| Unit name | Banking Law |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD30090 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Miss. Powley |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Banks are central to the modern economy yet many bank customers do not understand their rights when dealing with their bank or the regulatory regime that banks operate within. This unit will introduce you to these key issues, reflecting the law governing a sector that has experienced significant reform in the years after the financial crisis, and continues to do so. You will learn about reforms introduced to maintain financial stability, improve levels of consumer protection and address concerns surrounding the culture within the banking sector. Alongside these developments, the traditional challenges continue to face the banking lawyer and questions relating to issues such as the operation of the anti-money laundering regime and the bank’s duty of care still arise. This unit will give you the opportunity to explore these topics and engage with fundamental debates about the banking sector and the impact of law and regulation.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
As a final year optional unit, Banking Law will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of trends in the regulation of the banking sector, operating as an introduction to the approach taken to regulating a core financial services market. It will allow you to become familiar with key debates affecting the sector in preparation for a career in practice or regulation or serve as a foundational base for further study.
An overview of content
This unit is principally concerned with retail banking law and regulation in the United Kingdom. It will provide a critical overview of key banking law developments and debates, including:
You will be encouraged to engage with themes that arise across the sector and inspired to reflect on the interaction between these areas of law.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
This unit will allow you to develop an in-depth understanding of key issues in the field of banking law and regulation and equip you with the skills to critique these developments. You will learn about the distinctive nature of banking regulation and become familiar with the detailed rules banks are expected to comply with. Your study on this unit will allow you to gain insights into the challenges banks can face as well as the tensions arising in the sector, developments that impact banking law and practice and are at the heart of legal and regulatory concerns.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Teaching will include learning activities including interactive lectures and workshops, small group work and discussions, in-seminar presentations and individual tasks to be completed before timetabled sessions.
These activities will be supported by materials provided through the virtual learning platform, with short recordings, directed reading and questions to consider in advance of timetabled classes. The focus of these activities will vary depending on the topic but will cover problem-based scenarios and critical analysis of key legal and regulatory developments. This will require directed and self-directed learning.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
The structure and organisation of the unit provides students with many opportunities to develop their skills and prepare for the summative assessment. In class discussions, interactive lectures and group work will allow you to receive informal feedback on your knowledge and understanding from academic staff and your peers. Multiple choice questions are used to allow students to reflect on their understanding of the content covered.
The formative assessment for this unit will build on the work you complete in relation to each topic and will give you the choice of either drafting a skeleton plan in response to a problem question or submitting a short piece of written work on a focused legal issue. This reflects the style of assessment in the summative assessment on this unit, where you will be required to answer at least one problem question. The word count will be 600 words. The formative assessment will form the base of a peer review group exercise.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
This unit is assessed by Timed Assessment and the assessment will take place at the end of Teaching Block 1. The Timed Assessment for this unit will account for 100% of the marks on this unit and the assessment will assess all of the Intended Learning Outcomes for this unit. Students will be required to answer at least one multi-issue problem question. The questions will require you to engage with core areas of banking law and regulation.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, the unit will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessment required for credit in the usual way.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWD30090).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
