Contract Law

Key information

Start date
End date
Year of study
Year 1
Duration
Full
Module code
155200071
FHEQ Level
5
Credits
30
Department
School of Law, Gender and Media

Module overview

Although there are now many specialised areas of contracting that are the provinced of areas of law such as commercial law, employment law, the law on the sale of goods, carriage of goods and insurance law, these areas of law presuppose a set of fundamental principles known as Contract Law.

It is these principles that are the starting point for the specific modifications and extensions that make up the law for one of the specific areas of contracting. This course introduces and examines some of the key doctrines in Contract law - many of them created in the 19th century and reflecting the laissez-fairism of the times - and key debates and discussions on the underlying idea of contract law, the evolution of its principles and doctrines, the role of contract and the limits to what it can achieve.

Objectives and learning outcomes of the module

  • Have acquired knowledge and critical understanding of key principles of the Law of Contract
  • Have acquired an understanding of the ways in which principles of the Law of Contract have evolved
  • Have acquired an understanding of the key debates regarding the fundamental idea underlying the Law of Contracts
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the different methods used in analysing and arguing about the Law of Contracts and critically evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems in the field
  • Have an understanding of the limits of their own knowledge, and an appreciation of how this might shape their analyses and interpretations of the subject
  • Be able to analyse and apply the relevant law to a set of hypothetical facts
  • Be able to draw on a number of other established techniques to undertake critical discussion in the law of Contracts
  • Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate relevant information and arguments
  • Have the ability to proceed to further and more complex study in the field of law, and take on greater responsibility for their own learning in this regard

Workload

  • Weekly 2 hour lecture
  • 1 hour tutorial (please see syllabus for details of when tutorials are scheduled)

Method of assessment

  • Coursework: 30% (2000 words)
  • Unseen written exam: 70%

Suggested reading

  • McKendrick, E. Contract Law, Palgrave Macmillan Law Masters (latest edition) or similar text.

Disclaimer

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.