Undergraduate Course: Issues in Child Law (LAWS10160)
Course Outline
| School | School of Law |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will examine a range of issues in child law, namely: Children¿s Hearing System; Adoption; Education; and Child Protection and Sexual Offences (all tbc). For each issue, students will examine the historical background from a Scots law, as well as a European, perspective. As the semester develops, the issues will be drawn together to allow for consideration of how the gradual recognition of children¿s rights and responsibilities has affected each issue over the last 20 years. Finally, students will have the opportunity to consider whether, amongst other developments, the new Children¿s Hearings (S) Act 2011 and the (draft) Rights of Children and Young People Bill addresses any outstanding issues and help to formulate an overall approach that will benefit the position of children and young people in Scots society. |
| Course description |
Indicative teaching programme:
1. General introduction and background to the issues that will be explored during the course.
2. The development of children¿s rights, the European influence and comparisons with other jurisdictions.
3. The historical background to the Children¿s Hearing System, its changing structure and its current and future place in the legal system.
4. The development of the law relating to adoption, the increasing involvement of children in their own adoption, the changes brought about by the Adoption and Children (S) Act 2007, permanence orders, etc
5. The effect of the growing amount of emerging statute law relating to education since the Education (S) Act 1980; the position of the child as an effective player in his or her own educational decisions; how the state ensures equality in educational provision for typically developing children and those with additional support needs.
6. The relatively sudden growth in the law relating to the protection of children, including sexual offences against children and sexual offence committed by children.
7. Bringing together the important issues and investigating if they complement one another or are, in some parts, mutually exclusive.
8. Investigating and researching the role of the adult, professional and carer ¿ facilitator or protector?
9. Assessing the intentions behind the Rights of Children and Young People Bill. Does this help or hinder?
10. Drawing the course issues together and concluding if we, as a society, are producing fully functioning, confident and productive adults.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 40 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment will be made up of:
75% take home essay, and
25% in-course assessment (with full details being provided to students at the start of each academic year).
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- 1. Knowledge and Sources of Law:
By the end of the course, students will have:
a) an enhanced understanding of the historical background that paved the way for current attitudes to children and their legal status;
b) an enhanced knowledge of current and future important issues in child law;
c) an enhanced understanding of the relationship that exists between different issues in child law;
d) an extensive knowledge of the development of legislation to address the growing needs of a society that increasingly recognises the need to prioritise the rights of children;
e) an ability to research and critically comment on the government¿s attempts, through legislation and other means, to recognise the status of children in society. - 2. Subject-specific Skills:
By the end of the course, students will have:
a) developed the skills necessary to research, analyse and interpret source materials;
b) developed the skills necessary to identify important current and future relevant issues that require further research and discussion;
c) developed the skills necessary to analyse critically the sources and research materials and to develop opinions and views based on their analyses;
d) developed the skills necessary to apply the knowledge gained to a range of legal questions and scenarios;
e) developed the ability to identify areas of unmet need and present well-prepared arguments to address those needs. - 3. General Transferable Intellectual Skills:
This course will provide students with the opportunity to:
a) develop skills associated with research and investigation;
b) develop skills that will enable them to present coherent arguments to support a range of viewpoints, as required;
c) develop creative thinking skills;
d) develop interpersonal verbal and written skills;
e) develop the ability to work independently and within a small team. - 4. Key Personal Skills:
This course will provide students with the opportunity to:
a) develop and enhance oral and written skills to a high standard;
b) develop their ability to prepare and lead class or group discussions and to keep within require time limits;
c) develop an ability to listen and take on board the views and opinions of others;
d) enhance their electronic research skills and abilities.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Issues Child |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mrs Kathleen Macfarlane
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Susan Leask
Tel: (0131 6)50 2344
Email: |
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