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European Union Law (GDL)

Overview

  • Credit value: 15 credits at Level 6
  • Convenor: Eddie Bruce-Jones
  • Assessment: 10 multiple-choice questions (50%) and a group presentation (50%)

Module description

In law schools across Europe, the laws of the European Union are an important part of the curriculum. This module introduces you to the fundamentals of European Union law, including its history, processes, substantive legal rules and application. Importantly, it also gives you the skills to engage with a regional jurisdiction, as it covers aspects of international legal theory, federalism in constitutional theory, and the concepts of sovereignty, supremacy and subsidiarity.

Despite Brexit, this area of law, aside from being a requirement for legal qualification, remains a highly important area of law for UK law students; practitioners will continue to engage with EU law as Europe is still the UK’s biggest and most proximate trading partner and as British people continue to regularly visit, live and work in the European Union.

Indicative module syllabus

  • Historical Background (EU politics and law)
  • Principle of Supremacy
  • Direct Effect and State Liability
  • Preliminary References and EU Legal Community
  • Brexit
  • Retained EU Law
  • Choosing an Area of Substantive Law
  • The Building of Legal Community and the Leaving of It
  • The Future Directions of EU Law

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will have:

  • a critical understanding of key principles of European Union law
  • a critical understanding of the relationship between national and regional law, including basic principles of international law
  • a good understanding of the historical development of European Union law
  • the ability to read, understand and assess critically key European Union law cases, treaties and secondary legislation
  • the ability to critically engage with contemporary scholarly debates on European Union law
  • the practical skill of applying substantive laws of the European Union across a range of legal issues
  • the ability to critically evaluate arguments, assumptions and abstract concepts to frame appropriate questions to achieve solutions to problems concerning European Union law.