2024/25 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

LAW5401M Inequalities, Law and Justice

30 creditsClass Size: 40

Module manager: Dr Mitchell Travis
Email: M.Travis@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module introduces and interrogates key legal issues that govern institutional, national and global inequalities. These three levels of legal scale allow for a deeper analysis of the range and magnitude of inequalities and the ways in which law, policy and the state perpetuate them. First of all, the module will consider the ways in which the state maintain inequalities through law and policy, in part this will consider how neoliberal ideology justifies a non-interventionist state. Secondly, the module will consider the ways in which inequalities can be produced at an institutional level. These inequalities are not caused by the state but by particular institutions such as healthcare, law and the criminal justice system. Finally, the module considers global inequalities, this section considers the ways in which legal conventions historically rooted in colonialism continue to ensure the movement of capital from the global south to the global north.

Objectives

On completion of this module, students will be able:
- to understand where inequality comes from and how it is perpetuated through law;
- to understand the different legal scales at which inequality exists. In particular its institutional, national and global contexts;
- to understand how law interacts with other institutions to produce inequality;
- to explore new directions in law, criminal justice, policy and academia that attempt to alleviate these inequalities.

Learning outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
At the end of this module, a student should have:
- a sound understanding of the nature and perpetuation of inequality at the institutional, domestic and international levels;
- a sound understanding of the development of inequalities;
- an ability to critically analyse current legal and political approaches to tackling inequalities;
- an awareness of emerging theoretical models and debates.

Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Ability to critically analyse legal issues concerning social justice, identify problems, and propose effective solutions.
2. Advocacy and Communication: Enhancing written skills in persuasive communication for effective advocacy in social justice matters.
3. Global Perspective: Understanding the global dimensions of social justice issues and their interconnectedness across different regions and societies.

Syllabus

Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Seminar	16	1.50	24.00
Private study hours			276.00
Total Contact hours			24.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

A formal formative assessment opportunity will be provided, which is specifically pedagogically aligned to the summative assessment task. As part of this, each student will receive individual feedback designed to support the development of knowledge and skills that will be later assessed in the summative assessment.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Assignment	Coursework	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 27/03/2024

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