Course unit details:
Law of Obligations II
Unit code | LAWS20400 |
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Credit rating | 30 |
Unit level | Level 2 |
Teaching period(s) | Full year |
Offered by | Law |
Available as a free choice unit? | No |
Overview
Obligations II (Tort law) is a core and dynamic subject occupying a central position (alongside Contract law) within the common law of obligations. The subject is based largely on case law, although some statutory provisions will be considered. The course unit covers the following:
- Introduction to Tort Law
- The Law of Negligence - General and Specific Situations; Defences
- Occupiers’ Liability
- The Law of Nuisance and Rylands v Fletcher
- The law of Defamation
- The Intentional Torts
- Vicarious Liability
Aims
- To continue students' acquaintance with the process of legal reasoning and analysis
- To acquire legal skills in understanding, interpreting and applying sources of information
- To acquire knowledge and understanding of tort law as a substantive body of law
- To understand the main theoretical underpinnings of torts and to appreciate the relationship between torts and the other branches of obligations law
Learning outcomes
To acquire knowledge, namely:
- to understand the rules contained in, and the underlying philosophies behind, tort law
- to understand legal precedents and to be aware of the major principles and policy considerations that may influence the future development of torts law
To reinforce and develop skills, namely, to be able to:
- argue in a logical and persuasive manner
- resolve torts problems using precedents and statutes- understand the importance of case law and legal texts within the context of torts law
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures are designed to introduce students to main concepts.
Seminars are designed to promote small-group discussion around some of the controversial aspects of the law, and to provide practice in approaching hypothetical problem-style questions.
Intellectual skills
Students should be able to construct, substantiate and deliver persuasive, lawyerly arguments both in the context of seminar discussions and formative coursework. Questions are designed principally to assist students in their cultivation of a critical faculty. Problem questions in particular require students to identify and analyse the moot points in issue and to present a logically constructed, persuasively written, legal argument as to how a hypothetical scenario may be resolved on the strength of existing precedents and tort law doctrines.
Assessment methods
Method | Weight |
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Written exam | 100% |
Feedback methods
Written essay (coursework), 100%
Seminars will also provide informal feedback in a group-setting on students' progress in understanding and applying tort law principles.
Recommended reading
Essential reading
R. Mulheron,Principles of Tort Law, 2nd. Ed., Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2020
Useful supplementary reading
Witting,Street on Torts, 16th ed., Oxford: Oxford UP, 2021
Study hours
Scheduled activity hours | |
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Lectures | 20 |
Seminars | 8 |
Teaching staff
Staff member | Role |
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Margaret Cunningham | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Restricted to: 2 year LLB for whom this course is compulsory.
Pre-requisites: Compulsory year 1 Law School courses.