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Advanced Issues in Legal Theory - LAW00044M

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  • Department: The York Law School
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Alex Green
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

This module examines the nature of law in light of its relationship to power, injustice, and the state. We examine heterodox accounts of these concepts often excluded from consideration within traditional legal thought.

Related modules

Pre-requisite modules

Co-requisite modules

  • None

Prohibited combinations

  • None

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

  • The module considers advanced questions in legal theory with reference to broader underlying philosophical and political issues often through the consideration of meaningful examples.
  • Indicative topics include: the authority of law (why, if at all, the law binds us; whether unjust laws can bind us; and whether there is a legitimate role for disobedience to law); feminist and critical legal studies; violence and the State.
  • The module aims to develop advanced academic skills in the reading of legal and philosophical texts and the relating of those texts to moral and political problems.
  • As a result, the module aims to develop in students advanced analytical skills of problem identifying and solving.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content

  • By the end of the module, students should be able to analyse and understand advanced texts in legal and political theory;
  • They should be able to demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of a variety of philosophical and legal issues relevant to the law.

Academic and graduate skills

  • To identify, retrieve and discriminate among sources of information relevant to philosophical questions about law;
  • To synthesise and analyse a variety of information sources to develop further knowledge, construct arguments, draw conclusions supported by appropriate authority, and evaluate the merits of alternative arguments.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Students will receive feedback on their Formative assessment by the end of the Spring Term (allowing them to use this in preparing their Summative assessment over the Spring vacation. Feedback on their Summative Assessment will be given not more than 6 weeks after its submission. All feedback will be written with the opportunity for the students to follow this up in a one-to-one meeting.

Indicative reading

H.L.A Hart, The Concept of Law

R. Dworkin, Law s Empire.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.