This course provides an introduction to Scots law and the Scottish Legal System. It introduces students to the history of Scots law, court procedures and legal processes, precedent, legislation and statutory interpretation, and law in a social context.

First preference: weekly lectures at Monday 10-11; additional lectures Tuesday 9am.

Second preference: weekly lectures Tuesday 9am; additional lectures: Thursday 12-1

Common Law System and Method

None

The course is 50% assessed by way of a 60-minute exam that will take place in the December examination period and 50% by a 1,000-word coursework essay.

The overall aims of the course are:

■ to introduce students to the study of Scots law and the Scottish Legal System

■ to introduce students to the sources of law in the UK 

■ to provide students with an understanding of court structure and the application of judicial precedent

■ to develop students' skills in interpreting and using sources of law

■ to introduce students to the legal institutions relevant to legal practice in the UK

■ to provide students with a basic understanding of civil procedure in Scots Law

■ To develop students' understanding of the social, economic, moral, and ethical contexts in which law operates in line with the Law Society of Scotland's foundational criteria on professional standards and practice.

■ To introduce students to critical debates relating to law, their place in society, and the responsibilities and roles of solicitors and other legal professionals.

By the end of this course students will be able to: 

■ To demonstrate an understanding of the sources of law in the UK

■ To explain principles of statutory interpretation in the UK and deploy them to analyse legislative materials

■ To use knowledge of the judicial system in the UK to evaluate the precedential value of decisions

■ To demonstrate an understanding of the importance and use of judicial precedent

■ To demonstrate an understanding of civil procedure and the relationship between law and procedure

■ To demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between law and society, including relevant moral and ethical considerations, and apply this knowledge to legal issues in context

■ To demonstrate an understanding of the ethics and standards applying to the legal profession in Scotland.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.