LLM Specialisms 2011/12

Public Law

[please note: links below are to the 2010/11 course guides; they will be updated when new guides are made available during the summer vacation]

The LSE has been in the vanguard of public law teaching and scholarship throughout the twentieth century. As a result of the pioneering work of world class scholars, the School rapidly established a reputation as one of the leading centres of public law in Britain. Today the public law team at the LSE continues that tradition as Britain takes its place within the EU and reassesses its international role. The Department's aim today is to maintain and bolster this reputation, and the combined strength and depth offered by LSE staff currently working in the field rivals that of any law school in Britain. At Masters level, the primary teaching objectives are to situate public law in a European setting, to examine foundational issues, and to focus especially on the growing importance of regulatory techniques to the realisation of governmental objectives. The School's close proximity to many of the key institutions of government, its regular programmes of visiting speakers on public law issues, and the quality of its staff make it an ideal location for postgraduate study in this field.

Advanced Issues of European Union Law (LL4B2): study of the central themes and challenges posed by the development of European Union citizenship, governance and constitutionalism.

Comparative Constitutional Law (LL4F7): builds on knowledge students have acquired from having taken courses such as public law, administrative law, EU law and public international law at undergraduate level. This full unit course is formed from the MT half unit LL4Z6 Comparative Constitutional Law: Institutions and the LT half LL4Z7 Comparative Constitutional Law: Rights; please see these Course Guides for course content.

Comparative Constitutional Law: Institutions (H) (LL4Z6): builds on knowledge students have acquired from having taken courses such as public law, administrative law, EU law and public international law at undergraduate level. This course examines the central issues in comparative constitutional law across a range of jurisdictions and from a variety of perspectives. Although precise topics to be covered may vary from year to year, the main sections of the course will deal with: constitution-making, constitutional forms, constitutional adjudication, and constitutional borrowings. The overarching objectives of the course will be to analyse the  methodological and conceptual challenges posed by comparative study of constitutions, and to reflect on the cultural, ideological and transformative dimensions of contemporary constitutional discourse (in relation to methodology, legislative change, and institutional design).

Comparative Constitutional Law: Rights (H) (LL4Z7): this course examines a range of important and controversial topics in constitutional rights law from a comparative perspective. The topics to be discussed include: abortion; euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide; gay sex and sodomy; religion in the public sphere; non-discrimination; affirmative action; hate speech and denial of the holocaust; obscenity. The materials come from a broad range of jurisdictions, including but not limited to the U.S., Canada, South Africa, the European Convention on Human Rights, the U.K. and Germany.

Constitutional Theory (LL444): an inquiry into the nature, functions and significance of constitutions.

European Administrative Law (LL418): a study of the development of a system of European Union administrative law, focusing on the evolution of regulatory institutions, machinery for the redress of grievances and accountability.

European Union Law and Government (H) (EU420): a theoretically informed study of the central political institutions and legal processes of EU government. Central theories of decision-making and legal theory within EU studies are considered, then applied to analyse the central political and legal relationships within the EU political system.

Human Rights Law: The European Convention on Human Rights (H) (LL468): this course provides a comprehensive analaysis of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, together with an appraisal of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights.  It locates the Convention in its regional and international context.

Human Rights Law: The Human Rights Act (H) (LL469): this course provides a detailed study of the UK Human Rights Act together with an assessment of the political context in which the Act operates.  It also has a comparative dimension, assessing the Act by reference to other rights' instruments

International and European Environmental Law (LL4D6): study of international and European legal responses to global environmental challenges, including climate changes, biodiversity protection, chemicals control, and international trade.

International Human Rights (LL453): a comprehensive introduction to the rapidly expanding international law of human rights and institutions both at a universal and regional level.

Introduction to Regulation (H) (LL406): key topics in the study of regulation from a comparative and generic perspective with examples drawn from public administration, socio-legal studies and institutional economics.

Jurisprudence and Legal Theory (LL400): mainstream and alternative theoretical approaches to understanding the phenomenon of law, with particular emphasis on the work of important schools and individual theorists.

Media Law: Regulating Publication (H) (LL4H2): the course examines the legal and administrative regulation of mass media publication. The course first considers a number of general themes: the role(s) of the media in society (including conceptions of the ‘public interest’); the main social, technological and regulatory influences that shape media publication practise, and rights jurisprudence (in particular, media freedom in national and international law). It then examines restrictions on publication aimed at protecting specific private interests (eg reputation; privacy) and/or public interests (eg integrity of the legal process; political impartiality; avoidance of offence; national security).

Media Law: Regulating Newsgathering (H) (LL4H3): this course examines the legal and administrative regulation of newsgathering and content production practices undertaken by journalists and others working in the media sector. The course first considers a number of general themes: the role(s) of the media in society (including conceptions of the ‘public interest’); the main social, technological and regulatory influences that shape newsgathering practise, and rights jurisprudence. It then examines the regulation of specific newsgathering practices (eg access to information held by the state; protection of sources; harassment and media intrusion; entrapment; interference with witnesses (‘cheque-book journalism’); media-police interaction; surreptitious newsgathering practices.

Mental Health Law (LL458): the practical and theoretical issues involved in a proper appreciation of the broader conceptual concerns in mental health law, both at general level and in particular contexts such as compulsory treatment.  (this course is also available as two half units LL4G7 and LL4K7)

Mental Health Law: The Civil Context (H) (LL4G7): the course will introduce students to the principles underpinning the law relating to people with mental disorder and will consider the rationale and possible justification for this special legal provision. It will concentrate on the law relating to non-offender patients and will examine the relationship between mental health law and the law relating to those who lack capacity.

Mental Health Law: The Criminal Context (H) (LL4K7): the course will introduce students to the principles underpinning the law relating to people with mental disorder who become involved with the criminal justice system as offenders or alleged offenders. It will consider the rationale and possible justifications for special legal provisions for those with mentally disorder in these circumstances.

Policing and Police Powers (LL478): a review and evaluation of the different research strategies into and policy debates about policing and the legal powers and accountability of the police.

Principles of Taxation (H) (LL4Z2): analysis of how tax systems work and the principles that lie behind them. Topics covered include the reasons for taxation and the main types of tax, how income is taxed, how the tax administration operates, the interpretation of tax legislation and tax avoidance. Uses examples from the tax systems of the UK and other countries. Can be combined with LL4Z1.

Regulation: Legal and Political Aspects (LL446): theories and case studies of regulation encountered in public policy, administration, legal literature, examining the origins, development and reform of regulation; the styles and processes of regulation; the issues surrounding enforcement; the inter-organizational and international aspects of regulation; and questions of evaluation and accountability.