LAW-30062 - Evidence

Coordinator: Lisa M Mason Tel: +44 1782 7 34363

Lecture Time: See Timetable...

Level: Level 6

Credits: 15

Study Hours: 150

School Office: 01782 733218

Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

Students should have passed Law-20028 and Law-20029

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2020/21

The law of evidence is the study of rules designed to ensure that the guilty are convicted and the innocent are acquitted. It is a system of balances and checks that is the ultimate protection of individual liberty. In this module you can decide for yourself just how important the law of evidence is in the criminal justice system. This module is an intellectually stimulating study of a complex legal topic but is also of particular interest to those intending to enter legal practice. It is taught by lecturers who themselves hold judicial positions in the criminal courts.

Aims

By building on knowledge acquired in foundational modules of Law or Criminology, this module will allow students to develop further their knowledge of the operation of legal rules as they are applied in the context of criminal trials in England and Wales. The law of evidence offers students the opportunity to explore a range of practical situations in which trial courts manage statutory legal rules and exceptions, codes of practice and case-law. Students will gain a fuller appreciation of the appropriate exercise of judicial case management skills, and judicial discretion, in the efficient management of trials within the context of human rights, especially the fair trial provisions of the ECHR.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/law-30062/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

evaluate the practical workings of the rules of evidence, particularly as they operate in criminal cases: 1
articulate a critical appreciation of the importance of the rules of evidence, in their theoretical and policy contexts, and to encourage students to develop their own views as to reform of those rules: 1
manipulate a wide range of materials on the law of evidence, both in paper and electronic form, and to use those materials to discuss, and to write about, contemporary issues in evidence: 1

Study hours

22 hours of lectures
7 hours of tutorials
Preparation time:
51 hours reading and tutorial preparation
70 hours consolidation and examination preparation

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Open Book Examination weighted 100%
24-hour online exam
The word limit for the assessment is 3,000 words. Students must answer the compulsory problem question (the factual scenario for the problem question will be pre-seen but NOT the related assessment tasks) and one unseen essay question from a choice of two or three (topics indicated in advance). The questions carry equal weight. The paper will be released on the KLE at 10am on the morning of the exam. Students will have 24 hours to submit their answers. Although 24 hours has been allocated as the time frame within which answers must be submitted, we expect that most students will take no more than 2-3 hours to complete their answers. Answers must be completed and submitted in accordance with the Law School approved rubric for 24-hour online assessments.

LAW-30062 - Module Specification School of Law Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

LAW-30062 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences