LLM International Maritime Law and Sustainability

This module will enable you to undertake a detailed study of a clearly defined legal or criminal justice topic, issue or problem. It aims to:

• increase knowledge of a selected subject area and develop a greater critical awareness
• present findings in an appropriate form

This module introduces research methodologies available for conducting research in law and criminal justice. It aims to:

• facilitate development of Masters-level technical legal and criminal justice research
• encourage a Masters-level degree of independence and responsibility
• introduce key research methodologies for researching law and criminal justice
• develop the technical research requirements of a Masters dissertation

This module allows you to critically analyse contemporary legal issues regarding international trade.

This module introduces the main principles of maritime law and the fundamentals of the shipping and commodity markets. You will explore contemporary issues in marine and maritime affairs and assess the laws and principles that address these issues from both international and national perspectives within the context of the maritime industry. 

This module will:

• introduce you to the basic concepts, institutions and processes of international criminal law
• introduce you to current debates regarding the application of international criminal law
• provide you with an appreciation of contemporary issues of global concern relating to the prosecution of international crimes

This module aims to:

• consider current controversies in international law pertaining to the use of force between states
• provide you with an understanding of legal limitations on methods and means of armed conflict
• explore modern and emerging challenges to the law of armed conflict

The module provides students with a sound knowledge and understanding of the basic principles and concepts of international human rights law. It explores the evolving ideas of human rights and their development in the specific context of international law-making and state obligations. It offers a critical engagement with both theoretical and practical dimensions of the field, as well as selected issues that define contemporary human rights debates, including the relationship between individual and group rights. The module features a set of general seminars, followed by themed sessions, offering specialist content and case studies. General seminars typically address the legal properties of human rights, historical and conceptual approaches to the field, the specific role of international law, and the work of international institutions. Themed module content can vary depending on the academic year, but it normally includes in-depth overviews of civil, political and socio-economic rights, as well as group rights, including the right to self-determination.  

This module seeks to introduce you to the intellectual and practical background of corporate governance in the UK and beyond. It aims to:

• provide an awareness and understanding of corporate governance through the critical examination of appropriate theoretical perspectives, models and practices
• examine critically the intellectual, practical and theoretical background to the concept of corporate governance in the UK and other international jurisdictions
• gain an understanding of the legal nature of corporations, their operations and global corporate governance failures and the reasons for such failures
• demonstrate legal and extra-legal solutions to perceived problems with past and present corporate governance regimes
• critically examine proposed future developments in and monitoring of corporate governance

The module allows you to undertake an analysis of the law as it relates to a range of contemporary issues in financial crime. It aims to provide knowledge and understanding:

• of the impact of a range of financial crimes
• plus analysis of attempts to curb financial crime and its impact

This module provides a detailed understanding and analysis of the various laws, regulations and systems applicable to the dispute resolution process. It aims to:

• provide a detailed understanding and analysis of the various laws, regulations and systems applicable to the dispute resolution process
• identify potential risk areas of conflict and develop effective processes, procedures and strategies to limit exposure to disputes arising notably within business, corporate or commercial situations
• increase the ability to create and implement action, highlight practices and manage disputes in both a national and international environment

This module examines the legal and ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the military domain. It explores how military AI, including autonomous weapon systems, challenges and interacts with key areas of international law, such as jus ad bellum, the law of armed conflict, human rights law, state responsibility, and global governance efforts.

This module aims to:

• review the global nature of international labour regimes and the regulatory mechanism
• investigate the link between international labour law; corporate governance and international trade
• describe each of the rights encompassed by the term international labour and to consider the main legal elements pertinent to each right
• review the operation of international labour regimes through specific industries
• place your study within the broader setting of economic policy and commercial application
• consider the importance of the law, policies and strategies regarding equality

As a business vehicle, the limited company is widely used. One of the reasons for its popularity is its ability to successfully raise business finance and diversify financial risk. All companies need to raise money to function successfully. And it is these issues of money which are the gravamen of international corporate finance law. 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. Students taking this module have the opportunity to participate in wide-ranging but analytically precise discussions of international corporate finance law. 

This module will introduce students to the underlying principles which various forms of financial regulation and international investment laws seek to implement. Students completing this module will be able to understand regulatory goals, along with the principal regulatory strategies that are employed to try to achieve these objectives in relation to financial markets and institutions. In addition to this, students will also learn about foreign investment and the laws and treaties which govern it, along with the resolution of disputes between foreign investors and sovereign States. 

This module will introduce students to AI as a technology, and the legal and ethical implications that arise from its use in a variety of settings. This module will serve as a foundation for the other AI based law modules the students can study throughout their masters programme. This module will enable students to interact with a variety of AI technologies in class and in their own private study time. Students will for example learn how to properly prompt an AI in order to get it to produce a desirable outcome, and equally they will learn how to use AI responsibly and reasonably. Students will also train their own AI model, which will allow them to understand more clearly where biases in data sets might arise and become exacerbated by AI. These skills are becoming increasingly required by prospective employers, particularly in the legal profession, so this module will equip students with skills that will improve their employability. Students will also benefit from a diverse reading list on this module, which includes scholarship from around the globe, presenting the students with the opportunity to engage with diverse literature across the subject. Students will engage in discussion regarding the ethics of AI including the persisting issue of bias and discrimination, the diverse reading list is especially beneficial here.   

The module provides students with a sound knowledge and understanding of the basic principles and concepts of public international law. It begins by exploring the nature, purpose, and scope of international law and its distinction from domestic legal systems. Students will examine the sources of international law, such as treaties, custom, and general principles, as well as the legal status of key actors including states, international organizations, and individuals. The module then considers state jurisdiction over territory—covering land, oceans, outer space, and polar regions—and the extent of state control over people and actions. Key areas such as human rights, international criminal law, and international humanitarian law are introduced, allowing students to engage with legal responses to global challenges including conflict, repression, and core international crimes. Finally, the module addresses enforcement and remedies for violations of international law, concluding with a reflection and review to consolidate learning and critical engagement.