IA176-3-FY-CO:
Introduction to UK Human Rights
PLEASE NOTE: This module is inactive. Visit the Module Directory to view modules and variants offered during the current academic year.
2023/24
Essex Pathways
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Foundation/Year Zero: Level 3
Inactive
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
19 May 2021
Requisites for this module
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(none)
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This module is designed for students with no previous knowledge of English law, or of UK Human Rights. Students will be introduced to the general principles of the Human Rights Act 1998 and develop an understanding of how rights are protected within the UK jurisdiction.
The Autumn Term introduces the concept of human rights and develops a historical context of their legal vindication from the Nuremberg trials to the writing and ratification of the European Convention on Human Rights. The remainder of the Autumn Term and beginning of the Spring Term will then go on to consider the Articles of the ECHR (as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights) in detail.
In the Spring Term the focus will then move onto consider the mechanisms in place to protect human rights within the UK jurisdiction. The position of human rights protection in the constitutional arrangement of the United Kingdom will be considered along with the procedural sections of the Human Rights Act, 1998.
1. To provide the relevant information to develop students’ knowledge of human rights and the corresponding English Law and enable them to define the relevant concepts within the syllabus
2. To encourage discussion and debate within the class regarding identification of human rights abuses by providing practical scenarios in order to enable the student to identify the corresponding Articles within the topic
3. To develop students ability to create a legal argument using English law, the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights
4. To inspire students to analyse judicial interpretation of the Human Rights Act 1998 within cases and to understand the judicial application of sections 2, 3, 4, and 6.
5. To foster good practice in order for students to be able to construct and defend legal arguments pertaining to Human Rights
By the end of this module a student will be expected to be able to:
1. Identify human rights and the corresponding law and be able to define the relevant legal concepts.
2. Discuss legal issues raised in practical scenarios and identify the abuses of rights and the corresponding Articles of the ECHR.
3. Demonstrate their ability to apply the ECHR and the Human Rights Act 1998 in a given situation.
4. Analyse and evaluate case law and utilise their ability to identify judicial interpretation of the ECHR and the Human Rights Act 1998
5. Construct and defend legal arguments in a human rights context.
Syllabus
1. Introduction to Human Rights
2. The history of Human Rights
3. Human Rights in a global context
4. Introduction to the European Convention on Human Rights
5. Article 3 (Protocol 1)
6. Article 2
7. Article 3
8. Article 4
9. Article 5
10. Article 6
11. Article 7
12. Article 8
13. Article 9
14. Article 10
15. Human Rights and the UK Constitution
16. The Human Rights Act, 1998, section 2
17. The Human Rights Act, 1998, section 3
18. The Human Rights Act, 1998, section 4
19. The Human Rights Act, 1998, section 6
Assessment
Formative assessment
A formative presentation of 10 minutes will be undertaken during the first term, relating to the topics already covered. The presentation will be self-marked, in class, giving students instant feedback to help them prepare for the later formative presentation. Further one to one feedback will be available from the Module Leader upon request.
Summative assessment
A one-hour online test (20%)
* 30 multiple-choice questions
* This will test students' knowledge and understanding of the material delivered in the lectures, and their developing abilities to apply this to practical scenarios.
Individual online-presentation (10 minutes, 25%)
* Students will deliver an oral presentation related to a contemporary human rights issue. Students will be required to identify human rights related issues and construct a legal argument based on English and ECHR law.
Project (1,500 words, 50%)
* The project will take the form of a practical human rights law issue requiring the students to identify relevant legal issues and construct legal arguments based on the jurisprudence of the English courts, ECtHR and parliament.
Participation mark (5%)
* Participation marks will be awarded based on engagement with set-reading and homework. This will be assessed against students' ability to utilise the material explored outside the classroom during classroom-based activities.
Reassessment strategy
Failed Coursework - resubmit a piece of coursework (1,500 words) which will be marked as 100% of the new module mark. The reassessment task will enable the relevant learning outcomes to be met. If the individual online oral presentation has been failed or has not been attempted, students will also be required to submit a pre-recorded individual presentation of no longer than 10 minutes. The weighting will be divided equally between the assignment and the presentation.
Teaching and learning on the Law Pathway offers students the ability to develop the foundation knowledge, skills and competences, to study an undergraduate LLB course, through a curriculum that is purposely designed to provide an exceptional learning experience. All teaching, learning and assessment materials will be available to both staff and students via Moodle in a consistent and user-friendly manner.
This module is delivered via a 1 x 100-minute online, pre-recorded lecture, a 1 x 1-hour lecture support hour and a 1 x 2-hour seminar. Students will be expected to undertake the guided reading, preparation and research, necessary for this module.
Lectures
Lectures primarily focus on the sharing of academic theory and concepts to ensure students develop a sound knowledge and understanding of the discipline and cultivate an appreciation of relevant and current research in the subject area. Lectures will be delivered online offering students the freedom and flexibility to learn at their own time, pace and convenience, within each topic.
Seminars
Seminars provide students the opportunity to apply and reflect upon what they have learned from the lectures and guided study and aim to bring the knowledge and understanding ‘to life’ by relating it to current issues and practice. In seminars students will develop skills of application, analysis and problem solving through a variety of activities including quizzes, problem scenarios and essay-style questions. Seminars will be scheduled at a weekly set-time, for the duration of the module and will appear in the timetable.
Lecture Support Hour
Each week students have the opportunity to meet with an academic to discuss this module. Students are encouraged to attend in order to clarify any questions or concerns they have prior to attending the seminar.
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Mr Dave Briggs, email: dbrigg@essex.ac.uk.
Dave Briggs
Lucy Anthony (lanthony@essex.ac.uk)
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
Of 220 hours, 216 (98.2%) hours available to students:
4 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).
Essex Pathways
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