Options and Core Courses

The purpose of the course is to study the Civilian Law of Contracts, particularly the Law of Sale, as it developed from ca. 1100 AD till the end of the 19th century, with some limited comparison with the development of English law in the same period and the English use of civilian contract ideas. The Roman law of Justinian’s codification, as it was picked up in the late Middle Ages, provided the basis for this development. It was the subject of mediaeval and later commentaries; study of these will show how the texts were interpreted and eventually adapted to contemporary use. Key topics are the emergence of a general contract law with some of its aspects and the law of Sale. (In previous years the course was titled ‘Roman and Civilian laws of Contract’).

Learning outcomes: An understanding of how modern civilian doctrines emerged from the adaptation of Roman Law texts and how the emergence from a university environment gave these doctrines their distinct scholastic flavour. An understanding of basic concepts of the general civilian idea of ‘contract’ and of the civilian contract of sale in particular.

The course consists of a comparative study of major areas of the company laws of the UK, continental Europe (in particular, Germany) and the United States as well as an assessment of the work done by the European Union in the field of company law.

The three areas or jurisdictions selected for comparative study have, collectively, had a very significant impact on the development of company law throughout the world. An understanding of these thus assists students in understanding both the content of, and influences upon, many others. The approach taken is both functional and comparative, looking at a series of core problems with which any system of corporate law must deal, and analysing, from a functional perspective, the solutions adopted by the systems in question. The course seeks to situate these solutions in the underlying concepts and assumptions of the chosen systems, as these often provide an explanation for divergences. To this end, the course begins with a contextual overview of ‘systems’ of corporate governance, which material is then applied in the following seminars on more substantive topics. Such a comparative study is intended to enable students to see their own system of company law in a new and more meaningful light, and to be able to form new views about its future development. Finally, a study of the ways in which the European Union is developing company law within its boundaries is also important, not only as illustrating, by a review of the harmonisation programme, the benefits to be derived from a comparative study in practice, but also because it shows new ways in which corporate vehicles can be developed to meet particular policy objectives.

The course assumes students have knowledge of the basic structure of corporate laws, such as would be gained from an undergraduate course (regardless of jurisdiction). 

Learning outcomes: an understanding of (1) the functions of corporate law, (2) the reasons why it may differ across jurisdictions, and (3) the operation of corporate law in the UK, US, and EU, together with a capacity to apply that knowledge to other jurisdictions.

Human rights issues are both universal and contested. As human beings, we should all have human rights; yet there remains deep disagreement about the meaning and application of human rights. Courts in different jurisdictions face similar human rights questions; yet the answers often differ. At the same time, there is a growing transnational conversation between courts, with cases in one jurisdiction being discussed and cited in other jurisdictions. This course uses comparative methodology to examine the ways in which central human rights questions are addressed in different jurisdictions. On the one hand, the shared language of human rights suggests that there should be similar solutions to comparable problems. On the other hand, there are important differences between legal institutions, socio-economic development, history and culture.

The course uses comparative human rights jurisprudence to examine these issues. Our main materials are judgments in different courts and the fascinating ways in which these difficult questions are decided. We are not a course in theory, but we use theory to understand the jurisprudence of different courts. We also use case-law to revisit our theory, even if this means radically different understandings of what a human right is. The course is unusual in that we contest the division between socio-economic rights and civil and political rights. So when we address the right to life and security, we look at capital punishment and abortion as well as the right to health, housing and welfare. When we look at liberty rights, such as freedom of expression, we also look at the right to education. We are primarily court-centred, but we also take a critical look at a court-centred approach, by considering what constraints this might place on human rights, and by comparing to non-legal methods. This is a comparative course, rather than an international human rights course – so we look at a number of jurisdictions – English speaking and within the common law – but we also look at international instruments for the substance of the rights.

Teaching for this subject comprises of seminars and tutorials. In general the seminars aim to encourage extensive class participation and extended high-level discussion of particular topics of importance. Tutorials provide the opportunity to write essays and discuss essay and examination technique. The course as a whole aims to contribute to the legal education of the student by providing the opportunity for comparative study, during which the appropriateness and utility of comparative legal techniques will be considered.

Learning outcomes: an understanding of theoretical concepts of human rights and of how those concepts relate to legal concepts and are applied in different jurisdictions.

Students are encouraged to participate in the activities of the Oxford Human Rights Hub, which is directed by Professor Fredman. Guest seminars organised by the Oxford Human Rights Hub take place on alternative Tuesdays at lunchtime during term time. The Hub website features daily blogs on cutting edge new developments in human rights and equality law, and students on the course are encouraged both to read and to write for the blog. The Hub also produces webinars and podcasts on pressing current issues in comparative human rights and equality law and will be launching its first online course on Strategic Litigation and the Right to Education this autumn.

The objective of the course is to provide students with an understanding of this area of law, together with the ability to subject it to critical legal and economic analysis. The course aims to cover the main substantive laws relating to competition within the EC, including the control of monopoly and oligopoly; merger control; anti-competitive agreements; and other anti-competitive practices.

The emphasis is placed predominantly on EU competition law to reflect the importance it assumes in practice. UK competition law is also taught, both because of its value in providing a comparative study of two systems of competition law and because of its importance to the UK practitioner. The antitrust laws of the USA and competition laws of other jurisdictions are also referred to by way of comparison.

Visiting speakers: There is a programme of visiting speakers details of which are found on the CCLP website.

Learning outcomes: a comprehensive understanding of the core principles of Competition Law and its application in the EU, UK and elsewhere. At the end of the course, students should be able to critically reflect upon the law, economic and legal principles underpinning competition law enforcement.

The limited company is a hugely popular business vehicle, and the primary reason for this is its ability to act as a successful vehicle for raising business finance and diversifying financial risk. All companies need to raise money in order to function successfully. It is these "money matters" which are at the heart of corporate law, and an understanding of the ways in which companies can raise money, and the manner in which their money-raising activities are regulated, is central to an understanding of how companies function. The aims of the course are (a) to explain the complex statutory provisions governing the issue and marketing of corporate securities, against the background of business transactions; (b) to explore the fundamental legal propositions around which corporate finance transactions are usually organised and (c) to examine the means by which money is raised by borrowing and quasi-debt and different methods of securing debt obligations. Technical issues will therefore be placed in their economic and business context. There is a strong emphasis on the policy issues underlying the legal rules. The course focuses on the forms of corporate finance and on the structure and regulation of capital markets. The course also examines the attributes of the main types of securities issued by companies and the legal doctrines which are designed to resolve the conflicts of interests between shareholders and creditors. Consideration is given to the EU directives affecting the financial markets, especially the manner in which they have been implemented into English law. Many of the issues arising are of international importance and the course examines the harmonisation of these matters within the EU.

This course will be of interest to any student wishing to develop a knowledge of corporate law, as well as to those who are corporate finance specialists. No prior knowledge of the subject is required, nor is it necessary to have studied company law, though this will be of significant advantage. Those with no knowledge of company law will need to do some additional background reading prior to the start of seminars, and advice can be given on this issue.

Learning outcomes: an understanding of the means by which companies raise money and the laws which govern those activities.

Are multi-national companies escaping taxation through artificial tax planning, transfer mis-pricing and profit shifting? Where should they be paying tax and on what basis? Should we abolish corporation tax altogether and find some other way to tax business?

Recent action by the G20, OECD, and EU, prompted by debates in the media, by politicians and pressure groups, illustrates that tax is not just a technical area. It raises ethical, political, constitutional and economic questions of fundamental importance. But it is also an area where lack of understanding of the underlying law can result in distorted policy discussions.

 This course looks at both the law and the policy aspects of taxation and brings them together to create a more complete understanding of both. Tax law is central to all businesses and of significance to many business transactions. It is also critical for public finance. The course focuses on the taxation of domestic and multi-national businesses and integrates a rigorous examination of the law with the economic and other questions underpinning and arising from it. It uses UK tax law  as a starting point and for case studies leading to  comparative and theoretical discussions.

The course is thus suitable both for those with an interest in these broad questions as well as those wishing to specialise in and become tax or corporate law practitioners.  This is a law course so no maths is needed- no calculations! It is designed to accommodate students from a variety of backgrounds and  jurisdictions, whether or not they have studied tax before. Students with knowledge of taxation in the UK or other jurisdictions are encouraged to introduce material into seminars upon which we build, but others will bring other perspectives.

 The course is suitable for BCL, MJur and MLF students and can be taken successfully with a range of different courses.  No prior study of tax law, company law or economics is required.. Students will need to read many types of material and consider how policy issues and technical law interact. UK tax law is statute based, so legislation must be studied, and also case law . Readings from public finance and accounting literature will be recommended on some topics: these will be accessible without specialist knowledge. In 2017-18 the intention is to provide a pack of legislative materials so there will be no need to buy legislation books.

The syllabus is wide and the subject fast moving, so the precise focus may vary from year to year.  The examination format allows students to focus on areas and approaches that interest them, although the entire course must be studied to gain a complete overview and understanding.

The teaching consists of seminars spread over Michaelmas and Hilary terms (with one or two in Trinity). Some will include  presentations from teachers and others will be more participatory, with notice given so that all can take part. Guest lectures will be given by distinguished practitioners and academics. Most materials are available electronically.  Background reading is recommended (see introductory list on Weblearn) and more detailed lists will be posted on Weblearn as the course proceeds. There are four tutorials given by the three course lecturers - one in MT and three later in the year. Written work is set and marked for each tutorial.

This course explores the law of contract comparatively, using as its focus English contract law and the contract laws of national jurisdictions in continental Europe, set against the backdrop of the approximation of the national private laws of the European Union’s Member States and attempts over the last two decades to harmonise contract law in Europe. The course involves a deep comparative study of contract law, and is aimed equally at students with a common law or a civil law background, and indeed from any jurisdiction, within or outside Europe.

The modern ‘Europeanisation’ of private law has two dimensions. The first is extremely relevant to legal practice. It concerns the implications of existing legislation and case-law emanating from the organs of the EU for national private laws of Member States. Within the UK, the understanding of the implications of EU law for English private law has a particular contemporary significance in light of the decision in the 2016 referendum that the UK should leave the EU. Although the full repercussions of that referendum are yet to be worked out, the broader question of the impact of EU law on national private laws remains. The second dimension of ‘Europeanisation’ is of a more scholarly nature. It relates to a number of academic proposals for common European rules and principles in the area of private law (such as the so-called ‘Draft Common Frame of Reference’), based on thorough comparative research and drawing on the common European legal heritage. European Private Law therefore combines issues from at least three branches of legal scholarship, ie European Law, (national) Private Law and Comparative Law.

The course attempts to combine these disciplines by approaching particular problems from a European point of view as well as from the angle of various national private laws, thus necessarily adopting a comparative approach. The lecture series accompanying the course seeks to elucidate the different facets of European Private Law in a broader perspective by examining its historical foundations in the ius commune (‘the past’), the development of national private law systems and their interaction with today’s EU law (‘the present’) and the political and constitutional prospects for further harmonisation (‘the future’). The main part of the course consists of eight seminars devoted to a number of specific substantive issues taken from the law of contract, one of the core areas of private law in Europe and beyond. These are studied, as far as possible, with reference to primary materials, ie legislation and case law. Examples from national legal systems will mainly be drawn from English, French and German law. If, however, another legal system offers an interesting and original solution, this will also be taken into account. All the required reading is in English.

This approach already indicates that the course does not aspire to cover the whole of contract law with all its, say, constitutional and procedural implications, in all European legal systems, but is necessarily of a more topical nature, with a focus on selected core jurisdictions. The search is for – common or diverging – solutions to legal problems arising in all legal systems (including EU law and various proposals for further harmonisation, and taking into account reforms within national systems, notably the reform of the German law of obligations in 2002 and the reform of the French law of contract in 2016). These are looked at both from a technical point of view and with respect to the underlying principles, so that a balance is struck between the discussion of ‘black letter’ law and general policy issues. Participants will thus be in a position to evaluate existing national laws, and European/EU contract law, the potential for further harmonisation and the methodological implications of such a process.

Learning outcomes: to enable students to acquire knowledge and understanding in the area of comparative contract law, in a European context, and to discuss and assess critically at an advanced level the legal and policy issues arising therefrom. Participants may expect to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of contract law, basic knowledge of the major European traditions in this area of the law, the ability to master a wide range of strongly heterogeneous sources, and an awareness of harmonisation projects at EU level.

This course examines how the idea of human rights guides, constitutes, and regulates the legal rules and standards governing employment and work.  This examination of the foundation of labour law in human rights is intended to consider the need to guarantee basic protections for workers against the pressures arising from various aspects of globalisation. 

The human rights to be considered are found in (a) international law such as the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the ILO’s Declaration of the Fundamental Rights of Workers; (b) the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and other measures of EU law;  (c) the treaties of the Council of Europe including the European Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Social Charter; (d) the Human Rights Act 1998 in the United Kingdom; and (e) occasional comparisons with the judicial interpretation of the fundamental rights protected in the constitutions of nation states.  

The course also critically examines the various mechanisms for protecting these rights, which range from judicial enforcement of directly enforceable rights, through international conventions, to self-regulation through corporate codes of conduct.    

The human rights to be considered during the course will include: freedom of association, the right to strike, the right to privacy, freedom of religion, freedom from slavery, forced labour and trafficking, the right to work, job security and property rights in jobs, and equality rights across various grounds including sex, race, age, disability, sexual orientation and religion.  These rights will be studied in depth to illustrate the complex interplay between international, European, and national norms, and between various forms and sources of protection.

Learning outcomes: students will acquire a knowledge of the human rights found in international and transnational laws and standards that are applicable to employment and the workplace, and the institutions and enforcement mechanisms that protect those labour rights; students will learn about the strengths and weakness of reliance on human rights law for the protection of labour standards and workers’ interests. 

The course does not presuppose that students should have taken an undergraduate labour law or employment law course. Nor does it presuppose that students should have studied human rights law, international law or EU law.  The course will be taught in a varied format, including seven seminars in Michaelmas Term and seven in Hilary Term. There will be tutorials to back up the seminars, each student receiving to up to four tutorials from a wide menu. These tutorials are offered throughout the academic year, in order to give practice in writing essays in this subject.

Any students who would like to discuss this course further are encouraged to contact one of the members of the teaching group.

In a world of increasing global trade and commerce, arbitration has become the preferred mechanism for resolving transnational commercial disputes. As global transactions have expanded, they also have become more complex. Scholars, arbitrators and courts around the globe have developed highly sophisticated solutions to respond to these challenges, making international commercial arbitration one of the most fascinating developments in the law. The course will study international commercial arbitration within its international and national legal frameworks.

Starting with the study of international instruments such as the New York Convention, the course will then examine how different national legal systems have treated international commercial arbitration. The course aims to focus on a comparison of the approaches taken by US courts and the national courts of Europe. International commercial arbitration often exposes marked differences between the common and the civil law, yet the body of law being created in common and civil law jurisdictions forms an arbitral ‘ius commune’ – a common body of a globally applicable international arbitration law. In order to explore the real or perceived advantages of international commercial arbitration over transnational litigation, the course intends to examine the problems commonly associated with transnational litigation such as service of process, jurisdiction, lis pendens and recognition of judgments. Moreover, the course aspires to introduce the theoretical foundations of international commercial arbitration and to discuss the repercussions international commercial arbitration may have for national legal orders. The course will cover every stage in an arbitral proceeding from the arbitration agreement, the arbitral proceeding to the arbitral award and its recognition and enforcement.

Learning outcomes: an understanding of the way international commercial arbitration applies across both common and civil law jurisdictions and knowledge of the theoretical foundations of this body of law and its potential advantages over transnational litigation.

This course examines a range of international law issues that arise in relation to armed conflict. The course will be divided into four parts.

The first part of the course will consider the international legal issues relating to whether and when States are entitled to use armed force. In this part of the course, we will examine the prohibition of the use of force contained in the UN Charter as well as the principle of non-intervention in the affairs of other States. We will also devote considerable attention to the exceptions to the exceptions to the prohibition on the use of force, in particular, the right of self-defence in international law. Questions to be considered include the criteria for a lawful response in self-defence, the scope of the right of self defence in response to attacks by non-State groups, and the legality of anticipatory/pre-emptive self defence. This part of the course will also consider other possible exceptions to the prohibition on the use of force such as protection of nationals abroad, as well as the doctrines of humanitarian intervention and responsibility to protect.

The second part of the course considers the use of force within the scheme for collective security set up by the UN Charter – We will examine the powers of the Security Council to authorize the use of force by states and to establish peace-keeping operations.

The third part of the course examines international humanitarian law, i.e, the law that applies during an armed conflict. We will address the distinction between the law applicable in international armed conflicts and that applicable in non-international armed conflicts. We also consider the extent to which transnational violence between States and non-State groups should be considered an armed conflict to which international humanitarian law applies. In this part, we will explore both the “Geneva law” relating to the humanitarian protection of victims of war and the “Hague law” relating to the means and methods of warfare. In particular, we will examine the law relating to the detention, prosecution and treatment of combatants and civilians and in situations of armed conflict. We then turn to the law that applies to the conduct of hostilities, examining in particular the rules relating to targeting and to weaponry.

The fourth and final part of the course will consider the extent to which international human rights law applies in time of armed conflict, the relationship between human rights and international humanitarian law, and questions of responsibility for violations of human rights or humanitarian law. In considering issues of responsibility, we will focus on how questions of responsibility arise and are determined in cases where operations conducted by state agents are authorized by, or carried out as part of the activities, of an international organization (the UN, NATO, etc). Is the international organization responsible, is the state responsible or is there a shared responsibility?

Learning outcomes: an understanding of the laws which determine whether and when States are entitled to use armed force, and which apply during an armed conflict (including international human rights law).

This course explores a range of topics in legal and political philosophy. These include the concept and the nature of law; the explanation of legal rights and obligations; the normative significance of institutional actions and practices; the question whether the law has an essential function or purpose; the relation of legality to the use of organized force; the individual’s moral duties that obtain because of the law; the individual’s moral rights against his or her government; and the nature and justification of political authority. Key political ideas, including equality, liberty, and autonomy, are also included, as are questions about the nature and source of reasons and the character of philosophical explanation. Discussion of these topics strives for analytical precision, and often proceeds by critically examining advanced work in progress by members of faculty and others. (Much of Dworkin’s Law’s Empire, Raz’s The Morality of Freedom, and Finnis’s Aquinas, was earlier presented and discussed in this course’s seminars.)

The seminars do not necessarily cover all of the topics mentioned in the syllabus, and of those covered some may be covered in much greater depth than others. Nevertheless the syllabus gives a good general indication of the field to which the seminars and the eventual list of examination essay topics relate.

The course is a philosophy course, and in that sense is a specialist rather than a generalist pursuit. Through it students may expect to develop some of the skills and dispositions of professional philosophers. An acquaintance with some undergraduate-level jurisprudence is presupposed; those who enter on this course without having formally studied jurisprudence may prepare themselves by reading some of the following or comparable works: Hart, The Concept of Law, Dworkin, Taking Rights Seriously or Law’s Empire, Raz, The Authority of Law. But this list should not lead anyone to think that, in the course itself, the topics to be discussed are narrowly ‘jurisprudential’ or that the authors to be read are narrowly ‘Oxford’. Students with an Oxford Jurisprudence background, and others, could prepare for the course by careful reading of (for example) Rawls, A Theory of Justice, Dworkin, Justice for Hedgehogs, Raz, The Morality of Freedom, or Nagel, Equality and Partiality.

Seminars specifically designed for students on this course are regularly convened by Professors J Dickson, T A O Endicott, P Eleftheriadis, J M Finnis, J Gardner, L Green, A M Honore, and N Stavropoulos. However, those taking the paper are also encouraged to participate in seminars and lectures taking place elsewhere in the university, particularly in some of those advertised on the Philosophy Lecture List. Those who are not conversant with the basics of political philosophy, in particular, should consider whether to attend lectures on the undergraduate courses in Ethics (see the Philosophy Lecture List) and the Theory of Politics (see the Politics Lecture List). Lectures from the undergraduate Jurisprudence course in the Law Faculty would also help those who need to be more familiar with the basics of legal philosophy.

This course is among those supported with detailed material on the Legal Philosophy in Oxford website.

Learning outcomes: an understanding of fundamental questions concerning the nature of law and key ideas in political theory; a capacity to approach legal and political issues from a philosophical perspective.

Considering law in society means asking a number of questions: What does law do? Where does it come from? What forms does it take? How do we understand its meaning and significance? Socio-legal scholars discuss the role of law in providing stability to private relations, law as the foundation of social order, and law as an instrument for directing society and solving social issues. They also investigate the social origins of different laws. Anthropologists may be more interested in the forms that law takes, and matters of meaning and symbolism. Asking these questions ultimately leads scholars to address the issue (whether explicitly or implicitly) of what law is. Using empirical studies as the basis for such enquiries is what largely distinguishes these projects from those of legal philosophers.

The first part of the course (4 weeks in MT) introduces some of the main sociological thinkers to have addressed these questions, including Durkheim (the notion of law as a mirror of social life and the basis of social solidarity), Weber (law as an instrument of the ruler), as well as Hart (and what he calls ’descriptiveliving sociology’). We will use case studies, along with the writings of more recent scholars, to assess the relevance of their approaches for contemporary scholarship and social issues.

The second part of the course (8 weeks in HT) uses anthropological and historical case studies to address the same questions. The focus is largely on understanding the different systems of law found in other societies and historical periods. How are we to approach the laws and legal processes of non-literate societies, for example, or the codes of medieval European kings, or the feuding relations of contemporary Tibetan pastoralists? What do they mean and do, and where do they come from? On what grounds can we even define them as ‘law’? We also consider contemporary studies on the western world, including research on court use, the appeal of human rights, and new forms of transnational law. The diversity of such cases challenges us to ask what unites them as examples of law. Studying what is unfamiliar can help us to reflect on the parameters and cultural specificity of our own concepts of law, and students will be encouraged to think constructively and critically about familiar legal phenomena and their universal application.

Learning outcomes: a conceptual understanding of the role law plays within society and its relations with other aspects of society (attained through study of the relevant scholarship in this area); and an understanding of how these issues play out in a variety of societal contexts.

The Medical Law and Ethics course provides students with the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of the legal and ethical difficulties that arise in the provision of health care. The primary focus will be on UK law, but the issues to be covered have global relevance and we encourage students to contribute insights from other jurisdictions wherever possible. Students must be prepared to read many types of material and to consider how legal, ethical and policy issues interact. There are no prerequisites for this course.

Learning outcomes: a critical understanding of the legal and ethical difficulties that arise in the provision of health care.

Topics to be covered include consent to treatment, abortion, ownership of body parts and organ donation, death and dying, medical negligence, and the legal regulation of human reproduction. As the course progresses, we will also encourage students to be aware of the current issues in medical research and healthcare provision that are being reported in the media.

The aim of the course is to acquaint students with the fundamental principles of Civil Procedure. These principles are not specific to England but are common to all advanced systems of law. The operation and implications of these principles is discussed against the background of English law and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. A short introduction to English civil procedure is provided so that students not familiar with the English system could soon acquire a working knowledge. However, students coming from other jurisdictions are encouraged to consider how the principles and the ideas discussed in classes apply to their own systems.

All classes involve active student participation. The course consists of approximately 1 lecture, 16 seminars (most of 2 hours duration), 4 guest seminars and 4 tutorials. The lecture and seminars are normally held in Michaelmas and Hilary Terms and the guest seminars in Trinity Term. The introductory lecture on the English civil justice system is given by Professor Stuart Sime, and the seminars will be principally given by Dr Higgins and Professor Zuckerman. Dr Ferguson gives seminars on ADR.

The guest seminars are given by visiting scholars, practitioners and judges from England and abroad in conjunction with Dr Higgins and Professor Zuckerman.

Tutorials are given in all three terms. Tutorials will be taken with Dr Higgins.

Learning outcomes: a comprehensive knowledge of the principles which underpin the laws governing the adjudication of civil lawsuits.

The enactment of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the adoption of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU as a binding treaty has provoked new questions about the relation between fundamental rights and the legal principles and rules elaborated in fields of private law, principally contract, tort, and property.  Questions that have been raised include: Is private law based on or derived from fundamental rights?  Can fundamental rights provide a source for new private law rights and obligations? Does the enactment of fundamental rights in a legal order collapse the distinction between public and private law, and if so, what are the consequences for theories of law? Do fundamental rights have the same meaning in a horizontal dispute between private parties?  How should the fundamental rights of private parties be balanced against each other?  As well as examining these broad questions, the course critically examines and assesses the case-law concerning the impact of fundamental rights on contract law, tort law, property law and other fields of private law.  Cases and examples are drawn primarily from the common law in the UK and decisions of the Court of Justice of the EU and the European Court of Human Rights, but selective comparisons from other jurisdictions are occasionally introduced.

Learning outcomes: the course will permit graduate students to draw on, develop, and deepen their existing knowledge of private law and constitutional or human rights law.  It will require considerable previous knowledge in private law and fundamental rights law.  It will build on that knowledge in part by combining or integrating it in a new way, but more fundamentally in offering a fresh perspective on these materials.  The course will require both careful analysis of legal reasoning in case law, but also more jurisprudential reflection on the relation between private law and fundamental rights.  Comparative law material (mostly from European countries and the EU itself) will provide additional perspectives.

Regulation is at the core of how modern states seek to govern the activities of individual citizens as well as corporate and governmental actors. Broadly defined it includes the use of legal and non-legal techniques to manage social and economic risks. While regulation is traditionally associated with prescriptive law, public agencies and criminal as well as administrative sanctions, the politics of the shrinking state and deregulation have meant that intrusive and blunt forms of legal regulation have given way at times to facilitative, reflexive and procedural law which seeks to balance public and private interests in regulatory regimes. Policy debates have addressed whether there is actually too much, too little or the wrong type of regulation.

This course examines what role different forms of law play in contemporary regulatory regimes. It thereby analyses how legal regulation constructs specific relationships between law and society and how legal regulation is involved in mediating conflicts between private and public power. The first section of the course critically examines key conceptual approaches for understanding regulation. How can economic reasoning be employed in order to justify legal regulation? Does a focus on institutions help to understand the operation of regulatory regimes? What rationalities, and hence ‘governmentalities’ are involved in regulating through law? What role do emotions, such as trust in experts, play in regulatory interactions? The second section of the course examines specific regulatory regimes against the background of the conceptual frameworks explored in the first section. This second section discusses ‘regulation in action’ in specific fields of current significance, such as: - the regulation of the legal profession, - the regulation of emissions trading regimes, including the carbon market in the EU - the regulation of the provision of health care in the UK and the US, - the regulation of water,  – as well as the regulation of  cyberspace. The course thus provides an opportunity for students to examine the pervasive phenomenon of regulation with reference to different disciplinary perspectives, in particular law, sociology, politics and economics and to gain detailed knowledge of substantive regulatory law in specific fields of current relevance.

The course is taught through 16 two hour seminars - which provide opportunities for active student participation – over Michaelmas and Hilary terms. Four tutorials spread over Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity terms will also support students’ exam preparation. The 3 hour written examination at the end of the course involves essay questions.

The convenor of the course is Dr Bettina Lange and the course is taught by a small group of faculty members. If you have any questions about the contents, approach or teaching methods of this course do not hesitate to contact me: bettina.lange@csls.ox.ac.uk, Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, Social Science Building, Manor Road.

The principal aim of Roman Law (Delict) is to understand the law of delict as it was in the high classical period, of the late second and early third centuries AD. The course focuses on analysing set texts from the Institutes and Digest and the outlook, ideas and methods of the great Roman jurists who wrote them. A secondary aim is comparative: to understand the modern law of civil wrongs better in the light of what was achieved by the classical jurists. In practice, this invites conceptual engagement with fundamentals of the law of delicts/torts, aided by comparison with modern cases.

The course caters to those interested in making use of their classical background or in developing the knowledge of Roman law they acquired by taking an introductory Roman Law course. Prior engagement with Roman law is, however, not essential. In the past, students have indeed welcomed this course as a first immersion into Roman/Civilian legal thought. The course is also open, as an option, to Oxford undergraduates (with a different exam), which creates additional opportunities for intellectual exchanges.

Knowledge of Latin is not necessary; sensitivity to the philological aspects of the original texts, when relevant, is. The set texts are provided in a translation adapted to its use in this course. In the examination, there will be questions requiring candidates to comment on selections from the set translated texts.

Learning outcomes: an understanding of the concepts of the Roman law of private wrongs and of the ideas and methods of classical jurists, and a capacity to reflect on their influence on English common law. Basic acquaintance with research tools of roman law research.