Law
AS / A2 Law
This qualification involves the study of the legal system in England and Wales. Students will gain an overview of how the civil and criminal court system works and learn about the part played by both legal and civilian personnel. You will see how the law develops and changes over time and if you continue on to the second year A2 level there is an opportunity to study one area of law in more depth. This in depth area of study would be Law of Tort.
Many other subjects compliment Law, for example English, Business Studies, History, Psychology and Sociology. With a qualification in law you could go on to study in Higher Education either Law or Business Studies or you could do on to work in the legal profession, management or local government or even teach.
You will benefit from being taught by staff who also teach both a fully qualifying law degree and a Foundation Degree who also have experience in practice.
AS
At AS level you will study two modules and sit exams in two AS units.
Unit 1: English Legal System G141
You will learn about the civil courts including the High Court, alternatives to the courts such as tribunals and the European Court of Justice. You will also learn about police powers, the powers of arrest and stop and search the criminal courts and the power courts have to sentence offenders.
In preparation for this unit you will also learn about barristers, judges and solicitors as well as the magistrates and jurors who make up the lay personnel in our legal system. You will learn about their role and how they work within the English legal system.
Unit 2: Sources Of Law G142
You will study the different areas from which laws develop, looking at the role of the courts, Acts of Parliament and the effect of European Law. You will also develop an understanding of how the law changes over time by researching cases which have been decided in higher courts and the effect of the decisions judges make on a daily basis.
A2
At A2 level, you will study the law of tort in depth.
Tort 4 - Unit G147
Tort explained very simply means a “civil wrong”. Negligence is one example of a tort.
In this unit you will study negligence and occupier’s liability (i.e. where an occupier of premises may be held responsible for any injury suffered by a person while on their premises). You will also learn about the situations where one person can be held responsible for the civil wrongs of another, for example when an employer can be held responsible for the wrongs of their employee. In this unit you will study about torts connected with land such as trespass over land and nuisance.
You will also learn about when someone can be held responsible for the behaviour and control of their animals. Assault and battery under the civil law is also contained in this unit as well as no win no fee and conditional fees.
Special Study Module - Unit G148
This study unit involves students researching from source materials on a specified area of tort such as claims for physical and psychiatric injury following an accident. Students will be expected to carry out research using the materials and cases provided and this is then examined in the June module.
The successful achievements in the two AS level units and the two units in the second year will qualify students for the full A level in Law.
Extra Curricular Activities
In studying law you will have the benefit of visiting speakers from the prison service offenders who are currently serving time for serious offences, serving magistrates and from the legal profession solicitors and judges. You may also have the opportunity to take part in the National Bar Mock Trial Competition. Students take part in two live cases at Leeds Crown court and present their cases on behalf of their clients to judges, providing students with the opportunity to develop advocacy and good communication skills. The law department may also offer students the opportunity to go on educational trips abroad. In the last four years the trips have been to Strasbourg, Brussels, Krakow in Poland and Madrid visiting Auschwitz, Supreme Court of Madrid, the Kronenberg Brewery, and the European institutions.
What AS / A2 Law Can Do For You
The Law Department also offer an opportunity to progress on to a Qualifying Law degree based at the College campus in the first year, to students who successfully achieve good grades at A2 in a variety of subjects. All students must apply through the UCAS system. This degree is in collaboration with the University of Sunderland, with students progressing to the University Campus in their second and third years of study. Students are also offered the opportunity to study for a Foundation Degree in law and spend two further years at the College reading a range of legal topics and experiencing the law from a practical vocational perspective. On successful completion of the Foundation Degree students have a variety of options. They would be qualified to work in a legal environment such as a solicitor’s office as a member of the Institute of Legal Executives and after a work qualifying period would be able to apply for full fellowship status. Otherwise students can progress on to the second year of a qualifying law degree (LLB) with the University of Sunderland.
The course has been recognised by employers such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the Courts, Judges and Solicitors in preparing students with the necessary skills to work in practice.
