customary and hybrid legal systems.

The Law of International Trade and Commerce I is a level 5 module which looks at the core components of Commercial law. It focuses on contracts for the sale of goods, the law of agency, the role of the Commercial Court and Arbitration.  The module also looks at how sales contracts are drafted, the requirements for retaining title to the goods, the rules relating to exclusion of liability and key clauses such as force majeure. It is designed to provide a good introduction to Commercial law and to develop an understanding of drafting contractual clauses and perceived problems with English law.

Many people's first introduction to the legal system is criminal law, whether through reading the true crime stories which frequently dominate the newspaper headlines, or the fictionalised courtroom dramas ever present on our television screens.

Studying Criminal Law, you will now have the opportunity to uncover the reality behind the headlines and dramas. In particular, your criminal studies will include:

• Elements of some of the most prolific offences in our Criminal Justice System e.g. theft
• What happens when criminals fail and the principles behind attempted offences
• What defences may be available to those accused of committing criminal offences

The aim of the EU module is to develop a detailed knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts which underpin EU law, alongside a comprehensive knowledge of the major substantive areas which students will encounter most in practice, e.g. the issues surrounding free movement of people and goods, discrimination and competition law.

In addition, the module will aim to contextualise this body of law, developing an awareness of its historical and socio-ethical origins and development.

The syllabus will typically include:  

• Introduction to the EU
• Constitutional Law of the EU
• Administrative Law of the EU
• Remedies under EU Law
• Direct Effect, Indirect Effect and State Liability
• Competition Law A81 – Collusion
• Competition Law A82 – Abuse of Dominance
• Competition law – Mergers and Competition Enforcement
• Free Movement of Goods – Fiscal Barriers
• Free Movement of Goods – Non-Fiscal Barriers
• Free Movement of Persons
• Freedom to Provide Services
• The Right of Establishment
• Non-Discrimination under EU Law

Employment law is an ever-changing area of law that is dynamic and immediately engaging. Employment Law I concentrates on the fundamental aspects of the employment relationship: what makes an employee and what defines the employment contract. Other issues examined during this module include: maternity and paternity rights, privacy and confidentiality, time and pay, flexible working and redundancy. These issues are primarily examined through the remedies of wrongful and unfair dismissal.

Medical Law represents a fascinating, dynamic and challenging area of law to study. Not only does it require the ability to intertwine several disciplines of law, such as Tort, Human Rights and Criminal Law, but also an appreciation of a number of influential and discrete subject areas outside law, including: Bioethics, Medical Economics and Health Service Policy.

Many of the topics covered, such as: Euthanasia, Abortion, Stem Cell Research, Organ Transplantation or Donation and the Rationing of Medical Treatment are highly controversial, attracting much debate both within the professions and amongst the general public as a whole. Likewise, there is rarely a day in which medico-legal issues do not appear within the media; often in the form of commentaries on bioethical stories.

This module aims to explore the way in which the law protects or offers remedies to consumers who have bought goods or services which are unsafe or defective in some other way. To the extent that the goods or services may have been bought using credit, this module also considers the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The aim of the module is to develop your knowledge and understanding of this key area of the law and to develop your skills base, to equip you for practice as a civil solicitor or barrister.

The syllabus covers the consumer and the supply of goods and services in civil law, including:

• Title and description
• Quality and fitness
• Dangerous goods
• Distance selling
• Unfair terms
• Remedies

• Trade description
• Dangerous goods
• Price
• Consumer credit
• Administrative control

This module introduces you to the key principles which underpin child law and explores their operation in a practical context. Within this module, you will have the opportunity to develop a sound knowledge of key areas within the subject, most notably the relationship between children, their families and the state. The aim of the module is to develop your knowledge and understanding of the law alongside the relevant skills to equip them for practice.

The syllabus will typically include:

• Introduction to Child Law
• Children’s Rights
• Children and their Parents
• Children and Medical Decisions
• Corporal Punishment
• Children and Family Breakdown
• Child Abduction
• Child Protection
• Adoption and Special Guardianship

Many students find Land Law an interesting and helpful module.

Firstly, whether buying a property, renting or living with parents, it helps to know your legal rights. Secondly, areas such as leases, mortgages and freehold cases involving anything from unscrupulous landlords to family in-fighting undoubtedly give rise to some very interesting cases.

The multiplicity of proprietary rights over land and ‘who owns what’ make this a fascinating area of legal practice

In particular, your Land Law studies will take in the following areas:

• Buying and selling property
• Difference between a property right and a personal right
• Differences between registered and unregistered land
• Proprietary Estoppel
• Mortgages
• Easements
• Freehold covenants
• Remedies

The aim of this module is to develop a knowledge and understanding of:

• General principles of company law
• The role the 'company' plays (as a business vehicle) in our economic system and of the social, political and economic forces that affect how companies operate
• The sources of company law (e.g. statute, common law/equity and regulation) on a domestic level and an appreciation of the importance and increasing impact of EU Law
• The legal nature of a registered company and limited liability
• The establishment and management of a registered company
• Other types of business vehicle
• The relationship, both legally and practically, between the managers and shareholders of a company, and of the legal and regulatory mechanisms that control and regulate that relationship
• Share capital, raising debt finance, and shareholdings
• Corporate governance, corporate rescue and liquidations
• Company law principles and policy, as well as proposed reforms

The module is designed to provide you with a thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of equity, the concept of the trust and their practical relevance. You will study both traditional deed-created trusts and the evolving role of equity and trusts in the commercial context.

The focus of the module is the practical application of this topic to real life scenarios. You will learn how to analyse problems and offer advice on complex legal principles, taking into account commercial factors as well as the relevant legal principles.

This is intended to aid the transition to the professional programmes by giving you greater commercial awareness and ultimately to enhance your prospects in professional legal practice.

The module is split into five parts, comprising the following topics:  

Part 1

• Fundamental Principles
• Introduction to Equity
• Introduction to Trusts

Part 2

• Express Trusts
• The Three Certainties
• Formalities
• Constitution
• Secret trusts
• Purpose trusts
• Charitable trusts

Part 3

• Implied Trusts
• Resulting and Constructive Trusts
• Implied Trusts of the Home

Part 4

• Administration of Trusts
• Fiduciary Duties
• Investment and Delegation
• Maintenance and Advancement

Part 5

• Breach and Remedies
• Breach of Trust
• Tracing
• Liability of Strangers
• Equitable Remedies

Any course in Media Law necessarily has to cover the importance of free speech and link this with press or media freedom. Traditionally academic courses in media law often place free speech on a pedestal and teach other legal interests as restrictions upon free speech.

With a view to the practical emphasis of BPP's LLB programme, this module adopts a more balanced approach. It will encourage students to question the importance of free speech when it conflicts with individual rights, and both to consider the problems that arise from a need to balance these interests and to evaluate the appropriateness of the methods by which the law attempts this balance.

The syllabus includes:  

• Introduction to Media Law
• Contempt of Court
• Defamation
• Obscenity and Offensive Speech
• Privacy
• Regulation of the Media

Intellectual Property I is a pre-requisite for this module and continues the study of Intellectual Property Law and includes:

• Some of the key methods of exploiting intellectual property assets
• The impact that the principal international intellectual property organisations make, the regulatory framework and sources of law
• Contemporary issues in intellectual property law and critical assessment of how intellectual property law is developing
• Substantive areas of IP Law including:
  • Patents
  • Registered Designs
  • Unregistered Designs
  • Contemporary issues in IP Law

This module gives students an understanding of intellectual property law and an ability to critically analyse the context of intellectual property law in society and its commercial role in business as a highly valuable asset. The module teaches students to apply knowledge of intellectual property to real-world problems and identify appropriate conclusions. The substantive areas covered on the module are:

• Copyright
• Registered Trademarks
• Passing Off
• Breach of Confidence

The International Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) is the body of rules and regulations governing the behaviour of individuals, states, and non-state entities during periods of intense violence traditionally referred to as war. In the modern world armed conflicts are an unfortunate but frequent occurrence across the globe and range from small-scale domestic incidents to large international altercations.  

LOAC is concerned with behaviour during hostilities rather than the legality of entering into such a state of affairs and so focuses upon the conduct of the relevant parties.  LOAC has developed over a long period of time but has seen dramatic expansion since the end of World War II, encompassing both state behaviour and legal opinion (customary law) and treaties (conventional law).

This module intends to give students both a basic grounding in the legal framework and concepts of LOAC and a more advanced knowledge of key principles.

Specific subject areas covered include:

• The history and development of LOAC
• Conventional Law from the 19th to 21st Centuries
• The Principle of Distinction between Combatant and Civilian
• Specific Targeting
• Prohibited Weapons
• Enforcement of LOAC Breaches
• War Crimes
• The Future of LOAC

Available from January 2013.

The Property Tax module will provide you with a detailed knowledge and understanding of the fundamental principles and concepts which underpin tax law and its interpretation, alongside an appreciation of its ethical and social context.

During the module, you will be introduced to specific taxes and will gain an insight into how their governing principles are applied to factual scenarios that you might encounter in practice. The module aims to develop your skills of application, analysis and communication within the context of this complex area of law, equipping you for practice in the area.

The syllabus will typically include:

• The different bases of taxation: taxes relevant to property transactions and ownership
• How Tax Law is made
• Introduction to anti-avoidance legislation and common law approach
• Capital Gains Tax – treatment of commercial/residential property: rollover relief or holdover of business assets
• Treatment of the family home
• Stamp Duty Land Tax
• Income Tax (taxation of rental income and furnished holiday lets)
• Inheritance Tax: tax planning for the family home
• Ingram Schemes and Pre-Owned Asset Tax
• Gift With Reservation
• Anti Avoidance legislation applied to property issues
• Compliance issues

The aim of this module is to develop your ability to:

• Identify which issues require researching when presented within a complicated factual matrix
• Research different areas of law relevant to a given factual matrix using a variety of paper and electronic sources
• Identify which primary and secondary legal sources are of relevance to a given factual matrix and to use them appropriately
• Undertake independent research in areas of law with which you are either relatively unfamiliar (company law, intellectual property law), or which you have previously studied as self-contained subjects
• Reflect on your own learning and seek and make use of feedback in the context of optional supervision meetings, bring together information from a variety or different sources and sift relevant materials from the irrelevant
• Understand and use the English language proficiently in the context of an oral presentation of your analysis of a legal problem
• Read and digest legal materials written in technical and complex language and discuss them in the context of supervision meetings and viva examinations
• Respond appropriately and accurately to questions within the pressurised context of a viva examination

The law of evidence is of fundamental importance. It underpins the practice of different types of law which are capable of leading to litigation. Evidence is information by which facts tend to be proved. This principle is not only crucial to disputes which result ultimately in a trial, but also to clear and common sense problem solving in all areas of legal practice.

The module covers the burden and standard of proof, the competence and compellability of witnesses, confessions and improperly obtained evidence, inferences from silence, hearsay and character evidence and identification evidence.

The module will be delivered utilising lectures, seminars and tutorials focusing on the more complex and detailed issues.

The Law of International Trade and Commerce II is a level 6 module which builds upon the Law of International Trade and Commerce I (a prerequisite). This module will look at choice of law, jurisdiction, conflicts of law, the role of international groups such as the International Chamber of Commerce and the various stages and contracts required to transport the goods from the seller’s jurisdiction to the buyer. The module covers the law relating to transporting goods, the duties of the shipping company, marine insurance and how the parties’ can finance the transaction.

The Landlord and Tenant module is a comprehensive in-depth module on the law of landlord and tenant. The course covers a wide range of specialist landlord and tenant law, including residential (in both the public and private sector), commercial and agricultural. You will develop a wide knowledge and understanding of all the main aspects of landlord and tenant law, including an appreciation of the commercial, political and social context, whilst also developing your ability to research, analyse, communicate and argue. The module will give you a foundation for a fascinating and important area of practice.

The module covers:

• The history and theory of the leasehold estate
• The law on covenants, particularly disputes over deposits, repair, assignment of leases and rent review
• The law on termination of leases and protection from eviction
• Statutory protection of tenants, in the residential, commercial and agricultural sectors
• Statutory protection of leaseholders of flats: service charge disputes, and the right to manage the flats, extend the lease or buy the freehold