LW2PL2: Public Law 2

Module code: LW2PL2

Module provider: School of Law

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Leonid Sirota, email: l.sirota@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s): This module is only available to LLB students. (Open)

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

The module aims to introduce students to the essential principles of administrative law and help them develop a critical appreciation of these issues. It will introduce and provide an overview of the principles of administrative law, focusing on judicial review of administrative action in UK law. In doing so, the module builds on the knowledge of UK legal and political institutions and constitutional principles covered in Public Law 1.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the place of administrative decision-making and judicial review in the UK legal system
2. Apply the key doctrines governing judicial review, including where human rights are implicated
3. Demonstrate an ability to set the content of the module in a political and theoretical context

Module content

The module covers the underlying principles and key doctrines of judicial review of administrative action, including the principles and doctrines specific to cases that implicate human rights. This includes:

• Constiutional foundations and theories of judicial review
• Availability of judicial review, including locus standi, amenability to review, and ouster clauses
• Grounds of judicial review: illegality, procedural impropriety, and unreasonableness
• Developing topics in the law judicial review, notably proportionality, deference, and the prospects of reform

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Consistently with the School of Law requirements for Part I and Part II modules, there will be

• 11 2-hour lectures (including a 2-hour revision lecture), for a total of 22 hours
• 5 2-hour workshops, for a total of 10 hours
• 5 1-hour tutorials, for a total of 5 hours
• 13 hours of blended learning

Substantive content will primarily be delivered in lectures. Workshops will mainly be used to develop case- and scholarship- reading and -analysis skills. Tutorials will build on workshops to enable students to develop and discuss their own views on legal doctrines and theories.

Study hours

At least 37 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Article summary, 500-600 words, to be submitted in week 7. The topic of the articles will be aligned with that of the assessed presentation.

Reassessment

Additional costs