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LA-M001
Commercial and Maritime Mooting
This module delivers a comprehensive and practice-oriented immersion into the intricacies of advanced legal practice, centering on the method of mooting to simulate the dynamics of complex litigation and arbitration proceedings. It serves as a vital bridge between academic study and professional application, designed to cultivate the essential skills required for effective legal advocacy in demanding environments. The learning experience is structured through a dynamic blend of interactive seminars and practical advocacy labs, ensuring a robust foundation in both theory and technique.
The progression of the curriculum is carefully scaffolded to build student confidence and capability. It commences with foundational exercises and introductory mini-moots, which function as highly effective icebreakers and low-stakes opportunities for initial skill development. These early activities allow participants to build core competencies in a supportive setting. Through this structured journey, students methodically develop and refine a suite of key professional skills, including sophisticated legal research and analytical reasoning, compelling oral and written advocacy, persuasive presentation, and active critical listening.
Participants receive continuous, tailored feedback and guidance throughout this developmental process, which culminates in the meticulous preparation for a major Internal Moot Competition. This capstone event is designed to replicate the rigorous atmosphere of an actual hearing, serving a dual purpose as a summative assessment and a significant professional networking opportunity. It facilitates meaningful engagement with peers, faculty, and members of the practicing legal community. Ultimately, by transforming theoretical knowledge into applied expertise, this module offers an exceptional experiential platform for students to develop the practical, high-level advocacy skills that are fundamental to a successful and impactful career in the legal profession.
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LA-M002
Independent Research Project
This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent, in-depth research project on a topic relevant to their programme. It is designed to develop advanced research, analytical, and critical evaluation skills essential for legal scholarship and professional practice.
Students will identify a research question of significant relevance to the discipline and produce a substantial dissertation that demonstrates mastery of the subject matter. The module emphasises rigorous engagement with primary and secondary sources, enabling students to critically assess current research and advanced scholarship in the field.
Through sustained analysis, students will synthesise doctrinal principles and policy considerations, presenting a coherent and well-structured argument that reflects originality and intellectual independence. The dissertation process also fosters the ability to advance knowledge and understanding beyond existing literature, equipping students with transferable skills for future academic or professional development.
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LACM002
Transport Law: Aviation & Finance
This module offers a critical and comprehensive examination of the legal and financial frameworks that govern the national and international transportation of goods and passengers by air and road. With a special focus on the aviation sector, the module also provides a comparative analysis with ship finance. The material will delve into the impact of existing laws on the use of new transport systems, such as Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as drones, and Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft.
Carriage of Passengers and Cargo
This section critically analyses the international treaties governing the carriage of passengers and cargo, with a particular emphasis on the Montreal Convention 1999 (MC99).
¿ Air Carriage: The module examines the passenger liability system of the MC99, including the two-tiered liability and the carrier¿s defences under Articles 20 and 21(2). It explores the concept of "bodily injury" and "accident" as prerequisites for a valid claim, drawing from influential cases. The module also covers baggage claims, differentiating between the liability of checked-in and carry-on baggage, and discusses how passengers can claim more than the standard SDR limits through special declarations. The exclusivity principle of the Convention, enshrined in Article 29, is a core focus, including its relationship with domestic laws and EU regulations, such as Regulation 261/2004, concerning flight delays and cancellations.
¿ Road Carriage: The module introduces the legal framework for the international carriage of goods by road, focusing on the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR). You will learn about the key provisions of the CMR, including its history, aims, scope of application, and carrier's liability. It also covers specific aspects of multimodal transport, such as piggyback and roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) operations.
Asset Financing
This part of the module examines the nature and function of credit and other financing mechanisms, including mortgages and leasing.
¿ Aircraft Finance: The module examines various financing methods, including loans secured by mortgages, finance leases, and operating leases. It highlights why finance leases have become the most popular method for financing aircraft acquisitions and explores the challenges of aircraft mortgages, such as the mobility of assets and differing jurisdictional laws. The module provides an overview of the key legal concepts under English law, including attachment, perfection, and the priority of competing security interests.
¿ International Interests and the Cape Town Convention: A significant portion of the module is dedicated to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment 2001 and its Aircraft Protocol. It covers the convention's aims, such as facilitating financing and providing creditors with remedies for default and insolvency. The module also details the first-to-file priority rule of the international registry.
¿ Ship Finance: The module offers a comparative analysis of aircraft finance with ship finance, focusing on the prevalent forms of financing, such as ship mortgages and finance leases. It highlights the unique challenges of ship mortgages, including the risk of permanent loss and the mobile nature of the assets, which can lead to complex jurisdictional issues regarding arrest and the validity of mortgages.
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LAMM002
Charterparties and Carriage of Goods by Sea
This module provides an in-depth exploration of the legal and commercial significance of charterparties and other principal contracts used for the carriage of goods by sea, including bills of lading and seaway bills. It examines the fundamental legal principles governing charterparties in general, as well as those specific to key forms of charter agreements, particularly voyage and time charterparties. The module also considers how these principles continue to evolve in response to market developments and commercial pressures and explores the relationship between charterparties and other contracts relating to the employment of ships and the carriage of goods.
In addition, the module analyses the main features and characteristics of the various forms of contracts of carriage used in sea transport. It addresses the legal and practical issues that arise when cargo carried under such contracts is lost or damaged and examines the role of the principal international regimes governing carriage by sea, including the Hague, Hague-Visby, and Hamburg Rules. Finally, the module considers contemporary challenges associated with the nature of bailment contracts and the practicalities of pursuing cargo claims.
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LAMM005
Offshore Energy Law
This module offers an advanced, critical exploration of the legal architectures that are actively shaping the transition to a decarbonised maritime economy. It moves beyond foundational principles to interrogate the complex and rapidly evolving intersection where international environmental law, maritime regulation, and sophisticated commercial project delivery converge. The module is designed for students seeking to specialise in the frontline of energy and environmental law, providing the expert knowledge required to navigate a sector defined by technological innovation, stringent climate policy, and significant capital investment.
The curriculum is structured around three interconnected pillars. First, it establishes the macro-regulatory drivers, conducting a critical analysis of how global climate change frameworks, specifically the Paris Agreement, create a binding imperative for sectoral action. This is examined through the dual lenses of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) global regulatory strategy for shipping emissions and the European Union's pioneering, and often contentious, regional policy suite, including its Emissions Trading System (ETS) for maritime transport and the FuelEU Maritime initiative.
Second, the module delves into the legal mechanics of offshore project delivery, which are essential for supplying the clean energy and abatement technologies required for decarbonisation. This involves a detailed dissection of the high-value, high-risk contractual ecosystems governing offshore wind farm construction¿analysing risk allocation in key agreements such as Balance of Plant (BoP) and Transport & Installation (T&I) contracts. Parallel to this, it examines the distinct legal regime for marine Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), addressing the international treaties enabling offshore storage, the structuring of CO2 transport and storage agreements, and the critical issue of long-term liability.
Third, the module confronts the novel legal and liability challenges emerging from new technologies. A core focus is the regulatory landscape and associated risks of alternative marine fuels (e.g., ammonia, hydrogen, methanol), including the application of the IGF Code and the evolving liability and insurance paradigms for bunkering operations and fuel-related incidents. Throughout, the module emphasises a critical, problem-solving approach, preparing students not only to interpret these layered legal frameworks but also to anticipate legal disputes, advise on risk mitigation in contracts, and contribute to the development of law and policy in this dynamic field.
