LW101-5-FY-CO:
Contract Law

The details
2024/25
Essex Law School
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Thursday 03 October 2024
Friday 27 June 2025
30
01 July 2024

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

LW201, LW224, LW241, LW242, LW251

Key module for

BA MVC5 Philosophy and Law,
BA MVC6 Philosophy and Law (Including Placement Year),
BA MVC8 Philosophy and Law (Including Foundation Year),
BA VM51 Philosophy and Law (Including Year Abroad),
BA VM58 Philosophy and Law (Including Foundation Year and Year Abroad),
LLB M103 Law (Senior Status),
LLB MM20WS Law with Human Rights,
BA VM10 History and Law,
BA VM11 History and Law (Including Foundation Year),
BA VM12 History and Law (including Placement Year),
BA VM13 History and Law (including Year Abroad)

Module description

This full year module introduces students to fundamental aspects of contract law affecting our daily lives and the online and offline commercial world. The module introduces students to key rules and principles over the contract's life (from formation to performance and remedies).


The content of the module reflects elements of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To enable students to understand and critically evaluate the rules and principles in their historical and contemporary context.

  • To develop their ability to apply these to hypothetical legal problems reflecting real-life scenarios.

  • To introduce students to contract drafting and the impact of new technologies on contract law, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:



  1. Understand and critically evaluate key aspects of contract law, including the relationship between key contract law rules and principles.

  2. Understand and critically analyse the theoretical foundations of contract law rules and principles, including in their historical and modern context.

  3. Identify the legal issues in hypothetical case scenarios, construct sound legal arguments to effectively apply the law on the facts.

Module information

The module includes:



  • Offer and acceptance

  • Consideration

  • Privity and rights of third parties

  • Contract terms and contract drafting

  • Unfair terms

  • Contract law and technology

  • Misrepresentation

  • Undue influence

  • Duress

  • Mistake

  • Frustration

  • Breach of contract and damages

  • Restitution and unjust enrichment

  • Contract law values, theories, and contemporary challenges

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be taught via:

  • Weekly 2-hour lectures and
  • Weekly 1-hour tutorials.

The module teaching team will upload all relevant teaching materials on Moodle. You will find reading lists, the textbook, weekly handouts and PPS notes on Moodle. The materials in question are designed both to help you navigate the material to be covered in the lectures and tutorials and to equip you to analyse the required readings. You will be expected to have completed the required readings in advance of your tutorials. Your tutorials will enable you to discuss the material covered in lectures and the required readings, obtain feedback on your pre-class preparation and deepen your understanding of key concepts.

To help you prepare in the best possible way for your tutorials, you will be completing regular Multiple-Choice Quizzes on Moodle. The quizzes will be based on the reading set for that week so that the quiz forms part of your preparation for each tutorial. The quizzes will enable you to track your progress, understand what you are doing well, and give you clear feedback to help you manage your studies and your progress.

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Formative Essay (LW101 Contract Law)    0% 
Coursework   Multiple Choice Questions - Continuous Assessment (LW101 Contract Law)    25% 
Coursework   Essay (LW101 Contract Law)    75% 
Exam  Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 180 minutes during Summer (Main Period) 
Exam  Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 180 minutes during September (Reassessment Period) 

Additional coursework information

Assessment will be split as:

  • 10% Multiple Choice Questions
  • 30% Coursework (essay)
  • 60% in person restricted materials exam.

This will allow students to develop there understanding of the module through continuous feedback.

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
40% 60%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
0% 100%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Andrea Fejos, email: afejos@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Andrea Fejos
The Law Education Admin Team - lawschoolug@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
No
No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 54 hours, 17 (31.5%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
37 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Essex Law School

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