Undergraduate Course: European Union Law (Ordinary) A (LAWS08125)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course introduces the foundations of the European Union¿s legal system and considers them in light of both historical context and the contemporary developments that shape EU institutions and law-making. |
| Course description |
The course first establishes the distinctive nature and principles of EU law. It introduces the EU legal system, explains how EU law differs from both national systems and international law, and examines how EU law applies within national legal systems. It traces how EU law is made and how it is interpreted and reviewed through different forms of action before the Court of Justice of the European Union. The course then explores EU law in different policy fields, including the internal market and fair competition, the Area of Freedom Security and Justice, EU citizenship, and EU external action. It also addresses the law governing both accession to and withdrawal from the EU.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | This course is only open to visiting students coming through a direct exchange with the School of Law (including Erasmus students on a Law-specific Exchange). Exchange students outside of Law and independent study abroad students are not eligible to enrol in this course, with no exceptions.
Students must also take Global Law (LAWS08144), or Scottish Legal System (LAWS08128) and Public Law of the UK and Scotland (LAWS08123).
Priority will be given to students studying on exchange within the Law department, and it is highly unlikely that there will be additional spaces for general exchange students & independent study abroad students to enrol; we will look into this on a case-by-case basis in September/January. Visiting students are advised to bear in mind that enrolment in specific courses can never be guaranteed, and you may need to be flexible in finding alternatives in case your preferred courses have no available space.
These enrolments are managed strictly by the Visiting Student Office, in line with the quotas allocated by the department, and all enquiries to enrol in these courses must be made through the CAHSS Visiting Student Office. It is not appropriate for students to contact the department directly to request additional spaces. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 7,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
67 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
75% Exam
25% Group Assignment |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | European Union Law (Ordinary) A - Exam | 60 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- have developed an understanding of the history, nature, and distinctive features of the EU¿s legal system, including of the EU institutions,
- have acquired knowledge of how EU law has developed in several substantive policy areas;
- have the ability to locate and to analyse various sources of EU law, including how different types of EU law are made, and to read and think critically about the case law of the CJEU;
- have developed skills in the application of EU law to specific problems; and
- attained skills both in self-directed learning, especially through preparation for course tutorials and assessments, and in group work.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- recognise, analyse and rank arguments and evidence in terms of relevance
and importance by:
- managing volume of legal sources and select key material to construct written or oral answers to a problem.
- identifying the legal problem from information provided.
- addressing problems by reference to relevant material.
- bringing together and integrating information and materials from a variety of different sources.
- acknowledging ranking of sources and relative impact in context.
- application of the law and problem-solving in a legal context.
- presenting arguments for and against propositions.
- be aware that arguments require to be supported by evidence, in order to meet legal requirements of proof by showing awareness of the need for evidence to support arguments
- apply knowledge and analysis
- in a legal context
- creatively to complex situations in order to provide arguable solutions to concrete problems by presenting a range of viable options from a set of facts and law.
- think critically and make critical judgments on the relative and absolute merits of particular arguments and solutions
- act independently in planning and undertaking tasks in areas of law which he or she has already studied
- reflect on his or her own learning, and to seek and make use of feedback |
| Keywords | EU Law A |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Stephen Coutts
Tel:
Email: scoutts@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Eleni Koumentakou
Tel:
Email: ekoument@ed.ac.uk |
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