Postgraduate Courses
This page lists LLM courses offered by the School of Law.
Some courses may not be offered in a given academic year.
Carriage of Goods by Sea [0LSS]
Ms Rose O’Donnell
This course examines the law relating to carriage of goods by sea. It deals with the rights and obligations of the various parties involved in such contracts of carriage. The source materials and the focus of the course contain a substantial international element.
The primary focus of the course is on the principles and rules of English law applicable to voyage charters and time charters. The course has a natural international flavour given the fact that ships are loaded and discharged worldwide. The course will provide an understanding of the rights and liabilities of the shipowner, charterer, cargo owner and shipper of goods.
Company Law [9NZS]
Professor Iain MacNeil
Dr Bryan Clark
This course examines the formation, legal structure and operation of companies. It considers the nature of the separate legal personality of companies, the significance of limited liability and the attribution of legal responsibility to companies. The nature of shareholding and the role of shareholders are examined, as are the respective roles of other stakeholders. Consideration is given to directors’ duties and responsibilities and the development of corporate governance standards. The relevance of capital market regulation for companies is analysed in the context of the law governing capital raising by companies.
This primary focus of the course is on the law affecting companies in the United Kingdom. It will provide the student with a comprehensive yet critical account of the law and will include an examination of the current UK proposals for reform of company law. Reference will also be made to EU law and EU reform proposals where relevant to the topic under discussion. The course will be of most interest to students from a non-UK jurisdiction and prior knowledge or study of company law, while helpful, is not essential as it will provide an intensive introduction to the subject.
Competition Law Enforcement [KVHS]
Professor Rosa Greaves
The course examines the substantial and procedural rules adopted to facilitate the public and private enforcement of Competition Law in the EU and the USA. After a brief introductory lecture on EC/US substantive competition/antitrust rules, the following aspects of competition law enforcement will be studied: public/private enforcement – competition authorities and courts; powers of initiation, investigation and inspection; procedural safeguards during the investigations such as access to files and rights of defence; leniency programmes; remedies such as interim measures and fines; co-operation agreements amongst competition authorities; judicial review of decisions taken by competition authorities; and current discussions on facilitating private enforcement.
Conflict Aspects of Commercial Law [MMUS]
Professor Elizabeth Crawford
Dr Janeen Carruthers
This course aims to provide a thorough analysis of the rules of jurisdiction and choice of law in civil and commercial matters. Its purpose is to allow students to develop knowledge of the rules which clothe EU courts with jurisdiction in commercial conflict cases, and further, to enable them to solve problems of conflicting jurisdiction. A legal right is of no value unless it can be enforced; the course will equip students to advise not only on where a right can be pursued, but also where and how it can be enforced. The specialist topics of jurisdiction and choice of law in insolvency, and the conflict rules pertaining to consumers also will be addressed. Finally, choice of law rules relating to the Law of Property and the Law of Obligations will be examined.
The topics included in the course are of great current interest and importance to commercial practitioners and litigators. The course is particularly suited to students intending to enter the legal profession in Scotland or abroad. While an introduction to Conflict of Laws methodology will be given, prior knowledge or study of International Private Law will be highly advantageous.
EC Trade Law [KVES]
Professor Rosa Greaves
The course examines the free movement of goods rules of the European Community (Arts 28 to 30 EC Treaty) as they are applied to manufacturers operating in the Europe Internal Market/European Economic Area, irrespective of where they are established or incorporated. The course will cover the following topics: the scope, nature and structure of the European internal market; fiscal and quantitative obstacles to goods moving from one State to another including the impact of the EC rules on goods protected by intellectual property rights; specific issues such as technical/safety/product standards, the pharmaceutical industry and public procurement rules will be addressed; EC trade agreements, including the relationship between the EC and the WTO Agreement will also be considered.
Financial Regulation
Professor Iain MacNeil
The aim of the course is to provide students with a through and critical understanding of the fundamental principles of the regulation of financial markets. It covers the international, European and UK aspects of regulation and focuses on issues in both the professional and consumer markets.
Foundations in International Law [9TFS]
Dr Akbar Rasulov
The aim of this course is to provide students with an understanding and critical appreciation of the major philosophical approaches to, and theoretical issues in, Public International Law. This course draws upon a newly emergent current of literature that ranges from a revival of the Grotian natural law tradition through liberal-internationalism to the critical perspectives of feminism and the ‘New Stream’.
This course is normally compulsory for students undertaking the International Law LLM.
Fundamentals of International Law [9ZMS] MSc only
Professor Rebecca Wallace
The course is designed to provide an understanding of the theoretical foundation of international law. T he operation of international law in practice is considered with particular reference to human rights. Initially the development of international law as a legal system is examined from a historical perspective. Then the major influencing factors, which have determined and continue to determine the scope and nature of international human rights law, as a legal system are identified.
Seminar topics include the nature and structure of international law; the sources of international law, the important principles/concepts of international law e.g. state sovereignty and the principal international institutions, most notably the United Nations and regional human rights organisations. The emphasis throughout is on an evaluation of the working of international human rights law in practice and the international legal system’s response to contemporary international human rights issues.
Globalisation, Constitutionalism and Human Rights [9ZES]
Professor Scott Veitch
Dr Gavin Anderson
What is the role of law and legal institutions in processes of globalisation? Specifically, what part do approaches to constitutionalism and human rights play in the global setting? This course considers these and other questions through a set of critical engagements with the economic, political and legal aspects associated with the (contested) meanings of global governance and accountability, democracy and human rights. It uses a range of empirical and conceptual material in analysing the main thematic questions, and through a series of case studies tries to understand some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary societies. The course should be of interest to students in many areas of LLM study. The course will be assessed by one essay and one exam. There will be no set textbook for this course; readings will be drawn from a variety of legal and other related literature.
Intellectual Property Law [9PDS]
Mr Tom Guthrie
Professor Rosa Greaves
The field of Intellectual Property law is of growing contemporary importance. As well as dealing with the protection of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, it is also concerned with the commercially important protection of rights in inventions, trade marks and computer programs. The class of IP law will examine the European and International dimensions of intellectual property, the justifications for protection IP rights and current problem areas (for example the protection computer programs and the implementation of IP in developing countries). The intention is not too focus too much on the detail of UK substantive law but to consider some of the broader arguments about the nature and scope of intellectual property protection.
International Competition Law and Policy I [9YZS]
Dr Sandra Marco Colino
The primary focus of this course will be on the control of multi-lateral and unilateral anti-competitive conduct. The course will focus on the operation of the EC competition law regime, based on articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty, and procedural and implementing legislation. The course will also consider the main provisions of American Antitrust Law, as enshrined in ss 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act 1890, and s 5 of the FTCA. In both cases the outline of the institutional processes, and the relationship between public and private enforcement will be considered (a full course outline is given below).
The course will also consider the context within which the law operates, focussing on the relevant economic principles and theories, as well as the tensions in the economics debate, underpinning the application of the law.
The course does not deal with merger control, which is a large and complex area of law, and which is dealt with separately in the International Merger Control course.
International Competition Law and Policy II [9ZBS]
Professor Mark Furse
This course builds on concepts studied in International Competition Law I, which is a prerequisite for this course, unless the applicant can demonstrate significant prior experience of Competition Law, either via academic study, or via practice. In particular the course focuses on specific anti-competitive practices, both collaborative and unilateral, and explores too the relationship between Competition Law and Intellectual Property Law, as well as competition law and new technologies. The UK system is introduced and explored alongside those of the EC and US.
International Criminal Law [9PGS]
Dr James Sloan
This course examines a topical and rapidly developing area of international law, namely the criminal responsibility of individuals under international law, and the mechanisms provided by international law for the enforcement of these offences and the prosecution of those accused. The substantive criminal law examined in this course arises under international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977. The mechanisms considered encompass the International Criminal Tribunals of the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, as well as the International Criminal Court. The thrust of the course is to provide a solid understanding of international criminal law within an informed policy context, including the non-legal obstacles that impede the effective prosecution of international criminal offences.
International Economic Law [9PKS]
Professor Christian Tams
Dr Akbar Rasulov
The course is intended to provide students with an introduction to the law of International Economic Law. It focuses primarily on the law and practice of the World Trade Organisation, although the other main institutions are not neglected. On the basis of the relevant treaties, WTO case-law and doctrine, the course deals with (a) the rules and principles governing the international trade and in particular market access and non-discrimination; (b) the exceptions to these rules and principles as well as the safeguard measures available to Members; (c) the protection of the environment and human health in the context of international trade; (d) unfair trade practices, namely dumping and subsidies; and (e) the agreements on services and intellectual property. In the last part of this course, we will consider the law relating to the resolution of disputes within the WTO and the international framework for the promotion of economic development. Throughout the course, International Economic Law will be considered also from the standpoint of Environmental Law, Human Rights Law and the promotion of development.
International Merger Control [0NHS]
Professor Mark Furse
This course focuses on merger control in the EC, US, UK and one other regime which will be dealt with in less detail. It deals with the largest commercial transactions, and analyses the regulatory framework within which the competition elements of that transaction are controlled by the law. This is an area of increasing importance, with an expanding number of countries maintaining some form of merger control, and with the very largest of transactions often being subject to scrutiny by several regimes simultaneously. No prior knowledge of merger control, or of competition law, is necessary in order to take this course
International Sales and Finance [KDHS]
Dr Martin Doris
The aim of this course is to enable students to develop a deep and critical understanding of the law concerning International Sales and Finance. Students will engage with this topic through attendance at taught seminars before undertaking supervised research on a specific theme. Students will typically come to this course with a basic knowledge of the primary elements of Commercial law. The main focus of the course will be on policy and practice in the area of International sales transactions and the financing of modern commerce. The development and future of the law in this field will further be critically analysed. The course will equip students with essential skills that are relevant for a range of professional activities including legal practice, commerce, academia, government and/or applied research.
Law of Commercial Banking [9PES]
Professor Lorne Crerar
The principal aim of the course is to provide the student with an in depth understanding of the UK banking system and the developments which are changing the banker/customer relationship. Consideration will be given to general principles which apply throughout the world banking community. Consideration will also be given to the main financial instruments and an understanding of how they operate as well as the legal principles which underline them. Consideration of modern methods of money transmission as well as ebanking and the issues facing their evolution will be discussed. Guest lectures from a leading banker and venture capitalist will be given.
United Nations Law [0NMS]
Dr James Sloan
So much of what is currently relevant in international law stems from the activities of the United Nations. This means that it is essential for a student who wants to progress beyond basic international law principles to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the functioning of the Organisation and the legal and political factors that surround it.
The course will initially focus on the establishment of the organisation, its legal status and the functioning of its main organs, including the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Secretary-General and the International Court of Justice—all major players in current international law. Once the functioning of the United Nations has been elaborated, the second part of the course will be devoted to the UN’s efforts to maintain peace and security.
The purpose of this course is to enable participants to acquire a comprehensive overview of the functioning of the United Nations. The activities of the organisation will be considered in the context of the development of international organisations in the 20th century. The political processes associated with the functioning of the UN will also be focused upon. This includes not only decision-making in public bodies, but also the broader political process which is inclusive of NGOs and the wider pubic. Additionally, students will examine how successful the UN system has been in coping with a growing array of global problems, what its potential for the future is and how the organisation should be utilised.