Business Law

This first-year unit introduces students to the legal context in which accountants and business professionals operate. The unit focuses on the English legal system and key areas of business law. Students engage with core concepts, cases and applied examples to analyse problem questions, scenarios, research tasks and current professional issues. The unit provides a foundation that supports studies in accounting and business concerned with regulation, governance, assurance, and taxation, and develops early skills in legal reasoning, ethical awareness and responsible business decision making. 

The unit aims to:  

• Introduce students to the main features of the English legal system and core areas of law relevant to business and accounting.

• Provide opportunities for students to apply basic principles of contract, negligence and company law to straightforward business scenarios.

• Support students in practising simple legal reasoning and written communication in response to introductory business law problems.

• Encourage awareness of how legal requirements and professional duties shape business and accounting practice. 

On completion of the unit, students will have a foundational understanding of the legal environment of business relevant to accounting. They will have practised identifying legal risks, constructing answer plans for problem questions and considering how law shapes business judgements. This supports the development of critical thinking, commercial awareness and digital research skills that are relevant to graduate roles in accounting and business.

Syllabus (indicative curriculum content): 

- The English legal system: legal institutions, sources of law and basic terminology. 

- Law of contract: formation, terms, factors affecting validity, termination and remedies. 

- Civil liability in tort, including negligence and professional liability. 

- Forms of business organisation and the legal characteristics of different business types. 

- Key aspects of company law, including the roles and responsibilities of directors and shareholders, capital and insolvency. 

- Criminal and regulatory issues affecting business, such as fraud, bribery and money laundering. 

Teaching is delivered through a combination of scheduled contact time and guided independent study. There are approximately 24 hours of scheduled contact time across the unit and 76 hours of independent study.

Scheduled contact time is organised as timetabled sessions such as short lectures, seminars or workshops, used to introduce, explain and apply key concepts in Business Law. These sessions are synchronous and on campus. 

Asynchronous e-learning is provided via the virtual learning environment (VLE) in the form of core digital materials (including short explanatory resources, readings and guided exercises), Independent study involves engagement with these digital materials, directed reading, online research and preparation for the summative timed assessments. 

• Describe the main features of the English legal system and the principal sources of law relevant to business. 
• Explain basic principles of contract, negligence and company law in common business scenarios. 

• Identify legally relevant facts and the appropriate area of law in straightforward business situations. 
• Apply basic legal rules to reach reasoned conclusions about rights, obligations and potential liabilities in introductory business law problems.

• Produce clear, concise written responses to short business law questions using appropriate legal terminology and structure.

• Identify situations where business behaviour risks breaching legal or professional requirements and explain suitable responses. 

ICAEW Business Law 

Formative Assessment Task 

Practice exam-style question 

Summative Assessment

Timed assessment under examination conditions – 100%

Formative Assessment – Model answer and brief general feedback via VLE

Summative Assessment – On scripts plus general cohort feedback via the VLE within University timescales. 

Core texts will be confirmed each year, but indicative resources include: 

• An up-to-date introductory Business Law text covering the English legal system, contract, tort, business organisations and company law. 
• Current legislation, case law and regulatory guidance relevant to business law for example, materials available via the Library’s legal databases and policy collections). 

Course unit is available to students on the BSc Business Accounting programme.